S.F. _____ H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 279.68, subsection 4, Code 2014, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . c. The department of education shall 3 collaborate with the area education agencies and the Iowa 4 reading research center established pursuant to section 256.9, 5 subsection 53, to develop and offer to school districts, at no 6 cost, professional development services to enhance the skills 7 of elementary teachers in the use of evidence-based strategies 8 to improve the literacy skills of all students. From any 9 moneys appropriated to the department of education for purposes 10 of paragraph “b” , the department may use a reasonable amount 11 to cover the administrative costs of developing and deploying 12 these professional development services. 13 EXPLANATION 14 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 15 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 16 This bill directs the department of education to collaborate 17 with the area education agencies and the Iowa reading research 18 center, which the director of the department was required to 19 establish in legislation enacted in 2012, to develop and offer 20 to school districts, at no cost, professional development 21 services to enhance the skills of elementary teachers in the 22 use of evidence-based strategies to improve the literacy skills 23 of all students. The bill permits the department to use, 24 from any moneys appropriated to the department and allocated 25 to school districts to provide professional development 26 services to enhance the skills of elementary teachers to 27 respond to children’s reading needs, a reasonable amount to 28 cover the administrative costs of developing and deploying the 29 professional development services. 30 -1- LSB 5219XD (3) 85 kh/rj 1/ 1