HSB 137 (LSB 1874XL (8) 91)

SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____

BY  (PROPOSED GOVERNOR BILL)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to mathematics instruction, civics assessments, practitioner preparation programs, and the duties of the director of the department of education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

DIVISION I
MATHEMATICS

    Section 1.  Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new subsections:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  69.  Develop and distribute to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools family-centered resources to support student development of mathematics knowledge at home.
   NEW SUBSECTION.  70.  Provide teachers who are employed by schools most in need of support, as identified by the department, with evidence-based professional development services related to implementing high-quality mathematics instruction. When determining whether a school is in need of support under this subsection, the director shall consider the level of mathematics proficiency attained by students enrolled in the school and the amount of resources available to the department to provide the professional development services.
   NEW SUBSECTION.  71.  Develop and distribute to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools a comprehensive state mathematics plan that is designed to increase the level of mathematics proficiency attained by students using systematic and sequential approaches to teaching subitizing, cardinality, object counting, verbal counting, spatial relationships, benchmark numbers, and part-part-whole models.
   NEW SUBSECTION.  72.  Develop and publish on the department’s internet site a list of valid and reliable mathematics screeners that may be used by teachers to identify students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six who may require additional instruction or support in mathematics.
    Sec. 2.  Section 256.16, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  o.  Include preparation in methods for teaching mathematics. A higher education institution providing practitioner preparation may satisfy this requirement by requiring students admitted to an approved practitioner preparation program who will be teaching mathematics to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve to complete mathematics methods coursework and demonstrate competency in number sense, learning progressions, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency and application in mathematics, including the implementation of high-quality instructional materials aligned to Iowa academic standards for mathematics.
    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  279.68A  Student progression —— mathematics proficiency.
   1.  Each school district shall assess all students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six at least three times each school year to determine the students’ level of mathematics proficiency by administering a mathematics screener that is on the list developed by the department of education pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 72.
   2.  If, as the result of the assessments administered pursuant to subsection 1, a school district determines that a student is persistently at risk in mathematics, the school district shall do all of the following:
   a.  Assess the student’s level of proficiency in mathematics at least every other week and implement mathematics interventions and supports.
   b.  Develop, in consultation with the student’s parents or guardians, a personalized mathematics plan that identifies interventions and supports that will be used to help the student achieve proficiency in mathematics.
   c.  If the student is meeting expectations related to increases in the student’s level of mathematics proficiency, provide the student with small group interventions.
   d.  If the student is not meeting expectations related to increases in the student’s level of mathematics proficiency, provide the student with intensive interventions.
   3.  A school district shall provide the assessments, plans, and interventions described in subsection 2 to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six who are persistently at risk in mathematics until the student performs at benchmark on the statewide summative assessment in mathematics or until the student performs at benchmark on two consecutive assessments administered pursuant to subsection 1, whichever occurs first.
   4.  For purposes of this section, “persistently at risk” means the student has not met the grade-level benchmark on two consecutive assessments administered pursuant to subsection 1.
   5.  The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section.
DIVISION II
CIVICS

    Sec. 4.  Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  73.  a.  Develop and distribute to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools a test that consists of the multiple choice questions contained in the most recent version of the civics test developed by the United States citizenship and immigration services.
   b.  Update the test described in paragraph “a” every five years and distribute the updated test to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools.
    Sec. 5.  Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  0r.  Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 280.9A, subsection 1A, related to the administration of a civics test.
    Sec. 6.  Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  r.  Be subject to and comply with the requirements of section 280.9A, subsection 1A, related to the administration of a civics test.
    Sec. 7.  Section 259A.1, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
   259A.1  Assessment of competency.
   The department of education shall cause to be made available for qualified individuals a high school equivalency diploma. The diploma shall be issued on the basis of demonstrated to qualified individuals who successfully pass the civics test as set forth in section 280.9A, and demonstrate competence in all of the following core areas: reading, language arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies.
    Sec. 8.  Section 280.9A, Code 2025, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  1A.  a.  The board of directors of each local public school district and the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school shall administer to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve the most recent version of the test distributed to the school district or accredited nonpublic school by the director of the department of education pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 73, and shall ensure that each student receives one passing score on the test as a condition of graduation. The board of directors of a local public school district and the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school shall not be required to administer the test to a student who has received a passing score on the test.
   b.  A student must answer at least sixty percent of the questions on the test described in paragraph “a” correctly to attain a passing score. A student who fails to answer at least sixty percent of the questions on such test correctly may retake the test as many times as is necessary.
   c.  The board of directors of a local public school district and the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school may do all of the following:
   (1)  Modify the test described in paragraph “a” for a student who has an individualized education program or a plan under section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. §794.
   (2)  Develop and administer an alternate test to a student who has a significant intellectual disability.
   (3)  Modify the test described in paragraph “a” for a student who is an English learner as defined in section 280.4.
   d.  On or before June 30 of each year, the board of directors of each local public school district and the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school shall submit the results of the test described in paragraph “a” to the department of education.
DIVISION III
STATE MANDATE

    Sec. 9.  STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED.  In accordance with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid received by the school district under section 257.16. This specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts.
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 education, including by modifying provisions related to mathematics instruction, civics assessments, practitioner preparation programs, and the duties of the director of the department of education.
   DIVISION I —— MATHEMATICS. The bill requires the director of the department of education (DE) to develop and distribute to schools family-centered resources to support student development of mathematics knowledge at home and a comprehensive state mathematics plan that is designed to increase the level of mathematics proficiency attained by students. The bill also requires the director of DE to provide teachers who are employed by schools most in need of support with evidence-based professional development services related to implementing high-quality mathematics instruction. Additionally, the bill requires the director of DE to develop and publish on DE’s internet site a list of valid and reliable mathematics screeners that may be used by teachers to identify students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six who may require additional instruction or support in mathematics.
   The bill requires school districts to assess all students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six at least three times each school year to determine the students’ level of mathematics proficiency by administering a mathematics screener that is on the list on DE’s internet site. If, as the result of the assessments, a school district determines that a student is persistently at risk in mathematics, the school district is required to take certain specified steps involving additional assessments, the development of personalized mathematics plans, and interventions. The school district is required to take these steps until the student performs at benchmark on the statewide summative assessment in mathematics or until the student performs at benchmark on an assessment, whichever occurs first. The bill defines “persistently at risk” to mean that the student has not met the grade-level benchmark on two consecutive assessments. The bill requires the state board of education to adopt rules to administer these provisions.
   The bill provides that the state board of education is required to adopt rules requiring all higher education institutions providing practitioner preparation to include preparation in methods for teaching mathematics. The bill authorizes a higher education institution providing practitioner preparation to satisfy this requirement by requiring students who will be teaching mathematics to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 to complete mathematics methods coursework and demonstrate competency in certain specified areas.
   DIVISION II —— CIVICS. The bill requires the director of DE to develop and distribute to school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools a test that consists of the multiple choice questions contained in the most recent version of the civics test developed by the United States citizenship and immigration services. The director is also required to update the test every five years and distribute the updated test to schools.
   The bill requires the board of directors of each local public school district, the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school, charter school, and innovation zone school to administer the test to students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 and ensure that each student receives one passing score on the test as a condition of graduation. Schools are not required to administer the test to a student who has already received a passing score on the test. A student must answer at least 60 percent of the questions on the test correctly to attain a passing score. A student who fails to answer at least 60 percent of the questions on the test correctly may retake the test as many times as is necessary. The bill authorizes schools to modify the test for students who have an individualized education program or a 504 plan, and for students who are English learners, and the bill authorizes schools to administer an alternate test to a student who has a significant intellectual disability. Schools are required to submit the results of the test to DE on or before June 30 each year.
   The bill provides that individuals seeking a high school equivalency diploma must also pass such a test.
   DIVISION III —— STATE MANDATE. The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid received by the school district under Code section 257.16. The specification is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.