Senate File 297 - Introduced
SENATE FILE
BY CONNOLLY
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for the establishment of an Iowa educator
2 professional growth program, making an appropriation, and
3 including effective and applicability date provisions.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 1296XS 81
6 rn/gg/14
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 257.8, Code 2005, is amended by adding
1 2 the following new subsection:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 4A. ALTERNATE ALLOWABLE GROWTH ==
1 4 PROFESSIONAL GROWTH FUND.
1 5 a. Notwithstanding the calculation in subsection 2, the
1 6 department of management shall calculate the regular program
1 7 allowable growth for the budget year beginning July 1, 2005,
1 8 by multiplying the state percent of growth for the budget year
1 9 by the regular program state cost per pupil for the base year,
1 10 and add to the resulting product ten dollars. For purposes of
1 11 determining the amount of a budget adjustment as defined in
1 12 section 257.14, ten dollars shall be subtracted from the
1 13 school district's regular program cost per pupil for the
1 14 budget year beginning July 1, 2005, prior to determining the
1 15 amount of the adjustment.
1 16 b. A school district shall calculate allowable growth
1 17 pursuant to the provisions of subsection 2 for the budget year
1 18 beginning July 1, 2006, and succeeding budget years, utilizing
1 19 a regular program state cost per pupil figure which
1 20 incorporates the ten dollar increase in regular program
1 21 allowable growth calculated for the budget year beginning July
1 22 1, 2005.
1 23 c. Amounts generated by the ten dollar addition to
1 24 allowable growth for the budget year beginning July 1, 2005,
1 25 pursuant to this section shall be utilized exclusively by
1 26 school districts for professional growth programs and
1 27 opportunities pursuant to section 257.51.
1 28 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 257.51 IOWA EDUCATOR PROFESSIONAL
1 29 GROWTH PROGRAM.
1 30 1. An Iowa educator professional growth program is
1 31 established, to be administered by the department of
1 32 education. The objective of the program shall be to make
1 33 available professional growth opportunities to primary and
1 34 secondary school teachers on an annual basis. The
1 35 opportunities shall be modeled after or reflect best practices
2 1 relating to proven quality teaching instruction techniques
2 2 tailored to a teacher's specific grade level and area of
2 3 instruction. Boards of school districts, individually or
2 4 jointly with the boards of other school districts, shall
2 5 annually submit program plans for educator professional growth
2 6 opportunities to the department. The department shall develop
2 7 guidelines for the development of the programs, and provide
2 8 assistance either through direct sponsorship of some programs
2 9 of instruction in coordination with the board of educational
2 10 examiners or by providing consultation services to individual
2 11 school districts or combinations of school districts.
2 12 2. The budget for the Iowa educator professional growth
2 13 program shall be funded annually by the ten dollar increase in
2 14 allowable growth for the school budget year beginning July 1,
2 15 2005, increased by the growth of the regular program district
2 16 cost each year, pursuant to section 257.8, subsection 4A. The
2 17 proportion of a school district's budget which corresponds to
2 18 the ten dollar increase in allowable growth for the school
2 19 budget year beginning July 1, 2005, shall be utilized
2 20 exclusively for a school district's educator professional
2 21 growth program. The funds utilized shall supplement, and not
2 22 supplant, teacher compensation and career development funding
2 23 pursuant to section 284.7, and amounts otherwise available to
2 24 a school district for such purposes.
2 25 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY DATE. This Act, being deemed of
2 26 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment for the
2 27 computation of state school aid for school budget years
2 28 beginning on or after July 1, 2005.
2 29 EXPLANATION
2 30 This bill provides for the establishment of an Iowa
2 31 educator professional growth program to be funded by an
2 32 increase in the allowable growth dollar amount for a specified
2 33 budget year.
2 34 The bill provides that the department of management shall
2 35 calculate the regular program allowable growth for the budget
3 1 year beginning July 1, 2005, by multiplying the state percent
3 2 of growth for the budget year by the regular program state
3 3 cost per pupil for the base year and adding $10 to the
3 4 resulting product. The bill provides that the additional $10
3 5 per pupil shall be subtracted from the school district's
3 6 regular program cost per pupil for the budget year beginning
3 7 July 1, 2005, in determining the amount of a school district's
3 8 budget adjustment for purposes of the school budget guarantee
3 9 pursuant to Code section 257.14. The bill provides that a
3 10 school district shall calculate allowable growth for the
3 11 school budget year beginning July 1, 2006, and succeeding
3 12 budget years, utilizing a regular program state cost per pupil
3 13 figure which incorporates the $10 increase in regular program
3 14 allowable growth.
3 15 The bill additionally provides that amounts generated by
3 16 the $10 addition to allowable growth shall be utilized
3 17 exclusively by school districts for professional growth
3 18 programs and opportunities pursuant to new Code section
3 19 257.51. That Code section establishes an Iowa educator
3 20 professional growth program to be administered by the
3 21 department of education. The bill provides that the objective
3 22 of the program shall be to make available professional growth
3 23 opportunities to primary and secondary school teachers on an
3 24 annual basis. The bill provides that school boards shall
3 25 individually or jointly annually submit program plans for
3 26 educator professional growth opportunities to the department,
3 27 and that the department shall develop guidelines for the
3 28 development of the programs, and provide assistance either
3 29 through direct sponsorship of some programs in coordination
3 30 with the board of educational examiners or by providing
3 31 consultation services.
3 32 The bill provides that the funds shall supplement, and not
3 33 supplant, amounts otherwise available to a school district for
3 34 teacher compensation and professional growth purposes.
3 35 The bill takes effect upon enactment and is applicable for
4 1 computation of state school aid for school budget years
4 2 beginning on or after July 1, 2005.
4 3 LSB 1296XS 81
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