Senate File 389 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 389
BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR TO SF 38)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act directing the department of education to convene an
2 achievement gap working group.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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 S.F. 389
1 Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —— ACHIEVEMENT GAP
2 WORKING GROUP.
3 1. The department of education shall convene and provide
4 administrative support to a working group that shall study any
5 disparities in academic performance between different racial
6 or ethnic groups of students in grades kindergarten through
7 twelve. If the working group determines that such disparities
8 exist, the emphasis of the working group shall be to study
9 potential causes of the disparities and what specific steps can
10 be taken to reduce the disparities.
11 2. The working group shall consist of not more than ten
12 members. At least two members of the working group shall
13 be teachers who provide instruction to students enrolled in
14 grades kindergarten through twelve. The working group shall
15 be bipartisan in its composition and minority persons shall be
16 represented in the working group.
17 3. The working group shall meet not more than four times.
18 Meetings of the working group may be held either in-person or
19 by means of remote communication.
20 4. Any expenses incurred by a member of the working group
21 shall be the responsibility of the individual member or the
22 respective entity represented by the member.
23 5. The working group shall submit its findings and
24 recommendations in a report to the general assembly by December
25 31, 2023. The report shall include recommendations on how
26 to reduce any academic performance gap that exists between
27 different racial or ethnic groups of students.
28 EXPLANATION
29 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
30 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
31 This bill directs the department of education to convene
32 an achievement gap working group. The bill requires the
33 working group to study any disparities in academic performance
34 between different racial or ethnic groups of students in grades
35 kindergarten through 12.
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 S.F. 389
1 The bill establishes that if the working group determines
2 that such disparities exist, the emphasis of the working group
3 shall be to study potential causes of the disparities and what
4 specific steps can be taken to reduce the disparities.
5 The working group shall consist of not more than 10 members,
6 at least 2 of whom shall be teachers who provide instruction
7 to students enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12, and
8 shall be bipartisan in its composition. The bill also requires
9 minority persons to be represented in the working group. The
10 bill prohibits the working group from meeting more than four
11 times and allows the working group to meet either in person or
12 by means of remote communication.
13 The bill requires the working group to provide a report
14 to the general assembly by December 31, 2023, detailing the
15 working group’s findings and recommendations. The report
16 must include recommendations on how to reduce any academic
17 performance gap that exists between different racial or ethnic
18 groups of students.
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