House File 2710 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 758)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the establishment of a statewide educational
2 standards and accountability task force.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 5821HV 81
5 kh/sh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. STATEWIDE EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS AND
1 2 ACCOUNTABILITY TASK FORCE.
1 3 1. The department of education shall convene a task force
1 4 to study the establishment of statewide content and
1 5 performance standards. The task force shall review the
1 6 current educational program standards school districts and
1 7 accredited nonpublic schools are required to provide pursuant
1 8 to section 256.11. The task force shall study strategies for
1 9 establishing academic standards for student knowledge in the
1 10 core curriculum areas of reading, language arts, mathematics,
1 11 social studies, and science for kindergarten through grade
1 12 twelve, and the effect such focus has on advancing or
1 13 inhibiting critical and creative thinking and in drawing
1 14 attention from other worthwhile subjects, aligning assessments
1 15 to those standards, implementing accountability measures, and
1 16 providing supports to improve student achievement. The study
1 17 shall include a review of the educational content and
1 18 performance standards in neighboring states, and in states
1 19 recognized as successfully narrowing achievement gaps and
1 20 increasing overall student achievement in kindergarten through
1 21 grade twelve. The task force shall consider the use of
1 22 innovative delivery systems, including technology. The task
1 23 force shall consider a potential timeline and implementation
1 24 strategy for statewide standards, resources needed, and the
1 25 use of systematic and frequent data to inform teachers and
1 26 students about how well students are learning material and
1 27 about strategies students are expected to learn.
1 28 2. The task force shall consist of the director of the
1 29 department of education or the director's designee,
1 30 administrators and teachers representing large, medium, and
1 31 small school districts who have worked closely with the
1 32 development of local content standards, representatives from
1 33 area education agencies who have worked closely with the
1 34 development of local content standards, and parents or
1 35 guardians, and community leaders.
2 1 3. The department shall submit a progress report to the
2 2 chairperson and ranking member of the house and senate
2 3 education committees and the chairperson and ranking member of
2 4 the joint subcommittee on education appropriations by December
2 5 15, 2006.
2 6 4. The department shall submit a report summarizing the
2 7 results of the study and making recommendations to the
2 8 chairperson and ranking member of the house and senate
2 9 education committees and the chairperson and ranking member of
2 10 the joint subcommittee on education appropriations by December
2 11 15, 2007.
2 12 EXPLANATION
2 13 This bill directs the department of education to convene a
2 14 task force to study the establishment of statewide content and
2 15 performance standards.
2 16 The task force is directed to review the current
2 17 educational program school districts and accredited nonpublic
2 18 schools are required to provide pursuant to Code section
2 19 256.11. The task force is to study strategies for
2 20 establishing academic standards in the core curriculum areas
2 21 for kindergarten through grade 12 and the effect such focus
2 22 has on advancing or inhibiting critical and creative thinking
2 23 and drawing attention from other worthwhile subjects, aligning
2 24 assessments to those standards, implementing accountability
2 25 measures, and providing supports to improve student
2 26 achievement; to review the educational content and performance
2 27 standards in neighboring states, and in states recognized as
2 28 successfully narrowing achievement gaps and generally
2 29 increasing student achievement in kindergarten through grade
2 30 12; to study the use of innovative delivery systems; and to
2 31 consider a potential timeline and implementation strategy for
2 32 state standards, resources, and the use of systematic and
2 33 frequent data to inform teachers and students about how well
2 34 students are learning material and about strategies they are
2 35 expected to learn.
3 1 The department must submit a progress report to the
3 2 chairperson and ranking member of the house and senate
3 3 education committees and the chairperson and ranking member of
3 4 the joint subcommittee on education appropriations by December
3 5 15, 2006, and a final report summarizing the results of the
3 6 study and making recommendations by December 15, 2007.
3 7 LSB 5821HV 81
3 8 kh:nh/sh/8