Bills › 89th General Assembly
Requiring cursive instruction for students enrolled in public elementary schools
Topics:K–12 education
Same legislation: SF 2351
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 19, 2021
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 21, 2021
- Done: Senate committeeFebruary 21, 2022
- Skipped: Passes the SenateContinued as SF 2351
- Next: House committee
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Became SF 2351 → Its progress continues under the new number. Go to SF 2351 What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
making students proficient in reading cursive and legibly writing in cursive by the end of the third grade. The provisions of the bill do not apply to nonpublic schools.3.16.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.
Senate subcommittee
Named January 12, 2022. On January 26, 2022 it recommended passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Fiscal note
AI summary This bill requires school districts to teach students how to read and write in cursive by the end of third grade. There is no fiscal impact to the state, but school districts are expected to spend an estimated $400,000 to $575,000 to provide the necessary curriculum. These costs for students and teacher support materials would be paid by school districts from the State Foundation Aid appropriation.2
Read the fiscal note
Description
Senate File 2351 requires each school district to incorporate cursive handwriting instruction into the curriculum to make students proficient in reading cursive and writing in cursive by the end of the third grade.
Background
The Department of Education (DE) oversees the Iowa Core Literacy Standards for grade levels 1 through 12. Cursive writing is not currently included in those standards. As of 2020, 21 states require cursive writing.
Assumptions
- The DE anticipates no fiscal impact. The Iowa Core Literacy Standards may need to be updated to incorporate the requirements of this Bill.
- School districts will be required to provide student curriculum at an estimated cost of $10 to $15 per student. School districts will be required to provide teacher support materials at an estimated cost of $25 per teacher.
- According to the DE, there are 35,253 students enrolled in the third grade. The average third grade class size is estimated to be 20.8 students, and therefore, 1,695 teachers will require support materials.
Fiscal Impact
Senate File 2351 does not have a fiscal impact to the State. The number of school districts that currently have cursive writing curriculum in place is unknown. The cost for cursive curriculum to be taught at one grade level statewide is expected to be an estimated $400,000 to $575,000. Senate File 2351 may include a State mandate as defined in Iowa Code section 25B.3 and requires that any State mandate in the Bill be paid by a school district from the State Foundation Aid appropriation.
Sources
- Department of Education
- Rural School Advocates of Iowa
- Urban Education Network
- Cursive Writing, Educational Requirement · February 22, 2022 · $575,000
Family tree
89th General Assembly
Tried before
This idea has been filed in an earlier General Assembly. None got through a chamber.
- HF 2385 Requiring that the United States history unit requirement under the state’s educational st…88th General Assembly · In committee · similarCleared committee
- HF 194 Directing that students be required to read and demonstrate comprehension of excerpts from…88th General Assembly · In committee · similarCleared committee
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