HOUSE FILE _____

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON FORRISTALL)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the use of a high school proficiency examination as a condition of graduation and for payment of school foundation aid funding to community colleges and regents universities on behalf of certain students who pass the examination.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

   Section 1.  Section 256.7, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  31.  Adopt rules requiring school districts to administer to secondary students at least annually, beginning not later than the 2014-2015 school year, the statewide high school proficiency examination developed and distributed pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 62. The rules shall provide for alternative pathways to graduation and for a timeline for the administration of the examination, and shall require school districts to administer the examination to secondary school students, including students attending accredited nonpublic schools located within the school district and students receiving competent private instruction pursuant to chapter 299A, if a student and the student’s parent or guardian submit a written request to the school district.
   Sec. 2.  Section 256.9, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  62.
  a.  Develop, together with the state board of regents, a statewide high school proficiency examination designed to measure cumulative high school achievement in the attainment of knowledge and skills specified in the state’s core curriculum content standards. The examination shall be designed to be utilized for the following purposes:
   (1)  By school districts, which shall administer the examination to secondary school students who must pass the examination as a condition of graduation except as provided in paragraph “b”.
   (2)  By a student enrolled in a school district in order to graduate from high school, qualify for admission to an institution of higher learning governed by the state board of regents, or to qualify for state school foundation aid pursuant to section 257.52.
   (3)  By students attending accredited nonpublic schools or students receiving competent private instruction under chapter 299A in order to qualify for admission to an institution of higher learning governed by the state board of regents or to qualify for state school foundation aid pursuant to section 257.52.
   (4)  By institutions of higher learning governed by the state board of regents as an entrance examination for students who qualify for weighting under section 257.6, subsection 1, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (02).
   b.  Develop alternative assessment measures, which school districts may administer to certain students in lieu of the statewide high school proficiency examination. The alternative assessment measures shall be designed to measure high school competency in the attainment of the knowledge and skills specified in the state’s core curriculum content standards of students with special needs, including but not limited to students with disabilities, English language learners, and general education students who can demonstrate mastery of the state’s core curriculum content standards using an alternative assessment measure.
   Sec. 3.  Section 257.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2011, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph:
   NEW SUBPARAGRAPH.  (02)  Full-time equivalent resident pupils who pass the statewide high school proficiency examination developed and distributed pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 62, prior to the pupil’s senior year of high school if the pupil is admitted to an Iowa community college or institution of higher learning governed by the state board of regents. A pupil who is admitted to an Iowa community college or institution of higher learning governed by the state board of regents shall not be included in the district’s enrollment for purposes of this chapter if the pupil was eligible to receive a diploma with the class in which they were enrolled prior to taking the statewide high school proficiency examination and that class graduated the previous school year.
   Sec. 4.  NEW SECTION.  257.52  High school scholarship payments.
   1.  Each community college and each institution of higher learning governed by the state board of regents that admits a person who prior to the person’s senior year of high school successfully passed the statewide high school proficiency examination administered pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 62, shall, if the person is enrolled in a school district and included in a school district’s actual enrollment in accordance with section 257.6, notify the department of management of the admission and the name of the school district in which the student is enrolled.
   2.  The department of management shall deduct from the amounts calculated for state school foundation aid for each school district the amount generated by each pupil pursuant to section 257.6, subsection 1, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (02) for each school district from the state aid due to the district pursuant to this chapter and shall pay the amounts to the Iowa community college or institution of higher learning governed by the state board of regents in which the person is admitted pursuant to subsection 1 on a monthly basis from September 15 through June 15 during each school year. The community college or institution paid pursuant to this subsection shall reduce the tuition charged to a person admitted as a student pursuant to subsection 1 by an amount equivalent to the amount paid to the community college or institution pursuant to this subsection. The department of management shall notify each school district of the amount of state aid deducted for these purposes and the balance of state aid shall be paid to the district.
   Sec. 5.  STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED.  In accordance with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid received by the school district under section 257.16. This specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts.
EXPLANATION
   This bill requires the department of education to develop and distribute, and requires school districts to administer, a high school proficiency examination to measure cumulative student competency in the attainment of the knowledge and skills specified in the state’s core curriculum content standards as a condition of graduation. The bill also provides for the payment of state school foundation aid funding to a community college or regents university for the postsecondary tuition costs of a high school student who passes the examination prior to the student’s senior year of high school.
   The state board of education is directed to adopt rules requiring school districts to administer the examination at least annually, beginning not later than the 2014-2015 school year, to secondary students, including those attending an accredited nonpublic school and receiving competent private instruction if the student and the student’s parent or guardian submit a written request to the school district. The rules shall provide for a timeline for the administration of the examination and alternative measurements for students with special needs, English language learners, and general education students who can demonstrate mastery using alternative measures. 
   To qualify for state school foundation aid for purposes of paying tuition at a community college or regents university, a student shall be enrolled in the student’s school district of residence on or before October 1 of the school year prior to the year in which the student will attend an Iowa community college or regents university. 
   The examination shall qualify as an entrance examination for admission to regents universities for students who qualify for state school foundation aid by passing the examination prior to their senior year.
   Full-time equivalent resident pupils who pass the statewide high school proficiency examination prior to the pupil’s senior year of high school are included in the school district’s actual enrollment and assigned a weighting of one if the pupil is admitted to an Iowa community college or regents university. However, the pupil is ineligible to be included in the district’s enrollment if the pupil was eligible to receive a diploma with the class in which they were enrolled prior to taking the examination and that class graduated the previous school year. 
   Each community college and regents university that admits a person who prior to the student’s senior year of high school successfully passed the examination shall, if the person is enrolled in a school district and included in a school district’s actual enrollment, notify the department of management of the admission and the name of the school district in which the student is enrolled. The department of management shall deduct from the amounts calculated for state school foundation aid for each school district the amount generated by such pupil for each school district from the state aid due to the district and shall pay the amounts to the community college or regents university in which the pupil is admitted. The community college or regents university shall reduce the tuition charged to such a student by an amount equivalent to the amount paid to the community college or university. 
   The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid received by the school district under Code section 257.16. The specification is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.