S.F. 2123 Section 1. Section 272.7, unnumbered paragraph 2, Code 1 2016, is amended to read as follows: 2 The executive director of the board may grant or deny license 3 applications, applications for renewal of a license, and 4 suspension or revocation of a license. The executive director 5 shall waive, for not more than two years, the assessment 6 requirements established by the board by rule in accordance 7 with section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph “a” , subparagraph 8 (2), for an applicant who otherwise meets the requirements 9 for licensure. A denial of an application for a license, 10 the denial of an application for renewal, or a suspension or 11 revocation of a license may be appealed by the applicant or the 12 practitioner to the board. 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 requires the executive director of the board 17 of educational examiners to waive, for otherwise qualified 18 applicants and for not more than two years, a provision that 19 effectively requires applicants for teacher licensure to have 20 achieved a minimum score on state-mandated subject assessments. 21 Postsecondary institutions that are providing practitioner 22 preparation programs which have been approved by the state 23 board of education must administer to students enrolled in the 24 programs, prior to the students’ completion of the program, 25 subject assessments. A student cannot successfully complete 26 such a program without scoring above the 25th percentile 27 nationally. 28 The board of educational examiners’ rules require that 29 an applicant for teacher licensure who completed a teacher 30 preparation program on or after January 1, 2013, that was not 31 an approved practitioner preparation program at a recognized 32 Iowa institution, must provide verification of successfully 33 passing the mandated assessments by meeting the minimum score 34 set by the department of education. 35 -1- LSB 5471XS (1) 86 kh/rj 1/ 1