House File 2074 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  TYMESON


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

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to adding a minimum core curriculum requirement
  2    to the state's educational standards for grades nine through
  3    twelve.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 5131YH 82
  6 kh/rj/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 256.11, subsection 5, unnumbered
  1  2 paragraph 1, Code Supplement 2007, is amended to read as
  1  3 follows:
  1  4    In grades nine through twelve, a minimum core curriculum of
  1  5 four units of English, and three units of mathematics,
  1  6 including algebra and higher mathematics; three units of
  1  7 social studies; and three units of science, including biology,
  1  8 chemistry, and physics.  A unit of credit consists of a course
  1  9 or equivalent related components or partial units taught
  1 10 throughout the academic year.  The minimum program to be
  1 11 offered and taught for grades nine through twelve is:
  1 12    Sec. 2.  Section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph a, Code
  1 13 Supplement 2007, is amended to read as follows:
  1 14    a.  Five units of science including physics and chemistry;
  1 15 the units of physics and chemistry may be taught in alternate
  1 16 years.
  1 17    Sec. 3.  STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED.  In accordance
  1 18 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
  1 19 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
  1 20 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
  1 21 received by the school district under section 257.16.  This
  1 22 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
  1 23 to meet all of the state funding=related requirements of
  1 24 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
  1 25 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act by
  1 26 and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
  1 27 districts.
  1 28                           EXPLANATION
  1 29    This bill amends the state's educational standards to
  1 30 require school districts and accredited nonpublic schools to
  1 31 offer a minimum core curriculum of four years of English, and
  1 32 three years each of mathematics, including algebra and higher
  1 33 mathematics; social studies; and science, including biology,
  1 34 chemistry, and physics.  This minimum core curriculum is
  1 35 recommended by the American College Testing, Inc.
  2  1    The bill also eliminates authorization for school districts
  2  2 and accredited nonpublic schools to offer physics and
  2  3 chemistry in alternate years.
  2  4    The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
  2  5 section 25B.3.  The bill requires that the state cost of any
  2  6 state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
  2  7 district from state school foundation aid received by the
  2  8 school district under Code section 257.16.  The specification
  2  9 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state
  2 10 mandate funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2.
  2 11 The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate
  2 12 the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any
  2 13 state mandates included in the bill.
  2 14 LSB 5131YH 82
  2 15 kh/rj/5