This bill focuses on enhancing education reporting in Iowa by establishing a framework for sharing unit-level wage data for evaluating secondary and postsecondary programs. It mandates the Department of Workforce Development to provide individual-level employment records to the Department of Education upon request, which will aid in assessing program outcomes and return on investment. The bill also introduces the annual condition of education report, which consolidates several existing reports, including those on online learning, financial information related to school infrastructure, achievement gaps, incidents of violence, and kindergarten literacy assessments. This report is to be submitted to the governor and the general assembly by April 1 each year.

Additionally, 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 data on tuition, completion rates, employment outcomes, and alignment with high-demand occupations. The commission is tasked with compiling and publishing this data in a consumer-friendly format, and institutions that fail to comply with reporting requirements risk losing eligibility for state-administered student financial aid. The bill also includes provisions for data-sharing agreements between the Department of Workforce Development and the Department of Education, and it 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