House File 2020 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2020 BY GOBBLE A BILL FOR An Act relating to the assessments administered to practitioner 1 preparation program students prior to students’ completion 2 of a practitioner preparation program and including 3 effective date provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5488YH (4) 89 jda/jh

H.F. 2020 Section 1. Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph a, 1 subparagraph (2), Code 2022, is amended to read as follows: 2 (2) Administer, prior to a student’s completion of 3 the practitioner preparation program and subject to the 4 director’s approval, subject assessments designed by a 5 nationally recognized testing service that measure pedagogy 6 and knowledge of at least one subject area; or, a valid and 7 reliable subject-area-specific, performance-based assessment 8 for preservice teacher candidates , that is centered on student 9 learning , including knowledge the student could reasonably be 10 expected to have attained during the field experiences and 11 student teaching experience required by paragraph “d” . A 12 student shall not successfully complete the program unless 13 the scores score achieved by the student on the assessments 14 administered under this subparagraph are assessment is at or 15 above the minimum passing scores score set by the department. 16 (a) In setting the minimum passing scores score for purposes 17 of this subparagraph, the department shall consider all of the 18 following: 19 (i) Scores required for similar tests in all of the states 20 contiguous to Iowa. 21 (ii) The the supply and demand imbalance of content areas or 22 teaching positions currently experienced in Iowa. 23 (b) A student who successfully completes the practitioner 24 preparation program as required under this subparagraph shall 25 be deemed to have attained a passing score on the assessments 26 assessment administered under this subparagraph even if the 27 department subsequently sets a different minimum passing scores 28 score . 29 Sec. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF ASSESSMENT. The higher education 30 institutions of this state that provide practitioner 31 preparation programs shall collaboratively develop the 32 assessment described in section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph 33 “a”, subparagraph (2), as amended by this Act, no later than 34 July 1, 2023. The department of education shall coordinate the 35 -1- LSB 5488YH (4) 89 jda/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 2020 creation of the assessment and provide staffing as necessary to 1 assist the institutions. 2 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. The following takes effect July 1, 3 2023: 4 The portion of the section of this Act amending section 5 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2). 6 EXPLANATION 7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 8 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 9 This bill relates to the assessments administered to 10 practitioner preparation program students prior to students’ 11 completion of a practitioner preparation program. 12 Current law provides that the state board of education 13 shall adopt rules requiring all higher education institutions 14 providing practitioner preparation to, prior to a student’s 15 completion of the practitioner preparation program, administer 16 either subject assessments designed by a nationally recognized 17 testing service that measure pedagogy and knowledge or a 18 valid and reliable subject-area-specific, performance-based 19 assessment centered on student learning. The bill strikes 20 an institution’s option of administering subject assessments 21 designed by a nationally recognized testing service prior to a 22 student’s completion of the practitioner preparation program, 23 therefore requiring the institution to instead administer a 24 valid and reliable, subject-area-specific, performance-based 25 assessment for preservice teacher candidates. The bill 26 requires the assessment to cover knowledge the student could 27 reasonably be expected to have attained during the student’s 28 field experiences and student teaching experience. The bill 29 provides that this provision takes effect July 1, 2023. 30 The bill requires the higher education institutions to 31 collaboratively develop the assessment no later than July 32 1, 2023. The bill requires the department of education to 33 coordinate the creation of the assessment and provide staffing 34 as necessary to assist the institutions. 35 -2- LSB 5488YH (4) 89 jda/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 2020 The bill makes conforming changes. 1 -3- LSB 5488YH (4) 89 jda/jh 3/ 3