House File 841 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR TO HF 439)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to alignment of the kindergarten through
2 postsecondary education systems and providing an effective
3 date.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 1927HV 82
6 kh/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 256.9, subsection 41, Code 2007, is
1 2 amended by striking the subsection.
1 3 Sec. 2. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION == STRATEGIC EDUCATION
1 4 GOALS TASK FORCE.
1 5 1. The department of education, the state board of
1 6 regents, and the Iowa association of community college
1 7 presidents, shall convene a task force to develop and
1 8 coordinate strategic goals by which the kindergarten through
1 9 grade twelve, community college, and university systems shall
1 10 improve the coordination and communication between the systems
1 11 to provide positive transitions between systems, raise
1 12 expectations for student achievement, create greater learning
1 13 opportunities for students in all geographic areas of the
1 14 state, create professional development opportunities for
1 15 educators across the systems, and share data for continuous
1 16 improvement of the systems. The task force shall also develop
1 17 recommendations on appropriate policy and reform actions to be
1 18 taken by the general assembly and affected state and local
1 19 education agencies, including, to the degree possible,
1 20 timelines for implementation of the proposals.
1 21 2. The task force shall consist, at a minimum, of
1 22 representatives from school districts, community colleges,
1 23 institutions of higher learning governed by the state board of
1 24 regents, accredited private institutions, and business and
1 25 industry.
1 26 3. The task force shall select a chairperson from among
1 27 its members. The department of education and the state board
1 28 of regents shall provide staff support. The department of
1 29 education shall convene the initial meeting no later than July
1 30 30, 2007. Subsequent meetings shall be held at least
1 31 quarterly and at the request of the chairperson. The task
1 32 force shall submit its findings and recommendations in a
1 33 report to the governor and the general assembly by January 15,
1 34 2009.
1 35 Sec. 3. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PREKINDERGARTEN THROUGH
2 1 GRADE TWELVE SCHOOL == FEASIBILITY STUDY. The department of
2 2 education and the university of northern Iowa shall convene a
2 3 task force to study the feasibility of creating a research and
2 4 development prekindergarten through grade twelve school for
2 5 the state of Iowa. The task force shall include, at a
2 6 minimum, university of northern Iowa faculty and
2 7 representatives from other institutions governed by the state
2 8 board of regents and from school districts which offer
2 9 prekindergarten through grade twelve. The task force shall
2 10 address the possibilities of creating a site where innovative
2 11 and promising practices can be studied and implemented to
2 12 improve the achievement of students in prekindergarten through
2 13 grade twelve, processes in which the findings of such studies
2 14 are shared with Iowa educators, and an appropriate governance
2 15 structure, and shall address the necessary funding and funding
2 16 sources for the school. The task force shall consider the
2 17 existing laboratory school located at the university of
2 18 northern Iowa as the site for the research and development
2 19 prekindergarten through grade twelve school. The task force
2 20 shall submit its findings and recommendations in a report to
2 21 the general assembly, the state board of education, and the
2 22 state board of regents by January 14, 2008.
2 23 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of
2 24 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
2 25 EXPLANATION
2 26 This bill provides for two studies. The bill directs the
2 27 department of education, the state board of regents, and the
2 28 Iowa association of community college presidents, to convene a
2 29 strategic education goals task force to develop and coordinate
2 30 strategic goals for public kindergarten through postsecondary
2 31 education systems. The bill also directs the department of
2 32 education and the university of northern Iowa to convene a
2 33 task force to study the feasibility of creating a research and
2 34 development prekindergarten through grade 12 school for the
2 35 state of Iowa.
3 1 The strategic education goals task force consists, at a
3 2 minimum, of representatives from school districts, community
3 3 colleges, institutions of higher learning governed by the
3 4 state board of regents, accredited private institutions, and
3 5 business and industry. The task force shall submit its
3 6 findings and recommendations in a report to the governor and
3 7 the general assembly by January 15, 2009. The bill strikes
3 8 statutory language that directs the director of the department
3 9 of education to explore, in conjunction with the state board
3 10 of regents, the need for coordination between education
3 11 systems.
3 12 The research and development task force consists of, at a
3 13 minimum, university of northern Iowa faculty and
3 14 representatives from other institutions governed by the state
3 15 board of regents, and from school districts that offer
3 16 prekindergarten through grade 12. The task force must submit
3 17 a report to the general assembly, the state board of
3 18 education, and the state board of regents by January 14, 2008.
3 19 The bill takes effect upon enactment.
3 20 LSB 1927HV 82
3 21 kh:nh/je/5