House File 437 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 437 BY ABDUL-SAMAD , STECKMAN , and KAJTAZOVIC A BILL FOR An Act establishing a world language education pilot project to 1 be administered by the department of education and making an 2 appropriation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2326HH (4) 85 je/nh

H.F. 437 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 256.34 World language education 1 pilot project. 2 1. The department shall establish a world language 3 education pilot project to enhance foreign language education 4 in Iowa schools. The department shall administer the pilot 5 project in partnership with the university of northern Iowa 6 and three school districts. One school district shall have an 7 enrollment greater than thirty thousand students, one school 8 district shall have boundaries which are partially or wholly 9 contained in Blackhawk county with an enrollment greater 10 than four thousand but less than six thousand students, and 11 one school district shall have an enrollment less than four 12 thousand students as of October 1, 2013. 13 2. The department shall establish a world language 14 education administrative team to be composed of school 15 administrators from school districts participating in the pilot 16 project. Team members shall conduct fact finding visits to 17 schools in the United States and at least one foreign school 18 that exemplify best practices for world class foreign language 19 education delivery models. Team members shall work with the 20 department and university of northern Iowa to develop standards 21 and benchmarks based on the latest edition of the national 22 standards for foreign language learning, to develop a written 23 and verbal assessment system that measures foreign language 24 competencies, and to support participating school districts in 25 the development of curricula based on the latest edition of the 26 national standards for foreign language learning. 27 3. Each school district participating in the pilot project, 28 in coordination with the department, shall compare on an annual 29 basis its results under the pilot project with state data 30 to determine the outcomes of the pilot project for student 31 learning. 32 4. The world language education administrative team, in 33 coordination with the department and the university of northern 34 Iowa, shall submit its findings and recommendations regarding 35 -1- LSB 2326HH (4) 85 je/nh 1/ 3

H.F. 437 the pilot project and foreign language education in this state 1 in a report to the general assembly by December 19, 2014. 2 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the 3 general fund of the state to the department of education for 4 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, and ending June 30, 5 2014, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, 6 to be used for the purpose designated: 7 For implementation of the world language education pilot 8 project: 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 350,000 10 EXPLANATION 11 This bill directs the department to establish a world 12 language education pilot project to enhance foreign language 13 education in Iowa schools. The department shall administer the 14 pilot project in partnership with the university of northern 15 Iowa and three school districts. One school district shall 16 have an enrollment greater than 30,000 students, one school 17 district shall have boundaries which are partially or wholly 18 contained in Blackhawk county with an enrollment greater than 19 4,000 but less than 6,000 students, and one school district 20 shall have an enrollment less than 4,000 students as of October 21 1, 2013. 22 The bill directs the department to establish a world 23 language education administrative team to be composed of school 24 administrators from school districts participating in the 25 pilot project and provides duties for the team, including fact 26 finding visits; development of new standards and benchmarks, 27 an assessment system, and curricula; and a report on the pilot 28 project and foreign language education in this state for 29 submission to the general assembly by December 19, 2014. 30 The bill directs participating school districts to compare 31 on an annual basis results under the pilot project with state 32 data to determine the outcomes of the pilot project. 33 The bill appropriates $350,000 to the department of 34 education for fiscal year 2013-2014 for implementation of the 35 -2- LSB 2326HH (4) 85 je/nh 2/ 3

H.F. 437 world language education pilot project. 1 -3- LSB 2326HH (4) 85 je/nh 3/ 3