Relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to the social studies instruction provided to students enrolled in grades one through twelve and the educational programs provided by the institutions of higher education under the control of the state board of regents, and requiring education related to the holocaust for students and teachers in school districts

Description

House File 2544 relates to the instruction of social studies and civics in school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools. The Bill creates requirements for social studies curricula at various grades. Students in grades 9 through 12 will be required to take one civics course prior to graduating, for which the Bill provides subjects to be included and requires the students to be examined at the end of the course on certain topics. School districts, accredited nonpublic schools, and the instructor of the course are prohibited from developing the examination. The Bill establishes curriculum and reporting requirements related to education on the Holocaust for middle school and high school students. The Bill also creates a new examination, course requirements, and prohibitions related to civics education for baccalaureate students at the institutions governed by the Board of Regents (BOR). New baccalaureate students will be required to pass a civics examination prior to graduating or progressing to more advanced civics courses.

Background

Iowa Code section 256.11 establishes PK-12 educational standards for public and nonpublic schools. Currently, in grades one through eight, schools are required to provide instruction in social studies. In grades 9 through 12, schools must offer and teach five units of social studies, and courses must include information related to elections, including how to register and vote, the United States government, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. There are no specific curriculum requirements related to the Holocaust.

Regents institutions do not currently have a required civics exam for all students.

Assumptions

• A third party will provide the high school civics exam for school districts to administer, and school districts are prohibited from making substantive edits to the exam.
• It is unknown how school districts will implement the social studies curriculum.
• If school districts choose to use a test from a private testing company, the estimated cost per student would be $150.
• There are currently 55,172 undergraduate students at Regents institutions.
• Regents institutions will need to purchase civics examinations for undergraduate students, which are estimated to cost $50,000. It is unclear whether the universities will be able to purchase an exam together.
• The cost of civics examinations for Regents students is estimated to be $140 per student.
• There are approximately 16,000 new undergraduate students each year at Regents institutions.
• The one-time cost of developing a remedial course is $10,000.
• Iowa State University will need to redevelop seven courses, and the University of Iowa will need to redevelop two courses at the cost of $10,000 per course. The University of Northern Iowa will need to make curriculum adjustments to seven courses and hire new full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. The adjustments are estimated to be a one-time cost of $3,000 per course.
• The University of Northern Iowa will need to hire 2.0 new FTE positions with expertise in U.S. history. The cost of these positions is estimated to be $152,000.
• The retake rate for examinations is estimated to be 2.0% to 8.0%.

Fiscal Impact

The costs to the BOR will range from $8.3 million to $8.8 million in the first year and $2.4 million to $2.6 million in subsequent years. Figure 1 details the cost to the BOR. There may be a cost to school districts; however, this cost cannot be estimated at this time. Figure 1 — Total Cost to Board of Regents by InstitutionFY 2025 Subsequent Years

Iowa State University

Administering the Civics Exam 3,542,000$ 1,004,000$ Exam Retakes* 283,000 80,000 Purchasing the Civics Exam* 50,000 0 Redeveloping/Adjusting Courses 70,000 0 Creating Remedial Exams 10,000 0 Total Iowa State University 3,955,000 1,084,000

University of Iowa

Administering the Civics Exam 3,098,000$ 889,000$ Exam Retakes* 248,000 71,000 Purchasing the Civics Exam* 50,000 0 Redeveloping/Adjusting Courses 20,000 0 Creating Remedial Exams 10,000 0 Total University of Iowa 3,426,000 960,000

University of Northern Iowa

Administering the Civics Exam 1,083,000$ 337,000$ Exam Retakes* 87,000 27,000 Staff Requirements 152,000 152,000 Purchasing the Civics Exam* 50,000 0 Redeveloping/Adjusting Courses 21,000 0 Creating Remedial Exams 10,000 0 Total University of Northern Iowa 1,403,000 516,000 8,784,000$ 2,560,000$ *These numbers are based on the maximum of the assumed 2.0% to 8.0% range. **These numbers assume no shared purchase between the universities.

Board of Regents

Total Board of Regents**

Sources

• Iowa Association of School Boards
• Board of Regents
• Department of Education
• Legislative Services Agency