Senate File 310 - Introduced SENATE FILE 310 BY BOETTGER and SCHOENJAHN A BILL FOR An Act relating to the planning, approval, supplementary 1 weighting, and operation of regional academies and including 2 effective date and applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2239XS (3) 84 kh/sc

S.F. 310 Section 1. Section 257.11, subsection 5, Code 2011, is 1 amended by striking the subsection. 2 Sec. 2. Section 261E.9, subsections 1 through 3, Code 2011, 3 are amended to read as follows: 4 1. a. A regional academy is a program established by 5 a school district to which multiple school districts send 6 students in grades nine seven through twelve , and which may 7 include internet-based coursework and courses delivered via the 8 Iowa communications network. A regional academy shall include 9 in its curriculum advanced level courses and may include in its 10 curriculum career and technical courses . A school district 11 establishing a regional academy may collaborate and partner 12 with, enter into an agreement pursuant to chapter 28E with, 13 or enter into a contract with, one or more school districts, 14 community colleges, accredited public and private postsecondary 15 institutions, accredited nonpublic schools, businesses, and 16 private agencies located within or outside of the state. 17 b. The purpose of a regional academy established pursuant 18 to this section shall be to build a culture of innovation for 19 students and community, to diversify rural educational and 20 economic opportunities by engaging in learning experiences 21 that involve students in complex, real-world projects, and to 22 develop regional or global innovation networks. 23 c. If a school district establishing a regional academy in 24 accordance with this section submits a plan to the department 25 for approval that demonstrates how the regional academy will 26 increase and assess student achievement or increase and assess 27 competency-based learning opportunities for students, the 28 department may waive or modify any statutory or regulatory 29 provision applicable to school districts in order to provide 30 the regional academy additional flexibility if the department 31 finds that the waiver or modification is likely to result in 32 increased student achievement or increased competency-based 33 learning opportunities for students. 34 2. a. A regional academy course shall not qualify as a 35 -1- LSB 2239XS (3) 84 kh/sc 1/ 3

S.F. 310 concurrent enrollment course include in its curriculum advanced 1 level courses . 2 b. A regional academy may include in its curriculum virtual 3 or internet-based coursework and courses delivered via the Iowa 4 communications network, career and technical courses, core 5 curriculum coursework, courses required pursuant to section 6 256.7, subsection 26, or section 256.11, subsections 4 and 5, 7 and asynchronous learning networks. 8 3. School districts participating in regional academies are 9 eligible for supplementary weighting as provided in section 10 257.11, subsection 2 . The school districts participating in 11 the regional academy shall enter into an agreement on how the 12 supplementary weighting received shall be used and shall submit 13 the agreement to the department for approval . 14 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLICABILITY. This Act 15 takes effect July 1, 2012, and is applicable to school years 16 beginning on or after July 1, 2012. 17 EXPLANATION 18 This bill makes changes relating to regional academies. 19 Currently, a regional academy is a program established 20 by a school district to which multiple school districts 21 send students in grades 9 through 12, and which may include 22 internet-based coursework and courses delivered via the Iowa 23 communications network. The bill lowers the grade level 24 limit to grades 7 through 12, and adds that a school district 25 establishing a regional academy may collaborate and partner 26 with, enter into an agreement pursuant to Code chapter 28E 27 with, or enter into a contract with, two or more school 28 districts, community colleges, accredited public and private 29 postsecondary institutions, accredited nonpublic schools, 30 businesses, and private agencies located within or outside of 31 the state. 32 The bill provides that the purpose of a regional academy 33 shall be to build a culture of innovation for students and 34 community, to diversify rural educational and economic 35 -2- LSB 2239XS (3) 84 kh/sc 2/ 3

S.F. 310 opportunities by engaging in learning experiences that involve 1 students in complex, real-world projects, and to develop 2 regional or global innovation networks. 3 If a school district submits a plan to the department for 4 approval that demonstrates how the regional academy will 5 increase and assess student achievement or increase and assess 6 competency-based learning opportunities for students, the 7 department may waive or modify any statutory or regulatory 8 provision applicable to school districts in order to provide 9 the regional academy additional flexibility. 10 The bill strikes language that prohibits a regional academy 11 course from qualifying as a concurrent enrollment course. 12 A regional academy may include in its curriculum virtual or 13 internet-based coursework and courses delivered via the Iowa 14 communications network, career and technical courses, core 15 curriculum coursework, courses required for graduation or under 16 the educational standards, and asynchronous learning networks. 17 Currently, regional academies may receive supplementary 18 weighting. The bill provides that the school districts 19 participating in the regional academy must enter into an 20 agreement on how the supplementary weighting received shall 21 be used and must submit the agreement to the department for 22 approval. 23 The bill eliminates an outdated provision relating to 24 supplementary weighting for regional academies. 25 The bill takes effect July 1, 2012, and is applicable to 26 school years beginning on or after that date. 27 -3- LSB 2239XS (3) 84 kh/sc 3/ 3