Iowa 2025-2026 Regular Session

Iowa House Bill HSB283 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 03/04/2025

                            House Study Bill 283 - Introduced   HOUSE FILE _____   BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE   ON EDUCATION BILL BY   CHAIRPERSON WHEELER)   A BILL FOR   An Act requiring the board of educational examiners to issue 1   certificates when directed by the board of directors 2   of a school district to individuals who have attained a 3   minimum of a baccalaureate degree and who have expertise or 4   significant professional experience in a subject area that 5   allows the individual to provide instruction in that subject 6   area to students enrolled in the school district in grades 7   nine through twelve. 8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 9   TLSB 2657YC (4) 91   jda/jh  

  H.F. _____   Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1   the following new subsection: 2   NEW SUBSECTION   . 69. Publish on the departments internet 3   site the number of certificates awarded to adjunct instructors 4   pursuant to section 279.87, broken down by school district, 5   attendance center, grade level in which the adjunct instructor 6   provides instruction, and the subject area in which the adjunct 7   instructor provides instruction. 8   Sec. 2. Section 256.146, Code 2025, is amended by adding the 9   following new subsection: 10   NEW SUBSECTION   . 28. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 11   that require the board of educational examiners to issue a 12   certificate to an adjunct instructor that allows the adjunct 13   instructor to provide instruction to students enrolled in a 14   school district in grades nine through twelve when directed 15   by the board of directors of the school district pursuant to 16   section 279.87, and to renew such a certificate when directed 17   by the board of directors of the school district pursuant to 18   section 279.87, unless the applicant for the certificate is 19   disqualified for any reason specified in subsection 13. 20   Sec. 3. NEW SECTION   . 279.87 Adjunct instructors  21   certificates. 22   1. As used in this section: 23   a. Adjunct instructor means an individual who has attained 24   a minimum of a baccalaureate degree and who has expertise or 25   significant professional experience in a core subject area or 26   a noncore subject area. 27   b. Core subject means any of the following subject areas: 28   (1) English-language arts. 29   (2) Social studies. 30   (3) Mathematics. 31   (4) Science. 32   c. Noncore subject means any subject area that is not a 33   core subject. 34   d. Supervising teacher means a teacher employed by a 35   -1-   LSB 2657YC (4) 91   jda/jh   1/ 6     

  H.F. _____   school district who has at least three years of teaching 1   experience and who has received at least satisfactory 2   evaluations while employed by the school district as a teacher. 3   e. Teacher means the same as defined in section 256.145. 4   2. a. The board of directors of a school district 5   may direct the board of educational examiners to award a 6   certificate to an adjunct instructor who is not disqualified 7   for any reason specified in section 256.146, subsection 13, 8   that allows the adjunct instructor to provide instruction to 9   students enrolled in grades nine through twelve, including 10   instruction provided in accordance with section 256.43, for 11   one school year on a full-time or part-time basis subject 12   to requirements established by the school district. The 13   requirements established by the school district must be 14   published on the school districts internet site and must 15   include all of the following: 16   (1) If the adjunct instructor applies to teach a core 17   subject, the adjunct instructor must demonstrate subject area 18   mastery of the core subject by passing a subject area test or 19   producing evidence of a related industry certification. 20   (2) If the adjunct instructor applies to teach a noncore 21   subject, the adjunct instructor must demonstrate subject area 22   mastery of the noncore subject by passing a subject area test, 23   producing evidence of a related industry certification, or 24   producing evidence of significant professional experience in 25   the noncore subject. 26   b. Prior to directing the board of educational examiners to 27   award a certificate to an adjunct instructor under paragraph 28   a , the school district shall initiate a state criminal history 29   record check of the adjunct instructor through the division 30   of criminal investigation of the department of public safety, 31   submit the adjunct instructors fingerprints to the division 32   for submission to the federal bureau of investigation for a 33   national criminal history record check, and review the sex 34   offender registry information under section 692A.121 available 35   -2-   LSB 2657YC (4) 91   jda/jh   2/ 6  

  H.F. _____   to the general public, the central registry for child abuse 1   information established under section 235A.14, and the central 2   registry for dependent adult abuse information established 3   under section 235B.5 for information regarding the adjunct 4   instructor. 5   3. The board of directors of a school district shall do all 6   of the following: 7   a. Assign a supervising teacher to oversee, mentor, and 8   evaluate the progress of an adjunct instructor providing 9   instruction pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph a . 10   b. Annually evaluate the performance of each adjunct 11   instructor providing instruction pursuant to subsection 2, 12   paragraph a . 13   c. Report annually to the director of the department of 14   education the number of certificates the board of educational 15   examiners awarded to adjunct instructors employed by the school 16   district, broken down by whether the adjunct instructor teaches 17   full time or part time, the grade level in which the adjunct 18   instructor provides instruction, and the subject area in which 19   the adjunct instructor provides instruction. 20   4. a. If the board of directors of a school district 21   determines that an adjunct instructor providing instruction 22   pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph a , in a core subject has 23   performed effectively in providing instruction to students, 24   the board of directors of the school district may direct 25   the board of educational examiners to renew the adjunct 26   instructors certificate for the immediately subsequent school 27   year; provided, however, that an adjunct instructor shall not 28   provide instruction to students in a core subject for more than 29   three consecutive or nonconsecutive school years pursuant to a 30   certificate awarded under subsection 2, paragraph a . 31   b. If the board of directors of a school district determines   32   that an adjunct instructor providing instruction pursuant to 33   subsection 2, paragraph a , in a noncore subject has performed 34   effectively in providing instruction to students, the board 35   -3-   LSB 2657YC (4) 91   jda/jh   3/ 6  

  H.F. _____   of directors of the school district may direct the board 1   of educational examiners to renew the adjunct instructors 2   certificate for the immediately subsequent school year. 3   5. This section shall not be construed to prohibit an 4   adjunct instructor who is providing instruction pursuant to 5   subsection 2, paragraph a , from applying for and seeking 6   any license, certificate, authorization, or statement of 7   recognition issued by the board of educational examiners, 8   including during the time in which the adjunct instructor is 9   providing instruction under this section. 10   6. The rights available to a teacher under sections 279.15, 11   279.16, 279.18, and 279.27 apply to an adjunct instructor 12   providing instruction pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph a . 13   EXPLANATION 14   The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 15   the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 16   This bill requires the board of educational examiners (BOEE) 17   to issue certificates when directed by the board of directors 18   of a school district to individuals who have attained a minimum 19   of a baccalaureate degree and who have expertise or significant 20   professional experience in a subject area that allows the 21   individual to provide instruction in that subject area to 22   students enrolled in the school district in grades 9 through 23   12. 24   The bill defines adjunct instructor as an individual who 25   has attained a minimum of a baccalaureate degree and who has 26   expertise or significant professional experience in a core 27   subject area or a noncore subject area. The bill defines 28   core subject to mean English-language arts, social studies, 29   mathematics, and science. Additionally, the bill defines 30   noncore subject as a subject area that is not a core subject. 31   The bill also defines supervising teacher as a teacher 32   employed by a school district who has at least three years of 33   teaching experience and who has received at least satisfactory 34   evaluations while employed by the school district as a teacher. 35   -4-   LSB 2657YC (4) 91   jda/jh   4/ 6  

  H.F. _____   Additionally, the bill defines teacher as a licensed member 1   of a schools instructional staff who diagnoses, prescribes, 2   evaluates, and directs student learning in a manner which is 3   consistent with professional practice and school objectives, 4   shares responsibility for the development of an instructional 5   program and any coordinating activities, evaluates or assesses 6   student progress before and after instruction, and who uses 7   the student evaluation or assessment information to promote 8   additional student learning. 9   The bill requires the BOEE to adopt rules that require 10   the BOEE to issue a certificate to an adjunct instructor 11   that allows the adjunct instructor to provide instruction to 12   students enrolled in a school district in grades 9 through 12 13   when directed by the board of directors of the school district, 14   and to renew such a certificate, unless the applicant for the 15   certificate is disqualified for any reason specified in Code 16   section 256.146(13). 17   The bill allows a school district to direct the BOEE to award 18   a certificate to an adjunct instructor that allows the adjunct 19   instructor to provide instruction to students enrolled in 20   grades 9 through 12 for one school year subject to requirements 21   established by the school district. The requirements 22   established by the school district must be published on the 23   school districts internet site and must include requirements 24   associated with the adjunct instructor demonstrating subject 25   area mastery. The bill requires the school district to perform 26   certain specified criminal history checks on the adjunct 27   instructor prior to the BOEE awarding a certificate to the 28   adjunct instructor. The bill establishes renewal requirements 29   related to the certificates.   30   The bill requires a school district to assign a supervising 31   teacher to oversee, mentor, and evaluate the progress of an 32   adjunct instructor providing instruction pursuant to the 33   bills provisions and to annually evaluate the performance 34   of each adjunct instructor providing instruction pursuant 35   -5-   LSB 2657YC (4) 91   jda/jh   5/ 6  

  H.F. _____   to the bills provisions. The bill also requires a school 1   district to report annually to the director of the department 2   of education information related to the certificates the BOEE 3   awarded to adjunct instructors. The director of the department 4   of education is required to publish this information on the 5   departments internet site. 6   The bill provides that the rights available to a teacher 7   under Code sections 279.15 (notice of termination  request 8   for hearing), 279.16 (private hearing  decision  record), 9   279.18 (appeal by teacher to court), and 279.27 (discharge of 10   teacher) apply to an adjunct instructor providing instruction 11   pursuant to the bills provisions. 12   -6-   LSB 2657YC (4) 91   jda/jh   6/ 6