House Study Bill 591
HOUSE FILE
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
EDUCATION BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON TYMESON)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act establishing statewide proficiency levels and definitions
2 for students in reading, mathematics, and science in grades
3 four, eight, and eleven.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 280.28 STATEWIDE PROFICIENCY
1 2 LEVELS AND DEFINITIONS ESTABLISHED.
1 3 1. A student in grade four, eight, or eleven is determined
1 4 proficient in reading or mathematics if the student scores in
1 5 the forty=first percentile or above on the applicable
1 6 subject=matter portion of the Iowa test of basic skills or
1 7 Iowa test of educational development.
1 8 2. A student in grade eight or eleven is determined
1 9 proficient in science if the student scores in the forty=first
1 10 percentile or above on the applicable subject=matter portion
1 11 of the Iowa test of basic skills or the Iowa test of
1 12 educational development.
1 13 3. The proficiency definitions for Iowa students are as
1 14 follows:
1 15 a. A student in grade four designated proficient, unless
1 16 otherwise provided, can usually or is able to, at a minimum,
1 17 do the following:
1 18 (1) Understand factual information and new words in
1 19 context.
1 20 (2) Make inferences and interpret either nonliteral
1 21 language or information in new contexts.
1 22 (3) Determine a selection's main idea and analyze its
1 23 style and structure.
1 24 (4) Perform in a manner that indicates the student is
1 25 developing an understanding of many math concepts.
1 26 (5) Solve simple and complex word problems and use
1 27 estimation methods.
1 28 (6) Interpret data from graphs and tables.
1 29 b. A student in grade eight designated proficient can
1 30 usually or is able to, at a minimum, do the following:
1 31 (1) Understand factual information and new words in
1 32 context, make inferences, and interpret information in new
1 33 contexts.
1 34 (2) Determine a selection's main idea, identify its
1 35 author's purpose or viewpoint, and analyze its style and
2 1 structure.
2 2 (3) Understand math concepts and solve simple and complex
2 3 word problems, use estimation methods, and interpret data from
2 4 graphs and tables.
2 5 (4) Sometimes understand ideas related to the earth, the
2 6 universe, and the life sciences.
2 7 (5) Understand ideas related to the physical sciences and
2 8 often can demonstrate the skills of scientific inquiry.
2 9 c. A student in grade eleven designated proficient can
2 10 usually or is able to, at a minimum, do the following:
2 11 (1) Understand stated information and ideas, infer implied
2 12 meaning, draw conclusions, and interpret nonliteral language.
2 13 (2) Make generalizations from or about a text, identify
2 14 its author's purpose or viewpoint, and evaluate aspects of its
2 15 style or structure.
2 16 (3) Sometimes apply math concepts and procedures, make
2 17 inferences with quantitative information, and solve a variety
2 18 of quantitative reasoning problems.
2 19 (4) Sometimes make inferences or predictions from data,
2 20 judge the relevance and adequacy of information, and recognize
2 21 the rationale for and limitations of scientific procedures.
2 22 EXPLANATION
2 23 This bill establishes statewide proficiency levels and
2 24 definitions for what students should know and be able to do,
2 25 for grades four, eight, and 11 in reading, mathematics, and
2 26 science.
2 27 The bill provides that a student is determined proficient
2 28 in reading, mathematics, or science in grades four, eight, and
2 29 11, as appropriate, if the student scores in the 41st
2 30 percentile or above on the Iowa test of basic skills or the
2 31 Iowa test of educational development, as appropriate. The
2 32 bill defines what a student designated proficient can usually,
2 33 or is able to, do at a minimum.
2 34 LSB 5128YC 81
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