Senate File 394 - Introduced SENATE FILE 394 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1165) A BILL FOR An Act relating to requirements school districts and accredited 1 nonpublic schools must meet to provide distance learning 2 classes that meet the requirements of Iowa’s education 3 program. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2208SV (3) 88 kh/jh

S.F. 394 Section 1. Section 256.42, subsection 7, paragraph c, Code 1 2019, is amended to read as follows: 2 c. Any specified subject course to which If the provisions 3 of section 256.11, subsection 5 , does not apply under are 4 made inapplicable under paragraph “a” , or are waived under 5 paragraph “b” shall , the specified subject shall be provided 6 by the initiative if the initiative offers the course unless 7 the course offered by the initiative lacks the capacity 8 to accommodate additional students. In that case, the 9 specified subject course may instead be provided or by the 10 school district or accredited nonpublic school if an online 11 alternative satisfying the requirements of subparagraph (1) 12 or (2) can be made available through a good faith effort by 13 the school district or accredited nonpublic school. Any 14 course not required under section 256.11, subsection 5, may 15 also be provided by the initiative or by the school district 16 or accredited nonpublic school. However, in either case, if 17 offered by the school district or accredited nonpublic school, 18 the specified subject or course shall be offered through either 19 of the following applies means : 20 (1) Through an An online learning platform if the course 21 is developed by the school district or accredited nonpublic 22 school itself or is developed by a partnership or consortium 23 of schools that have developed the course individually or 24 cooperatively , provided the course is taught by an Iowa 25 licensed teacher with online learning experience and the 26 course content is aligned with the Iowa content standards and 27 satisfies the requirements of subsection 6 . A partnership or 28 consortium of schools may include two or more school districts 29 or accredited nonpublic schools, or any combination thereof. 30 (2) Through a A private provider utilized to provide the 31 course that meets the standards of this section 256.42 and is 32 approved in accordance with section 256.9, subsection 55 . 33 EXPLANATION 34 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 35 -1- LSB 2208SV (3) 88 kh/jh 1/ 2

S.F. 394 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 1 This bill provides that school districts and accredited 2 nonpublic schools that are exempt from or that receive from 3 the department of education a waiver from certain offer and 4 teach requirements under the minimum education standards may 5 provide the specified subjects through the department’s Iowa 6 learning online (ILO) initiative or by the school district or 7 the school’s other online options. 8 Currently, statute provides that the educational program 9 requirements for certain courses at the high school level 10 shall not apply or may be waived by the department if a school 11 district or accredited nonpublic school is unable to employ 12 an appropriately licensed teacher for the specified course, 13 or too few students typically enroll in the specified course, 14 or the school district or school proved to the department’s 15 satisfaction that the school district or school has made 16 every reasonable effort to meet Iowa’s educational program 17 requirements for the specified course. However, the specified 18 course must be provided by the ILO unless the ILO lacks the 19 capacity, in which case the school district or school can offer 20 the course through an online platform or through a private 21 provider that meets certain standards. 22 The bill strikes the requirement that ILO provide the 23 course, and instead gives school districts and schools, or a 24 partnership or consortium of such school districts or schools 25 that have developed the course individually or collectively, 26 the option of using ILO or an online platform or a private 27 provider to provide the specified subject or any other course 28 that is not required under the state’s education standards. 29 -2- LSB 2208SV (3) 88 kh/jh 2/ 2