House File 2329 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2329
BY GRASSLEY, WHEELER, HOLT,
COLLINS, JOHNSON, BODEN,
GEHLBACH, WILLS, FISHER,
STONE, BRADLEY, GUSTOFF,
JENEARY, and GERHOLD
A BILL FOR
1 An Act requiring the director of the department of education to
2 conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s high school
3 graduation requirements, core curriculum, core content
4 standards, and educational standards and to recommend policy
5 changes, and including effective date provisions.
6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —— COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
2 OF IOWA EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS —— RECOMMENDED REVISIONS.
3 1. The director of the department of education shall
4 conduct a comprehensive review of the high school graduation
5 requirements and core curriculum established pursuant to
6 section 256.7, subsection 26, the core content standards
7 established pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 28, and
8 the educational standards established in section 256.11.
9 The comprehensive review shall be designed to generate
10 recommendations for policy changes to be included in the report
11 required under subsection 3. The recommendations for policy
12 changes shall include all of the following:
13 a. A plan to eliminate the use of the core content standards
14 and return to the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and
15 United States history and civics.
16 b. A plan to make Iowa’s educational standards the best in
17 the nation.
18 c. Input from relevant stakeholders, including parents and
19 teachers.
20 d. A plan to increase the quality of the instructional
21 curriculum.
22 e. Innovative ways to streamline testing.
23 f. Identification of opportunities to equip high school
24 graduates with sufficient knowledge of civics and United States
25 history, including the principles reflected in the Constitution
26 of the United States, so that high school graduates are capable
27 of discharging the responsibilities associated with United
28 States citizenship.
29 g. A plan to make Iowa the most literate state in the United
30 States using systematic and sequential approaches to teaching
31 phonetic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text
32 comprehension.
33 h. A plan to eliminate the teaching of critical race theory
34 and social and emotional learning.
35 2. The comprehensive review described in subsection 1 shall
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1 include all of the following:
2 a. Publishing a link on the department of education’s
3 internet site that allows the public and interested
4 stakeholders to provide comments related to the comprehensive
5 review, including comments related to each graduation
6 requirement, core content standard, and educational requirement
7 by grade level.
8 b. Collecting and considering the comments provided
9 pursuant to paragraph “a”.
10 c. (1) Convening committees to assist in the comprehensive
11 review and provide recommendations related to the subject areas
12 in the educational standards established in section 256.11.
13 (2) The director of the department of education shall
14 determine the membership of each committee; provided, however,
15 that each committee shall include four members of the general
16 assembly with one member designated by each of the following:
17 the president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate,
18 the speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority
19 leader of the house of representatives. A legislative member
20 serves in an ex officio, nonvoting capacity.
21 3. The director of the department of education shall submit
22 a report, including findings and recommendations for policy
23 changes, to the governor and the general assembly on or before
24 December 31, 2024.
25 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate
26 importance, takes effect upon enactment.
27 EXPLANATION
28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
29 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
30 This bill requires the director of the department of
31 education to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s high
32 school graduation requirements, core curriculum, core content
33 standards, and educational standards and recommend policy
34 changes.
35 The bill requires that the recommendations for policy
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1 changes be included in a report to the governor and the general
2 assembly that is to be submitted on or before December 31,
3 2024. The bill establishes what the recommendations for policy
4 changes are to include.
5 The bill requires that the comprehensive review include
6 publishing a link on the department of education’s internet
7 site that allows the public and interested stakeholders
8 to provide comments related to the comprehensive review,
9 collecting and considering the comments, and convening
10 committees to assist in the comprehensive review and provide
11 recommendations.
12 The bill takes effect upon enactment.
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