CHAPTER 256D
IOWA EARLY INTERVENTION BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM

 
Future repeal of chapter; see §256D.9

  256D.1  Iowa early intervention block grant program established — goals.
  1.  An Iowa early intervention block grant program is established within the department of education. The program’s goals for kindergarten through grade three are to provide the resources needed to reduce class sizes in basic skills instruction to the state goal of seventeen students for every one teacher; provide direction and resources for early intervention efforts by school districts to achieve a higher level of student success in the basic skills, especially reading skills; and increase communication and accountability regarding student performance. The Iowa early intervention block grant program shall consist of the following:
  a.  Class size management.  School districts shall develop a class size management strategy to work toward, or to maintain, class sizes in basic skills instruction for kindergarten through grade three that are at the state goal of seventeen students for every one teacher.
  b.  Improving instruction in the basics.  The department of education shall identify diagnostic assessment tools that can be used to assist teachers in measuring reading accuracy and fluency skills, including but not limited to phonemic awareness, oral reading ability, and comprehension skills, to improve student achievement in kindergarten through grade three. The department, in collaboration with the area education agencies, school districts, and institutions with approved practitioner preparation programs, shall identify and serve as a clearinghouse on intensive, research-based strategies and programs for training teachers in both diagnosis and appropriate instruction interventions.
  (1)  A school district shall at a minimum biannually inform parents of their individual child’s performance on the diagnostic assessments in kindergarten through grade three. If intervention is appropriate, the school district shall inform the parents of the actions the school district intends to take to improve the child’s reading skills and provide the parents with strategies to enable the parents to improve their child’s skills. The board of directors of each school district shall adopt a policy indicating the methods the school district will use to inform parents of their individual child’s performance.
  (2)  The department shall also identify for school districts programs and materials by which parents may support classroom reading instruction.
  2.  A school district shall integrate its specific early intervention block grant program goals and activities into the comprehensive school improvement plan required under section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph “a”.
  3.  For purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, “parent” means a biological or adoptive parent, a stepparent, or a legal guardian or custodian of a student.
99 Acts, ch 18, §1; 2002 Acts, ch 1119, §148; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §5; 2009 Acts, ch 54, §4
  256D.2  Program expenditures.  Repealed by its own terms effective June 30, 2009; 2008 Acts, ch 1181, §  87. 

  256D.2A  Program funding.
  For the budget year beginning July 1, 2009, and each succeeding budget year, a school district shall expend funds received pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 11, at the kindergarten through grade three levels to reduce class sizes to the state goal of seventeen students for every one teacher and to achieve a higher level of student success in the basic skills, especially reading. In order to support these efforts, school districts may expend funds received pursuant to section 257.10, subsection 11, at the kindergarten through grade three level on programs, instructional support, and materials that include but are not limited to the following:  additional licensed instructional staff; additional support for students, such as before and after school programs, tutoring, and intensive summer programs; the acquisition and administration of diagnostic reading assessments; the implementation of research-based instructional intervention programs for students needing additional support; the implementation of all-day, everyday kindergarten programs; and the provision of classroom teachers with intensive training programs to improve reading instruction and professional development in best practices including but not limited to training programs related to instruction to increase students’ phonemic awareness, reading abilities, and comprehension skills.
2008 Acts, ch 1181, §88; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §98

  256D.3  Annual reports.
  1.  A school district shall report annually to its school community the proportion of fourth grade students who are proficient in reading in accordance with section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph “c”. School districts are encouraged to submit to their communities composite information concerning the reading proficiency of their kindergarten through grade three enrollments, by grade level.
  2.  The annual report submitted to the department of education in accordance with section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph “c”, shall include the district’s current class sizes for kindergarten through grade three.
  3.  Beginning January 15, 2006, the department shall submit an annual report to the chairpersons and ranking members of the senate and house education committees that includes the statewide average school district class size in basic skills instruction in kindergarten through grade three, by grade level and by district size, and describes school district progress toward achieving early intervention block grant program goals and the ways in which school districts are using moneys received pursuant to this chapter and expended as provided in section 256D.2A. The report shall include district-by-district information showing the allocation received for early intervention block grant program purposes, the total number of students enrolled in grade four in each district, and the number of students in each district who are not proficient in reading in grade four for the most recent reporting period, as well as for each reporting period starting with the school year beginning July 1, 2001.
99 Acts, ch 18, §3; 2005 Acts, ch 147, §1; 2010 Acts, ch 1069, §31
  256D.4  Program allocation.  Repealed by its own terms effective June 30, 2009; 2008 Acts, ch 1181, §  90. 

  256D.4A  Program requirements.
  A school district shall maintain a separate listing within its budget for payments received and expenditures made pursuant to this chapter. A school district shall certify to the department of education that moneys received under this chapter were used to supplement, not supplant, moneys otherwise received and used by the school district.
2008 Acts, ch 1181, §91; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §99

  256D.5  Appropriations.
  There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the department of education, the following amounts, for the following fiscal years, for the Iowa early intervention block grant program:
  1.  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2000, the sum of ten million dollars.
  2.  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001, the sum of twenty million dollars.
  3.  For each fiscal year of the fiscal period beginning July 1, 2001, and ending June 30, 2004, the sum of thirty million dollars.
  4.  For each fiscal year of the fiscal period beginning July 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2009, the sum of twenty-nine million two hundred fifty thousand dollars.
99 Acts, ch 18, §5; 2002 Acts, ch 1171, §182; 2003 Acts, ch 179, §34; 2004 Acts, ch 1175, §232; 2005 Acts, ch 179, §26; 2006 Acts, ch 1185, §47; 2007 Acts, ch 215, §60; 2008 Acts, ch 1181, §92
256D.6 through 256D.8Repealed by 2002 Acts, ch 1171, §  183. 

  256D.9  Future repeal.
  This chapter is repealed effective July 1, 2012.
99 Acts, ch 18, §9; 2003 Acts, ch 180, §9, 71; 2004 Acts, ch 1175, §233; 2005 Acts, ch 147, §2, 3; 2006 Acts, ch 1152, §6; 2007 Acts, ch 215, §61, 67