256.16  Specific criteria for teacher preparation and certain educators.
  1.  Pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 5, the state board shall adopt rules requiring all higher education institutions providing practitioner preparation to do the following:
  a.  (1)  Administer a preprofessional skills test offered by a nationally recognized testing service to practitioner preparation program admission candidates. Rules adopted shall require institutions to deny admission to the program to any candidate who does not successfully pass the test.
  (2)  Administer, prior to a student’s completion of the practitioner preparation program and subject to the director’s approval, subject assessments designed by a nationally recognized testing service that measure pedagogy and knowledge of at least one subject area; or, a valid and reliable subject-area-specific, performance-based assessment for preservice teacher candidates, centered on student learning. A student shall not successfully complete the program unless the student achieves scores above the twenty-fifth percentile nationally on the assessments administered pursuant to this subparagraph.
  b.  Include preparation in reading programs, including reading recovery, and integrate reading strategies into content area methods coursework.
  c.  Include in the professional education program, preparation that contributes to the education of students with disabilities and students who are gifted and talented, and preparation in classroom management addressing high-risk behaviors including, but not limited to, behaviors related to substance abuse. Preparation required under this paragraph must be successfully completed before graduation from the practitioner preparation program.
  2.  A person initially applying for a license shall successfully complete a professional education program containing the subject matter specified in this section, before the initial action by the board of educational examiners takes place.
86 Acts, ch 1245, §1416; 89 Acts, ch 265, §27; 96 Acts, ch 1129, §67; 99 Acts, ch 191, §1; 2012 Acts, ch 1119, §39