284.4 Participation.

1. A school district or area education agency is eligible to receive moneys appropriated for purposes specified in this chapter if the school board applies to the department to participate in the student achievement and teacher quality program and submits a written statement declaring the school district’s or agency’s willingness to do all of the following:

a. Commit and expend local moneys to improve student achievement and teacher quality.

b. Create a teacher quality committee. The committee shall have equal representation of administrators and teachers. The teacher members shall be appointed by the certified employee organization if one exists, and if not, by the school district’s or agency’s administration. The administrator members shall be appointed by the school board. However, if a school district can demonstrate that an existing professional development, curriculum, or student improvement committee has significant stakeholder involvement and a leadership role in the school district, the appointing authorities may mutually agree to assign to the existing committee the responsibilities set forth in this paragraph “b”, to appoint members of the existing committee to the teacher quality committee, or to authorize the existing committee to serve in an advisory capacity to the teacher quality committee. The committee shall do all of the following:

(1) Monitor the implementation of the requirements of statutes and administrative code provisions relating to this chapter, including requirements that affect any agreement negotiated pursuant to chapter 20.

(2) Monitor the evaluation requirements of this chapter to ensure evaluations are conducted in a fair and consistent manner throughout the school district or agency. The committee shall develop model evidence for the Iowa teaching standards and criteria. The model evidence will minimize paperwork and focus on teacher improvement. The model evidence will determine which standards and criteria can be met with observation and which evidence meets multiple standards and criteria.

(3) Determine, following the adoption of the Iowa professional development model by the state board of education, the use and distribution of the professional development funds calculated and paid to the school district or agency as provided in section 257.9, subsection 10, or section 257.10, subsection 10, based upon school district or agency, attendance center, and individual teacher and professional development plans.

(4) Monitor the professional development in each attendance center to ensure that the professional development meets school district or agency, attendance center, and individual professional development plans.

(5) Determine the compensation for teachers on the committee for work responsibilities required beyond the normal work day.

c. Adopt school district, attendance center, and teacher professional development plans in accordance with this chapter.

d. Adopt a teacher evaluation plan that, at minimum, requires a performance review of teachers in the district at least once every three years based upon the Iowa teaching standards and individual professional development plans, and requires administrators to complete evaluator training in accordance with section 284.10.

e. Adopt teacher career paths based upon demonstrated knowledge and skills in accordance with this chapter.

2. By July 1, 2002, each school district shall participate in the student achievement and teacher quality program if the general assembly appropriates moneys for purposes of the student achievement and teacher quality program established pursuant to this chapter.

2001 Acts, ch 161, §5; 2001 Acts, ch 177, §3, 15; 2002 Acts, ch 1152, §11, 12; 2003 Acts, ch 180, §40; 2005 Acts, ch 169, §29; 2006 Acts, ch 1182, §11; 2007 Acts, ch 108, §16 – 19; 2009 Acts, ch 177, §35; 2017 Acts, ch 2, §43, 48, 49; 2017 Acts, ch 172, §33

Referred to in §256G.4, 284.13

For provisions relating to applicability of 2017 amendment by 2017 Acts, ch 2, §43 to employment contracts of school employees under chapter 279 and collective bargaining agreements and procedures under chapter 20 before, on, or after February 17, 2017, see 2017 Acts, ch 2, §48, 49