House
Study
Bill
573
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
EDUCATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
ROGERS)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
administration
of
a
civics
examination
1
students
must
pass
as
a
condition
of
high
school
graduation
2
and
for
issuance
of
a
high
school
equivalency
diploma
and
3
including
applicability
provisions.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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Section
1.
Section
256.9,
Code
2018,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
60.
Approve
alternative
assessment
3
measures
pursuant
to
section
280.9A,
subsection
1,
paragraph
4
“b”
.
5
Sec.
2.
Section
259A.1,
Code
2018,
is
amended
to
read
as
6
follows:
7
259A.1
Assessment
of
competency.
8
The
department
of
education
shall
cause
to
be
made
available
9
for
qualified
individuals
a
high
school
equivalency
diploma.
10
The
diploma
shall
be
issued
on
the
basis
of
demonstrated
11
to
qualified
individuals
who
successfully
pass
the
civics
12
examination
as
set
forth
in
section
280.9A,
and
demonstrate
13
competence
in
all
of
the
following
core
areas:
reading,
14
language
arts,
literacy,
mathematics,
science,
and
social
15
studies.
16
Sec.
3.
Section
280.9A,
subsection
1,
Code
2018,
is
amended
17
to
read
as
follows:
18
1.
The
board
of
directors
of
each
local
public
school
19
district
and
the
authorities
in
charge
of
each
nonpublic
school
20
shall
require
that
all
students
in
grades
nine
through
twelve
21
successfully
complete
or
pass,
as
applicable
,
as
a
condition
of
22
graduation,
instruction
all
of
the
following:
23
a.
Instruction
in
American
history
and
the
governments
of
24
Iowa
and
the
United
States,
including
instruction
in
voting
25
statutes
and
procedures,
voter
registration
requirements,
26
the
use
of
paper
ballots
and
voting
systems
in
the
election
27
process,
and
the
method
of
acquiring
and
casting
an
absentee
28
ballot.
29
b.
A
civics
examination
that
shall
be
the
same
as,
and
shall
30
include
all
questions
used
in,
the
latest
available
civics
31
examination
administered
by
the
United
States
citizenship
32
and
immigration
services.
The
proctored
examination
shall
33
be
completed
without
ancillary
materials
and
only
students
34
who
score
a
proficiency
of
sixty
percent
or
higher
shall
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be
considered
to
have
successfully
passed
the
examination.
1
Alternative
assessment
measures
approved
by
the
department
of
2
education
pursuant
to
section
256.9,
subsection
60,
may
be
3
administered
to
children
requiring
special
education
as
defined
4
in
section
256B.2,
subsection
1,
and
to
students
identified
5
as
limited
English
proficient
pursuant
to
section
280.4.
6
Each
student
shall
be
provided
with
an
opportunity
to
take
7
the
civics
examination
at
least
one
time
per
school
calendar
8
year.
A
student
may
take
the
test
at
any
time
after
enrolling
9
in
grade
seven
and
may
repeat
the
test
as
often
as
necessary
10
to
demonstrate
proficiency.
If
a
student
in
grade
seven
or
11
eight
passes
the
civics
examination,
the
student
has
met
the
12
graduation
requirement
applicable
to
this
paragraph
“b”
.
A
13
fee
shall
not
be
imposed
or
collected
in
connection
with
this
14
paragraph
“b”
.
15
Sec.
4.
APPLICABILITY.
This
Act
applies
to
school
years
16
beginning
on
or
after
July
1,
2019.
17
Sec.
5.
STATE
MANDATE
FUNDING
SPECIFIED.
In
accordance
18
with
section
25B.2,
subsection
3,
the
state
cost
of
requiring
19
compliance
with
any
state
mandate
included
in
this
Act
shall
20
be
paid
by
a
school
district
from
state
school
foundation
aid
21
received
by
the
school
district
under
section
257.16.
This
22
specification
of
the
payment
of
the
state
cost
shall
be
deemed
23
to
meet
all
of
the
state
funding-related
requirements
of
24
section
25B.2,
subsection
3,
and
no
additional
state
funding
25
shall
be
necessary
for
the
full
implementation
of
this
Act
26
by
and
enforcement
of
this
Act
against
all
affected
school
27
districts.
28
EXPLANATION
29
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
30
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
31
This
bill
requires
students
enrolled
in
school
districts
32
and
accredited
nonpublic
schools
to
successfully
pass
as
a
33
condition
of
graduation
a
proctored,
or
supervised,
civics
34
examination
that
is
the
same
as
the
latest
available
civics
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examination
administered
by
the
United
States
citizenship
1
and
immigration
services.
Individuals
seeking
a
high
school
2
equivalency
diploma
must
also
pass
such
an
examination.
3
Students
are
prohibited
from
using
ancillary
materials
during
4
the
examination
and
must
achieve
a
score
of
at
least
60
percent
5
to
successfully
pass
the
examination.
6
Each
student
must
be
given
an
opportunity
to
take
the
test
7
at
least
once
every
school
year,
beginning
in
grade
seven,
8
and
each
student
may
take
the
test,
at
no
cost,
as
often
as
9
necessary
to
demonstrate
proficiency.
If
a
student
in
grade
10
seven
or
eight
passes
the
civics
examination,
the
student
has
11
met
the
graduation
requirement.
12
The
director
of
the
department
of
education
is
tasked
with
13
approving
alternative
assessment
measures
that
school
districts
14
and
accredited
nonpublic
schools
may
administer
to
children
15
requiring
special
education
and
to
English
language
learners.
16
The
bill
applies
to
school
years
beginning
on
or
after
July
17
1,
2019.
18
The
bill
may
include
a
state
mandate
as
defined
in
Code
19
section
25B.3.
The
bill
requires
that
the
state
cost
of
20
any
state
mandate
included
in
the
bill
be
paid
by
a
school
21
district
from
state
school
foundation
aid
received
by
the
22
school
district
under
Code
section
257.16.
The
specification
23
is
deemed
to
constitute
state
compliance
with
any
state
mandate
24
funding-related
requirements
of
Code
section
25B.2.
The
25
inclusion
of
this
specification
is
intended
to
reinstate
the
26
requirement
of
political
subdivisions
to
comply
with
any
state
27
mandates
included
in
the
bill.
28
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