CHAPTER 256G
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL

  256G.1  Legislative intent.
  It is the intent of the general assembly to develop a state research and development prekindergarten through grade twelve school in order to do the following:
  1.  To raise and sustain the level of all prekindergarten through grade twelve students’ educational attainment and personal development through innovative and promising teaching practice.
  2.  To enhance the preparation and professional competence of the educators in this state through collaborative inquiry and exchange of professional knowledge in teaching and learning.
  3.  To focus on research that transforms teaching practice to meet the changing needs of this state’s educational system.
2009 Acts, ch 177, §49, 57

  256G.2  Definitions.
  For purposes of this chapter:
  1.  “Department” means the department of education.
  2.  “Director” means the director of the department of education.
  3.  “President” means the president of the university of northern Iowa.
  4.  “Research and development school” means a prekindergarten through grade twelve research, development, demonstration, and dissemination school using expanded facilities at the center for early development education, also known as the Price laboratory school, in Cedar Falls.
  5.  “University” means the university of northern Iowa.
2009 Acts, ch 177, §50, 57

  256G.3  Research and development school funding.
  1.  a.  (1)  The university and the board of directors of the Cedar Falls community school district shall develop a student transfer policy for the research and development school that will protect and promote the quality and integrity of the teacher education program and the viability of the education program of the Cedar Falls community school district.
  (2)  The policy shall include, in order of consideration, the reasons for which a request to transfer to the research and development school will be allowed by the school district. The research and development school may deny any request for transfer under the policy and such denial for transfer is not subject to appeal under section 290.1. The research and development school shall report the transfer and enrollment of a new student directly to the department.
  b.  The research and development school shall create and maintain a basic geographic boundary line agreement with the Cedar Falls community school district. The boundary line agreement shall ensure that students currently enrolled at the center for early development education shall continue to have priority access to enrollment at the research and development school. If such an agreement cannot be reached, the boundary line for the research and development school shall be the official boundary line of the Cedar Falls community school district.
  c.  Open enrollment under section 282.18 applies to the research and development school.
  2.  Funds provided by the university for the center for early development education under section 262.71 shall be redirected as applicable to support the research component at the research and development school.
2009 Acts, ch 177, §51, 57

  256G.4  Research and development school — governance.
  1.  The board of regents shall be the governing entity of the research and development school and as such shall be responsible for the faculty, facility, grounds, and staffing.
  2.  The department shall be the accreditation agency and as such shall serve as the authority on teacher qualification requirements and waiver provisions.
  3.  a.  A seventeen-member advisory council is created, composed of the following members:
  (1)  Three standing committee members as follows:
  (a)  The director.
  (b)  The president.
  (c)  The director of the research and development school, serving as an ex officio, nonvoting member.
  (2)  Ten members, as follows, who shall be jointly recommended for membership by the president and the director, shall be jointly approved by the state board of regents and the state board of education, shall serve three-year staggered terms, and shall be eligible to serve for two consecutive three-year terms on the council in addition to any partial, initial term:
  (a)  One member representing prekindergarten through grade six public school teachers, who is also a participating member of a teacher quality committee created pursuant to section 284.4, subsection 1, paragraph “c”.
  (b)  One member representing grade seven through grade nine public school teachers, who is also a participating member of a teacher quality committee created pursuant to section 284.4, subsection 1, paragraph “c”.
  (c)  One member representing grade ten through grade twelve public school teachers, who is also a participating member of a teacher quality committee created pursuant to section 284.4, subsection 1, paragraph “c”.
  (d)  One member representing prekindergarten through grade twelve administrators.
  (e)  One member representing area education agencies.
  (f)  One member representing Iowa state university of science and technology.
  (g)  One member representing the university of Iowa.
  (h)  One member representing parents of students at the research and development school.
  (i)  One member representing business and industry.
  (j)  One member representing private colleges in the state.
  (3)  Four members of the general assembly serving as ex officio, nonvoting members, one representative to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one representative to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives, one senator to be appointed by the majority leader of the senate after consultation with the president of the senate, and one senator to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
  b.  One of the members representing public school teachers approved for membership pursuant to paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2), subparagraph divisions (a) through (c) shall be an active teacher in the Cedar Falls community school district.
  c.  (1)  The advisory council shall review and evaluate the educational processes and results of the research and development school.
  (2)  The advisory council shall provide an annual report to the president, the director, the state board of regents, the state board of education, and the general assembly.
  4.  a.  An eleven-member standing institutional research committee, appointed by the president and the director, is created, composed of the following members:
  (1)  The director of research at the research and development school or the person designated with this responsibility.
  (2)  One member representing the university of northern Iowa.
  (3)  One member representing Iowa state university of science and technology.
  (4)  One member representing the university of Iowa.
  (5)  One member representing business and industry.
  (6)  One member representing prekindergarten through grade six public school teachers, who is also a participating member of a teacher quality committee created pursuant to section 284.4, subsection 1, paragraph “c”.
  (7)  One member representing grade seven through grade nine public school teachers, who is also a participating member of a teacher quality committee created pursuant to section 284.4, subsection 1, paragraph “c”.
  (8)  One member representing grade ten through grade twelve public school teachers, who is also a participating member of a teacher quality committee created pursuant to section 284.4, subsection 1, paragraph “c”.
  (9)  One member representing the boards of school districts selected from a list of nominees submitted by the Iowa association of school boards.
  (10)  One member representing the department.
  (11)  One member representing private colleges in the state.
  b.  The appointed members should collectively possess the following characteristics:
  (1)  Be well informed about the educational needs of students in the state.
  (2)  Be aware of and understand the standards and protocol for educational research.
  (3)  Understand the dissemination of prekindergarten through grade twelve research results.
  (4)  Understand the impact of educational research.
  (5)  Be knowledgeable about compliance with human subject protection protocol.
  c.  One of the members representing public school teachers approved for membership pursuant to paragraph “a”, subparagraphs (6) through (8) shall be an active teacher in the Cedar Falls community school district.
  d.  The committee shall serve as the clearinghouse for the investigative and applied research at the research and development school.
  e.  The committee shall create research protocols, approve research proposals, review the quality and results of performed research, and provide support for dissemination efforts.
2009 Acts, ch 177, §52, 57
; 2010 Acts, ch 1069, §33