HF 2002 (LSB 5066YH (1) 91)

HOUSE FILE 2002

BY  GEARHART

A BILL FOR

An Act requiring the legislative council to enter into an agreement with a qualified person to conduct a review of Iowa’s public education system, and including effective date provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF IOWA’S PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.
   1.  The legislative council shall enter into an agreement with a qualified person to conduct a comprehensive review of Iowa’s prekindergarten through grade twelve public education system. For purposes of this section, “qualified person” means an independent, nonpartisan individual, research organization, or educational think tank, that is not affiliated with, or represented by, any political party, special interest group, or Iowa school district.
   2.  a.  The qualified person’s comprehensive review of Iowa’s prekindergarten through grade twelve public education system shall include all of the following:
   (1)  An examination of trends in Iowa’s public education system over at least the previous thirty years to determine the factors that contributed to the changes in the quality of Iowa’s public education relative to other states.
   (2)  A full audit of Iowa’s funding of public education funding sources and expenditures.
   (3)  An evaluation of the existing funding streams used by the Iowa public education system.
   (4)  A proposal related to simplifying the funding streams used by the Iowa public education system and distributing moneys more effectively and equitably.
   (5)  Identification of potential cost-saving measures that maintain or improve the educational outcomes of students enrolled in Iowa’s public education system.
   (6)  An assessment of the current structure of school districts to determine whether a realignment is necessary based on student population and regional needs.
   (7)  An analysis of the potential impact of school district realignment on transportation costs, staffing, and student performance.
   (8)  Proper consideration for the different needs of schools in rural areas and schools in urban areas.
   (9)  An evaluation of the financial and operational challenges that are unique to schools in rural areas and schools in urban areas.
   (10)  A proposal for equitable funding and policy solutions for schools in rural areas and schools in urban areas.
   (11)  Input from Iowa’s teachers, administrators, and other education professionals.
   (12)  A study of high-quality public education systems in other countries to determine policies or strategies that could be incorporated into Iowa’s public education system.
   (13)  Proper consideration of evidence-based teaching models and other methods to improve curricula.
   (14)  An exploration of potential areas of innovation that could be pursued to provide transformative solutions to improve Iowa’s public education system, which shall include an exploration of all of the following:
   (a)  Alternative education models such as competency-based learning, microschools, and hybrid education systems.
   (b)  The role of technology in modernizing education, including using artificial intelligence to provide personalized learning experiences.
   (c)  Utilizing different teacher training and credentialing models to attract and retain high-quality educators.
   (d)  Alternative funding mechanisms, including performance-based funding and public-private partnerships.
   (e)  Innovative school structures that optimize learning environments.
   b.  The qualified person shall provide periodic updates to the legislative council while conducting the comprehensive review of Iowa’s prekindergarten through grade twelve public education system.
   c.  After conducting the comprehensive review of Iowa’s prekindergarten through grade twelve public education system, the qualified person shall prepare a report containing findings and recommendations. The recommendations must be based on the qualified person’s research and shall not be influenced by current educators or administrative bodies. The report must also contain all of the following:
   (1)  Clear, actionable recommendations that, if adopted, would improve student outcomes, operational efficiency, and funding mechanisms.
   (2)  Short-term and long-term strategies for reform, the estimated costs associated with the short-term and long-term strategies, and the funding sources that could be used to support the short-term and long-term strategies.
   (3)  Multiple strategies to reform Iowa’s public education system, including strategies for incremental improvements and strategies for transformative changes.
   d.  The qualified person shall file the report with the general assembly on or before January 1, 2027, which shall be made available on the general assembly’s internet site.
   3.  After the qualified person files the report with the general assembly, the majority leader of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives shall arrange for the qualified person to present the final report in a joint session of the general assembly.
   4.  After the qualified person files the report with the general assembly, the chairperson of the senate committee on education and the chairperson of the house committee on education shall arrange for public forums to discuss the report, gather feedback on proposed changes to Iowa’s public education system, and determine appropriate steps for implementation of the recommendations in the report, including the potential creation of pilot programs.
    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
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 the legislative council to enter into an agreement with a qualified person to conduct a review of Iowa’s public education system.
   The bill defines “qualified person” to mean an independent, nonpartisan individual, research organization, or educational think tank, that is not affiliated with, or represented by, any political party, special interest group, or Iowa school district. The bill requires the legislative council to enter into an agreement with a qualified person to conduct a comprehensive review of Iowa’s prekindergarten through grade 12 public education system. The bill establishes what the comprehensive review is required to include.
   The bill requires the qualified person to provide periodic updates to the legislative council while conducting the comprehensive review. After conducting the comprehensive review, the qualified person is required to prepare a report containing findings and recommendations and file the report with the general assembly on or before January 1, 2027.
   After the qualified person files the report with the general assembly, the bill requires the majority leader of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives to arrange for the qualified person to present the final report in a joint session of the general assembly. Additionally, the chairperson of the senate committee on education and the chairperson of the house committee on education are required to arrange for public forums to discuss the report, gather feedback on proposed changes to Iowa’s public education system, and determine appropriate steps for implementation of the recommendations in the report.
   The bill takes effect upon enactment.