HF 2021 (LSB 5091YH (5) 87)

HOUSE FILE 2021

BY  SALMON

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to assessments administered to a student prior to completing an approved practitioner preparation program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph a, subparagraph (2), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   (2)  Administer, prior to a student’s completion of the practitioner preparation program and subject to the director’s approval, subject assessments designed by a nationally recognized testing service that measure pedagogy and knowledge of at least one subject area; or, a valid and reliable subject-area-specific, performance-based assessment for preservice teacher candidates, centered on student learning.
   (a)  A student shall not successfully complete the program unless the student achieves scores above the twenty-fifth percentile nationally on the assessments administered pursuant to this subparagraph.
   (b)  Subparagraph division (a) shall not apply to a student who has twice failed to achieve a score above the twenty-fifth percentile nationally on an assessment of pedagogy and knowledge in any of the following subject areas: family and consumer science, English as a second language, agriculture education, industrial technology, physics, or a world language other than Spanish. The state board, in consultation with the board of educational examiners, may establish, by rule, additional subject areas to which subparagraph division (a) shall not apply. However, to successfully complete the practitioner preparation program, the student must successfully complete an academic coaching or subject tutoring services program offered by the practitioner preparation program and demonstrate mastery of pedagogy and knowledge of at least one subject area with a portfolio evaluated by the practitioner preparation program.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill provides certain students with an alternative means of completing a practitioner preparation program graduation requirement. 
   Currently, a student must achieve scores above the twenty-fifth percentile nationally on subject assessments designed by a nationally recognized testing service. The bill permits a student who twice fails the minimum score on an assessment of pedagogy and knowledge in the subject areas of family and consumer science, English as a second language, agriculture education, industrial technology, physics, or a world language other than Spanish, to instead successfully complete an academic coaching or subject tutoring services program offered by the practitioner preparation program. The state board of education, in consultation with the board of educational examiners, may establish, by rule, subject areas in addition to those listed. To successfully complete the practitioner preparation program, the student must demonstrate mastery of pedagogy and knowledge of at least one subject area with a portfolio evaluated by the practitioner preparation program.