Senate File 389 - Introduced SENATE FILE 389 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 38) A BILL FOR An Act directing the department of education to convene an 1 achievement gap working group. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1324SV (2) 90 jda/jh

S.F. 389 Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —— ACHIEVEMENT GAP 1 WORKING GROUP. 2 1. The department of education shall convene and provide 3 administrative support to a working group that shall study any 4 disparities in academic performance between different racial 5 or ethnic groups of students in grades kindergarten through 6 twelve. If the working group determines that such disparities 7 exist, the emphasis of the working group shall be to study 8 potential causes of the disparities and what specific steps can 9 be taken to reduce the disparities. 10 2. The working group shall consist of not more than ten 11 members. At least two members of the working group shall 12 be teachers who provide instruction to students enrolled in 13 grades kindergarten through twelve. The working group shall 14 be bipartisan in its composition and minority persons shall be 15 represented in the working group. 16 3. The working group shall meet not more than four times. 17 Meetings of the working group may be held either in-person or 18 by means of remote communication. 19 4. Any expenses incurred by a member of the working group 20 shall be the responsibility of the individual member or the 21 respective entity represented by the member. 22 5. The working group shall submit its findings and 23 recommendations in a report to the general assembly by December 24 31, 2023. The report shall include recommendations on how 25 to reduce any academic performance gap that exists between 26 different racial or ethnic groups of students. 27 EXPLANATION 28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 29 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 30 This bill directs the department of education to convene 31 an achievement gap working group. The bill requires the 32 working group to study any disparities in academic performance 33 between different racial or ethnic groups of students in grades 34 kindergarten through 12. 35 -1- LSB 1324SV (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 2

S.F. 389 The bill establishes that if the working group determines 1 that such disparities exist, the emphasis of the working group 2 shall be to study potential causes of the disparities and what 3 specific steps can be taken to reduce the disparities. 4 The working group shall consist of not more than 10 members, 5 at least 2 of whom shall be teachers who provide instruction 6 to students enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12, and 7 shall be bipartisan in its composition. The bill also requires 8 minority persons to be represented in the working group. The 9 bill prohibits the working group from meeting more than four 10 times and allows the working group to meet either in person or 11 by means of remote communication. 12 The bill requires the working group to provide a report 13 to the general assembly by December 31, 2023, detailing the 14 working group’s findings and recommendations. The report 15 must include recommendations on how to reduce any academic 16 performance gap that exists between different racial or ethnic 17 groups of students. 18 -2- LSB 1324SV (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 2