SSB 3049 (LSB 5497XD (4) 91)

SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____

BY  (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BILL)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to career education, including by modifying provisions related to career academies, the collective statewide articulation agreement between community colleges and the state board of regents, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, and individual career and academic plans.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 84A.1B, subsection 3, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   Create, and update as necessary, a list of high-demand jobs statewide for purposes of the future ready Iowa registered apprenticeship programs created in chapter 84F, the summer youth intern pilot program established under section 84A.12, the Iowa employer innovation program established under section 84A.13, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program established under section 256.228, and the future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program established under section 256.229, and postsecondary summer classes for high school students as provided under section 261E.8, subsection 8. In addition to the list created by the workforce development board under this subsection, each community college, in consultation with regional career and technical education planning partnerships, and with the approval of the board of directors of the community college, may identify and maintain a list of not more than five regional high-demand jobs in the community college region, and shall share the lists with the workforce development board. The lists submitted by community colleges under the subsection may be used in that community college region for purposes of programs identified under this subsection. The workforce development board shall have full discretion to select and prioritize statewide high-demand jobs after consulting with business and education stakeholders, as appropriate, and seeking public comment. The workforce development board may add to the list of high-demand jobs as it deems necessary. For purposes of this subsection, “high-demand job” means a job in the state that the board, or a community college in accordance with this subsection, has identified in accordance with this subsection. In creating a list under this subsection, the following criteria, at a minimum, shall apply:
    Sec. 2.  Section 256.137, subsection 1, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   A career academy may be established under an agreement between a single school district and a community college, or by multiple school districts and a community college organized into a regional career and technical education planning partnership pursuant to section 256.136. A career academy established under this section shall be a career-oriented or occupation-oriented program of study that includes a minimum of two years units of secondary education, of which at least one unit must be from a course that meets the requirements of section 261E.8, which may fulfill the sequential unit requirement in one of the four service areas required under section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “h”, is articulated with a postsecondary education program, and is approved by the director under section 256.130. A career academy shall do all of the following:
    Sec. 3.  Section 257.11, subsection 3, paragraph b, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   If the school budget review committee certifies to the department of management that the class would not otherwise be implemented without the assignment of additional weighting, pupils attending a community college-offered class or attending a class taught by a community college-employed instructor are assigned a weighting of the percentage of the pupil’s school day during which the pupil attends class in the community college or attends a class taught by a community college-employed instructor times seventy hundredths for career and technical courses or fifty hundredths for liberal arts and sciences courses.  For purposes of calculating the percentage of the pupil’s day during which the pupil attends class in the community college or attends a class taught by a community college-employed instructor, a pupil attending a course during the summer term pursuant to section 261E.8, subsection 8, shall be counted as if the pupil attended the course during the same school year in which the school calendar first begins following the summer term. The following requirements shall be met for the purposes of assigning an additional weighting for classes offered through a sharing agreement between a school district and community college. The class must be:
    Sec. 4.  Section 260C.14, subsection 22, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   22.  a.  Enter into a collective statewide articulation agreement with the state board of regents pursuant to section 262.9, subsection 31, which shall provide for the seamless transfer of academic credits from a completed associate of arts or associate of science degree program offered by a community college to a baccalaureate degree program offered by an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents of all of the following:
   (1)  Academic credits earned through a completed associate of arts degree program.
   (2)  Academic credits earned through a completed associate of science degree program.
   (3)  Career and technical education credits from an associate of arts degree program, an associate of science degree program, an applied associate of arts degree program, or an applied associate of science degree program.
   b.  The collective statewide articulation agreement described in paragraph “a” shall include program-specific arrangements that favor the transfer of career and technical education credits unless extenuating circumstances prevent such transfer.
   c.  The collective statewide articulation agreement described in paragraph “a” shall not include a uniform restriction related to the number of career and technical education credits that may be transferred.
   d.  The board shall also do the following:
   a.  (1)  Identify a transfer and articulation contact office or person, publicize transfer and articulation information and the contact office or person, and submit the contact information to the state board of regents, which shall publish the contact information on its articulation internet site.
   b.  (2)  Collaborate with the state board of regents to meet the requirements specified in section 262.9, subsection 31, including but not limited to developing a systematic process for expanding academic discipline and meetings between the community college faculty and faculty of the institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents, developing criteria to prioritize core curriculum areas, promoting greater awareness of articulation-related activities, facilitating additional opportunities for individual institutions to pursue program articulation agreements for career and technical educational programs, and developing and implementing a process to examine a minimum of eight new associate of applied science degree programs for which articulation agreements would serve students’ continued academic success in those degree programs.
    Sec. 5.  Section 261E.8, subsection 8, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   8.  Subject to an appropriation of funds by the general assembly for this purpose, the The department shall establish a program to provide additional funds for resident high school pupils enrolled in grades nine through twelve to attend a community college for college-level classes or attend a class taught by a community college-employed instructor through a contractual agreement between a community college and a school district that satisfies the requirements for classes under section 257.11, subsection 3, except that the classes eligible for funding under this program are offered during the a summer and outside of the regular school year term and are aligned with a transfer pathway or a career pathways pathway leading to postsecondary credentials and high-demand jobs designated by the workforce development board or a community college pursuant to section 84A.1B, subsection 3. A community college shall not charge students tuition for a class offered partially or completely outside of the regular school year under this program.
    Sec. 6.  Section 279.61, subsection 1, paragraph a, subparagraph (2), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   (2)  Identify the coursework and work-based learning needed in grades nine through twelve to support the student’s postsecondary education and career options.  This shall include a discussion with the student related to opportunities that are available to the student through the school district to earn college credit and industry-recognized credentials that are aligned to the student’s postsecondary and career interests. 
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 career education, including by modifying provisions related to career academies, the collective statewide articulation agreement between community colleges and the state board of regents, the district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program, and individual career and academic plans.
   Under current law, a career academy may be established under an agreement between a single school district and a community college, or by multiple school districts and a community college organized into a regional career and technical education planning partnership, and such a career academy is required to be a career-oriented or occupation-oriented program of study that includes a minimum of two years of secondary education. The bill provides that a career academy is required to include a minimum of two units of secondary education, of which at least one unit must be from a course that meets the requirements of Code section 261E.8 (district-to-community college sharing or concurrent enrollment program).
   Current law requires the boards of directors of community colleges to enter into a collective statewide articulation agreement with the state board of regents that provides for the seamless transfer of academic credits from a completed associate of arts or associate of science degree program offered by a community college to a baccalaureate degree program offered by an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents. The bill modifies this provision to provide that the collective statewide articulation agreement must provide for the seamless transfer of academic credits earned through a completed associate of arts degree program; academic credits earned through a completed associate of science degree program; and career and technical education credits from an associate of arts degree program, an associate of science degree program, an applied associate of arts degree program, or an applied associate of science degree program to a baccalaureate degree program offered by an institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents. Additionally, the collective statewide articulation agreement is required to include program-specific arrangements that favor the transfer of career and technical education credits unless extenuating circumstances prevent such transfer and is prohibited from including a uniform restriction related to the number of career and technical education credits that may be transferred.
   Current Code section 261E.8(8) provides that, subject to an appropriation of moneys by the general assembly, the department of education is required to establish a program to provide additional funds for resident high school pupils enrolled in grades 9 through 12 to attend a community college for college-level classes or attend a class taught by a community college-employed instructor through a contractual agreement between a community college and a school district, except that the classes eligible for funding under this program are offered during the summer and outside of the regular school year and are aligned with career pathways leading to postsecondary credentials and high-demand jobs designated by the workforce development board or a community college. The bill modifies current Code section 261E.8(8) by requiring the department of education to establish such program regardless of whether the general assembly appropriates moneys. In addition, the bill provides that the classes eligible for funding under the program must be offered during a summer term and must also be aligned with a transfer pathway or a career pathway leading to postsecondary credentials. Pupils attending a class under the program are to be assigned additional weighting in accordance with Code section 257.11(3) (district-to-community college sharing and concurrent enrollment programs). The bill makes conforming changes.
   Current law provides that individualized career and academic plans developed by schools in cooperation with students enrolled in eighth grade must, among other things, identify the coursework and work-based learning needed in grades 9 through 12 to support the student’s postsecondary education and career options. The bill provides that this is required to include a discussion with the student related to opportunities that are available to the student through the school district to earn college credit and industry-recognized credentials that are aligned to the student’s postsecondary and career interests.