SF 2129 – Student philanthropy accounts
SF 2262 – Radon testing required in public schools
SF 2271 – Higher education SARA agreements
SF 2286 – Fine arts standards task force
SF 2319 – Early literacy and dyslexia identification
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 2129 authorizes the creation of a philanthropy account within a school district’s student activity fund. The philanthropy account would hold voluntary donations raised by the students, student organizations or clubs, or school district employees for a specific philanthropic purpose. The bill defines “philanthropic purpose” as an educational, charitable, humane, scientific, patriotic, social welfare or advocacy, public health, environmental, conservation, civic or similar objective defined in Department of Education rules. The money may be used for purposes relating to the school district or to students enrolled in the school district. This idea was proposed by Senator Steve Sodders with input from high school students in Marshalltown. [3/3: 35-13 (Boettger, Behn, Dix, Greiner, Guth, Houser, Johnson, Rozenboom, Schneider, Sinclair, Whitver, Zaun, Zumbach “no”; Ernst, Feenstra excused)]
SF 2262 requires public schools to have a short-term test for radon gas performed at each attendance center under its control at least once by June 30, 2016, and at least once every 10 years thereafter; and following new construction of an attendance center, or additions, renovations or repairs to an attendance center. An amendment adopted on the floor removed abatement and mitigation requirements, and allows schools to use non-certified inspectors prior to June 30, 2016. Starting July 1, 2016, all inspections must be performed by a certified radon inspector. The amendment also requires schools to submit their radon test results to the Department of Public Health within five days. The Department of Public Health will make the results available on their website and share the information with the Department of Education. Radon testing and radon mitigation are added to the permissible uses of a physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) or revenues from the secure an advanced vision (SAVE) or by a school district. [3/4: 35-14 (Anderson, Behn, Boettger, Breitbach, Chapman, Feenstra, Greiner, Guth, Houser, Johnson, Kapucian, Sinclair, Zaun, Zumbach “no”; Ernst excused)]
SF 2271 is the higher education State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), which is a new way for states to oversee the delivery of postsecondary distance education. The current process varies among states, making it difficult to ensure consistent consumer protection, and is expensive for institutions since they must register in every state where students are enrolled in their online classes. A new voluntary process of state oversight of distance education called SARA establishes comparable national standards for intuitions offering distance/online education courses and programs. The bill addresses the Attorney General’s concerns about ongoing litigation and maintaining consumer protections for Iowa students. [2/27: 48-0 (Ernst, Houser excused)]
SF 2286 directs the Department of Education to establish a fine arts standards task force to review and make recommendations relating to the inclusion of fine arts in the statewide academic standards for students in kindergarten through grade 12, including but not limited to music, visual art, drama and theater, and other fine and applied arts. The task force will be made up of nine members appointed by the director of the Department of Education to represent the boards of Iowa school districts; an organization representing Iowa school administrators; the largest statewide certified employee organization representing Iowa teachers; the department; arts education organizations; approved practitioner preparation programs; the team responsible for writing the fine arts alignment with the Iowa core universal constructs documents; the business community; and the general public. The task force will submit its findings and recommendations in a report to the state board of education, the governor and the Legislature by January 15, 2015. (3/4: 42-7 (Behn, Chelgren, Dix, Guth, Houser, Johnson, Whitver “no”; Ernst excused)]
SF 2319 is an effort to improve student literacy skills, including addressing dyslexia and providing teacher assistance. Currently, the Iowa Reading Research Center is required to provide for development and dissemination of professional development strategies and materials to support teacher effectiveness in student literacy development. The bill requires the center to collaborate and coordinate with the area education agencies to develop and offer professional development services to enhance the skills of elementary teachers in the use of evidence-based strategies to improve the literacy skills of all students. School districts are currently required to establish a reading enhancement initiative that assists students assessed as exhibiting a substantial deficiency in reading to develop the skills to read at grade level. A bipartisan amendment requires that assistance include strategies that formally address dyslexia, when appropriate. The amendment also changes the name of the Reading Research Center to the Reading Resource Center. [2/27: 47-0 (Breitbach, Ernst, Houser excused)]