Senate File 121
SENATE FILE
BY CONNOLLY
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the establishment of a smaller learning
2 communities pilot program for school districts and making an
3 appropriation.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 2181XS 80
6 kh/sh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. SMALLER LEARNING COMMUNITIES. There is
1 2 appropriated from the general fund of the state to the
1 3 department of education for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
1 4 2003, and ending June 30, 2004, the following amount, or so
1 5 much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes
1 6 designated:
1 7 For purposes of smaller learning communities pilot program
1 8 grants to school districts for activities related to
1 9 establishing smaller learning communities in secondary
1 10 schools:
1 11 .................................................. $ 500,000
1 12 1. Funds allocated for purposes of the smaller learning
1 13 communities pilot program shall be used to award grants to
1 14 eligible school districts. A school district shall be
1 15 eligible for a grant under the program if the school district
1 16 submits an application to the department of education, along
1 17 with any information required by the department, that
1 18 describes the following:
1 19 a. Strategies and methods the school district will use to
1 20 create the smaller learning community or communities in one or
1 21 more secondary schools.
1 22 b. Curriculum and instructional practices, including any
1 23 particular themes or emphases, to be used in the learning
1 24 environment.
1 25 c. The extent of involvement of teachers and other school
1 26 personnel in investigating, designing, implementing, and
1 27 sustaining the smaller learning community or communities.
1 28 d. The process to be used for involving students, parents,
1 29 and other stakeholders in the development and implementation
1 30 of the smaller learning community or communities.
1 31 e. Any cooperation or collaboration among community
1 32 agencies, organizations, businesses, and others to develop or
1 33 implement a plan to create the smaller learning community or
1 34 communities.
1 35 f. The training and professional development activities
2 1 that will be offered to teachers and others involved in the
2 2 activities assisted with grant moneys.
2 3 g. The goals and objectives of the activities assisted
2 4 under this section, including a description of how such
2 5 activities will better enable all students in the school
2 6 district to achieve challenging student performance standards
2 7 adopted by the school district.
2 8 h. The methods by which the school district will assess
2 9 progress in meeting its goals and objectives.
2 10 i. The relationship of a smaller learning community to the
2 11 rest of the school, if the smaller learning community exists
2 12 as a school=within=a=school, including but not limited to
2 13 governance and administration.
2 14 j. The administrative and managerial relationship between
2 15 the school district and the smaller learning community or
2 16 communities, including how the school district will
2 17 demonstrate a commitment to the continuity of the smaller
2 18 learning community or communities, including the continuity of
2 19 student and teacher assignment to a particular smaller
2 20 learning community.
2 21 k. How the school district will coordinate or use grant
2 22 moneys received pursuant to this subsection with other
2 23 private, local, state, or federal assistance.
2 24 l. Grade levels or ages of students who will participate
2 25 in the smaller learning community or communities.
2 26 m. The method of determining placement of students in the
2 27 smaller learning community or communities. Students shall not
2 28 be placed according to ability, performance, or any other
2 29 measure, but shall instead be placed at random or by their own
2 30 choice, not pursuant to testing or other judgments.
2 31 2. Funds received by a school district to establish a
2 32 smaller learning community or communities shall be used to do
2 33 the following:
2 34 a. Study the feasibility of creating a smaller learning
2 35 community or communities as well as effective and innovative
3 1 organizational and instructional strategies that will be used
3 2 in the smaller learning community or communities.
3 3 b. Research, develop, and implement strategies for
3 4 creating the smaller learning community or communities, as
3 5 well as effective and innovative changes in curriculum and
3 6 instruction, geared to the school district's comprehensive
3 7 school improvement plan as required under section 256.7,
3 8 subsection 21.
3 9 c. Provide professional development for school staff in
3 10 innovative teaching methods that challenge and engage students
3 11 in the smaller learning community or communities.
3 12 d. Develop and implement strategies to include parents,
3 13 business representatives, local institutions of higher
3 14 education, community=based organizations, and other community
3 15 members in the smaller learning communities, as facilitators
3 16 of activities that enable teachers to participate in
3 17 professional development activities, as well as to provide
3 18 links between students and their community.
3 19 EXPLANATION
3 20 This bill appropriates $500,000 from the general fund of
3 21 the state to the department of education for fiscal year 2003=
3 22 2004 for purposes of smaller learning communities pilot
3 23 program grants to school districts for activities related to
3 24 establishing smaller learning communities in high schools.
3 25 The bill is based on a federal program of the same name
3 26 (section 10105 of part A of title X of the Elementary and
3 27 Secondary Education Act of 1965). To be eligible under the
3 28 program, a school district must submit an application to the
3 29 department of education that describes its strategies and
3 30 methods for creating the smaller learning community,
3 31 curriculum and instructional practices, the extent of and
3 32 process of involving staff in investigating, designing,
3 33 implementing and sustaining the smaller learning community,
3 34 any cooperation or collaboration among community entities, the
3 35 training and professional development activities that will be
4 1 offered, the goals and objectives of the activities, program
4 2 assessment methods, the smaller learning community's
4 3 relationship to the rest of the school, the administrative and
4 4 managerial relationship between the school district and the
4 5 smaller learning community, including how the school district
4 6 will demonstrate a commitment to the continuity of the smaller
4 7 learning community, including the continuity of student and
4 8 teacher assignment to a particular smaller learning community,
4 9 how the school district will coordinate funding streams, the
4 10 grade levels or ages of participating students, and the method
4 11 of placing students.
4 12 Funds must be used by the school district to study the
4 13 feasibility of creating the smaller learning community or
4 14 communities; research, develop, and implement strategies for
4 15 creating the smaller learning community or communities;
4 16 provide innovative professional development; and develop and
4 17 implement strategies to include community members in the
4 18 smaller learning communities.
4 19 LSB 2181XS 80
4 20 kh/sh/8