House Study Bill 137 - Introduced SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED GOVERNOR BILL) A BILL FOR An Act relating to education, including by modifying provisions 1 related to mathematics instruction, civics assessments, 2 practitioner preparation programs, and the duties of the 3 director of the department of education. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ DIVISION I 1 MATHEMATICS 2 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding 3 the following new subsections: 4 NEW SUBSECTION . 69. Develop and distribute to school 5 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and 6 innovation zone schools family-centered resources to support 7 student development of mathematics knowledge at home. 8 NEW SUBSECTION . 70. Provide teachers who are employed 9 by schools most in need of support, as identified by the 10 department, with evidence-based professional development 11 services related to implementing high-quality mathematics 12 instruction. When determining whether a school is in need of 13 support under this subsection, the director shall consider the 14 level of mathematics proficiency attained by students enrolled 15 in the school and the amount of resources available to the 16 department to provide the professional development services. 17 NEW SUBSECTION . 71. Develop and distribute to school 18 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and 19 innovation zone schools a comprehensive state mathematics 20 plan that is designed to increase the level of mathematics 21 proficiency attained by students using systematic and 22 sequential approaches to teaching subitizing, cardinality, 23 object counting, verbal counting, spatial relationships, 24 benchmark numbers, and part-part-whole models. 25 NEW SUBSECTION . 72. Develop and publish on the departments 26 internet site a list of valid and reliable mathematics 27 screeners that may be used by teachers to identify students 28 enrolled in kindergarten through grade six who may require 29 additional instruction or support in mathematics. 30 Sec. 2. Section 256.16, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 31 by adding the following new paragraph: 32 NEW PARAGRAPH . o. Include preparation in methods for 33 teaching mathematics. A higher education institution providing 34 practitioner preparation may satisfy this requirement by 35 -1- LSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh 1/ 8
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ requiring students admitted to an approved practitioner 1 preparation program who will be teaching mathematics to 2 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve to 3 complete mathematics methods coursework and demonstrate 4 competency in number sense, learning progressions, conceptual 5 understanding, and procedural fluency and application in 6 mathematics, including the implementation of high-quality 7 instructional materials aligned to Iowa academic standards for 8 mathematics. 9 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 279.68A Student progression 10 mathematics proficiency. 11 1. Each school district shall assess all students enrolled 12 in kindergarten through grade six at least three times each 13 school year to determine the students level of mathematics 14 proficiency by administering a mathematics screener that is on 15 the list developed by the department of education pursuant to 16 section 256.9, subsection 72. 17 2. If, as the result of the assessments administered 18 pursuant to subsection 1, a school district determines that 19 a student is persistently at risk in mathematics, the school 20 district shall do all of the following: 21 a. Assess the students level of proficiency in mathematics 22 at least every other week and implement mathematics 23 interventions and supports. 24 b. Develop, in consultation with the students parents or 25 guardians, a personalized mathematics plan that identifies 26 interventions and supports that will be used to help the 27 student achieve proficiency in mathematics. 28 c. If the student is meeting expectations related to 29 increases in the students level of mathematics proficiency, 30 provide the student with small group interventions. 31 d. If the student is not meeting expectations related to 32 increases in the students level of mathematics proficiency, 33 provide the student with intensive interventions. 34 3. A school district shall provide the assessments, plans, 35 -2- LSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh 2/ 8
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ and interventions described in subsection 2 to students 1 enrolled in kindergarten through grade six who are persistently 2 at risk in mathematics until the student performs at benchmark 3 on the statewide summative assessment in mathematics or 4 until the student performs at benchmark on two consecutive 5 assessments administered pursuant to subsection 1, whichever 6 occurs first. 7 4. For purposes of this section, persistently at risk 8 means the student has not met the grade-level benchmark on two 9 consecutive assessments administered pursuant to subsection 1. 10 5. The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant 11 to chapter 17A to administer this section. 12 DIVISION II 13 CIVICS 14 Sec. 4. Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 15 following new subsection: 16 NEW SUBSECTION . 73. a. Develop and distribute to school 17 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and 18 innovation zone schools a test that consists of the multiple 19 choice questions contained in the most recent version of the 20 civics test developed by the United States citizenship and 21 immigration services. 22 b. Update the test described in paragraph a every five 23 years and distribute the updated test to school districts, 24 accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation 25 zone schools. 26 Sec. 5. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 27 by adding the following new paragraph: 28 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0r. Be subject to and comply with the 29 requirements of section 280.9A, subsection 1A, related to the 30 administration of a civics test. 31 Sec. 6. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 32 by adding the following new paragraph: 33 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 34 requirements of section 280.9A, subsection 1A, related to the 35 -3- LSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh 3/ 8
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ administration of a civics test. 1 Sec. 7. Section 259A.1, Code 2025, is amended to read as 2 follows: 3 259A.1 Assessment of competency. 4 The department of education shall cause to be made available 5 for qualified individuals a high school equivalency diploma. 6 The diploma shall be issued on the basis of demonstrated to 7 qualified individuals who successfully pass the civics test as 8 set forth in section 280.9A, and demonstrate competence in all 9 of the following core areas: reading, language arts, literacy, 10 mathematics, science, and social studies. 11 Sec. 8. Section 280.9A, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 12 following new subsection: 13 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. a. The board of directors of each 14 local public school district and the authorities in charge of 15 each accredited nonpublic school shall administer to students 16 enrolled in grades nine through twelve the most recent version 17 of the test distributed to the school district or accredited 18 nonpublic school by the director of the department of education 19 pursuant to section 256.9, subsection 73, and shall ensure 20 that each student receives one passing score on the test as a 21 condition of graduation. The board of directors of a local 22 public school district and the authorities in charge of an 23 accredited nonpublic school shall not be required to administer 24 the test to a student who has received a passing score on the 25 test. 26 b. A student must answer at least sixty percent of the 27 questions on the test described in paragraph a correctly 28 to attain a passing score. A student who fails to answer at 29 least sixty percent of the questions on such test correctly may 30 retake the test as many times as is necessary. 31 c. The board of directors of a local public school district 32 and the authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school 33 may do all of the following: 34 (1) Modify the test described in paragraph a for a student 35 -4- LSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh 4/ 8
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ who has an individualized education program or a plan under 1 section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 794. 2 (2) Develop and administer an alternate test to a student 3 who has a significant intellectual disability. 4 (3) Modify the test described in paragraph a for a student 5 who is an English learner as defined in section 280.4. 6 d. On or before June 30 of each year, the board of directors 7 of each local public school district and the authorities in 8 charge of each accredited nonpublic school shall submit the 9 results of the test described in paragraph a to the department 10 of education. 11 DIVISION III 12 STATE MANDATE 13 Sec. 9. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 14 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 15 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 16 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 17 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 18 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 19 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 20 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 21 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 22 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 23 districts. 24 EXPLANATION 25 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 26 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 27 This bill relates to education, including by modifying 28 provisions related to mathematics instruction, civics 29 assessments, practitioner preparation programs, and the duties 30 of the director of the department of education. 31 DIVISION I MATHEMATICS. The bill requires the 32 director of the department of education (DE) to develop and 33 distribute to schools family-centered resources to support 34 student development of mathematics knowledge at home and 35 -5- LSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh 5/ 8
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ a comprehensive state mathematics plan that is designed 1 to increase the level of mathematics proficiency attained 2 by students. The bill also requires the director of DE to 3 provide teachers who are employed by schools most in need of 4 support with evidence-based professional development services 5 related to implementing high-quality mathematics instruction. 6 Additionally, the bill requires the director of DE to develop 7 and publish on DEs internet site a list of valid and reliable 8 mathematics screeners that may be used by teachers to identify 9 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade six who may 10 require additional instruction or support in mathematics. 11 The bill requires school districts to assess all students 12 enrolled in kindergarten through grade six at least three 13 times each school year to determine the students level of 14 mathematics proficiency by administering a mathematics screener 15 that is on the list on DEs internet site. If, as the result of 16 the assessments, a school district determines that a student 17 is persistently at risk in mathematics, the school district is 18 required to take certain specified steps involving additional 19 assessments, the development of personalized mathematics plans, 20 and interventions. The school district is required to take 21 these steps until the student performs at benchmark on the 22 statewide summative assessment in mathematics or until the 23 student performs at benchmark on an assessment, whichever 24 occurs first. The bill defines persistently at risk to mean 25 that the student has not met the grade-level benchmark on two 26 consecutive assessments. The bill requires the state board of 27 education to adopt rules to administer these provisions. 28 The bill provides that the state board of education is 29 required to adopt rules requiring all higher education 30 institutions providing practitioner preparation to include 31 preparation in methods for teaching mathematics. The 32 bill authorizes a higher education institution providing 33 practitioner preparation to satisfy this requirement by 34 requiring students who will be teaching mathematics to 35 -6- LSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh 6/ 8
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 to complete 1 mathematics methods coursework and demonstrate competency in 2 certain specified areas. 3 DIVISION II CIVICS. The bill requires the director of 4 DE to develop and distribute to school districts, accredited 5 nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools 6 a test that consists of the multiple choice questions contained 7 in the most recent version of the civics test developed by 8 the United States citizenship and immigration services. The 9 director is also required to update the test every five years 10 and distribute the updated test to schools. 11 The bill requires the board of directors of each local public 12 school district, the authorities in charge of each accredited 13 nonpublic school, charter school, and innovation zone school to 14 administer the test to students enrolled in grades 9 through 15 12 and ensure that each student receives one passing score 16 on the test as a condition of graduation. Schools are not 17 required to administer the test to a student who has already 18 received a passing score on the test. A student must answer 19 at least 60 percent of the questions on the test correctly 20 to attain a passing score. A student who fails to answer 21 at least 60 percent of the questions on the test correctly 22 may retake the test as many times as is necessary. The bill 23 authorizes schools to modify the test for students who have 24 an individualized education program or a 504 plan, and for 25 students who are English learners, and the bill authorizes 26 schools to administer an alternate test to a student who has a 27 significant intellectual disability. Schools are required to 28 submit the results of the test to DE on or before June 30 each 29 year. 30 The bill provides that individuals seeking a high school 31 equivalency diploma must also pass such a test. 32 DIVISION III STATE MANDATE. The bill may include a state 33 mandate as defined in Code section 25B.3. The bill requires 34 that the state cost of any state mandate included in the bill 35 -7- LSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh 7/ 8
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 1 received by the school district under Code section 257.16. The 2 specification is deemed to constitute state compliance with 3 any state mandate funding-related requirements of Code section 4 25B.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to 5 reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply 6 with any state mandates included in the bill. 7 -8- LSB 1874XL (8) 91 jda/jh 8/ 8