Senate File 2310 - Reprinted SENATE FILE 2310 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 2004) (As Amended and Passed by the Senate February 27, 2020 ) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the Iowa learning online initiative and 1 to standards, requirements, and rules relating to online 2 learning programs and coursework provided at the secondary 3 school level. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 SF 2310 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb

S.F. 2310 Section 1. Section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph a, Code 1 2020, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. Requirements that all school districts and accredited 3 nonpublic schools develop, implement, and file with the 4 department a comprehensive school improvement plan that 5 includes, but is not limited to, demonstrated school, parental, 6 and community involvement in assessing educational needs, 7 establishing local education standards and student achievement 8 levels, and, as applicable, the consolidation of federal and 9 state planning, goal-setting, and reporting requirements. 10 Each school district and accredited nonpublic school shall 11 include in its comprehensive school improvement plan a list 12 and description of the online coursework offered by the school 13 district or accredited nonpublic school to which the student 14 is enrolled. 15 Sec. 2. Section 256.7, subsection 32, paragraph a, Code 16 2020, is amended to read as follows: 17 a. Adopt rules for online learning in accordance with 18 sections 256.42 section 256.11, subsection 17, and section 19 256.43 , and criteria for waivers granted pursuant to section 20 256.42 256.11, subsection 17 . 21 Sec. 3. Section 256.7, subsection 32, Code 2020, is amended 22 by adding the following new paragraph: 23 NEW PARAGRAPH . c. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection 24 shall require that online learning coursework offered by school 25 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and area education 26 agencies be rigorous, high-quality, aligned with the Iowa 27 core and core content requirements and standards and the 28 national standards of quality for online courses issued by 29 an internationally recognized association for kindergarten 30 through grade twelve online learning, and taught by a teacher 31 licensed under chapter 272 who has specialized training or 32 experience in online learning, including but not limited to an 33 online-learning-for-Iowa-educators-professional-development 34 project offered by area education agencies, a teacher 35 -1- SF 2310 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb 1/ 5

S.F. 2310 preservice program, or comparable coursework. 1 Sec. 4. Section 256.9, subsection 55, Code 2020, is amended 2 to read as follows: 3 55. a. Develop and establish an online learning 4 program model in accordance with rules adopted pursuant 5 to section 256.7, subsection 32 , and in accordance with 6 section 256.43 . The director shall maintain a list of 7 approved online providers that meet the standards of 8 section 256.42, subsection 6 , and provide course content 9 through an online learning platform taught by a teacher 10 licensed under chapter 272 who has specialized training or 11 experience in online learning including but not limited to an 12 online-learning-for-Iowa-educators-professional-development 13 project offered by area education agencies, a teacher 14 preservice program, or comparable coursework, and whose online 15 learning coursework meets the requirements established by 16 rule pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 32, paragraph “c” . 17 Providers shall apply for approval annually or as determined 18 by the department. 19 b. Each school district and accredited nonpublic school 20 providing online learning coursework not purchased or accessed 21 through an approved provider shall submit its online curricula 22 to the department for review. The department shall evaluate 23 alignment of the courses with the Iowa core and core content 24 requirements and standards, as well as national standards 25 of quality for online courses issued by an internationally 26 recognized association for kindergarten through grade twelve 27 online learning. 28 Sec. 5. Section 256.11, Code 2020, is amended by adding the 29 following new subsection: 30 NEW SUBSECTION . 17. a. The provisions of subsection 5 31 shall not apply for up to two specified subjects at a school 32 district or accredited nonpublic school if any of the following 33 apply: 34 (1) The school district or accredited nonpublic school 35 -2- SF 2310 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb 2/ 5

S.F. 2310 makes every reasonable and good faith effort to employ a 1 teacher licensed under chapter 272 for the specified subject 2 and is unable to employ such a teacher. 3 (2) Fewer than ten students typically register for 4 instruction in the specified subject at the school district or 5 accredited nonpublic school. 6 b. The department may waive the applicability of subsection 7 5 for up to two additional specified subject areas for a school 8 district or accredited nonpublic school that proves to the 9 satisfaction of the department that the school district or 10 accredited nonpublic school has made every reasonable effort, 11 but is unable to meet the requirements of subsection 5. A 12 school district or accredited nonpublic school may apply for an 13 annual waiver each year. 14 c. If the provisions of subsection 5 are made inapplicable 15 under paragraph “a” , or are waived under paragraph “b” , the 16 specified subject shall be provided by an area education agency 17 under section 273.16, or by the school district or accredited 18 nonpublic school if an online alternative satisfying the 19 requirements of subparagraph (1) or (2) can be made available 20 by the school district or accredited nonpublic school. Any 21 course not required under subsection 5 may also be provided by 22 an area education agency under section 273.16 or by the school 23 district or accredited nonpublic school. However, in either 24 case, if offered by the school district or accredited nonpublic 25 school, the specified subject or course shall be offered 26 through either of the following means: 27 (1) An online learning platform if the course is developed 28 by the school district or accredited nonpublic school itself 29 or is developed by a partnership or consortium of schools 30 that have developed the course individually or cooperatively, 31 provided the course is taught and supervised by a teacher 32 licensed under chapter 272 who has online learning experience 33 and the course content meets the requirements established by 34 rule pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 32, paragraph “c” . 35 -3- SF 2310 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb 3/ 5

S.F. 2310 A partnership or consortium of schools may include two or 1 more school districts or accredited nonpublic schools, or any 2 combination thereof. 3 (2) A private provider utilized to provide the course 4 that meets the standards of this section and is approved in 5 accordance with section 256.9, subsection 55. 6 d. For purposes of this subsection, “good faith effort” 7 means the same as defined in section 279.19A, subsection 9. 8 Sec. 6. Section 256.43, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 9 2020, is amended to read as follows: 10 c. Private providers utilized to provide courses by a school 11 district or accredited nonpublic school in accordance with 12 this section shall meet the standards of section 256.42 Iowa 13 core and core content requirements and standards, as well as 14 national standards of quality for online courses issued by an 15 internationally recognized association for kindergarten through 16 grade twelve online learning, and be approved in accordance 17 with section 256.9, subsection 55 . 18 Sec. 7. Section 261E.1, subsection 1, paragraph e, Code 19 2020, is amended to read as follows: 20 e. Internet-based courses offered for college credit , 21 including but not limited to courses within the Iowa learning 22 online initiative . 23 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION . 273.16 Online learning program. 24 1. Subject to an appropriation of funds by the general 25 assembly for this purpose, the area education agencies 26 may offer, separately or in collaboration with other area 27 education agencies, or in partnership with school districts and 28 accredited nonpublic schools, to provide an online learning 29 program to deliver distance education to Iowa’s secondary 30 students, including students receiving independent private 31 instruction as defined in section 299A.1, subsection 2, 32 paragraph “b” , competent private instruction under section 33 299A.2, or private instruction by a nonlicensed person under 34 section 299A.3. 35 -4- SF 2310 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb 4/ 5

S.F. 2310 2. Coursework offered under this section must meet the 1 requirements established by rule pursuant to section 256.7, 2 subsection 32, paragraph “c” . 3 3. To participate in an online learning program offered 4 by an area education agency, a student must be enrolled 5 in a participating school district or accredited nonpublic 6 school or be receiving private instruction under chapter 7 299A as described in subsection 1. The school district or 8 accredited nonpublic school in which the student is enrolled 9 is responsible for recording a student’s program coursework 10 grades in the student’s permanent record, awarding high school 11 credit for program coursework, and issuing a high school 12 diploma to a student enrolled in the district or school who 13 participates and completes coursework under the program. Each 14 school that participates in the program shall identify a site 15 coordinator to serve as a student advocate and as a liaison 16 between the program staff and teachers and the school district 17 or accredited nonpublic school. The individual providing 18 instruction to a student under chapter 299A as described in 19 subsection 1 shall receive the student’s score for completed 20 program coursework. 21 4. School districts and accredited nonpublic schools shall 22 pay to area education agencies the cost of providing coursework 23 under an online learning program offered in accordance with 24 this section. 25 Sec. 9. REPEAL. Section 256.42, Code 2020, is repealed. 26 -5- SF 2310 (4) 88 kh/jh/mb 5/ 5