This bill focuses on enhancing education reporting in Iowa by establishing a framework for sharing unit-level wage data and consolidating various educational reports into an annual condition of education report. The Department of Workforce Development is mandated to provide unit-level wage data to the Department of Education for evaluating secondary and postsecondary program outcomes, including return on investment. The bill defines unit-level wage data and allows for data-sharing agreements between the two departments. Additionally, it creates a new annual condition of education report, which will be submitted to the governor and general assembly by April 1 each year, consolidating several existing reports, such as those on online learning, financial information related to school infrastructure, achievement gaps, incidents of violence, and kindergarten literacy assessments.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the responsibilities of the Iowa Student Aid Commission by requiring it to oversee a statewide program-level postsecondary return on investment reporting system for eligible public institutions, including community colleges and regents institutions. These institutions must submit specific data related to program costs, completion rates, and employment outcomes, which the commission will compile and publish annually in a consumer-friendly format. Institutions that fail to comply with these reporting requirements will be ineligible for state-administered student financial aid until they achieve substantial compliance. The bill also includes provisions for modifying existing reporting requirements and allows for the disclosure of individual and employer information when required by federal or state law for accountability or evaluation purposes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 96.11, 256.7, 256.9, 256.177, 256.228, 256.229, 256F.10, 256F.4, 284.15