ARC 3765C

ARC 3765C

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT[281]

Adopted and Filed

Rule making related to computer science education standards

The State Board of Education hereby amends Chapter 12, "General Accreditation Standards," Iowa Administrative Code.

Legal Authority for Rule Making

This rule making is adopted under the authority provided in Iowa Code sections 256.7(5) and 256.7(26).

State or Federal Law Implemented

This rule making implements, in whole or in part, 2017 Iowa Acts, chapter 106 (Senate File 274).

Purpose and Summary

2017 Iowa Acts, chapter 106 (Senate File 274), requires that the State Board adopt administrative rules for the establishment of high-quality standards for computer science for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools. These amendments to Chapter 12 implement that requirement.

Public Comment and Changes to Rule Making

Notice of Intended Action for this rule making was published in the Iowa Administrative Bulletin on February 14, 2018, as ARC 3613C. A public hearing was held on March 27, 2018, at 9 a.m. in the State Board Room, Second Floor, Grimes State Office Building, Des Moines, Iowa. No one attended the public hearing. No public comments were received. No changes from the Notice have been made.

Adoption of Rule Making

This rule making was adopted by the State Board on March 29, 2018.

Fiscal Impact

This rule making has no fiscal impact to the State of Iowa.

Jobs Impact

After analysis and review of this rule making, no impact on jobs has been found.

Waivers

Any person who believes that the application of the discretionary provisions of this rule making would result in hardship or injustice to that person may petition the State Board for a waiver of the discretionary provisions, if any, pursuant to 281—Chapter 4.

Review by Administrative Rules Review Committee

The Administrative Rules Review Committee, a bipartisan legislative committee which oversees rule making by executive branch agencies, may, on its own motion or on written request by any individual or group, review this rule making at its regular monthly meeting or at a special meeting. The Committee's meetings are open to the public, and interested persons may be heard as provided in Iowa Code section 17A.8(6).

Effective Date

This rule making will become effective on May 30, 2018.

The following rule-making actions are adopted:

Item 1. Adopt the following new heading to precede rule 281—12.11(256):

DIVISION XI

HIGH-QUALITY STANDARDS FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE

Item 2. Adopt the following new rule 281—12.11(256):

281—12.11(256) High-quality standards for computer science. It is the goal of the state board of education that every school district and every accredited nonpublic school shall offer instruction in high-quality computer science for elementary, middle school, and high school students by July 1, 2019.

12.11(1) Alignment with learning framework or standards developed by a nationally recognized computer science education organization or organizations. Beginning with the school year which begins July 1, 2018, and each school year thereafter, instruction in high-quality computer science shall reflect an alignment with a framework or learning standards developed by a nationally recognized computer science education organization or organizations. The department shall make available to school districts and accredited nonpublic schools such a framework or learning standards.

12.11(2) Professional development incentive fund. A computer science professional development incentive fund is established in the state treasury under the control of the department. The department may accept gifts, grants, bequests, and other private contributions, as well as state or federal moneys, for deposit in the fund. The department may disburse moneys contained in the fund for professional development activities or tuition reimbursement. Notwithstanding Iowa Code section 8.33, moneys in the computer science professional development incentive fund that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes designated until the close of the succeeding fiscal year. The department may disburse those moneys in the following ways.

a. A school district or accredited nonpublic school, or a collaborative of one or more school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and area education agencies, may apply to the department, in the manner prescribed by the department, to receive moneys from the fund to provide proven professional development activities for Iowa teachers in the area of computer science education.

b. A school district or accredited nonpublic school may apply to the department, in the manner prescribed by the department, to receive moneys from the fund to provide tuition reimbursement for Iowa teachers seeking endorsements or authorizations for computer science under Iowa Code section 272.2(20).

12.11(3) Applicability of rules. Subrule 12.11(1) shall only apply to school districts and accredited nonpublic schools receiving moneys from the computer science professional development incentive fund established in Iowa Code section 284.6A and described in subrule 12.11(2).

[Filed 3/30/18, effective 5/30/18]

[Published 4/25/18]

Editor's Note: For replacement pages for IAC, see IAC Supplement 4/25/18.