CHAPTER 81
STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIAL PREPARATION PROGRAMS
281—81.1(256) Definitions.
“Area education agency” or “AEA” means a regional service agency that provides school improvement services for students, families, teachers, administrators, and the community.
“Department” means the department of education.
“Director” means the director of the department of education.
“Institution” means a public or private institution of higher education, an AEA, or a professional organization offering a school business official preparation program(s) and renewal credits.
“Novice” means an individual in a school business official position who has no previous experience in that position or who is newly authorized by the board of educational examiners.
“School business official candidates” means individuals who are enrolled in school business official preparation programs leading to authorization by the board of educational examiners to practice as school business officials.
“School business official preparation programs” means the programs of school business official preparation that lead to authorization to practice as a school business official.
“State board” means the Iowa state board of education.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.2(256) Institutions eligible to provide a school business official preparation program. Institutions of public and private higher education, AEAs, and professional organizations engaged in the preparation of school business officials shall meet the standards contained in this chapter in order to obtain and maintain state board approval of their programs. Each institution that seeks state board approval of its programs for school business official preparation shall file evidence of the extent to which each program meets the standards contained in this chapter. Such evidence shall be demonstrated by means of a written self-evaluation report and an evaluation conducted by the department and shall be prepared using a template developed by the department. Only approved programs may recommend candidates for school business official authorization.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.3(256) Approval of programs. Approval by the state board of an institution’s school business official preparation program shall be based on the recommendation of the director after study of the factual and evaluative evidence on record about each program in terms of the standards contained in this chapter.
	81.3(1) Approval, if granted, shall be for a term of seven years; however, approval for a lesser term may be granted by the state board if it determines conditions so warrant.
	81.3(2) If approval is not granted, the applicant institution will be advised concerning the areas in which improvement or changes appear to be essential for approval. In this case, the institution shall be given the opportunity to present factual information concerning its programs at a regularly scheduled meeting of the state board, no later than three months following the board’s initial decision.
	81.3(3) Programs may be granted conditional approval upon review of appropriate documentation. In such an instance, the program shall receive a full review after one year or, in the case of a new program, at the point at which candidates demonstrate mastery of standards for authorization.
	81.3(4) The standards herein apply regardless of delivery mode of instruction.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.4(256) Governance and resources standard.  An institution’s governance structure and resources shall adequately support the preparation of school business official candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards in accordance with the following provisions.
	81.4(1) A clearly understood governance structure provides guidance and support for the school business official preparation program.
	81.4(2) Procedures for an appeals process for candidates are clearly communicated and provided to all candidates.
	81.4(3) The program administers a comprehensive evaluation system designed to enhance the teaching competence and intellectual vitality of the professional educational institution.
	81.4(4) Institutional commitment to the program includes financial resources, facilities, appropriate educational materials, media services including library services, and equipment to ensure the fulfillment of the institution’s and program’s missions and the delivery of quality programs.
	81.4(5) The institution provides sufficient instructors and administrative, clerical, and technical staff to plan and deliver a quality school business official preparation program.
	81.4(6) Resources are available to support professional development opportunities for instructors.
	81.4(7) Resources are available to support technological and instructional needs to enhance candidate learning.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.5(256) Instructor standard. Instructor qualifications and performance shall facilitate the professional development of school business official candidates in accordance with the following provisions.
	81.5(1) Instructors are adequately prepared for assigned responsibilities and have had experiences relative to the curricula the instructors are teaching and in situations similar to those for which the school business official candidates are being prepared. Instructors have experience and adequate preparation in effective methods for any mode of program delivery in which the instructors are assigned responsibilities.
	81.5(2) Instructors instruct and model best practices in teaching, including the assessment of the instructors’ own effectiveness as it relates to candidate performance.
	81.5(3) Instructors are engaged in professional development that relates to school business official preparation.
	81.5(4) Instructors collaborate regularly and in significant ways with colleagues in the institution and other institutions, schools, the department, and professional associations as well as with community representatives.
	81.5(5) Part-time instructors and graduate assistants are identified as instructors and meet the background and experience requirements appropriate for the instructors’ and assistants’ assigned responsibilities.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.6(256) Assessment system and institution evaluation standard. The institution’s assessment system shall appropriately monitor individual candidate performance and use the performance data in concert with other information to evaluate and improve the institution and its programs.
	81.6(1) Program assessment system.
	a. 	The program utilizes a clearly defined management system for the collection, analysis, and use of assessment data.
	b. 	The institution clearly documents candidates’ attainment of the program standards.
	c. 	The institution demonstrates the propriety, utility, accuracy and fairness of both the overall assessment system and the instruments used and provides scoring rubrics or other criteria used in evaluation instruments.
	d. 	The institution documents the quality of programs through the collective presentation of assessment data related to performance of school business official candidates. Documentation shall include the following:
	(1)	Data collected throughout the program, including data from all delivery models;
	(2)	Evidence of evaluative data collected from school business officials who work with the program’s candidates; and
	(3)	Evidence of evaluative data collected by the institution through follow-up studies of graduates and their employers.
	e. 	The institution explains the process for reviewing and revising the assessment system.
	f. 	The institution demonstrates how the information gathered by the institution and from the performance assessment system for candidates is shared with instructors and other stakeholders and used for program improvement.
	81.6(2) Performance assessment system for candidates.
	a. 	The performance assessment system for candidates is an integral part of the institution’s planning and evaluation system.
	b. 	The performance assessment system for candidates includes a coherent, sequential assessment system for individual school business official candidates. The assessment system is shared with instructors to provide guidance for course and program improvement. The assessment system also provides ongoing feedback to school business official candidates about their achievement of program standards and guidance for reflection and improvement. Data are drawn from multiple formative and summative assessments of institutional evaluation of the candidates’ content knowledge and professional knowledge and from application of this knowledge to the necessary skills and attributes appropriate for a novice school business official.
	c. 	School business official candidate performance is assessed at the same standard regardless of the place or manner in which the program is delivered.
	81.6(3) Annual reports. The institution annually reports to the department such data as are required by the state and federal governments at dates determined by the department.
	81.6(4) Survey of graduates. The department periodically conducts a survey of schools, agencies, or facilities that employ licensed graduates of approved programs to ensure that the graduates’ needs are adequately met by their programs and by the approval process herein.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.7(256) School business official candidate knowledge and skills standard. School business official candidates shall demonstrate the content knowledge and professional knowledge and skills in accordance with the following provisions.
	81.7(1) Each school business official candidate shall demonstrate through coursework the knowledge, skills, and other attributes necessary to meet the following standards at a level appropriate for a novice school business official. Each school business official candidate shall acquire the content knowledge and demonstrate competencies in the following areas:
	a. 	Accounting (GAAP) concepts: fund accounting, account codes, Uniform Financial Accounting.
	b. 	Accounting cycles: budgets, payroll/benefits, purchasing/inventory, cash, receipts, disbursements, financial reporting, investments.
	c. 	Technology: management of accounting systems, proficiency in understanding and use of systems technology and related programs.
	d. 	Regulatory: Uniform Administrative Procedures Manual, school policies and procedures, administrative procedures, public records law, records management, school law, employment law, construction and bidding law.
	e. 	Personal skills: effective communication and interpersonal skills, ethical conduct, information management, ability to analyze and evaluate, ability to recognize and safeguard confidential information, and accurate and timely performance.
	f. 	Participation in the board of educational examiners ethics program.
	g. 	Participation in the school business official mentoring program.
	h. 	Promotion of the value of the school business official’s fiduciary responsibility to the taxpayer.
	81.7(2) Each school business official candidate shall meet all requirements established by the board of educational examiners for an authorization for which the candidate is recommended. Programs shall submit curriculum exhibit sheets for approval by the board of educational examiners and the department.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.8(256) School business official mentoring program. The one-year mentoring program and its partners shall assist candidates in becoming successful school business officials in accordance with the following provisions. The candidate must be employed as a school business official to be eligible to participate in the mentoring program.
	81.8(1) Candidates admitted to a school business official preparation program shall participate in the mentoring program. All hours spent in the mentoring program are outside of the nine semester hours required in the program.
	81.8(2) Each school business official preparation program shall inform all candidates of the following minimum expectations of the candidates as mentees:
	a. 	Participation in weekly conversations with the mentee’s mentor, including a review of work assignments.
	b. 	Maintenance of a record of contacts with the mentor and submission of the record to the program. A template will be provided by the program.
	c. 	Completion of surveys to assist with program evaluation.
	d. 	Communication with the program if the relationship with the mentee’s mentor is not meeting the needs or expectations of the mentee.
	e. 	Full participation in the mentoring program throughout the one-year period.
	81.8(3) Each school business official preparation program shall inform all program candidate mentors of the following minimum expectations:
	a. 	Contacting the mentee on a weekly basis.
	b. 	Completing surveys to assist with program evaluation.
	c. 	Informing the program if the relationship with the mentee is not meeting expectations.
	d. 	Maintaining confidentiality of the interactions between mentor and mentee.
	e. 	Supporting the mentee throughout the one-year period.
	81.8(4) The institution shall offer one or more workshops annually for all cooperating mentors to define the objectives of the mentoring program, review the responsibilities of the cooperating mentors, and provide the cooperating mentors other information and assistance the institution deems necessary. The workshops shall utilize delivery strategies identified as appropriate for staff development and reflect information gathered through feedback from workshop participants.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.9(256) Periodic reports. Upon request by the department, programs shall make periodic reports which shall include, but not be limited to, basic information necessary to maintain up-to-date records of each school business official preparation program and to carry out research studies relating to school business official preparation.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.10(256) Reevaluation of school business official preparation programs. Every seven years or at any time deemed necessary by the director, an institution shall file a written self-evaluation of its school business official preparation program. Any action for continued approval or rescission of approval shall be approved by the state board.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
281—81.11(256) Approval of program changes. Upon application by an institution, the director is authorized to approve minor additions to or changes within the curriculum of an institution’s approved school business official preparation program. When an institution proposes a revision that exceeds the primary scope of its programs, the revision shall become operative only after approval by the state board.
[ARC 9474B, IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 256.7 as amended by 2010 Iowa Acts, chapter 1099.
[Filed ARC 9474B (Notice ARC 9379B, IAB 2/23/11), IAB 4/20/11, effective 5/25/11]