Relating to the future ready Iowa Act and other efforts to strengthen Iowa’s workforce, including a child care challenge program for working Iowans, a workforce diploma pilot program, educational standards and online learning, and the senior year plus program, and including effective date provisions

This bill adds to and modifies the Code provisions enacted by the future ready Iowa Act. The bill is organized by divisions and includes conforming changes. DIVISION I —— FUTURE READY IOWA APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAMS. Subject to an appropriation of funds by the general assembly, Division I creates a future ready Iowa expanded registered apprenticeship opportunities program that is similar to the existing future ready Iowa registered apprenticeship development program. The purpose of the new program is to provide financial assistance to encourage apprenticeship sponsors of apprenticeship programs with or fewer apprentices to maintain apprenticeship programs in high-demand occupations. The division provides that at least one of the apprentices in an eligible apprenticeship sponsor’s program must be in an eligible apprenticeable occupation. Financial assistance includes but is not limited to a reimburseable grant of $1,000, but such a grant shall not exceed $20,000 annually.1 is ineligible to receive financial assistance under the new program during the same fiscal year. An eligible apprenticeship sponsor, as defined for purposes of the new program, who meets the requirements of the existing program may receive financial assistance under the existing program if the eligible apprenticeship sponsor is not receiving financial assistance under the new program during the same fiscal year. However, an apprenticeship sponsor who trains through a lead apprenticeship sponsor that qualifies for financial assistance under Code chapter is ineligible for financial assistance under the new program. DIVISION II —— IOWA CHILD CARE CHALLENGE FUND. Division II establishes an Iowa child care challenge program under the department of workforce development and creates an Iowa child care challenge fund in the state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the department. The department shall administer the program in consultation with the workforce development board. The purpose of the program is to encourage and enable businesses, nonprofit organizations, and consortiums to establish local child care facilities and increase the availability of quality, affordable child care for working Iowans. A business, nonprofit organization, or consortium seeking matching moneys must submit an application and a proposal for the new construction of a child care facility, rehabilitation of an existing structure as a child care facility, or the retrofitting and repurposing of an existing structure for use as a child care facility to the department; a financial statement and a description of funds to be provided; and a plan for sustainability. The division directs that a portion of the moneys deposited in the Iowa employer innovation fund, in an amount determined annually by the department of workforce development in consultation with the workforce development board, shall be transferred annually to the Iowa child care challenge fund.13, to be used for purposes of that program, and any moneys deposited after June annually in the Iowa child care challenge fund that remain at the end of the fiscal year shall be transferred to the Iowa employer innovation fund to be used for purposes of the Iowa employer innovation program. DIVISION III —— WORKFORCE DIPLOMA PILOT PROGRAM. Subject to an appropriation of sufficient funds by the general assembly, Division III requires the department of workforce development to establish a workforce diploma pilot program to qualify eligible program providers to implement programs in accordance with the department’s rules, and to assist students who are beyond school age to obtain a high school diploma while developing employability and career and technical education skills. Under the division, “eligible program provider” means an institution that is accredited by a regional accrediting agency. It may be a public institution, a nonprofit institution, or a private diploma-granting institution, that has at least two years of experience providing adult dropout recovery services, including but not limited to recruitment, learning plan development, and proactive coaching and mentoring culminating in the issuance of high school diplomas. “Unit of credit” means credit awarded based on successfully meeting subject area standards, expectations, or guidelines. To meet the criteria for qualification to participate in this program, an eligible program provider must provide evidence of experience and abilities enumerated by the division. The department shall publish a list of qualified providers by September annually. A qualified provider must commence its pilot program within days of the date on which the contract is signed by all parties. The division sets forth the milestones providers must meet and the payment amounts the department must pay a provider when each milestone is met. The department shall provide payment to a qualified provider in the order in which invoices are submitted until all moneys appropriated for such purpose by the general assembly are exhausted and must also provide a monthly update to qualified providers, including the aggregate total moneys paid to qualified providers to date and the estimated number of enrollments still available for the program year. By July annually, the qualified provider shall report all of the metrics from the previous fiscal year, as identified by the division, to the department of workforce development and the department of education. The department of workforce development shall review data to ensure the programs are achieving minimum program performance standards and measures set forth by the division. The department shall place a qualified provider that does not meet the program performance standards for the previous year on probationary status for the remainder of the current fiscal year. A provider who fails to meet the minimum performance standards after two consecutive years is ineligible for the program. The section providing for the program is repealed July 1, 2023. DIVISION IV —— COMPUTER SCIENCE INSTRUCTION —— K-12 EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS —— ONLINE COURSEWORK. Division IV relates to computer science instruction in kindergarten through grade 12, amending Code provisions establishing the minimum educational standards and establishing or modifying computer science instruction-related responsibilities of the state board of education, the department of education and its director, and school districts and accredited nonpublic schools. Commencing with the 2023-2024 school year, under the division, accredited schools must offer and teach computer science instruction that incorporates the computer science education standards adopted by the state board of education in at least one grade at the elementary level and at the middle school level. In grades 9-12, commencing with the 2022-2023 school year, one-half unit of computer science that incorporates the computer science education standards adopted by the state board must be offered and taught, but the one-half unit may be offered and taught online. Each school district and accredited nonpublic school must develop and implement a K-12 computer science plan by July 1, 2022. The new language replaces obsolete language relating to full implementation of the core curriculum by the 2014-2015 school year. The director of the department is directed to develop and implement a statewide K-12 computer science instruction plan by July 1, 2022. The division amends provisions relating to the online learning initiative requirements. Currently, the statute makes inapplicable the educational standards for up to two high school courses if the school district or school makes every reasonable and good faith effort but is unable to employ a licensed teacher for the subject, or if fewer than students typically register for the subject. The division reduces the specific courses to which this authorization applies, but allows a school district or school to exceed the two-subject limit to offer world language, personal finance literacy, and computer science coursework online if the school district or school, after making every reasonable and good faith effort, cannot employ a licensed teacher for the subject, or if fewer than students typically register for the subject. Currently, the department may waive the high school subject requirements for school districts and schools, but the division limits the authority of the department to certain specified subjects. Currently, school districts and schools offering such online learning must offer the coursework through an online learning platform or through a private provider that meets statutory requirements. The division adds that any online learning entity may develop such an online learning platform. The department is directed to convene a computer science work group to develop recommendations to strengthen computer science instruction and for the development and implementation of a statewide campaign to promote computer science to K-12 students and to the parents and legal guardians of such students. The work group must submit its findings to the general assembly by July 1, 2021. The division also strikes, effective July 1, 2021, language which requires that the state board’s rules providing for the establishment of high-quality standards for computer science education taught by elementary, middle, and high schools be applicable only to school districts and accredited nonpublic schools receiving moneys from the computer science professional development incentive fund or from other funds administered by the department. DIVISION V —— FUTURE READY IOWA SKILLED WORKFORCE LAST-DOLLAR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. Division VI directs the state board of education to adopt administrative rules establishing a process by which the department of education shall approve structured educational and training programs that include authentic worksite training for purposes of participating community colleges, then expands the definition of “eligible student” under the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program administered by the college student aid commission. Current law limits scholarship eligibility to new high school graduates who enroll full-time in an eligible institution by the fall semester following graduation or completion of private instruction, and to adult learners who enroll full-time or part-time in an eligible institution. The division amends the definition to include individuals who, following high school graduation, completion of private instruction, or receiving a high school equivalency diploma, and prior to becoming an adult learner, enroll full-time in an eligible institution for a regular semester or part-time for a summer semester; high school graduates, persons who complete private instruction, and recipients of high school equivalency diplomas who prior to becoming adult learners enter into full-time or part-time employment as part of an approved state-recognized work-based learning program and enroll full-time or part-time in an eligible program in an eligible institution; and adult learners who are at least age at the beginning of the state fiscal year and enroll full-time or part-time in an eligible program in an eligible institution. The division defines “adult learner”. This division takes effect July 1, 2021. DIVISION VI —— SENIOR YEAR PLUS PROGRAM AND POSTSECONDARY ENROLLMENT OPTIONS. Division VII amends provisions under the senior year plus program by eliminating references and provisions relating to full-time and part-time enrollment. This division takes effect July 1, 2021.