Senate File 2042 - Introduced



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  TINSMAN


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act requiring the department of education and the area
  2    education agencies to facilitate meetings to discuss the
  3    implementation of graduation competency examinations.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 5067XS 81
  6 kh/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  UNIFORM STRUCTURED CONVERSATION PROCESS ==
  1  2 GRADUATION COMPETENCY EXAMINATIONS.
  1  3    1.  The department of education and the area education
  1  4 agencies shall facilitate a series of meetings with
  1  5 representatives from the department, area education agency
  1  6 personnel, school district leaders, parents, and students to
  1  7 discuss the implementation of graduation competency
  1  8 examinations.  The issues for discussion shall include
  1  9 statewide versus local graduation competency examinations,
  1 10 remediation, examination development, statewide standards, and
  1 11 graduation competencies and diplomas for students who have
  1 12 been provided an individualized education program.  The
  1 13 initial meeting shall be held not later than October 1, 2006.
  1 14    2.  At the conclusion of the series of meetings, each area
  1 15 education agency shall collect the recommendations made at the
  1 16 meetings held pursuant to subsection 1 and shall submit the
  1 17 recommendations to the department of education and the general
  1 18 assembly by November 15, 2006.  The department of education
  1 19 shall review the recommendations submitted by the area
  1 20 education agencies and shall submit its findings and
  1 21 recommendations in a report to the general assembly by January
  1 22 15, 2007.  The report submitted by the department to the
  1 23 general assembly shall also identify any changes in the Iowa
  1 24 Code that implementation of its recommendations would
  1 25 necessitate, and include a time line for implementation of the
  1 26 recommendations.
  1 27    3.  For purposes of this section, "school district leaders"
  1 28 includes superintendents, administrators, central office
  1 29 staff, educators, and school board members, though a school
  1 30 district may designate one school district leader to represent
  1 31 the school district regularly at the meetings held pursuant to
  1 32 subsection 1.
  1 33                           EXPLANATION
  1 34    This bill directs the department of education and the
  1 35 boards of directors of the area education agencies to
  2  1 facilitate a series of meetings, beginning not later than
  2  2 October 1, 2006, with representatives from the department,
  2  3 area education agency personnel and school district leaders,
  2  4 parents, and students to discuss the implementation of
  2  5 graduation competency examinations.  At the conclusion of the
  2  6 meetings, each AEA must collect the recommendations made and
  2  7 submit them to the department and the general assembly.
  2  8    The department shall review the AEA's recommendations and
  2  9 submit its findings and recommendations in a report to the
  2 10 general assembly by January 15, 2007.  The department's report
  2 11 must identify any changes in the Code that implementation of
  2 12 the department's recommendations would necessitate and include
  2 13 a time line for implementation of the recommendations.
  2 14 LSB 5067XS 81
  2 15 kh:nh/gg/14.1