HF 535 (LSB 2197YH (2) 90)

HOUSE FILE 535

BY  WOOD

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the Iowa school performance profiles published by the department of education, including how dropout students affect school performance grades contained in the profiles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 121, section 73, subsection 2, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  The department shall develop an achievement score that calculates aggregate growth as well as aggregate proficiency of students which when combined with other academic indicators results in an overall school performance grade for each attendance center in the school district.  For purposes of calculating the performance grade, if a student returns to the school after dropping out and subsequently drops out again, the student’s second or subsequent dropping out of school shall not adversely affect the school’s performance grade. The performance grade may also be used as one measure to rank and classify schools into six different performance categories: exceptional, high performing, commendable, acceptable, needs improvement, and priority. The categories may be used to define support and specialized assistance to schools classified as needs improvement or priority as well as to recognize schools designated exceptional or high performing. Additionally, a closing gap score shall be calculated as another measure to determine subgroup performance and to rank and classify attendance centers. Other academic indicators shall be defined as criterion referenced variables that will be utilized in the calculation of the performance grade. Other academic indicators shall include but not be limited to graduation rates, attendance rates, and college-readiness rates. Additional indicators of academic success and progress may include post-graduation data, suspension and expulsion rates, levels of student engagement, parent satisfaction, parent engagement, and staff working conditions.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to the Iowa school performance profiles published by the department of education. Pursuant to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act and 2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 121, section 73, the department is required to publish on its internet site an online tool showing how public schools performed on certain required measures. The department fulfills these requirements by publishing the Iowa school performance profiles annually. The bill provides that, for purposes of calculating the performance grade for an attendance center, if a student returns to the school after dropping out and subsequently drops out again, the student’s second or subsequent dropping out of school shall not adversely affect the school’s performance grade.