H.F. 2128 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 284.18 Teacher quality 1 demonstration pilot projects. 2 1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context 3 otherwise requires: 4 a. “Applicant” means the school superintendent of the school 5 district in which a cluster is located. 6 b. “Cluster” means a set of attendance centers consisting 7 of not less than one high school, not more than four middle 8 schools, and not more than seven elementary schools in a given 9 school district. 10 c. “Teacher” means a member of the instructional staff 11 who may or may not be licensed under chapter 272 and who is 12 employed by the school district to provide instruction in the 13 cluster on a part-time or full-time basis. 14 2. Department responsibilities. The department shall do all 15 of the following: 16 a. Make information available on its internet site regarding 17 teacher quality demonstration pilot project requirements and 18 the pilot project application and review process. 19 b. Approve applications for the creation of not less 20 than five, nor more than twelve, pilot projects submitted 21 by clusters that develop systems for attracting, retaining, 22 rewarding, and motivating teachers in accordance with this 23 section. 24 c. Review each pilot project annually based on the data 25 submitted in the school district’s comprehensive school 26 improvement plan. The department may withdraw approval of a 27 teacher quality demonstration pilot project for failure of a 28 cluster to meet the pilot project requirements of subsection 29 3. If the department withdraws its approval, waivers and 30 exceptions granted to a school district or cluster for purposes 31 of this section under subsection 5; section 256.9, subsection 32 43; or section 256.11, subsection 8, are revoked. 33 3. Pilot project requirements. Each cluster shall meet the 34 following requirements: 35 -1- LSB 5633YH (3) 86 kh/rj 1/ 6

H.F. 2128 a. Establish multiple career paths for teachers. 1 b. Place all teachers in expanded roles, which may include 2 but are not limited to leadership, program director, master 3 teacher, and mentor, and any other position approved by the 4 director. In expanding the roles, the director shall take into 5 consideration the interests, abilities, and accomplishments of 6 teachers within the cluster. 7 c. Notwithstanding chapter 20, provide for market-based 8 compensation of teachers under which teacher compensation 9 levels are based on the accomplishments and performance of 10 teachers, student academic achievement, and evaluation from 11 peers, senior teachers, and attendance center principals. 12 d. Offer performance-based accountability as follows: 13 (1) Eliminate teacher tenure and establish three-year 14 teaching contracts. 15 (2) Establish a system for teacher hiring and advancement 16 that is based on evaluation of a teacher’s performance by peers 17 who are employed by the school district and by peers who are 18 not employed by the school district. 19 e. Include ongoing professional development activities that 20 meet all of the following requirements: 21 (1) Are directly related to the curriculum and content areas 22 in which the teacher provides instruction. 23 (2) Are tied to challenging state or local content and 24 student performance standards. 25 (3) Are related to the instruction in methods of 26 disciplining children at the grade level taught by the teacher. 27 (4) Are proven effective instructional strategies and 28 methods for improving student achievement. 29 f. Establish a formal teacher mentoring system in which 30 beginning teachers and teachers in need of intensive assistance 31 are mentored by master teachers. 32 g. Establish, notwithstanding section 256.7, subsection 33 3, and chapter 272, an alternative preparation program to 34 train and hire an individual who possesses, at a minimum, a 35 -2- LSB 5633YH (3) 86 kh/rj 2/ 6

H.F. 2128 baccalaureate degree in the field in which the individual 1 will be employed to provide instruction as a teacher at 2 an attendance center in the cluster. The individual must 3 demonstrate expertise in the field in which they will provide 4 instruction. 5 h. Make available to an individual who is employed under 6 paragraph “g” opportunities to meet the requirements for a 7 teaching license under chapter 272 or to become certified by 8 the national board for professional teaching standards. 9 4. Pilot project application requirements. An application 10 to implement a teacher quality demonstration pilot project 11 under this section may only be submitted by the superintendent 12 of the school district in the time and manner determined by 13 the department. Each application shall include all of the 14 following information: 15 a. A description of how the pilot project will assist the 16 school district in achieving the student achievement goals in 17 the school district’s comprehensive school improvement plan. 18 b. Identification and description of the attendance centers 19 that will comprise the cluster. 20 c. A description of the pilot project and how the cluster 21 will comply with the requirements of subsection 3. 22 d. An assurance that the school district will increase the 23 salaries of teachers who are employed at the attendance centers 24 that comprise the cluster, with descriptions of how teachers 25 will be compensated at the various role levels and the impact a 26 teacher’s performance evaluation may reasonably be expected to 27 have on the teacher’s salary. 28 e. A detailed description of the cost of the pilot 29 project, including but not limited to how the district will 30 reallocate or raise funds to cover the costs associated with 31 implementation of the pilot project. 32 f. A description of the statutes and rules requirements 33 and provisions that the department is requested to waive under 34 subsection 5; section 256.9, subsection 43; and section 256.11, 35 -3- LSB 5633YH (3) 86 kh/rj 3/ 6

H.F. 2128 subsection 8. 1 5. Three-year statutory and rule exemption authority. 2 Notwithstanding chapter 20, the department may grant to a 3 cluster implementing a teacher quality demonstration pilot 4 project approved under this section a three-year exemption from 5 one or more of the teacher probation, evaluation, employment, 6 and due process requirements and provisions of sections 7 279.12, 279.13, 279.14, 279.15, 279.16, 279.17, 279.18, 279.19, 8 279.19A, 279.19B, 279.21, 279.27, and 279.43. The exemption 9 may be renewed. 10 6. Evaluation requirements —— report. The department and 11 each school district operating a cluster approved under this 12 section shall regularly evaluate and document the activities 13 and approaches utilized and outcomes achieved under a pilot 14 project. The department shall compile and summarize the 15 results of the school districts’ evaluations in an annual 16 report which shall include the department’s findings and 17 recommendations and shall be submitted to the state board and 18 to the general assembly. 19 EXPLANATION 20 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 21 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 22 This bill relates to the establishment of teacher quality 23 demonstration pilot projects by clusters of attendance centers 24 within a school district and authorizes the department of 25 education to grant to a cluster a three-year exemption from one 26 or more of the teacher probation, evaluation, employment, and 27 due process requirements and provisions of Code chapter 279. 28 GENERAL PROVISIONS. Only the school district’s 29 superintendent may apply to the department for approval to 30 operate a teacher quality demonstration pilot project. Each 31 pilot project is comprised of a cluster within the school 32 district. Each cluster must include not less than one high 33 school, not more than four middle schools, and not more than 34 seven elementary schools in a given school district. 35 -4- LSB 5633YH (3) 86 kh/rj 4/ 6

H.F. 2128 The bill defines “teacher” to mean a member of the 1 instructional staff who may or may not be licensed under Code 2 chapter 272 and who is employed by the school district to 3 provide instruction in the cluster on a part-time or full-time 4 basis. 5 The department must make information regarding teacher 6 quality demonstration pilot project requirements and the 7 pilot project application and review process available on its 8 internet site; must approve applications for the creation 9 of between 5 and 12 pilot projects; and must review each 10 pilot project annually based on the data submitted in the 11 school district’s comprehensive school improvement plan. 12 The department may withdraw approval of a pilot project for 13 failure to meet pilot project requirements. If the department 14 withdraws its approval, waivers and exceptions granted for 15 purposes of the pilot project are revoked. 16 PILOT PROJECT REQUIREMENTS. The bill lists the requirements 17 each cluster must meet, including but not limited to multiple 18 career paths for teachers; expanded roles for teachers; 19 market-based compensation for teachers; performance-based 20 accountability of teachers that includes elimination of teacher 21 tenure and establishment of three-year teaching contracts; 22 a system for teacher hiring and advancement based on peer 23 evaluation; ongoing professional development activities; and a 24 formal teacher mentoring system. 25 The pilot project must also establish an alternative 26 preparation program to train and hire an individual who 27 possesses, at a minimum, a baccalaureate degree in the field in 28 which the individual will be employed to provide instruction 29 as a teacher at an attendance center in the cluster. The bill 30 nullifies the practitioner preparation program provisions of 31 Code section 256.7, subsection 3, and the provisions of Code 32 chapter 272, for purposes of this pilot project requirement. 33 Such individuals must also be provided with opportunities 34 to meet the requirements for a teaching license under Code 35 -5- LSB 5633YH (3) 86 kh/rj 5/ 6

H.F. 2128 chapter 272 or to become certified by the national board for 1 professional teaching standards. 2 PILOT PROJECT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS. The bill requires 3 that a pilot project application include a description of how 4 the pilot project will assist the school district in achieving 5 the district’s student achievement goals; identification and 6 description of the attendance centers that will comprise the 7 cluster; a description of the pilot project and how the cluster 8 will comply with the pilot project requirements; an assurance 9 that the school district will increase teacher salaries; 10 a detailed description of pilot project costs and how the 11 district will reallocate or raise funds to cover the costs; 12 and a description of the statutes and rules requirements and 13 provisions that the department is requested to waive. 14 THREE-YEAR STATUTORY AND RULE EXEMPTION AUTHORITY. The bill 15 nullifies the collective bargaining provisions of Code chapter 16 20 to authorize the department to grant a three-year renewable 17 exemption to the cluster from one or more of the teacher 18 probation, evaluation, employment, and due process requirements 19 and provisions of Code chapter 279. 20 EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS —— REPORT. The department and each 21 school district operating an approved cluster must regularly 22 evaluate and document the activities and approaches utilized 23 and outcomes achieved under a pilot project. The department 24 shall compile and summarize the results of the evaluations in 25 an annual report which shall include the department’s findings 26 and recommendations and shall be submitted to the state board 27 of education and to the general assembly. 28 -6- LSB 5633YH (3) 86 kh/rj 6/ 6