Senate File 2368 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2368 BY MATHIS , BOULTON , LYKAM , KINNEY , J. SMITH , DOTZLER , BISIGNANO , HOGG , PETERSEN , JOCHUM , TRONE GARRIOTT , BOLKCOM , RAGAN , T. TAYLOR , GIDDENS , WAHLS , and CELSI A BILL FOR An Act relating to education, including examinations 1 administered to students by higher education institutions 2 providing practitioner preparation, obligations of the 3 department of education increasing the salary of initial 4 teachers, modifying provisions related to endorsements 5 issued by the board of educational examiners, and the use 6 of certain specified school district moneys, and making 7 appropriations. 8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 9 TLSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh

S.F. 2368 DIVISION I 1 ELIMINATION OF PRACTITIONER PREPARATION PROGRAM TESTING 2 REQUIREMENTS 3 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 4 2022, is amended to read as follows: 5 b. Procedures provided for approval of programs shall 6 include procedures for enforcement of the prescribed standards 7 and , except as provided in section 256.16, subsection 3 , shall 8 not include a procedure for the waiving of any of the standards 9 prescribed. 10 Sec. 2. Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 11 2022, is amended by striking the paragraph. 12 Sec. 3. Section 256.16, subsection 2, Code 2022, is amended 13 to read as follows: 14 2. A person initially applying for a license shall 15 successfully complete a practitioner preparation program 16 approved under section 256.7, subsection 3 , and containing the 17 subject matter specified in this section , before the initial 18 action by the board of educational examiners under chapter 19 272 takes place. However, this subsection shall not apply to 20 a person who meets the requirements for an initial one-year 21 license in accordance with subsection 3 . 22 Sec. 4. Section 256.16, subsection 3, Code 2022, is amended 23 by striking the subsection. 24 Sec. 5. Section 272.2, subsection 14, paragraph b, 25 subparagraph (5), Code 2022, is amended to read as follows: 26 (5) The applicant fails to meet board standards for 27 application for an initial or renewed license. However, this 28 subparagraph shall not apply to a person who applies for an 29 initial one-year license and submits to the board a waiver 30 issued by the director of the department of education in 31 accordance with section 256.16, subsection 3 . 32 Sec. 6. Section 272.2, subsection 22, Code 2022, is amended 33 by striking the subsection. 34 DIVISION II 35 -1- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 1/ 13

S.F. 2368 STUDENT TEACHER GRANT PROGRAM AND INCREASE OF INITIAL TEACHER 1 SALARY 2 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION . 256.19 Student teacher grant program. 3 1. The department shall establish a student teacher grant 4 program to allow school districts to compensate Iowa residents 5 who are fulfilling the requirements associated with the student 6 teaching experience established pursuant to section 256.16, 7 subsection 1, paragraph “d” , at the school district. The state 8 board, after consultation with education stakeholders, shall 9 adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A for the student teacher 10 grant program, including rules relating to grant application 11 materials, eligibility requirements, and award criteria. 12 2. A school district may apply to the department for a 13 grant to compensate an Iowa resident who is fulfilling the 14 requirements associated with the student teaching experience 15 established pursuant to section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph 16 “d” , at the school district. The amount of the grant awarded 17 under this subsection shall not exceed an amount equal to the 18 salary for an initial teacher established pursuant to section 19 284.15, prorated based on the hours the Iowa resident devotes 20 to the student teaching experience at the school district. 21 3. Moneys awarded under this section shall be used to 22 supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by a 23 school district. 24 4. Moneys received by a school district under this section 25 shall be miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257 and 26 shall be deposited in the general fund of the school district. 27 However, the moneys shall not be included in district cost. 28 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION . 256.20 Teacher pay. 29 1. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and for 30 each succeeding fiscal year, there is appropriated from the 31 general fund of the state to the department to distribute 32 to school districts established pursuant to chapter 274 an 33 amount necessary to ensure that the annual compensation school 34 districts provide to teachers is no less than three thousand 35 -2- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 2/ 13

S.F. 2368 dollars less than the national average teacher salary for the 1 preceding school year calculated by the national education 2 association. 3 2. Moneys received by a school district under this section 4 shall be miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257 and 5 shall be deposited in the general fund of the school district. 6 However, the moneys shall not be included in district cost. 7 Sec. 9. Section 257.10, subsection 12, paragraph d, Code 8 2022, is amended to read as follows: 9 d. For the budget year beginning July 1, 2014, and 10 succeeding budget years, the use of the funds calculated under 11 this subsection shall comply with the requirements of chapter 12 284 and shall be distributed to teachers pursuant to section 13 284.15 . The funds shall be used only to increase the payment 14 for a teacher assigned to a leadership role pursuant to a 15 framework or comparable system approved pursuant to section 16 284.15 ; to increase the percentages of teachers assigned to 17 leadership roles; to increase the minimum teacher starting 18 salary to thirty-three thousand five hundred dollars the 19 amount provided in section 284.15, subsection 2, paragraph 20 “a” , subparagraph (1) ; to cover the costs for the time mentor 21 and lead teachers are not providing instruction to students 22 in a classroom; for coverage of a classroom when an initial 23 or career teacher is observing or co-teaching with a teacher 24 assigned to a leadership role; for professional development 25 time to learn best practices associated with the career 26 pathways leadership process; and for other costs associated 27 with a framework or comparable system approved by the 28 department of education under section 284.15 with the goals of 29 improving instruction and elevating the quality of teaching and 30 student learning. If all requirements for the school district 31 for the use of funds calculated under this subsection are met 32 and funds received under this subsection remain unexpended and 33 unobligated at the end of a fiscal year beginning on or after 34 July 1, 2020, the school district may transfer all or a portion 35 -3- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 3/ 13

S.F. 2368 of such unexpended and unobligated funds for deposit in the 1 school district’s flexibility account established under section 2 298A.2, subsection 2 . 3 Sec. 10. Section 284.15, subsection 2, paragraph a, 4 subparagraph (1), Code 2022, is amended to read as follows: 5 (1) The salary for an initial teacher who has successfully 6 completed an approved practitioner preparation program as 7 defined in section 272.1 or holds an initial or intern teacher 8 license issued under chapter 272 shall be at least thirty-three 9 thousand five hundred forty thousand dollars, which shall also 10 constitute the minimum salary for an Iowa teacher. 11 Sec. 11. Section 284.16, subsection 1, paragraph a, 12 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2022, is amended to read as 13 follows: 14 The beginning teacher shall be paid not less than 15 thirty-three thousand five hundred forty thousand dollars and 16 shall meet the following requirements: 17 Sec. 12. Section 284.17, subsection 1, Code 2022, is amended 18 to read as follows: 19 1. A minimum salary of thirty-three thousand five hundred 20 forty thousand dollars for a full-time teacher. 21 Sec. 13. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —— STUDENT TEACHER GRANT 22 PROGRAM —— APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated from the 23 general fund of the state to the department of education for 24 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and ending June 30, 25 2023, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, 26 to be used for the purposes designated: 27 For purposes of the student teacher grant program, 28 established pursuant to section 256.19, as enacted in this 29 division of this Act, including the establishment and start-up 30 programming costs of implementing the program: 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 7,000,000 32 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in this 33 section that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of 34 the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for 35 -4- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 4/ 13

S.F. 2368 expenditure for the purposes designated until the close of the 1 succeeding fiscal year. 2 DIVISION III 3 ENDORSEMENTS 4 Sec. 14. Section 272.2, Code 2022, is amended by adding the 5 following new subsections: 6 NEW SUBSECTION . 27. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to 7 limit the credit hours required to obtain any endorsement to no 8 more than eight credit hours. 9 NEW SUBSECTION . 28. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to 10 allow individuals to complete the requirements associated with 11 obtaining an endorsement within five years after applying for 12 the conditional endorsement. 13 Sec. 15. Section 272.7, Code 2022, is amended by adding the 14 following new subsection: 15 NEW SUBSECTION . 4. Notwithstanding subsection 1, a 16 person employed as a practitioner is not required to hold an 17 endorsement for the type of service for which the person is 18 employed if either of the following apply: 19 a. The person has been employed as a practitioner for at 20 least twenty years. 21 b. The person holds a master’s or doctoral degree that 22 is related to the type of service for which the person is 23 employed. 24 Sec. 16. Section 279.46, Code 2022, is amended to read as 25 follows: 26 279.46 Retirement incentives and reimbursement for 27 endorsements —— tax. 28 1. The board of directors of a school district may adopt 29 a program for payment of a monetary bonus, continuation of 30 health or medical insurance coverage, or other incentives 31 for encouraging its employees to retire before the normal 32 retirement date as defined in chapter 97B . The program is 33 available only to employees who notify the board of directors 34 prior to April 1 of the fiscal year that they intend to retire 35 -5- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 5/ 13

S.F. 2368 not later than the start of the next following school calendar. 1 The age at which employees shall be designated eligible for 2 the program shall be at the discretion of the board. An 3 employee retiring under this section subsection may apply for 4 a retirement allowance under chapter 97B or chapter 294 . The 5 board may include in the district management levy an amount to 6 pay the total estimated accumulated cost to the school district 7 of the health or medical insurance coverage, bonus, or other 8 incentives for employees fifty-five years of age or older who 9 retire under this section subsection . 10 2. The board of directors of a school district may adopt 11 a program for reimbursing teachers employed by the board of 12 directors of the school district no more than fifty percent of 13 the teacher’s cost to obtain an endorsement issued by the board 14 of educational examiners pursuant to section 272.2. The board 15 may include in the district management levy an amount to pay 16 the total estimated accumulated cost to the school district 17 of the endorsement reimbursement program adopted under this 18 subsection. 19 Sec. 17. Section 298.4, subsection 1, paragraph e, Code 20 2022, is amended to read as follows: 21 e. To pay the cost of early retirement benefits to 22 employees under section 279.46 , subsection 1, or endorsement 23 reimbursement under section 279.46, subsection 2 . 24 DIVISION IV 25 TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TASK FORCE 26 Sec. 18. TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TASK FORCE. 27 1. The director of the department of education shall convene 28 a task force to conduct a study of teacher recruitment and 29 retention. The study shall include but not be limited to an 30 examination of all of the following: 31 a. The reasons individuals fail to enter or complete 32 practitioner preparation programs or avoid certain subject 33 areas in practitioner preparation programs, particularly 34 individuals with identities underrepresented in teaching. 35 -6- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 6/ 13

S.F. 2368 b. The reasons teachers fail to apply for teaching positions 1 in certain geographic or subject areas. 2 c. Recent efforts to recruit or incentivize potential 3 teachers, including the history and funding of scholarship 4 and grant programs designed for potential teachers and the 5 barriers to productive, successful teacher preparation program 6 recruitment. 7 d. Independent, high-quality research conducted to improve 8 education policy and practice, including but not limited to 9 the learning policy institute’s 2016 publication, “solving 10 the teacher shortage: how to attract and retain excellent 11 educators”. 12 e. The reasons teachers, particularly teachers with 13 identities underrepresented in teaching, leave the profession 14 or are attracted to other fields, including but not limited 15 to the following Iowa-specific issues in rural, urban, and 16 suburban schools: 17 (1) Inadequate preparation time and opportunity for 18 collaboration with colleagues. 19 (2) Poor teaching conditions, including lack of support 20 from administrators. 21 (3) Poor compensation and benefits. 22 (4) General lack of respect. 23 (5) Teacher participation in decision making discouraged, 24 rebuked, or prohibited at the school or district level. 25 2. The goal of the task force is to identify measures 26 to improve teacher recruitment and retention efforts; 27 increase scholarships, grants, marketing efforts, and other 28 incentives to attract to or to keep individuals in the teaching 29 profession; and develop measures to support teachers in 30 achieving a successful life-long teaching career. 31 3. The task force shall be comprised of the director of 32 the department of education or the director’s designee; the 33 executive director of the board of educational examiners or 34 the executive director’s designee; the executive director of 35 -7- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 7/ 13

S.F. 2368 the college student aid commission or the executive director’s 1 designee; two individuals representing practitioner preparation 2 programs at institutions of higher learning governed by the 3 state board of regents, one of whom shall be employed by 4 the university of northern Iowa; one individual representing 5 community colleges that receive funding for the pathways for 6 academic career and employment program; and shall include, at a 7 minimum, the following: 8 a. Six members who shall be appointed by the following 9 respective entities: 10 (1) The Iowa state education association. 11 (2) The school administrators of Iowa. 12 (3) The Iowa association of school boards. 13 (4) The urban education network. 14 (5) The rural school advocates of Iowa. 15 (6) The Iowa association of independent colleges and 16 universities. 17 b. Three members, who shall be appointed by the director of 18 the department of education based on recommendations submitted 19 by the entities specified in paragraph “a”, as follows: 20 (1) A teacher employed by a growing suburban school 21 district. 22 (2) A teacher employed by a rural school district. 23 (3) A teacher employed in an urban city center. 24 4. To the extent possible, appointments shall be made to 25 provide geographical area representation and to comply with 26 sections 69.16, 69.16A, 69.16C, and 69.16E. 27 5. The department of education and the practitioner 28 preparation institutions governed by the state board of regents 29 shall provide staff assistance and administrative support to 30 the task force. 31 6. The task force shall submit its findings and 32 recommendations in a report to the governor and the general 33 assembly by November 30, 2022. 34 Sec. 19. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —— TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND 35 -8- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 8/ 13

S.F. 2368 RETENTION TASK FORCE —— APPROPRIATION. There is appropriated 1 from the general fund of the state to the department of 2 education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and 3 ending June 30, 2023, the following amount, or so much thereof 4 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated: 5 For purposes of convening and providing assistance and 6 administrative support to the teacher recruitment and retention 7 task force established pursuant to this division of this Act: 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 50,000 9 DIVISION V 10 TEACHER APPRECIATION ACTIVITIES 11 Sec. 20. Section 279.42, Code 2022, is amended to read as 12 follows: 13 279.42 Gifts to schools —— appreciation activities . 14 1. The board of directors of a school district that receives 15 funds through a gift, devise, or bequest shall deposit the 16 funds in a trust fund, permanent fund, or custodial fund and 17 shall use the funds in accordance with the terms of the gift, 18 devise, or bequest. 19 2. Notwithstanding any limitations in chapter 68B, the 20 board of directors of a school district may expend moneys from 21 the school district’s flexibility account within the school 22 district’s general fund to support reasonable teacher and staff 23 appreciation activities if all full-time teachers and staff 24 members are invited to participate in the activity. 25 Sec. 21. Section 298A.2, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 26 2022, is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 27 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (9) Teacher and staff appreciation 28 activities under section 279.42, subsection 2. 29 EXPLANATION 30 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 31 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 32 This bill relates to education, including examinations 33 administered to students by higher education institutions 34 providing practitioner preparation, obligations of the 35 -9- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 9/ 13

S.F. 2368 department of education (DOE), increasing the salary of initial 1 teachers, modifying provisions related to endorsements issued 2 by the board of educational examiners (BOEE), and the use of 3 certain specified school district moneys. 4 DIVISION I —— ELIMINATION OF PRACTITIONER PREPARATION 5 PROGRAM TESTING REQUIREMENTS. Current law requires the BOEE to 6 adopt rules related to higher education institutions providing 7 practitioner preparation that authorize the institutions 8 to administer a preprofessional skills test offered by 9 a nationally recognized testing service to practitioner 10 preparation program admission candidates and that require the 11 institutions to administer certain specified assessments to 12 students prior to a student’s completion of the practitioner 13 preparation program. The bill strikes both of these 14 requirements and makes conforming changes. 15 DIVISION II —— STUDENT TEACHER GRANT PROGRAM AND INCREASE OF 16 INITIAL TEACHER SALARY. The bill requires the DOE to establish 17 a student teacher grant program to allow school districts to 18 compensate Iowa residents who are fulfilling the requirements 19 associated with the student teaching experience. The bill 20 authorizes a school district to apply to the DOE for a grant 21 under this program. The bill limits the amount of a grant to 22 an amount not to exceed an amount equal to the salary for an 23 initial teacher established pursuant to Code section 284.15 24 (Iowa teacher compensation framework), prorated based on 25 the hours the Iowa resident devotes to the student teaching 26 experience at the school district. The bill appropriates $7 27 million to the student teacher grant program from FY 2022-2023. 28 The bill provides that moneys received by a school district 29 under the student teacher grant program shall be miscellaneous 30 income for purposes of Code chapter 257 (financing school 31 programs) and shall be deposited in the general fund of the 32 school district. The bill also provides that the moneys shall 33 not be included in district cost. 34 Currently, Code chapter 284 (teacher compensation) provides 35 -10- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 10/ 13

S.F. 2368 that the minimum annual salary for an initial teacher who has 1 successfully completed an approved practitioner preparation 2 program or holds an initial or intern teacher license issued by 3 the board of educational examiners shall be at least $33,500. 4 The bill increases this minimum annual salary to $40,000. The 5 bill makes conforming changes to Code chapter 257 (financing 6 school programs). 7 For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, and for each 8 succeeding fiscal year, the bill appropriates from the general 9 fund of the state to the DOE to distribute to school districts 10 an amount necessary to ensure that the annual compensation 11 school districts provide to teachers is no less than $3,000 12 less than the national average teacher salary for the preceding 13 school year calculated by the national education association. 14 The bill provides that moneys received by a school district 15 pursuant to this provision shall be miscellaneous income for 16 purposes of Code chapter 257 (financing school programs) and 17 shall be deposited in the general fund of the school district. 18 The bill also provides that the moneys shall not be included 19 in district cost. 20 DIVISION III —— ENDORSEMENTS. The bill requires the BOEE 21 to adopt rules to limit the credit hours required to obtain 22 any endorsement to no more than eight credit hours and to 23 allow individuals to complete the requirements associated with 24 obtaining an endorsement within five years after applying for 25 the conditional endorsement. 26 The bill provides that a person employed as a practitioner is 27 not required to hold an endorsement for the type of service for 28 which the person is employed if the person has been employed 29 as a practitioner for at least 20 years or the person holds 30 a master’s or doctoral degree that is related to the type of 31 service for which the person is employed. 32 Currently, Code section 279.46 authorizes the board of 33 directors of a school district to adopt a program for early 34 retirement benefits to encourage its employees to retire before 35 -11- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 11/ 13

S.F. 2368 the normal retirement date. The bill modifies Code section 1 279.46 to also authorize the board of directors to adopt a 2 program for reimbursing teachers no more than 50 percent of the 3 teacher’s cost to obtain an endorsement issued by the BOEE. 4 The bill authorizes the board to expend the district management 5 levy to pay the costs of this endorsement reimbursement 6 program. 7 DIVISION IV —— TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TASK FORCE. 8 The bill requires the director of the DOE to convene a task 9 force to conduct a study of teacher recruitment and retention 10 that includes but is not limited to an examination of the 11 reasons individuals fail to enter or complete practitioner 12 preparation programs or avoid certain subject areas in 13 practitioner preparation programs; the reasons teachers fail to 14 apply for teaching positions in certain geographic or subject 15 areas; recent efforts to recruit or incentivize potential 16 teachers; independent, high-quality research conducted and 17 published to improve education policy and practice; and the 18 reasons teachers leave the profession or are attracted to other 19 fields. The bill establishes the composition of the membership 20 of the task force. 21 The goal of the task force is to identify measures to improve 22 teacher recruitment and retention efforts, increase marketing 23 and incentives to attract to or to keep individuals in the 24 teaching profession, and develop measures to support teachers 25 in achieving a successful life-long teaching career. 26 To the extent possible, appointments shall be made to 27 provide geographical area representation and to comply with 28 Code provisions relating to political and gender balance and to 29 minority and young adult representation on appointive boards. 30 The DOE and the regents’ practitioner preparation 31 institutions shall provide staff assistance and administrative 32 support to the task force. 33 The task force shall submit its findings and recommendations 34 in a report to the governor and the general assembly by 35 -12- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 12/ 13

S.F. 2368 November 30, 2022. 1 The bill appropriates $50,000 from the general fund 2 of the state to the DOE for the purposes of convening and 3 providing assistance and administrative support to the teacher 4 recruitment and retention task force. 5 DIVISION V —— TEACHER APPRECIATION ACTIVITIES. The bill 6 provides that, notwithstanding any limitations in Code chapter 7 68B (government ethics and lobbying), the board of directors of 8 a school district may expend moneys from the school district’s 9 flexibility account within its general fund to support 10 reasonable teacher and staff appreciation activities if all 11 full-time teachers and staff members are invited to participate 12 in the activity. The bill makes conforming changes to Code 13 section 298A.2 (school districts’ flexibility accounts). 14 -13- LSB 5937XS (9) 89 jda/jh 13/ 13