SSB 3164 (LSB 5499XD (5) 91)

SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____

BY  (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BILL)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to education reporting, including the sharing of unit-level wage data for secondary and postsecondary program evaluation, the establishment of the condition of education report, consolidating certain required reports, modifying responsibilities for the future ready Iowa last-dollar scholarship report, modifying Iowa workforce development data-sharing provisions, and creating a return on investment reporting system to be overseen by the Iowa student aid commission.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  84A.22  Unit-level wage data for educational program evaluation.
   1.  For purposes of this section, “unit-level wage data” means individual-level employment records maintained by the department of workforce development, including but not limited to occupational title associated with a standard occupational classification code, hours worked, job-site location, and employer industry classification.
   2.  The department of workforce development shall, pursuant to a request from the department of education, provide unit-level wage data for the purpose of evaluating secondary and postsecondary program outcomes, including return on investment reporting.
   3.  The department of workforce development may enter into data-sharing agreements with the department of education to administer this section.
    Sec. 2.  Section 96.11, subsection 6, paragraph c, subparagraph (6), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   (6)  Colleges, universities, and public agencies of this state for use in connection with research of a public nature, provided the department does not reveal the identity of an employing unit or individual unless such reporting is required by federal or state law for purposes of accountability or evaluation.
    Sec. 3.  Section 256.7, subsection 32, paragraph b, subparagraph (2), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   (2)  The department shall compile and review the data collected pursuant to this paragraph “b” and shall submit its findings and recommendations for the continued delivery of educational instruction and course content by school districts delivered primarily over the internet, in a summary of the data in the annual condition of education report to the general assembly by January 15 annually pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 80.
    Sec. 4.  Section 256.9, subsections 19 and 45, Code 2026, are amended to read as follows:
   19.  The department shall compile the financial information related to chapters 423E and 423F from the certified annual reports of each school district received pursuant to section 291.10, subsection 2, and shall submit the information to the general assembly in an the annual condition of education report each February 1 pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 80.
   45.  Prepare and submit to the chairpersons and ranking members of the senate and house education committees a report on the state’s progress toward closing the achievement gap, including student achievement for minority subgroups, and a comprehensive summary of state agency and local district activities and practices taken in the past year to close the achievement gap.  Such information shall be submitted in the annual condition of education report pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 80.
    Sec. 5.  Section 256.9, Code 2026, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  80.  Prepare an annual condition of education report to be submitted to the governor and general assembly by April 1 of each year.
    Sec. 6.  Section 256.177, Code 2026, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  12.  a.  For purposes of this subsection:
   (1)  “Eligible public institution” means a community college established under chapter 260C or a public institution of higher education governed by the state board of regents under chapter 262.
   (2)  “Program” means an instructional offering leading to a certificate, diploma, degree, or other postsecondary credential.
   (3)  “Return on investment” means a measure comparing program costs to student outcomes, including employment and earning.
   b.  Oversee a statewide, program-level postsecondary return on investment reporting system for eligible public institutions.
   c.  Each eligible public institution shall submit data to the commission in a form and manner specified by the commission. The data must include data elements necessary to report all of the following:
   (1)  Program tuition and fees.
   (2)  Average time to completion.
   (3)  Retention and completion rates.
   (4)  Post-completion and employment rates.
   (5)  Median earnings of program graduates.
   (6)  Alignment to high-demand occupations, defined as occupations in which state, local, or regional labor market forecasting shows occupational demand exceeds the overall state, local, or regional employer demand metrics, including in openings, numeric change, and growth.
   d.  The commission shall annually compile and publish program level return on investment data submitted pursuant to this subsection by eligible public institutions in a consumer-facing format.
   e.  The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this subsection.
   f.  An eligible public institution that fails to comply with the reporting requirements under this subsection, as determined by the commission, shall be ineligible to participate in state-administered student financial aid programs administered by the commission until the commission determines there is substantial compliance. Prior to declaring an institution ineligible, the commission shall provide written notice to the institution and a reasonable opportunity for the institution to cure the noncompliance. This subsection applies only to state-administered student financial aid and shall not affect eligibility for federal student financial aid.
    Sec. 7.  Section 256.228, subsection 4, paragraph d, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   d.  In collaboration with the department of workforce development and the department of education, compile an annual report, in an aggregate form to protect the confidentiality of each eligible program’s participants, that includes the number of students receiving scholarships under this section, the number of students receiving grants under section 256.229, the number of scholarship and grant recipients completing a program of study or major annually and in the prescribed time frame under this section or section 256.229, the number of eligible institutions participating in the scholarship and grant programs established under this section or section 256.229, the number of written agreements entered into by the volunteer mentor program under section 15H.10, statistics on employment outcomes for future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship and future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program participants by industry, and other data as may be deemed pertinent by the commission, the department of workforce development, or the department of education. The commission shall submit the report to the governor and the general assembly annually by January 15 include this information in the report submitted pursuant to section 256.177, subsection 7.
    Sec. 8.  Section 256E.12, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  The state board shall prepare and file with the general assembly by December 1, annually, a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations relating to the charter school program in the state and whether the charter school program under this chapter is meeting the goals and purposes of the program. The report also shall contain, for each charter school, a copy of the charter school’s mission statement, attendance statistics and dropout rate, aggregate assessment test scores, projections of financial stability, and the number and qualifications of teachers and administrators.  The report shall include the information required to be submitted under section 256F.10 by a charter school or innovation zone school authorized under chapter 256F.
    Sec. 9.  Section 256F.10, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   256F.10  Reports.
   1.  A charter school or innovation zone school shall report at least annually to the school board or innovation zone consortium, advisory council, and the state board the information required by the school board or innovation zone consortium, advisory council, or the state board. The reports are public records subject to chapter 22.
   2.  Not later than December 1 annually, the state board shall submit a comprehensive report with findings and recommendations to the general assembly. The report shall evaluate the state’s charter school and innovation zone school programs generally, including but not limited to an evaluation of whether the charter schools and innovation zone schools are fulfilling the purposes set forth in section 256F.4, subsection 2. The report also shall contain, for each charter school or innovation zone school, a copy of the charter school or innovation zone school’s mission statement, attendance statistics and dropout rate, aggregate assessment test scores, projections of financial stability, the number and qualifications of teachers and administrators, and number of and comments on supervisory visits by the department of education.
    Sec. 10.  Section 279.51A, subsection 5, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   5.  Each school district shall report to the department of education, in a manner prescribed by the department, an annual count of all incidents of violence that result in injury or property damage or assault by a student in a school building, on school grounds, or at a school-sponsored function, and any time a student is referred for the use of or transfer to a therapeutic classroom. The report shall include but not be limited to demographic information on students reported as victims and reported as perpetrators of incidents of violence that result in injury or property damage or assault, including but not limited to disaggregated information on race, gender, national origin, age, grade level, and disability, along with any other data required for the department to implement the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L. No. 114-95, with appropriate safeguards to ensure student privacy. The department shall compile and summarize the reports, categorized by behavior, and shall submit the summary to the general assembly by November 1 annually in the annual condition of education report pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 80. A teacher or administrator who submits a report in accordance with this section and who meets the requirements of section 280.27 or section 613.21 shall be immune from civil or criminal liability relating to such action, as well as for participating in any administrative or judicial proceeding resulting from or relating to the report pursuant to the provisions of sections 280.27 and 613.21. The provisions of section 70A.29 shall apply to a teacher or administrator who submits a report in accordance with this section or who reports an incident of violence or assault to a local law enforcement agency in good faith and without fraudulent intent or the intent to deceive. Personal information regarding a student in a report submitted pursuant to this section shall be kept confidential as required under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. §1232g, and in the same manner as personal information in student records maintained, created, collected, or assembled by or for a school corporation or educational institution in accordance with section 22.7, subsection 1. 
    Sec. 11.  Section 279.60, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  The school district shall also collect information from each parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a kindergarten student enrolled in the district on whether the student attended preschool. Each school district shall report the preschool information collected to the department of education in the manner prescribed by the department not later than January 1 of that school year. The early childhood Iowa program in the department of health and human services shall have access to the raw data. The department of education shall review the information submitted pursuant to this section and shall submit its findings and recommendations annually in a summary of the information in the annual condition of education report pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 80, to the governor, the general assembly, the early childhood Iowa state board, and the early childhood Iowa area boards.
    Sec. 12.  Section 284.11, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  Review If funding is appropriated for purposes of this section, review the use and effectiveness of the funds distributed to school districts for supplemental assistance in high-need schools under this section. The department shall submit its findings and recommendations in a report to the general assembly by January 15 annually.
    Sec. 13.  Section 284.15, subsection 7, paragraph a, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  A school district may apply to the department for approval to implement the career paths, leadership roles, and compensation framework specified in subsection 2, or a comparable system of career paths and compensation for teachers that contains differentiated multiple leadership roles. The director shall consider the recommendations of the commission established pursuant to subsection 12 when approving or disapproving applications submitted pursuant to this section. A school district may modify an approved framework or comparable system if the director or the director’s designee approves the modification. A school district may appeal the director’s or the director’s designee’s decision to the state board and the state board’s decision is final.
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 reporting.
   The bill requires the department of workforce development to provide unit-level wage data to the department of education upon request for the purpose of evaluating secondary and postsecondary program outcomes, including return on investment reporting. The bill defines “unit-level wage data” as individual-level employment records maintained by the department of workforce development, including but not limited to occupational title associated with a standard occupational classification code, hours worked, job-site location, wages, and employer industry classification. The bill permits the department of workforce development and the department of education to enter into data-sharing agreements.
   The bill establishes the annual condition of education report. The bill requires the annual condition of education report to be submitted to the governor and general assembly by April 1 of each year. The bill consolidates several existing reports into the annual condition report, including the online learning report, the compilation of financial information related to the secure an advanced vision for education (SAVE) report and school infrastructure local option (SILO) report, the achievement gap report, the incidents of violence report, and the kindergarten literacy assessment report.
   The bill incorporates the future ready Iowa last-dollar scholarship report into the college student aid commission’s annual reporting by requiring the information be included in the report submitted pursuant to Code section 256.177, subsection 7.
   The bill adds to the annual charter school report the information that charter schools and innovation zone schools are currently required to report under Code chapter 256F, and strikes the detailed reporting requirements from that chapter.
   The bill provides that the high-need schools report in Code section 284.11 is contingent upon an appropriation by retaining the requirement that findings and recommendations be submitted only if funding is appropriated for purposes of the Code section.
   The bill modifies Iowa workforce development’s ability to share unit-level data by permitting disclosure of individual and employer information if such reporting is required by federal or state law for purposes of accountability or evaluation.
   The bill adds a duty to the Iowa student aid commission to oversee a statewide program-level postsecondary return on investment reporting system for eligible public institutions. Such institutions include community colleges and regents institutions, and are required to submit data in a form and manner specified by the commission. The bill requires the data submitted to include tuition and fees, time to completion, retention and completion rates, post-completion employment, median earnings, and alignment to high-demand occupations.
   The bill requires the commission to compile and annually publish the data in a consumer-facing format. Institutions failing to comply with the data reporting requirement, as determined by the commission, are ineligible for state-administered student financial aid until substantial compliance is achieved.
   The bill strikes an obsolete reference in Code chapter 284.