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House File 220 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to administration of a civics examination
2students must pass as a condition of high school graduation
3and for issuance of a high school equivalency diploma and
4including applicability provisions.
5BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2017, is amended by adding
2the following new subsection:
3 NEW SUBSECTION. 61. Approve alternative assessment
4measures pursuant to section 280.9A, subsection 1, paragraph
5“b”.
6 Sec. 2. Section 259A.1, Code 2017, is amended to read as
7follows:
8259A.1 Tests.
9The department of education shall cause to be made available
10for qualified individuals a high school equivalency diploma.
11The diploma shall be issued on the basis of satisfactory
12competence as shown by tests covering all of the following:
13 reading, language arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and
14social studies, and as shown by successfully passing a civics
15examination as set forth in section 280.9A.
16 Sec. 3. Section 280.9A, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended
17to read as follows:
181. The board of directors of each local public school
19district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school
20shall require that all students in grades nine through twelve
21successfully complete or pass, as applicable, as a condition of
22graduation, instruction the following:
23a. Instructionin American history and the governments of
24Iowa and the United States, including instruction in voting
25statutes and procedures, voter registration requirements,
26the use of paper ballots and voting systems in the election
27process, and the method of acquiring and casting an absentee
28ballot.
29b. A civics examination that shall be the same as, and shall
30include all questions used in, the latest available civics
31examination administered by the United States citizenship
32and immigration services. The proctored examination shall
33be completed without ancillary materials and only students
34who score a proficiency of sixty percent or higher shall
35be considered to have successfully passed the examination.
-1-1Alternative assessment measures approved by the department of
2education pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 66, may be
3administered to children requiring special education as defined
4in section 256B.2, subsection 1, and to students identified
5as limited English proficient pursuant to section 280.4.
6Each student shall be provided with an opportunity to take
7the civics examination at least one time per school calendar
8year. A student may take the test at any time after enrolling
9in grade seven and may repeat the test as often as necessary
10to demonstrate proficiency. If a student in grade seven or
11eight passes the civics examination, the student has met the
12graduation requirement applicable to this paragraph “b”. A
13fee shall not be imposed or collected in connection with this
14paragraph “b”.
15 Sec. 4. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school years
16beginning on or after July 1, 2018.
17 Sec. 5. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
18with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
19compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
20be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
21received by the school district under section 257.16. This
22specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
23to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of
24section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
25shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act
26by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
27districts.
28EXPLANATION
29The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
30the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
31This bill requires students enrolled in school districts
32and accredited nonpublic schools to successfully pass as a
33condition of graduation a proctored, or supervised, civics
34examination that is the same as the latest available civics
35examination administered by the United States citizenship
-2-1and immigration services. Individuals seeking a high school
2equivalency diploma must also pass such an examination.
3Students are prohibited from using ancillary materials during
4the examination and must achieve a score of at least 60 percent
5to successfully pass the examination.
6Each student must be given an opportunity to take the test
7at least once every school year, beginning in grade seven,
8and each student may take the test, at no cost, as often as
9necessary to demonstrate proficiency. If a student in grade
10seven or eight passes the civics examination, the student has
11met the graduation requirement.
12The director of the department of education is tasked with
13approving alternative assessment measures that school districts
14and accredited nonpublic schools may administer to children
15requiring special education and to English language learners.
16The bill applies to school years beginning on or after July
171, 2018.
18The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
19section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of
20any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
21district from state school foundation aid received by the
22school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
23is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
24funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
25inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
26requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
27mandates included in the bill.
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2students must pass as a condition of high school graduation
3and for issuance of a high school equivalency diploma and
4including applicability provisions.
5BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2017, is amended by adding
2the following new subsection:
3 NEW SUBSECTION. 61. Approve alternative assessment
4measures pursuant to section 280.9A, subsection 1, paragraph
5“b”.
6 Sec. 2. Section 259A.1, Code 2017, is amended to read as
7follows:
8259A.1 Tests.
9The department of education shall cause to be made available
10for qualified individuals a high school equivalency diploma.
11The diploma shall be issued on the basis of satisfactory
12competence as shown by tests covering all of the following:
13 reading, language arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and
14social studies, and as shown by successfully passing a civics
15examination as set forth in section 280.9A.
16 Sec. 3. Section 280.9A, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended
17to read as follows:
181. The board of directors of each local public school
19district and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school
20shall require that all students in grades nine through twelve
21successfully complete or pass, as applicable, as a condition of
22graduation, instruction the following:
23a. Instructionin American history and the governments of
24Iowa and the United States, including instruction in voting
25statutes and procedures, voter registration requirements,
26the use of paper ballots and voting systems in the election
27process, and the method of acquiring and casting an absentee
28ballot.
29b. A civics examination that shall be the same as, and shall
30include all questions used in, the latest available civics
31examination administered by the United States citizenship
32and immigration services. The proctored examination shall
33be completed without ancillary materials and only students
34who score a proficiency of sixty percent or higher shall
35be considered to have successfully passed the examination.
-1-1Alternative assessment measures approved by the department of
2education pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 66, may be
3administered to children requiring special education as defined
4in section 256B.2, subsection 1, and to students identified
5as limited English proficient pursuant to section 280.4.
6Each student shall be provided with an opportunity to take
7the civics examination at least one time per school calendar
8year. A student may take the test at any time after enrolling
9in grade seven and may repeat the test as often as necessary
10to demonstrate proficiency. If a student in grade seven or
11eight passes the civics examination, the student has met the
12graduation requirement applicable to this paragraph “b”. A
13fee shall not be imposed or collected in connection with this
14paragraph “b”.
15 Sec. 4. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to school years
16beginning on or after July 1, 2018.
17 Sec. 5. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
18with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
19compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
20be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
21received by the school district under section 257.16. This
22specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
23to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of
24section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
25shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act
26by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
27districts.
28EXPLANATION
29The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
30the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
31This bill requires students enrolled in school districts
32and accredited nonpublic schools to successfully pass as a
33condition of graduation a proctored, or supervised, civics
34examination that is the same as the latest available civics
35examination administered by the United States citizenship
-2-1and immigration services. Individuals seeking a high school
2equivalency diploma must also pass such an examination.
3Students are prohibited from using ancillary materials during
4the examination and must achieve a score of at least 60 percent
5to successfully pass the examination.
6Each student must be given an opportunity to take the test
7at least once every school year, beginning in grade seven,
8and each student may take the test, at no cost, as often as
9necessary to demonstrate proficiency. If a student in grade
10seven or eight passes the civics examination, the student has
11met the graduation requirement.
12The director of the department of education is tasked with
13approving alternative assessment measures that school districts
14and accredited nonpublic schools may administer to children
15requiring special education and to English language learners.
16The bill applies to school years beginning on or after July
171, 2018.
18The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
19section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of
20any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
21district from state school foundation aid received by the
22school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
23is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
24funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
25inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
26requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
27mandates included in the bill.
-3-kh/sc