House File 2329 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2329 BY GRASSLEY , WHEELER , HOLT , COLLINS , JOHNSON , BODEN , GEHLBACH , WILLS , FISHER , STONE , BRADLEY , GUSTOFF , JENEARY , and GERHOLD A BILL FOR An Act requiring the director of the department of education to 1 conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s high school 2 graduation requirements, core curriculum, core content 3 standards, and educational standards and to recommend policy 4 changes, and including effective date provisions. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 5266YH (6) 90 jda/jh

H.F. 2329 Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —— COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW 1 OF IOWA EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS —— RECOMMENDED REVISIONS. 2 1. The director of the department of education shall 3 conduct a comprehensive review of the high school graduation 4 requirements and core curriculum established pursuant to 5 section 256.7, subsection 26, the core content standards 6 established pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 28, and 7 the educational standards established in section 256.11. 8 The comprehensive review shall be designed to generate 9 recommendations for policy changes to be included in the report 10 required under subsection 3. The recommendations for policy 11 changes shall include all of the following: 12 a. A plan to eliminate the use of the core content standards 13 and return to the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and 14 United States history and civics. 15 b. A plan to make Iowa’s educational standards the best in 16 the nation. 17 c. Input from relevant stakeholders, including parents and 18 teachers. 19 d. A plan to increase the quality of the instructional 20 curriculum. 21 e. Innovative ways to streamline testing. 22 f. Identification of opportunities to equip high school 23 graduates with sufficient knowledge of civics and United States 24 history, including the principles reflected in the Constitution 25 of the United States, so that high school graduates are capable 26 of discharging the responsibilities associated with United 27 States citizenship. 28 g. A plan to make Iowa the most literate state in the United 29 States using systematic and sequential approaches to teaching 30 phonetic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and text 31 comprehension. 32 h. A plan to eliminate the teaching of critical race theory 33 and social and emotional learning. 34 2. The comprehensive review described in subsection 1 shall 35 -1- LSB 5266YH (6) 90 jda/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 2329 include all of the following: 1 a. Publishing a link on the department of education’s 2 internet site that allows the public and interested 3 stakeholders to provide comments related to the comprehensive 4 review, including comments related to each graduation 5 requirement, core content standard, and educational requirement 6 by grade level. 7 b. Collecting and considering the comments provided 8 pursuant to paragraph “a”. 9 c. (1) Convening committees to assist in the comprehensive 10 review and provide recommendations related to the subject areas 11 in the educational standards established in section 256.11. 12 (2) The director of the department of education shall 13 determine the membership of each committee; provided, however, 14 that each committee shall include four members of the general 15 assembly with one member designated by each of the following: 16 the president of the senate, the minority leader of the senate, 17 the speaker of the house of representatives, and the minority 18 leader of the house of representatives. A legislative member 19 serves in an ex officio, nonvoting capacity. 20 3. The director of the department of education shall submit 21 a report, including findings and recommendations for policy 22 changes, to the governor and the general assembly on or before 23 December 31, 2024. 24 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 25 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 26 EXPLANATION 27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 28 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 29 This bill requires the director of the department of 30 education to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s high 31 school graduation requirements, core curriculum, core content 32 standards, and educational standards and recommend policy 33 changes. 34 The bill requires that the recommendations for policy 35 -2- LSB 5266YH (6) 90 jda/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 2329 changes be included in a report to the governor and the general 1 assembly that is to be submitted on or before December 31, 2 2024. The bill establishes what the recommendations for policy 3 changes are to include. 4 The bill requires that the comprehensive review include 5 publishing a link on the department of education’s internet 6 site that allows the public and interested stakeholders 7 to provide comments related to the comprehensive review, 8 collecting and considering the comments, and convening 9 committees to assist in the comprehensive review and provide 10 recommendations. 11 The bill takes effect upon enactment. 12 -3- LSB 5266YH (6) 90 jda/jh 3/ 3