House File 635 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY HEATON
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for a summer reading loss prevention grant
2 program for students in kindergarten through grade three, and
3 making an appropriation.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 2288YH 82
6 ak/gg/14
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256.26 SUMMER READING LOSS
1 2 PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM.
1 3 1. A summer reading loss prevention grant program for
1 4 students in kindergarten through grade three is created under
1 5 the control of the department for the purpose of providing
1 6 grants to school districts.
1 7 2. Moneys appropriated to the department for purposes of
1 8 the grant program shall be used to provide grants to school
1 9 districts for summer reading loss prevention programs and
1 10 shall not be transferred, used, obligated, appropriated, or
1 11 otherwise encumbered, except as provided in this section.
1 12 Notwithstanding 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on
1 13 moneys appropriated for purposes of the grant program shall be
1 14 retained for purposes of the program.
1 15 3. For each fiscal year for which moneys are appropriated
1 16 for purposes of the program, such moneys shall be allocated to
1 17 school districts in accordance with the following formula:
1 18 a. Fifty percent of the allocation shall be based upon the
1 19 proportion that the kindergarten through grade three
1 20 enrollment of a district bears to the sum of the kindergarten
1 21 through grade three enrollments of all school districts in the
1 22 state as reported for the base year.
1 23 b. Fifty percent of the allocation shall be based upon the
1 24 proportion that the number of children who are eligible for
1 25 free or reduced price meals under the federal National School
1 26 Lunch Act and the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42
1 27 U.S.C. } 1751=1785, in grades one through three of a school
1 28 district bears to the sum of the number of children who are
1 29 eligible for free or reduced price meals under the federal
1 30 National School Lunch Act and the federal Child Nutrition Act
1 31 of 1966, 42 U.S.C. } 1751=1785, in grades one through three in
1 32 all school districts in the state for the base year.
1 33 4. The department shall adopt rules governing the use of
1 34 grant funds distributed under this section in accordance with
1 35 the following:
2 1 a. A school district shall use the grant funds for
2 2 students in kindergarten through grade three, giving priority
2 3 to low=income students.
2 4 b. A school district shall have a student to teacher ratio
2 5 of at least ten to one.
2 6 c. A school district shall hold a summer program that is
2 7 five or six weeks long, five days per week, six hours per day.
2 8 d. A school district shall utilize the dynamic indicators
2 9 of basic early literacy skills (DIBELS) as one factor in
2 10 determining the success of the summer program.
2 11 e. A school district's summer program shall incorporate
2 12 the following nine characteristics of effective summer
2 13 learning programs:
2 14 (1) Intentional focus on accelerating learning.
2 15 (2) Firm commitment to youth development.
2 16 (3) Proactive approach to summer learning.
2 17 (4) Strong, empowering leadership.
2 18 (5) Advanced, collaborative planning.
2 19 (6) Extensive opportunities for staff development.
2 20 (7) Strategic partnerships.
2 21 (8) Rigorous approach to evaluation and commitment to
2 22 program improvement.
2 23 (9) Clear focus on sustainability and cost=effectiveness.
2 24 5. For purposes of this section, "kindergarten through
2 25 grade three enrollment" means the same as defined in section
2 26 256D.4.
2 27 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the
2 28 general fund of the state to the department of education for
2 29 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30,
2 30 2008, the following amount, or so much thereof as is
2 31 necessary, to be used for the purposes designated:
2 32 For the summer reading loss prevention grant program
2 33 created in section 256.26, as enacted by this Act:
2 34 .................................................. $ 48,000,000
2 35 EXPLANATION
3 1 This bill establishes a summer reading loss prevention
3 2 grant program for students in kindergarten through grade
3 3 three. The grant program is created under the control of the
3 4 department of education, which is charged with distributing
3 5 grants to school districts.
3 6 The bill requires that the moneys appropriated to the
3 7 department for purposes of the grant program shall be used to
3 8 provide grants to school districts for summer reading loss
3 9 prevention programs, and are not to be transferred, used,
3 10 obligated, appropriated, or otherwise encumbered. However,
3 11 interest or earnings on moneys appropriated for purposes of
3 12 the grant program shall be retained for the purposes of the
3 13 grant program.
3 14 The bill sets out a formula for distributing the funds
3 15 appropriated for the purposes of the grant program. Fifty
3 16 percent of the funds shall be allocated to school districts
3 17 based on the proportion of kindergarten through grade three
3 18 enrollment a district bears to the sum of the kindergarten
3 19 through grade three enrollments of all districts in the state,
3 20 as reported for the base year. The other 50 percent is
3 21 allocated based on the proportion of children a school
3 22 district has who are eligible for free or reduced price meals
3 23 under the federal National School Lunch Act and the federal
3 24 Child Nutrition Act of 1966 in grades one through three that a
3 25 district bears to the sum of the qualifying children in grades
3 26 one through three in all districts in the state, as reported
3 27 for the base year.
3 28 The bill also requires that the department of education
3 29 adopt rules governing the use of grants with at least five
3 30 specific restrictions. First, the school district shall use
3 31 the grant money for students in kindergarten through grade
3 32 three and give priority to low=income students. Second, the
3 33 school district shall have a student to teacher ratio of at
3 34 least 10 to 1. Third, the school district shall hold a summer
3 35 program of five to six weeks long, five days a week, and six
4 1 hours a day. Fourth, the school district shall use the
4 2 dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills (DIBELS) as
4 3 a factor in determining the success of the summer program.
4 4 Finally, the school district's summer program shall
4 5 incorporate the following nine characteristics of effective
4 6 summer learning programs: intentional focus on accelerating
4 7 learning; firm commitment to youth development; proactive
4 8 approach to summer learning; strong, empowering leadership;
4 9 advanced, collaborative planning; extensive opportunities for
4 10 staff development; strategic partnerships; rigorous approach
4 11 to evaluation and commitment to program improvement; and clear
4 12 focus on sustainability and cost=effectiveness.
4 13 The bill appropriates $48 million from the general fund of
4 14 the state for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and
4 15 ending June 30, 2008, for the summer reading loss prevention
4 16 grant program.
4 17 LSB 2288YH 82
4 18 ak:nh/gg/14