HSB 586 (LSB 5632YC (3) 90)

HOUSE FILE _____ 

BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER)

A BILL FOR

An Act requiring school districts and charter schools to provide instruction related to character development to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 256.11, subsections 2, 3, and 4, Code 2024, are amended to read as follows:
   2.  a.  The kindergarten program shall include experiences designed to develop character and healthy emotional and social habits and growth in the language arts and communication skills, as well as a capacity for the completion of individual tasks, and protect and increase physical well-being with attention given to experiences relating to the development of life skills and, subject to section 279.80, age-appropriate and research-based human growth and development. A kindergarten teacher shall be licensed to teach in kindergarten. An accredited nonpublic school must meet the requirements of this subsection only if the nonpublic school offers a kindergarten program; provided, however, that section 279.80 shall not apply to a nonpublic school.
   b.  (1)  The experiences designed to develop character shall include instruction in accountability, altruism, ambition, charity, cheerfulness, cleanliness, compassion, conscience, courage, courtesy, curiosity, dignity, diligence, duty, faith, familial devotion, forbearance, friendliness, gratitude, hardiness, helpfulness, honesty, honor, impartiality, independent judgment, initiative, industry, integrity, justice, kindness, loyalty, moderation, obedience, patience, perseverance, propriety, prudence, punctuality, reliability, responsibility, reverence, self-control, self-reliance, temperance, thrift, tolerance, and trustworthiness.
   (2)  The experiences designed to develop character shall not define or teach character traits in any manner that might promote or encourage students to participate in conduct that would violate any federal, state, or local law.
   (3)  Any assessment of a student’s understanding of development of character shall be limited to and must reflect the material taught in the classroom.
   (4)  Any assessment administered pursuant to this paragraph shall not evaluate whether a student evidences a specific character trait in the student’s life.
   c.  The requirement to provide experiences designed to develop character shall not apply to a nonpublic school.
   3.  a.  The following areas shall be taught in grades one through six:  English-language arts, social studies, mathematics, science, health, physical education, traffic safety, music, visual art, character development, and, subject to section 279.80, age-appropriate and research-based human growth and development. Computer science instruction incorporating the standards established under section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (4), shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2023. The health curriculum shall include the characteristics of communicable diseases. The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum definitions for implementing the elementary program.
   b.  (1)  The character development curriculum shall include instruction in accountability, altruism, ambition, charity, cheerfulness, cleanliness, compassion, conscience, courage, courtesy, curiosity, dignity, diligence, duty, faith, familial devotion, forbearance, friendliness, gratitude, hardiness, helpfulness, honesty, honor, impartiality, independent judgment, initiative, industry, integrity, justice, kindness, loyalty, moderation, obedience, patience, perseverance, propriety, prudence, punctuality, reliability, responsibility, reverence, self-control, self-reliance, temperance, thrift, tolerance, and trustworthiness.
   (2)  The character development curriculum shall not define or teach character traits in any manner that might promote or encourage students to participate in conduct that would violate any federal, state, or local law.
   (3)  Any assessment of a student’s understanding of character development shall be limited to and must reflect the material taught in the classroom.
   (4)  Any assessment administered pursuant to this paragraph shall not evaluate whether a student evidences a specific character trait in the student’s life.
   c.  The requirement to provide a character development curriculum shall not apply to a nonpublic school.
   4.  a.  The following shall be taught in grades seven and eight:  English-language arts; social studies; mathematics; science; health; age-appropriate and research-based human growth and development; career exploration and development; physical education; music; character development; and visual art. Computer science instruction incorporating the standards established under section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (4), shall be offered in at least one grade level commencing with the school year beginning July 1, 2023. Career exploration and development shall be designed so that students are appropriately prepared to create an individual career and academic plan pursuant to section 279.61, incorporate foundational career and technical education concepts aligned with the six career and technical education service areas as defined in  subsection 5, paragraph “h”, incorporate relevant twenty-first century skills to facilitate career readiness, and introduce students to career opportunities within the local community and across this state. The health curriculum shall include age-appropriate and research-based information regarding the characteristics of sexually transmitted diseases. The state board as part of accreditation standards shall adopt curriculum definitions for implementing the program in grades seven and eight. However, this subsection shall not apply to the teaching of career exploration and development in nonpublic schools.
   b.  (1)  The character development curriculum shall include instruction in accountability, altruism, ambition, charity, cheerfulness, cleanliness, compassion, conscience, courage, courtesy, curiosity, dignity, diligence, duty, faith, familial devotion, forbearance, friendliness, gratitude, hardiness, helpfulness, honesty, honor, impartiality, independent judgment, initiative, industry, integrity, justice, kindness, loyalty, moderation, obedience, patience, perseverance, propriety, prudence, punctuality, reliability, responsibility, reverence, self-control, self-reliance, temperance, thrift, tolerance, and trustworthiness.
   (2)  The character development curriculum shall not define or teach character traits in any manner that might promote or encourage students to participate in conduct that would violate any federal, state, or local law.
   (3)  Any assessment of a student’s understanding of character development shall be limited to and must reflect the material taught in the classroom.
   (4)  Any assessment administered pursuant to this paragraph shall not evaluate whether a student evidences a specific character trait in the student’s life.
   c.  The requirement to provide a character development curriculum shall not apply to a nonpublic school.
    Sec. 2.  Section 256.11, subsection 5, Code 2024, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  m.  (1)  One unit of character development, which shall include instruction in accountability, altruism, ambition, charity, cheerfulness, cleanliness, compassion, conscience, courage, courtesy, curiosity, dignity, diligence, duty, faith, familial devotion, forbearance, friendliness, gratitude, hardiness, helpfulness, honesty, honor, impartiality, independent judgment, initiative, industry, integrity, justice, kindness, loyalty, moderation, obedience, patience, perseverance, propriety, prudence, punctuality, reliability, responsibility, reverence, self-control, self-reliance, temperance, thrift, tolerance, and trustworthiness.
   (2)  The character development curriculum shall not define or teach character traits in any manner that might promote or encourage students to participate in conduct that would violate any federal, state, or local law.
   (3)  Any assessment of a student’s understanding of character development shall be limited to and must reflect the material taught in the classroom.
   (4)  Any assessment administered pursuant to this paragraph shall not evaluate whether a student evidences a specific character trait in the student’s life.
   (5)  This paragraph shall not apply to a nonpublic school.
    Sec. 3.  Section 256E.7, subsection 2, paragraph g, Code 2024, is amended to read as follows:
   g.  Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 256.7, subsection 21, and the educational standards of section 256.11, unless specifically waived by the state board during the application process; provided, however, that the state board shall not waive the educational standards related to experiences designed to develop character in kindergarten established in section 256.11, subsection 2, or the educational standards related to the character development curriculum established in section 256.11, subsections 3 and 4, and section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “m”.
    Sec. 4.  IMPLEMENTATION OF ACT.  Section 25B.2, subsection 3, shall not apply to this Act.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill requires school districts and charter schools to provide instruction related to character development to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12. The bill establishes what the character development curriculum is to include. The bill prohibits the character development curriculum from defining or teaching character traits in any manner that might promote or encourage students to participate in conduct that would violate any federal, state, or local law. The bill provides that any assessment of a student’s understanding of character development shall be limited to and must reflect the material taught in the classroom. The bill also provides that any character development assessment that is administered shall not evaluate whether a student evidences a specific character trait in the student’s life.
   The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code section 25B.3. The bill makes inapplicable Code section 25B.2, subsection 3, which would relieve a school district from complying with a state mandate if funding for the cost of the state mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore, school districts are required to comply with any state mandate included in the bill.