Senate File 2287 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2287 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3138) A BILL FOR An Act relating to private college preparatory schools exempted 1 from the state’s educational standards and accreditation 2 process, and including effective date provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5378SV (1) 83 kh/rj

S.F. 2287 Section 1. Section 256.11, subsection 13, Code Supplement 1 2009, is amended to read as follows: 2 13. a. Notwithstanding subsections 1 through 12 and as 3 an exception to their requirements, a private high school or 4 private combined junior-senior high school operated for the 5 express purpose of teaching a program designed to qualify 6 its graduates for matriculation at accredited four-year or 7 equivalent liberal arts, scientific, or technological colleges 8 or universities shall be placed on a special accredited list 9 of college preparatory schools, which list shall signify 10 accreditation of the school for that express purpose only, if: 11 a. (1) The school complies with minimum standards 12 established by the Code other than this section, and rules 13 adopted under the Code, applicable to: 14 (1) (a) Courses comprising the limited program. 15 (2) (b) Health requirements for personnel. 16 (3) (c) Plant facilities. 17 (4) (d) Other environmental factors affecting the 18 programs. 19 b. (2) At least eighty percent of those graduating from the 20 school within the four most recent calendar years, other than 21 those graduating who are aliens, graduates entering military 22 or alternative civilian service, or graduates deceased or 23 incapacitated before college acceptance, have been accepted by 24 accredited four-year or equivalent liberal arts, scientific, or 25 technological colleges or universities. 26 c. b. A school claiming to be a private college preparatory 27 school which fails to comply with the requirement of paragraph 28 “b” of this subsection “a” , subparagraph (2), shall be placed 29 on the special accredited list of college preparatory schools 30 probationally if the school complies with the requirements 31 of paragraph “a” of this subsection , subparagraph (1), but a 32 probational accreditation shall not continue for more than four 33 successive years. 34 c. The state board shall not add to the special accredited 35 -1- LSB 5378SV (1) 83 kh/rj 1/ 2

S.F. 2287 list of college preparatory schools after the effective date 1 of this Act. Only schools placed on the special accredited 2 list on or before the effective date of this Act that continue 3 to meet the criteria of this subsection shall remain on the 4 special accredited list after the effective date of this Act. 5 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT. This Act, being deemed of 6 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment. 7 EXPLANATION 8 This bill restricts the state board of education from adding 9 to the special accredited list of college preparatory schools 10 after the effective date of the bill. 11 Currently, a private high school or private combined 12 junior-senior high school that exists to qualify its graduates 13 for matriculation at accredited four-year colleges or 14 universities is placed on a special accredited list of college 15 preparatory schools by the state board and is exempt from the 16 educational standards for accreditation specified in Code 17 section 256.11, subsections 1 through 12. The schools on the 18 list must comply with minimum standards established in statute 19 and administrative rules applicable to courses comprising the 20 limited program, health requirements for personnel, plant 21 facilities, and other environmental factors affecting the 22 programs; and at least 80 percent of those graduating from the 23 school within the four most recent calendar years, with few 24 exceptions, must have been accepted by accredited four-year 25 colleges or universities. 26 Under the bill, only schools placed on the list on or before 27 the effective date of the bill, that continue to meet the 28 criteria established in the Code, may remain on the list after 29 that date. 30 The bill takes effect upon enactment, which is generally the 31 date of approval by the governor. 32 -2- LSB 5378SV (1) 83 kh/rj 2/ 2