House File 51 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 51 BY WILLS A BILL FOR An Act relating to the establishment of an advanced 1 opportunities program for certain students enrolled in 2 public schools to take overload and dual credit courses, 3 postsecondary credit-bearing and career and technical 4 education certificate examinations, and career and technical 5 education workforce training courses, and the award of 6 scholarships for early graduation or obtaining certain 7 amounts of postsecondary credit. 8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 9 TLSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh

H.F. 51 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 261E.21 Advanced opportunities 1 program. 2 1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the 3 context otherwise requires: 4 a. “Credit” means middle or secondary school credit. 5 b. “Dual credit” means the secondary and public 6 postsecondary credit a student receives for the completion of a 7 postsecondary-level education course in accordance with this 8 section. 9 c. “Full credit load” means at least twelve school credits 10 per school year for grades seven through twelve. 11 d. “Overload course” means a course taken that is in excess 12 of a full credit load and outside of the regular school day, 13 including summer courses and online courses. 14 e. “Parent” means a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of 15 a minor. 16 f. “Public postsecondary educational institution” means 17 a community college established under chapter 260C or an 18 institution of higher learning under the control of the state 19 board of regents. 20 2. Program established. Subject to an appropriation of 21 funds by the general assembly for this purpose, an advanced 22 opportunities program is established within the department 23 of education to provide public school students in Iowa with 24 funding to support implementation of individualized career and 25 academic plans developed pursuant to section 279.61 and to 26 provide scholarships in accordance with section 261E.22. 27 3. Funds eligible for student use. 28 a. Each student enrolled in and attending a public school 29 in Iowa shall be eligible for four thousand one hundred 30 twenty-five dollars to use toward overload courses, dual 31 credits, postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, career and 32 technical education certificate examinations, and career and 33 technical education workforce training courses. 34 b. A student may access funds authorized to the student in 35 -1- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 1/ 14

H.F. 51 accordance with paragraph “a” in grades seven through twelve for 1 any of the following: 2 (1) Overload courses, the distribution of which shall not 3 exceed two hundred twenty-five dollars per overload course. 4 A student must take and successfully complete a full credit 5 load within a given school year to be eligible for funding of 6 an overload course. To be eligible for funding, an overload 7 course must be taken for secondary school credit and the course 8 must at minimum meet all of the following requirements: 9 (a) Be offered by a school district. 10 (b) Be taught by a teacher appropriately licensed under 11 chapter 272 to teach in the subject area and the grade level. 12 (2) Eligible dual credits, the distribution of which shall 13 not exceed seventy-five dollars per one dual credit hour. The 14 dual credit course must be offered by a public postsecondary 15 educational institution. To qualify as an eligible dual credit 16 course, the course must be a credit-bearing one-hundred-level 17 course or higher. 18 (3) Eligible postsecondary credit-bearing or career 19 technical certificate examinations. The department shall 20 maintain a list of eligible exams and costs. Eligible 21 examinations include but are not limited to any of the 22 following: 23 (a) Advanced placement. 24 (b) International baccalaureate. 25 (c) College-level examination program. 26 (d) Career and technical education examinations that lead 27 to an industry-recognized certificate, license, or degree. 28 (4) Career and technical education workforce training 29 courses, such as federally registered apprenticeships, the 30 distribution of which shall not exceed five hundred dollars 31 per course or one thousand dollars per year. The department 32 shall maintain a list of eligible training courses and costs. 33 Eligible training courses must at a minimum meet all of the 34 following requirements: 35 -2- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 2/ 14

H.F. 51 (a) Be provided by a community college established under 1 chapter 260C. 2 (b) Lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license, 3 or degree. 4 (c) Be required training for an occupation deemed, pursuant 5 to section 84A.1B, subsection 14, a high-demand job in the 6 community college region. 7 (d) Be otherwise unavailable at the student’s secondary 8 school. 9 (e) Allow secondary school-aged students to participate. 10 4. Counseling requirement. A student who has earned 11 fifteen postsecondary credits prior to secondary school 12 graduation using the advanced opportunities program and who 13 wishes to earn additional postsecondary credits must first 14 identify postsecondary goals under the individualized career 15 and academic plan developed pursuant to section 279.61. A 16 school counselor shall advise any student who wishes to take 17 dual credit courses that the student should ascertain whether 18 the particular eligible public postsecondary educational 19 institution that the student desires to attend will accept the 20 transfer of coursework credits under this section. 21 5. Use of funds. Moneys allocated for student use under 22 this program may be used to pay an amount not to exceed the 23 price to the student of such courses and examinations pursuant 24 to the limitations stated in this section. Such moneys shall 25 not supplant existing program funds. Payments made under 26 this section shall be made from the moneys appropriated to 27 the department by the general assembly for purposes of this 28 program. 29 6. Course challenge —— funding. The board of directors of 30 each school district may set forth criteria by which a student 31 may challenge a course for credit, including by taking an 32 exam. If a student successfully meets the criteria set forth 33 by the school board, the student shall be counted as having 34 completed all required coursework for that course. The school 35 -3- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 3/ 14

H.F. 51 district shall be funded for such students based upon either 1 actual hours of attendance or the course that the student has 2 successfully passed, whichever is more advantageous to the 3 school district, up to the weighting assigned to one pupil. 4 7. Early graduation incentives. Any student enrolled in 5 a school district who successfully completes the educational 6 program for grades one through twelve, established pursuant to 7 section 256.11, and graduates at least one year early shall 8 be eligible for an advanced opportunities scholarship under 9 this subsection. The scholarship may be used for tuition and 10 fees at any public postsecondary educational institution. The 11 amount of the scholarship shall equal thirty-five percent of 12 the regular program state cost per pupil for each year of 13 grades one through twelve curriculum avoided by the student’s 14 early graduation. Subject to an appropriation by the general 15 assembly for such purpose, each school district shall receive 16 an amount equal to each such awarded scholarship for each 17 student that graduates early from that school district. 18 Students must apply for the scholarship within two years of 19 graduating from a public secondary school. For school funding 20 purposes, actual enrollment shall be counted as normal for 21 students participating in dual credit courses pursuant to this 22 section. 23 8. Reimbursements —— data —— student performance. 24 a. The department shall reimburse a school district or 25 public postsecondary educational institution, as applicable, 26 for such costs, up to the stated limits, within one hundred 27 twenty-five days of receiving the necessary data upon which 28 reimbursements shall be paid. The submission method and 29 timelines of reimbursement data shall be determined by the 30 department. Payments will be made only for activity occurring 31 and reported within each fiscal year. 32 b. If a student fails to earn credit or successfully 33 complete a course for which the department has paid a 34 reimbursement, the student must pay for and successfully earn 35 -4- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 4/ 14

H.F. 51 credit or complete a comparable course before the department 1 shall pay any further reimbursements for the student. If a 2 student performs inadequately on an examination for which the 3 department has paid a reimbursement, the school district shall 4 determine whether the student must pay for and successfully 5 pass such examination to continue receiving state funding under 6 the program. 7 9. Ineligible courses. Repeated and remedial courses 8 or examinations are not eligible for advanced opportunities 9 program funding. 10 10. Participation timelines. Each school district shall 11 establish timelines and requirements for participation in the 12 program, including implementing procedures for the appropriate 13 transcription of credits, reporting of program participation, 14 and financial transaction requirements. Each school district 15 shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that any student who 16 considers participating in the program also considers the 17 challenges and time necessary to succeed in the program, and 18 shall make reasonable efforts to include guidance on how 19 the student’s participation in the program contributes to 20 prospective college and career pathways. Such efforts by the 21 district shall be performed prior to a student participating 22 in the program and throughout the student’s involvement in the 23 program. 24 11. Policies and procedures. The department and the board 25 of directors of each school district shall establish policies 26 and procedures for participating in the program. Each school 27 district shall ensure that students have an opportunity to 28 participate in the program and meet district-established 29 timelines and requirements for financial transactions, 30 transcribing credits, and department reporting requirements. 31 Participation in the program requires parent, if the student 32 is a minor, and student agreement to program requirements and 33 completion of any forms prescribed by the department. 34 12. School district assistance —— parent. School district 35 -5- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 5/ 14

H.F. 51 personnel shall assist parents in the process of enrolling 1 students in such courses. The parent of a participating 2 student may enroll such parent’s child in any eligible course, 3 with or without the permission of the school district in 4 which the student is enrolled. Each participating student’s 5 secondary school transcript at the school district of 6 enrollment shall include the credits earned and grades received 7 by the student for any overload or dual credit courses taken 8 pursuant to this section. For an eligible course to be 9 transcribed as meeting the requirements of a core subject as 10 identified in rule, the course must meet the approved content 11 standards for the applicable subject and grade level. 12 13. District and institution participation. Participating 13 school districts shall collaborate with public postsecondary 14 educational institutions to assist students who seek 15 to participate in dual credit courses or graduate from 16 secondary school early by enrolling in postsecondary courses. 17 Participating school districts and public postsecondary 18 educational institutions shall report to the state board any 19 difficulties or obstacles the school districts and institutions 20 experience in providing assistance to participating students. 21 14. Rules. The state board may promulgate rules under 22 chapter 17A to implement the provisions of this section and 23 section 261E.22. 24 15. Report. Not later than January 15 annually, the 25 department shall submit a report to the general assembly 26 detailing, at a minimum, the number of students benefiting 27 from assistance with the cost of overload courses, dual credit 28 courses, examinations, and workforce training courses, and the 29 number of credits awarded and amounts paid pursuant to this 30 section during the previous school year. 31 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 261E.22 Postsecondary credit 32 scholarship. 33 1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the 34 context otherwise requires: 35 -6- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 6/ 14

H.F. 51 a. “Merit-based scholarship” means a scholarship in which 1 academic achievement at the secondary school level is a minimum 2 eligibility requirement and awards are made based on the 3 academic achievement of the student. 4 b. “Public postsecondary educational institution” means the 5 same as defined in section 261E.21. 6 2. Scholarship established. Subject to an appropriation 7 of funds by the general assembly for purposes of section 8 261E.21 and this section, a postsecondary credit scholarship is 9 established within the department, and shall be administered 10 by the department in cooperation with the college student 11 aid commission created pursuant to section 261.1, to provide 12 scholarships for students who have earned certain amounts of 13 postsecondary semester credits upon graduation. 14 3. Scholarship amounts —— limitations. 15 a. Subject to the provisions of paragraph “b” and 16 subsections 4 and 5, beginning with the spring 2022 graduating 17 class, the following shall apply: 18 (1) Any student who has earned at least ten postsecondary 19 semester credits upon graduation from a public secondary school 20 in this state shall be entitled to a scholarship in the amount 21 of two thousand dollars that shall be used for tuition and fees 22 at any public postsecondary educational institution. 23 (2) Any student who has earned at least twenty postsecondary 24 semester credits upon graduation from a public secondary school 25 in this state shall be entitled to a scholarship in the amount 26 of four thousand dollars that shall be used for tuition and 27 fees at any public postsecondary educational institution. 28 (3) Any student who has earned an associate degree from a 29 public postsecondary educational institution upon graduation 30 from a public secondary school in this state shall be entitled 31 to a scholarship in the amount of eight thousand dollars that 32 shall be used for tuition and fees at any public postsecondary 33 educational institution. 34 b. For paragraph “a” , subparagraphs (1) and (2), the award 35 -7- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 7/ 14

H.F. 51 amount shall be limited by the number of credits accepted by 1 the public postsecondary educational institution where the 2 scholarship is to be applied. For paragraph “a” , subparagraphs 3 (1) through (3), the awards shall be annual awards and 4 one-quarter of the scholarship amount shall be distributed 5 in each semester of full-time attendance until the total 6 scholarship is expended or expires. 7 c. A student is entitled to only one of the scholarships set 8 forth in paragraph “a” . 9 4. Eligibility requirements. To be eligible for a full 10 scholarship set forth in subsection 3, a student must meet the 11 following conditions: 12 a. The student must be awarded a postsecondary merit-based 13 scholarship in an amount at least equal to the postsecondary 14 credit scholarship amount awarded in the same school year, 15 provided that the match funds for each scholarship must come 16 from a business or industry, or an entity representing a 17 business or industry, and shall not be from appropriated or 18 nonappropriated funds of the public postsecondary educational 19 institution or from a foundation affiliated with the public 20 postsecondary educational institution, unless the funds 21 were donated to the institution specifically as a match for 22 postsecondary credit scholarships. 23 b. The student must have graduated from a public secondary 24 school in this state. 25 c. Except for the first semester in which the postsecondary 26 credit scholarship amount is distributed, in order to receive 27 the scholarship distribution in a given semester, the student 28 must have successfully passed at least twelve credits during 29 the immediately preceding semester in which the scholarship was 30 distributed. 31 5. Awards based on grade point average. Postsecondary 32 credit scholarships shall be awarded based on grade point 33 average rank, subject to an appropriation of funds pursuant to 34 subsection 2. 35 -8- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 8/ 14

H.F. 51 6. Expiration of scholarship. A student shall use 1 the postsecondary credit scholarship within four years of 2 graduating from secondary school, at which time the scholarship 3 expires and can no longer be used. 4 7. Discretionary use of scholarship moneys. If a student 5 is awarded a scholarship in addition to a postsecondary credit 6 scholarship that pays for one hundred percent of the cost of 7 tuition and fees, part or all of the postsecondary credit 8 scholarship moneys may be used for room and board at the 9 discretion of the institution where the student will attend. 10 8. Distribution of program funds. This section 11 shall be funded from the advanced opportunities program 12 established pursuant to section 261E.21. The department shall 13 distribute to eligible students, school districts, and public 14 postsecondary educational institutions the necessary amount 15 for implementation of the program, including the scholarships 16 provided for under this section, not to exceed one million 17 dollars in fiscal year 2022, and not to exceed two million 18 dollars in fiscal year 2023 and every fiscal year thereafter. 19 9. Report. No later than January 15 annually, the 20 department shall submit a report to the general assembly 21 detailing the number of postsecondary credit scholarships 22 awarded during the previous school year. The report shall 23 include the total amount of moneys distributed for the 24 scholarships. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill provides for the establishment within the 29 department of education, subject to an appropriation of funds 30 by the general assembly, of an advanced opportunities program 31 and scholarship, and a postsecondary credit scholarship, 32 to provide public school students with funding to support 33 implementation of individualized career and academic plans 34 and to provide scholarships as incentives for students to 35 -9- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 9/ 14

H.F. 51 graduate from secondary school at least one year early or 1 who have earned certain amounts of postsecondary credits 2 upon graduation. The scholarships may be used at public 3 postsecondary educational institutions. 4 Under the bill, each student enrolled and attending a 5 public school in Iowa, beginning in grade seven, is eligible 6 for $4,125 to use toward overload courses, dual credits, 7 postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, career and technical 8 education certificate examinations, and career and technical 9 education workforce training courses. 10 “Overload course” means a course taken that is in excess 11 of a full credit load and outside of the regular school day, 12 including summer courses and online courses. Moneys for 13 overload courses shall not exceed $225 per overload course. 14 Such courses must be offered by a school district and taught by 15 an appropriately licensed teacher. 16 “Dual credit” means the secondary and public postsecondary 17 credit a student receives for the completion of a 18 postsecondary-level education course under the program. Moneys 19 for dual credits shall not exceed $75 per one dual credit 20 hour and the course must be offered by a public postsecondary 21 educational institution. 22 The department shall maintain a list of eligible 23 postsecondary credit-bearing or career technical certificate 24 examinations and costs for such examinations. Eligible 25 examinations include but are not limited to advanced placement, 26 international baccalaureate, college-level examination program, 27 and career and technical education examinations that lead to an 28 industry-recognized certificate, license, or degree. 29 Career and technical education workforce training courses, 30 such as federally registered apprenticeships for which moneys 31 may be used, shall not exceed $500 per course or $1,000 per 32 year. The department of education must maintain a list of 33 eligible training courses and costs. Such courses must be 34 provided by a community college; lead to an industry-recognized 35 -10- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 10/ 14

H.F. 51 certificate, license, or degree; be required training for 1 an occupation deemed a high-demand job in the community 2 college region; be otherwise unavailable at the student’s 3 secondary school; and allow secondary school-aged students to 4 participate. 5 A student who has earned 15 postsecondary credits prior 6 to secondary school graduation using the program must first 7 identify postsecondary goals under the student’s individualized 8 career and academic plan before the student may continue 9 to earn additional credits. The bill describes how school 10 counselors must advise such students. 11 Moneys allocated for student use shall not supplant 12 existing program funds. Payments shall be made from the moneys 13 appropriated to the department of education for purposes of the 14 program. 15 School boards may set forth criteria by which a student 16 may challenge a course and be counted as having completed all 17 required coursework for that course, including by examination. 18 The school district shall be funded for such students based 19 upon either actual hours of attendance or the course that the 20 student has successfully passed, whichever is more advantageous 21 to the school district, up to the weighting assigned to one 22 pupil. 23 Any student enrolled in a school district who successfully 24 completes the educational program for grades 1-12 and graduates 25 at least one year early shall be eligible for an advanced 26 opportunities scholarship, which may be used for tuition and 27 fees at any public postsecondary educational institution. 28 The scholarship amount shall equal 35 percent of the regular 29 program state cost pupil for each year of grades 1-12 30 curriculum avoided by the student’s early graduation. Subject 31 to an appropriation by the general assembly for such purpose, 32 each school district shall receive an amount equal to each such 33 awarded scholarship for each student that graduates early from 34 that school district. Students must apply for the scholarship 35 -11- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 11/ 14

H.F. 51 within two years of graduating from a public secondary school. 1 For public funding purposes, actual enrollment shall be counted 2 as normal for students participating in dual credit courses 3 pursuant to the program. 4 The department shall reimburse a school district or public 5 postsecondary educational institution within 125 days of 6 receiving the necessary data. The submission method and 7 timelines of reimbursement data shall be determined by the 8 department. 9 If a student fails to earn credit or successfully complete a 10 course for which the department has paid a reimbursement, the 11 student must pay for and successfully earn credit or complete a 12 comparable course before any further reimbursements are made 13 to the student. If a student performs inadequately on an 14 examination for which the department has paid a reimbursement, 15 the school district shall determine whether the student must 16 pay for and successfully pass such examination to continue 17 receiving state funding under the program. 18 Repeated and remedial courses or examinations are not 19 eligible for advanced opportunities program funding. 20 Each school district must establish timelines and 21 requirements for participation in the program, must make timely 22 and reasonable efforts to provide guidance to students who are 23 considering participating in the program, and must ensure that 24 students have an opportunity to participate in the program 25 and meet all program-related timelines and requirements. 26 Participation in the program requires parent, if the student is 27 a minor, and student agreement to program requirements. 28 School district personnel must assist parents in the process 29 of enrolling students in such courses. A parent may enroll 30 the parent’s child in any eligible course, with or without the 31 permission of the school district. Student transcripts must 32 include the credits earned and grades received for overload and 33 dual credit courses taken under the program. 34 Participating school districts shall collaborate with public 35 -12- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 12/ 14

H.F. 51 postsecondary educational institutions to assist students who 1 seek to participate in the program and must report to the 2 state board of education any difficulties or obstacles the 3 school districts and institutions experience in providing such 4 assistance. 5 The state board of education may promulgate rules to 6 implement the program and scholarship. 7 No later than January 15 annually, the department of 8 education shall submit a report to the general assembly 9 detailing the number of students benefiting from assistance 10 with the cost of overload courses, dual credit courses, 11 examinations, and workforce training courses, and the number 12 of credits awarded and amounts paid during the previous school 13 year. 14 The bill establishes the postsecondary credit scholarship 15 within the department, which must administer the scholarships 16 in cooperation with the college student aid commission. 17 Students, beginning with the spring 2022 graduating class, 18 who earn postsecondary semester credits are entitled to 19 a postsecondary credit scholarship in amounts from $2,000 20 to $8,000 based on the number of postsecondary semester 21 credits the student has earned upon graduation from public 22 postsecondary school. However, the student also must be 23 awarded a postsecondary merit-based scholarship awarded by a 24 business or industry, or an entity representing business or 25 industry, in an amount at least equal to the postsecondary 26 credit scholarship amount awarded in the same school year. 27 For students who have not earned an associate degree, 28 the award amount shall be limited by the number of credits 29 accepted by the public postsecondary educational institution 30 where the scholarship is to be applied. For all eligible 31 students, the awards shall be annual awards and one-quarter of 32 the scholarship amount must be distributed in each semester 33 of full-time attendance until the total scholarship is 34 expended or expires. A student is entitled to only one of the 35 -13- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 13/ 14

H.F. 51 postsecondary credit scholarships set forth. 1 A student must have successfully passed at least 12 credits 2 during the immediately preceding semester to continue to 3 receive scholarship moneys. 4 Scholarships are awarded based on grade point average rank 5 subject to an appropriation by the general assembly. A student 6 shall use the scholarship within four years of graduating from 7 secondary school. 8 A student awarded a scholarship in addition to the 9 postsecondary credit scholarship that pays 100 percent of the 10 tuition and fees may use the postsecondary credit scholarship 11 moneys to pay for room and board at the discretion of the 12 institution. 13 Moneys distributed by the department to eligible students, 14 school districts, and public postsecondary educational 15 institutions for implementation of the program, including the 16 scholarships provided for under the bill, shall not exceed $1 17 million in fiscal year 2022, and shall not exceed $2 million in 18 fiscal year 2023, and every fiscal year thereafter. 19 No later than January 15 annually, the department of 20 education shall submit a report to the general assembly 21 detailing the number of postsecondary credit scholarships 22 awarded during the previous school year. The report shall 23 include the total amount of moneys distributed for the 24 scholarships. 25 -14- LSB 1382YH (4) 89 kh/jh 14/ 14