Senate File 159 - Reprinted SENATE FILE 159 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1031) (As Amended and Passed by the Senate March 27, 2019 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to assessment scores set by the department 1 of education for successful completion of a practitioner 2 preparation program and for initial teacher licensure and 3 providing for related matters. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 SF 159 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb

S.F. 159 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 3, Code 2019, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 3. Prescribe standards and procedures for the approval of 3 practitioner preparation programs and professional development 4 programs offered in this state by practitioner preparation 5 institutions located within or outside this state and by 6 area education agencies. Procedures provided for approval 7 of programs shall include procedures for enforcement of 8 the prescribed standards and , except as provided in section 9 256.16, subsection 3, shall not include a procedure for the 10 waiving of any of the standards prescribed. The board may 11 establish by rule and collect from practitioner preparation 12 institutions located outside this state an amount equivalent 13 to the department’s necessary travel and actual expenses 14 incurred while engaged in the program approval process for the 15 institution located outside this state. Amounts collected 16 under this subsection shall be deposited in the general fund 17 of the state. 18 Sec. 2. Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph a, 19 subparagraph (2), Code 2019, is amended to read as follows: 20 (2) Administer, prior to a student’s completion of the 21 practitioner preparation program and subject to the director’s 22 approval, subject assessments designed by a nationally 23 recognized testing service that measure pedagogy and knowledge 24 of at least one subject area; or, a valid and reliable 25 subject-area-specific, performance-based assessment for 26 preservice teacher candidates, centered on student learning. 27 A student shall not successfully complete the program unless 28 the scores achieved by the student achieves scores on the 29 assessments administered under this subparagraph are at or 30 above the twenty-fifth percentile nationally on the assessments 31 administered pursuant to this subparagraph minimum passing 32 scores set by the department . 33 (a) In setting the minimum passing scores for purposes of 34 this subparagraph, the department shall consider all of the 35 -1- SF 159 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb 1/ 3

S.F. 159 following: 1 (i) Scores required for similar tests in all of the states 2 contiguous to Iowa. 3 (ii) The supply and demand imbalance of content areas or 4 teaching positions currently experienced in Iowa. 5 (b) A student who successfully completes the practitioner 6 preparation program as required under this subparagraph shall 7 be deemed to have attained a passing score on the assessments 8 administered under this subparagraph even if the department 9 subsequently sets different minimum passing scores. 10 Sec. 3. Section 256.16, subsection 2, Code 2019, is amended 11 to read as follows: 12 2. A person initially applying for a license shall 13 successfully complete a professional education a practitioner 14 preparation program approved under section 256.7, subsection 3, 15 and containing the subject matter specified in this section , 16 before the initial action by the board of educational examiners 17 under chapter 272 takes place. However, this subsection shall 18 not apply to a person who meets the requirements for an initial 19 one-year license in accordance with subsection 3. 20 Sec. 4. Section 256.16, Code 2019, is amended by adding the 21 following new subsection: 22 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. The state board shall adopt rules 23 under chapter 17A to provide that the director shall waive 24 the assessment requirements of subsection 1, paragraph “a” , 25 subparagraph (2), for not more than one year for a person 26 who has completed the course requirements for an approved 27 practitioner preparation program but attained an assessment 28 score below the minimum passing scores set by the department 29 for successful completion of the program under subsection 1, 30 paragraph “a” , subparagraph (2). 31 Sec. 5. Section 272.2, subsection 14, paragraph b, 32 subparagraph (5), Code 2019, is amended to read as follows: 33 (5) The applicant fails to meet board standards for 34 application for an initial or renewed license. However, this 35 -2- SF 159 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb 2/ 3

S.F. 159 subparagraph shall not apply to a person who applies for an 1 initial one-year license and submits to the board a waiver 2 issued by the director of the department of education in 3 accordance with section 256.16, subsection 3. 4 Sec. 6. Section 272.2, Code 2019, is amended by adding the 5 following new subsection: 6 NEW SUBSECTION . 21. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to 7 create a nonrenewable initial one-year license for an applicant 8 who obtains a waiver issued by the director of the department 9 of education in accordance with section 256.16, subsection 10 3, and presents the waiver within thirty days of issuance 11 to the board of educational examiners. Such an applicant 12 must also provide an affidavit from the administrator of a 13 school district or an accredited nonpublic school verifying 14 that an offer of a teaching contract has been made and the 15 school district or accredited nonpublic school has made every 16 reasonable and good-faith effort to employ a teacher licensed 17 under chapter 272 for the specified subject and is unable 18 to employ such a teacher. For purposes of this subsection, 19 “good-faith effort” means the same as defined in section 20 279.19A, subsection 9. 21 -3- SF 159 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb 3/ 3