House File 2021 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2021 BY GOBBLE A BILL FOR An Act relating to practitioner preparation programs, including 1 field experiences and the assessments administered to 2 students admitted to practitioner preparation programs, and 3 including applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5125YH (3) 89 jda/jh

H.F. 2021 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 1 2022, is amended to read as follows: 2 b. Procedures provided for approval of programs shall 3 include procedures for enforcement of the prescribed standards 4 and , except as provided in section 256.16, subsection 3 , shall 5 not include a procedure for the waiving of any of the standards 6 prescribed. 7 Sec. 2. Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraphs a and d, 8 Code 2022, are amended to read as follows: 9 a. (1) If the institution administers a preprofessional 10 skills test offered by a nationally recognized testing service 11 to practitioner preparation program admission candidates, 12 the institution shall report to the department no later than 13 August 1 annually, in the form and manner prescribed by the 14 department, the percentage of students whose scores on the 15 assessments administered during the prior fiscal year were 16 above, at, and below the minimum passing score set by the 17 institution, and shall report any services or opportunities to 18 retake the assessment the institution may make available to a 19 student who fails assessment. The department shall compile the 20 reports submitted under this subparagraph paragraph and publish 21 the compiled information on its internet site. 22 (2) Administer, prior to a student’s completion of the 23 practitioner preparation program and subject to the director’s 24 approval, subject assessments designed by a nationally 25 recognized testing service that measure pedagogy and knowledge 26 of at least one subject area; or, a valid and reliable 27 subject-area-specific, performance-based assessment for 28 preservice teacher candidates, centered on student learning. A 29 student shall not successfully complete the program unless the 30 scores achieved by the student on the assessments administered 31 under this subparagraph are at or above the minimum passing 32 scores set by the department. 33 (a) In setting the minimum passing scores for purposes of 34 this subparagraph, the department shall consider all of the 35 -1- LSB 5125YH (3) 89 jda/jh 1/ 4

H.F. 2021 following: 1 (i) Scores required for similar tests in all of the states 2 contiguous to Iowa. 3 (ii) The supply and demand imbalance of content areas or 4 teaching positions currently experienced in Iowa. 5 (b) A student who successfully completes the practitioner 6 preparation program as required under this subparagraph shall 7 be deemed to have attained a passing score on the assessments 8 administered under this subparagraph even if the department 9 subsequently sets different minimum passing scores. 10 d. Require that each student admitted to an approved 11 practitioner preparation program participate in pre-student 12 teaching field experiences that include both observation and 13 participation in teaching activities in a variety of school 14 settings. These pre-student teaching field experiences 15 shall comprise a total of at least fifty one hundred hours in 16 duration, at least ten hours of which shall occur prior to a 17 student’s acceptance in an approved practitioner preparation 18 program. The student teaching experience shall be a minimum 19 of fourteen weeks in duration during the student’s final year 20 of the practitioner preparation program. The program shall 21 make every reasonable effort to offer the student teaching 22 experience prior to a student’s last semester, or equivalent, 23 in the program, and to expand the student’s student teaching 24 opportunities beyond one semester or the equivalent. 25 Sec. 3. Section 256.16, subsection 2, Code 2022, is amended 26 to read as follows: 27 2. A person initially applying for a license shall 28 successfully complete a practitioner preparation program 29 approved under section 256.7, subsection 3 , and containing the 30 subject matter specified in this section , before the initial 31 action by the board of educational examiners under chapter 32 272 takes place. However, this subsection shall not apply to 33 a person who meets the requirements for an initial one-year 34 license in accordance with subsection 3 . 35 -2- LSB 5125YH (3) 89 jda/jh 2/ 4

H.F. 2021 Sec. 4. Section 256.16, subsection 3, Code 2022, is amended 1 by striking the subsection. 2 Sec. 5. Section 272.2, subsection 14, paragraph b, 3 subparagraph (5), Code 2022, is amended to read as follows: 4 (5) The applicant fails to meet board standards for 5 application for an initial or renewed license. However, this 6 subparagraph shall not apply to a person who applies for an 7 initial one-year license and submits to the board a waiver 8 issued by the director of the department of education in 9 accordance with section 256.16, subsection 3 . 10 Sec. 6. Section 272.2, subsection 22, Code 2022, is amended 11 by striking the subsection. 12 Sec. 7. APPLICABILITY. The following applies to students 13 admitted to an approved practitioner preparation program on or 14 after the effective date of this Act: 15 The portion of the section of this Act amending section 16 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph “d” . 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 relates to practitioner preparation programs, 21 including field experiences and the assessments administered to 22 students admitted into practitioner preparation programs. 23 Current law requires the state board of education to adopt 24 rules requiring all higher education institutions providing 25 practitioner preparation to, prior to a student’s completion 26 of the practitioner preparation program, administer either 27 subject assessments designed by a nationally recognized 28 testing service or a valid and reliable subject-area-specific, 29 performance-based assessment centered on student learning. The 30 bill strikes this requirement and makes conforming changes. 31 Current law also requires that each student admitted to an 32 approved practitioner preparation program participate in field 33 experiences of at least 50 hours in duration, a minimum of 10 34 hours of which occurring prior to the student’s acceptance into 35 -3- LSB 5125YH (3) 89 jda/jh 3/ 4

H.F. 2021 the program, which include both observation and participation 1 in teaching activities in a variety of school settings. The 2 bill provides that these field experiences must take place 3 before the student begins student teaching and must be at least 4 100 hours in duration, a minimum of 10 hours of which occurring 5 prior to the student’s acceptance into the program. This 6 portion of the bill applies to students admitted to an approved 7 practitioner preparation program on or after the effective date 8 of the bill. 9 -4- LSB 5125YH (3) 89 jda/jh 4/ 4