House File 535 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 535 BY WOOD A BILL FOR An Act relating to the Iowa school performance profiles 1 published by the department of education, including how 2 dropout students affect school performance grades contained 3 in the profiles. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2197YH (2) 90 jda/jh
H.F. 535 Section 1. 2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 121, section 73, 1 subsection 2, is amended to read as follows: 2 2. The department shall develop an achievement score that 3 calculates aggregate growth as well as aggregate proficiency 4 of students which when combined with other academic indicators 5 results in an overall school performance grade for each 6 attendance center in the school district. For purposes of 7 calculating the performance grade, if a student returns to 8 the school after dropping out and subsequently drops out 9 again, the student’s second or subsequent dropping out of 10 school shall not adversely affect the school’s performance 11 grade. The performance grade may also be used as one measure 12 to rank and classify schools into six different performance 13 categories: exceptional, high performing, commendable, 14 acceptable, needs improvement, and priority. The categories 15 may be used to define support and specialized assistance to 16 schools classified as needs improvement or priority as well as 17 to recognize schools designated exceptional or high performing. 18 Additionally, a closing gap score shall be calculated as 19 another measure to determine subgroup performance and to rank 20 and classify attendance centers. Other academic indicators 21 shall be defined as criterion referenced variables that will 22 be utilized in the calculation of the performance grade. 23 Other academic indicators shall include but not be limited 24 to graduation rates, attendance rates, and college-readiness 25 rates. Additional indicators of academic success and progress 26 may include post-graduation data, suspension and expulsion 27 rates, levels of student engagement, parent satisfaction, 28 parent engagement, and staff working conditions. 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 the Iowa school performance profiles 33 published by the department of education. Pursuant to the 34 federal Every Student Succeeds Act and 2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 35 -1- LSB 2197YH (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 2
H.F. 535 121, section 73, the department is required to publish on 1 its internet site an online tool showing how public schools 2 performed on certain required measures. The department 3 fulfills these requirements by publishing the Iowa school 4 performance profiles annually. The bill provides that, for 5 purposes of calculating the performance grade for an attendance 6 center, if a student returns to the school after dropping out 7 and subsequently drops out again, the student’s second or 8 subsequent dropping out of school shall not adversely affect 9 the school’s performance grade. 10 -2- LSB 2197YH (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 2