House Study Bill 758
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 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 5821YC 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, writing, mathematics,
1 11 history, social science, and science for kindergarten through
1 12 grade 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 department shall submit a progress report to the
1 29 chairperson and ranking member of the house and senate
1 30 education committees and the chairperson and ranking member of
1 31 the joint subcommittee on education appropriations by December
1 32 15, 2006.
1 33 3. The department shall submit a report summarizing the
1 34 results of the study and making recommendations to the
1 35 chairperson and ranking member of the house and senate
2 1 education committees and the chairperson and ranking member of
2 2 the joint subcommittee on education appropriations by December
2 3 15, 2007.
2 4 EXPLANATION
2 5 This bill directs the department of education to convene a
2 6 task force to study the establishment of statewide content and
2 7 performance standards.
2 8 The task force is directed to review the current
2 9 educational program school districts and accredited nonpublic
2 10 schools are required to provide pursuant to Code section
2 11 256.11. The task force is to study strategies for
2 12 establishing academic standards in the core curriculum areas
2 13 for kindergarten through grade 12 and the effect such focus
2 14 has on advancing or inhibiting critical and creative thinking
2 15 and drawing attention from other worthwhile subjects, aligning
2 16 assessments to those standards, implementing accountability
2 17 measures, and providing supports to improve student
2 18 achievement; to review the educational content and performance
2 19 standards in neighboring states, and in states recognized as
2 20 successfully narrowing achievement gaps and generally
2 21 increasing student achievement in kindergarten through grade
2 22 12; to study the use of innovative delivery systems; and to
2 23 consider a potential timeline and implementation strategy for
2 24 state standards, resources, and the use of systematic and
2 25 frequent data to inform teachers and students about how well
2 26 students are learning material and about strategies they are
2 27 expected to learn.
2 28 The department must submit a progress report to the
2 29 chairperson and ranking member of the house and senate
2 30 education committees and the chairperson and ranking member of
2 31 the joint subcommittee on education appropriations by December
2 32 15, 2006, and a final report summarizing the results of the
2 33 study and making recommendations by December 15, 2007.
2 34 LSB 5821YC 81
2 35 kh:nh/sh/8.2