Iowa HF 2019: A bill for an act relating to the establishment of an advanced opportunities program for certain students enrolled in public schools to take overload and dual credit courses, postsecondary credit-bearing and career and technical education certificate examinations, and career and technical education workforce training courses, and the award of a scholarship for early graduation.

Bill Text

House File 2019 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2019
BY WILLS
A BILL FOR
An Act relating to the establishment of an advanced1
opportunities program for certain students enrolled in2
public schools to take overload and dual credit courses,3
postsecondary credit-bearing and career and technical4
education certificate examinations, and career and technical5
education workforce training courses, and the award of a6
scholarship for early graduation.7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:8
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Section 1. NEW SECTION. 261E.14 Advanced opportunities1
program.2
1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, unless the3
context otherwise requires:4
a. “Credit” means middle or secondary school credit.5
b. “Dual credit” means the secondary and public6
postsecondary credit a student receives for the completion of a7
postsecondary-level education course in accordance with this8
section.9
c. “Full credit load” means at least twelve school credits10
per school year for grades seven through twelve.11
d. “Overload course” means a course taken that is in excess12
of a full credit load and outside of the regular school day,13
including summer courses and online courses.14
e. “Parent” means a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of15
a minor.16
f. “Public postsecondary educational institution” means17
a community college established under chapter 260C or an18
institution of higher learning under the control of the state19
board of regents.20
2. Program established. Subject to an appropriation of21
funds by the general assembly for this purpose, an advanced22
opportunities program is established within the department23
of education to provide public school students in Iowa with24
funding to support implementation of individualized career and25
academic plans developed pursuant to section 279.61.26
3. Funds eligible for student use.27
a. Each student enrolled in and attending a public school28
in Iowa shall be eligible for four thousand one hundred29
twenty-five dollars to use toward overload courses, dual30
credits, postsecondary credit-bearing examinations, career and31
technical education certificate examinations, and career and32
technical education workforce training courses.33
b. A student may access funds authorized to the student in34
accordance with paragraph “a” in grades seven through twelve for35
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any of the following:1
(1) Overload courses, the distribution of which shall not2
exceed two hundred twenty-five dollars per overload course.3
A student must take and successfully complete a full credit4
load within a given school year to be eligible for funding of5
an overload course. To be eligible for funding, an overload6
course must be taken for secondary school credit and the course7
must at minimum meet all of the following requirements:8
(a) Be offered by a school district.9
(b) Be taught by a teacher appropriately licensed under10
chapter 272 to teach in the subject area and the grade level.11
(2) Eligible dual credits, the distribution of which shall12
not exceed seventy-five dollars per one dual credit hour. The13
dual credit course must be offered by a public postsecondary14
educational institution. To qualify as an eligible dual credit15
course, the course must be a credit-bearing one-hundred-level16
course or higher.17
(3) Eligible postsecondary credit-bearing or career18
technical certificate examinations. The department shall19
maintain a list of eligible exams and costs. Eligible20
examinations include but are not limited to any of the21
following:22
(a) Advanced placement.23
(b) International baccalaureate.24
(c) College-level examination program.25
(d) Career and technical education examinations that lead26
to an industry-recognized certificate, license, or degree.27
(4) Career and technical education workforce training28
courses, such as federally registered apprenticeships, the29
distribution of which shall not exceed five hundred dollars30
per course or one thousand dollars per year. The department31
shall maintain a list of eligible training courses and costs.32
Eligible training courses must at a minimum meet all of the33
following requirements:34
(a) Be provided by a community college established under35
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chapter 260C.1
(b) Lead to an industry-recognized certificate, license,2
or degree.3
(c) Be required training for an occupation deemed, pursuant4
to section 84A.1B, subsection 14, a high-demand job in the5
community college region.6
(d) Be otherwise unavailable at the student’s secondary7
school.8
(e) Allow secondary school-aged students to participate.9
4. Counseling requirement. A student who has earned10
fifteen postsecondary credits prior to secondary school11
graduation using the advanced opportunities program and who12
wishes to earn additional postsecondary credits must first13
identify postsecondary goals under the individualized career14
and academic plan dev