Senate File 2171 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2171 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 128) A BILL FOR An Act relating to subject assessment requirements for 1 successful completion of an approved practitioner 2 preparation program and providing for related matters. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1893SV (2) 87 kh/rj

S.F. 2171 Section 1. Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph a, 1 subparagraph (2), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows: 2 (2) (a) Administer, prior to a student’s completion of the 3 practitioner preparation program and subject to the director’s 4 approval, subject assessments designed by a nationally 5 recognized testing service that measure pedagogy and knowledge 6 of at least one subject area; or, a valid and reliable 7 subject-area-specific, performance-based assessment for 8 preservice teacher candidates, centered on student learning. 9 A student shall not successfully complete the program unless 10 the student achieves scores above the twenty-fifth percentile 11 nationally on the assessments administered pursuant to this 12 subparagraph. 13 (b) The state board shall adopt rules to provide that 14 the director shall waive the assessment requirements of 15 subparagraph division (a) for one year for a person if the 16 person has received an offer for a teaching contract from 17 a school district or accredited nonpublic school and the 18 applicant submits to the director an affidavit from the 19 administrator of the school district or the accredited 20 nonpublic school verifying that the school district or 21 accredited nonpublic school has made every reasonable and 22 good-faith effort to employ a teacher licensed under chapter 23 272 for the specified subject and is unable to employ such a 24 teacher, and the person meets any of the following conditions: 25 (i) Completed the course requirements for an approved 26 practitioner preparation program but attained an assessment 27 score below that required for successful completion of the 28 program under subparagraph division (a). 29 (ii) Attended and successfully completed a practitioner 30 preparation program outside of this state that would be 31 considered approved by the state board except that the 32 program either does not require the assessments specified in 33 subparagraph division (a) or accepts assessment scores below 34 those required under subparagraph division (a). 35 -1- LSB 1893SV (2) 87 kh/rj 1/ 3

S.F. 2171 (c) If a person receives a waiver under subparagraph 1 division (b) and within thirty days of receiving the waiver 2 submits the waiver and an application for licensure to the 3 board of educational examiners, the board of educational 4 examiners shall issue to the applicant an initial one-year 5 license, which shall not be renewed unless the applicant 6 submits evidence to the board of educational examiners that 7 the person has achieved the scores required in accordance with 8 subparagraph division (a). 9 Sec. 2. Section 272.2, subsection 14, paragraph b, 10 subparagraph (5), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows: 11 (5) The applicant fails to meet board standards for 12 application for an initial or renewed license. However, this 13 subparagraph shall not apply to a person who applies for an 14 initial one-year license and submits to the board a waiver 15 issued by the director of the department in accordance with 16 section 256.16. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 This bill requires the director of the department of 21 education to waive a requirement for successful completion of a 22 practitioner preparation program under certain conditions and 23 requires the board of educational examiners, if presented with 24 such a waiver by an applicant for initial licensure, to issue 25 an initial one-year license to the applicant. 26 Currently, students enrolled in such a program must achieve 27 scores above the 25th percentile nationally on subject and 28 performance-based assessments before successfully completing 29 the program. To receive a one-year waiver from these 30 assessment requirements, the bill provides that a person must 31 have been offered a teaching contract by a school district or 32 accredited nonpublic school and must submit to the director 33 an affidavit from the administrator of the school district or 34 school verifying that every reasonable and good-faith effort 35 -2- LSB 1893SV (2) 87 kh/rj 2/ 3

S.F. 2171 has been made by the school district or school to employ a 1 licensed teacher for the specified subject and the school 2 district or school is unable to do so. 3 If such a person applies to the board of educational 4 examiners within 30 days of receiving the waiver, the board 5 must issue the applicant an initial one-year license, which 6 shall not be renewed unless the person submits proof to the 7 board that the person has achieved the necessary assessment 8 scores. The bill makes a conforming change. 9 -3- LSB 1893SV (2) 87 kh/rj 3/ 3