H-1298

   Amend House File 847 as follows:
   1.  By striking page 1, line 3, through page 3, line 3, and inserting: 
   <Sec. ___.  Section 256.11, subsection 8, Code 2021, is amended to read as follows:
   8.  a.  Upon request of the board of directors of a public school district or the authorities in charge of a nonpublic school, the director may, for a number of years to be specified by the director, grant the district board or the authorities in charge of the nonpublic school exemption from one or more of the requirements of the educational program specified in subsection 5. The exemption may be renewed. Exemptions shall be granted only if the director deems that the request made is an essential part of a planned innovative curriculum project which the director determines will adequately meet the educational needs and interests of the pupils and be broadly consistent with the intent of the educational program as defined in subsection 5.
   b.  The request for exemption shall include all of the following:
   a.  (1)  Rationale of the project to include supportive research evidence.
   b.  (2)  Objectives of the project.
   c.  (3)  Provisions for administration and conduct of the project, including the use of personnel, facilities, time, techniques, and activities.
   d.  (4)  Plans for evaluation of the project by testing and observational measures of pupil progress in reaching the objectives.
   e.  (5)  Plans for revisions of the project based on evaluation measures.
   f.  (6)  Plans for periodic reports to the department.
   g.  (7)  The estimated cost of the project.
   c.  Approval of an exemption shall include authority for a school district to use funds from the school district’s flexibility account under section 298A.2, subsection 2, to implement all or part of the planned innovative curriculum project.
   d.  Approval of an exemption from one or more of the requirements of the educational program specified in subsection 5 does not exempt the school district or nonpublic school from federal law or any other requirements of state law that are not specifically exempted by the director.
   e.  Each school district or nonpublic school for which an exemption is approved shall file an annual report with the department on the status of the planned innovative curriculum project on forms and in a format prescribed by the department.
   f.  After expiration of the initial exemption period, the exemption may be renewed for additional periods of years, each not to exceed three years. The director may revoke approval of all or part of any exemption if the annual report or any other information available to the department indicates that conditions no longer warrant use of an exemption or funding from the school district’s flexibility account under section 298A.2, subsection 2. Notice of revocation must be provided by the director to the school district or nonpublic school prior to the beginning of the school year for which the exemption is revoked.>
   2.  Page 4, lines 5 and 6, by striking <An approved flexible student and school support program> and inserting <A planned innovative curriculum project for which an exemption was approved>
   3.  By renumbering as necessary.

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WINCKLER of Scott