House File 739 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR TO HF 565)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act providing for a state research and development
2 prekindergarten through grade twelve school.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2187HV 83
5 ak/rj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256G.1 LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
1 2 It is the intent of the general assembly to develop a state
1 3 research and development prekindergarten through grade twelve
1 4 school in order to do the following:
1 5 1. To raise and sustain the level of all prekindergarten
1 6 through grade twelve students' educational attainment and
1 7 personal development through innovative and promising teaching
1 8 practice.
1 9 2. To enhance the preparation and professional competence
1 10 of the educators in this state through collaborative inquiry
1 11 and exchange of professional knowledge in teaching and
1 12 learning.
1 13 3. To focus on research that transforms teaching practice
1 14 to meet the changing needs of this state's educational system.
1 15 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 256G.2 DEFINITIONS.
1 16 For purposes of this chapter:
1 17 1. "Department" means the department of education.
1 18 2. "Director" means the director of the department of
1 19 education.
1 20 3. "President" means the president of the university of
1 21 northern Iowa.
1 22 4. "Research and development school" means a
1 23 prekindergarten through grade twelve research, development,
1 24 demonstration, and dissemination school using expanded
1 25 facilities at the center for early development education, also
1 26 known as the Price laboratory school, in Cedar Falls.
1 27 5. "University" means the university of northern Iowa.
1 28 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 256G.3 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
1 29 SCHOOL FUNDING.
1 30 1. a. The research and development school shall be
1 31 eligible for the school foundation aid program under chapter
1 32 257.
1 33 b. The research and development school shall maintain a
1 34 basic geographic boundary line agreement with the Cedar Falls
1 35 community school district.
2 1 c. Open enrollment under section 282.18 applies to the
2 2 research and development school.
2 3 2. To the same extent and under the same circumstances as
2 4 if the research and development school were a school district,
2 5 the research and development school shall be eligible to
2 6 receive funds from the secure an advanced vision for education
2 7 fund under section 423F.2 for infrastructure purposes as
2 8 allowed under section 423F.3.
2 9 3. The school budget review committee may grant
2 10 supplemental funding to the research and development school
2 11 for its research component if additional funding beyond the
2 12 funding provided by the university is necessary under section
2 13 257.31, subsection 5, paragraph "o".
2 14 4. Funds provided by the university for the center for
2 15 early development education under section 262.71 shall be
2 16 redirected as applicable to support the research component at
2 17 the research and development school.
2 18 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 256G.4 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
2 19 SCHOOL == GOVERNANCE.
2 20 1. The university shall be the governing entity of the
2 21 research and design school and as such shall be responsible
2 22 for the faculty, facility, grounds, and staffing.
2 23 2. The department shall be the accreditation agency and as
2 24 such shall serve as the authority on teacher qualification
2 25 requirements and waiver provisions.
2 26 3. a. A fifteen=member advisory council is created,
2 27 composed of the following members:
2 28 (1) Three standing committee members as follows:
2 29 (a) The director.
2 30 (b) The president.
2 31 (c) The director of the research and development school,
2 32 serving as an ex officio, nonvoting member.
2 33 (2) Eight members shall be jointly recommended for
2 34 membership by the president and the director and shall be
2 35 jointly approved by the state board of regents and the state
3 1 board of education, shall serve three=year staggered terms,
3 2 and shall be eligible to serve for two consecutive three=year
3 3 terms on the council in addition to any partial, initial term:
3 4 (a) One member representing prekindergarten through grade
3 5 twelve teachers.
3 6 (b) One member representing prekindergarten through grade
3 7 twelve administrators.
3 8 (c) One member representing area education agencies.
3 9 (d) One member representing Iowa state university of
3 10 science and technology.
3 11 (e) One member representing the university of Iowa.
3 12 (f) One member representing parents of students at the
3 13 research and development school.
3 14 (g) One member representing business and industry.
3 15 (h) One member representing private colleges in the state.
3 16 (3) Four members of the general assembly serving as ex
3 17 officio, nonvoting members, one representative to be appointed
3 18 by the speaker of the house of representatives, one
3 19 representative to be appointed by the minority leader of the
3 20 house of representatives, one senator to be appointed by the
3 21 majority leader of the senate after consultation with the
3 22 president of the senate, and one senator to be appointed by
3 23 the minority leader of the senate.
3 24 b. (1) The advisory council shall review and evaluate the
3 25 educational processes and results of the research and
3 26 development school.
3 27 (2) The advisory council shall provide an annual report to
3 28 the president, the director, the state board of regents, and
3 29 the state board of education.
3 30 4. a. A nine=member standing institutional research
3 31 committee, appointed by the president and the director, is
3 32 created, composed of the following members:
3 33 (1) The director of research at the research and
3 34 development school or the person designated with this
3 35 responsibility.
4 1 (2) One member representing the university of northern
4 2 Iowa.
4 3 (3) One member representing Iowa state university of
4 4 science and technology.
4 5 (4) One member representing the university of Iowa.
4 6 (5) One member representing business and industry.
4 7 (6) One member representing prekindergarten through grade
4 8 twelve students.
4 9 (7) One member representing the political community.
4 10 (8) One member representing the department.
4 11 (9) One member representing private colleges in the state.
4 12 b. The appointed members should collectively possess the
4 13 following characteristics:
4 14 (1) Be well informed about the educational needs of
4 15 students in the state.
4 16 (2) Be aware of and understand the standards and protocol
4 17 for educational research.
4 18 (3) Understand the dissemination of prekindergarten
4 19 through grade twelve research results.
4 20 (4) Understand the impact of educational research.
4 21 (5) Be knowledgeable about compliance with human subject
4 22 protection protocol.
4 23 c. The committee shall serve as the clearinghouse for the
4 24 investigative and applied research at the research and
4 25 development school.
4 26 d. The committee shall create research protocols, approve
4 27 research proposals, review the quality and results of
4 28 performed research, and provide support for dissemination
4 29 efforts.
4 30 Sec. 5. Section 257.31, subsection 5, Code 2009, is
4 31 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
4 32 NEW PARAGRAPH. o. Lack of funding for research at the
4 33 research and development school established under chapter
4 34 256G.
4 35 Sec. 6. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE.
5 1 1. a. There is appropriated from the general fund of the
5 2 state to the university of northern Iowa for the fiscal year
5 3 beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2010, the
5 4 following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be
5 5 used for the purposes designated:
5 6 For a contract with a design firm to evaluate the condition
5 7 of the center for early development education in Cedar Falls
5 8 and determine an approximate cost of both renovation of the
5 9 current facility and new construction with a recommendation as
5 10 to which is more feasible:
5 11 .................................................. $ 35,000
5 12 b. The design firm's recommendation shall consider the
5 13 following property elements:
5 14 (1) Grounds, utility, and paving systems.
5 15 (2) Exterior systems, including the roof, walls, windows,
5 16 exterior doors, and structural components.
5 17 (3) Interior systems, including walls, doors, floors, and
5 18 ceilings.
5 19 (4) Fire and life safety issues.
5 20 (5) Readily achievable design features meeting the
5 21 requirements of the federal Americans With Disabilities Act.
5 22 (6) Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning including
5 23 control mechanisms.
5 24 (7) Electrical and electrical distribution system.
5 25 (8) Plumbing.
5 26 (9) Fire protection.
5 27 (10) Elevators.
5 28 (11) Special construction.
5 29 c. The design firm shall report in fiscal year 2010=2011
5 30 to the president, the director, and the transition team the
5 31 results of its evaluation and recommendation.
5 32 2. The renovation or rebuilding of the center for early
5 33 development education shall be funded from a direct
5 34 appropriation from the rebuild Iowa infrastructure fund
5 35 created in section 8.57. Leadership in energy and
6 1 environmental design certification shall be sought in order
6 2 that the research and development school serve as a model of
6 3 energy efficiency and design.
6 4 3. A three=year timeline to establish the research and
6 5 development school is proposed for the university and the
6 6 department. A transition team, appointed by the president and
6 7 the director, shall develop and implement specific transition
6 8 plans for the first year of the transition and for the entire
6 9 three=year transition period in order to establish a
6 10 functioning research and development school at the end of the
6 11 transition period. The transition team shall use the
6 12 recommendations for each year of the transition as submitted
6 13 in the report of the committees required by 2008 Iowa Acts,
6 14 chapter 1101, to oversee the transition.
6 15 EXPLANATION
6 16 This bill provides for the establishment of a state
6 17 research and development prekindergarten though grade 12
6 18 school based on a three=year transition plan. The bill sets
6 19 out the basic structure of the school, including the
6 20 legislative intent, the school's basic funding, the school's
6 21 governance, and the school's infrastructure.
6 22 The research and development school's funding would include
6 23 being eligible for school foundation aid; funding from the
6 24 secure an advanced vision for education fund; additional
6 25 research funding, if needed, from the school budget review
6 26 committee; and funding from the university of northern Iowa
6 27 (UNI) that currently supports the Price laboratory school.
6 28 The bill sets out the research and development school's
6 29 governance such that UNI governs the facility, faculty,
6 30 staffing, and grounds. The department of education is
6 31 responsible for accrediting the teachers and staff. A
6 32 15=member advisory council will review and evaluate the
6 33 educational processes and results of the school. A
6 34 nine=member standing institutional research committee will
6 35 serve as the clearinghouse for the investigative and applied
7 1 research at the school, including creating research protocols,
7 2 approving research proposals, and reviewing the quality and
7 3 results of performed research.
7 4 The research and development school's infrastructure is
7 5 based on a three=year transition plan from the current Price
7 6 laboratory school. The bill calls for a design firm to be
7 7 hired to evaluate the current school facility and determine
7 8 whether renovation or new construction is the most feasible
7 9 option. The design firm's report is due in FY 2010=2011 and
7 10 the bill makes an appropriation of $35,000 for the cost of the
7 11 evaluation.
7 12 The bill states that the cost of renovation or rebuilding
7 13 for the school shall be funded from the rebuild Iowa
7 14 infrastructure fund and that leadership in energy and
7 15 environmental design certification be sought.
7 16 The bill requires that a three=year timeline be established
7 17 and that a transition team be appointed in order to have a
7 18 functioning research and development school at the end of
7 19 three years.
7 20 LSB 2187HV 83
7 21 ak/rj/5