Legislative Charge

Extracted from Amendment S3292 / Institute for Tomorrow's Workforce HF 816

Sec. 15. NEW SECTION. 7K.1. INSTITUTE FOR TOMORROW'S WORKFORCE

FINDINGS. The general assembly finds that Iowa's children are this state's greatest asset and to improve the future for Iowa's children, it is necessary to focus elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education efforts on what children need to know to be successful students and successful participants in Iowa's global workforce. Iowa's state community and business leaders are at the forefromt of this ongoing conversation. The general assembly further finds that the creation of an institute for tomorrow's workforce provides a longterm forum for bold, innovative recommendations to improve Iowa's education system to meet the workforce needs of Iowa's new economy.
FOUNDATION CREATED - DUTIES. There is created a public body corporate and politic to be known as teh "institute for tomorrow's workforce, an educational foundation." The foundation is an independent nonprofit quasi-public instumentality and the exercise of the powers granted to the foundation as a corporation in this chapter is an essential government function. As used in this chapter, "foundation" means the "institute for tomorrow's workforce, an educational foundation." The foundation shall, at a minimum, do the following:

a.  Review educational standards to determine relevance and rigor necessary for continuous imporvement in student achievement and meeting workforce needs.
b.  Identify jobs skills and corresponding high school coursework necessary to achieve success in the Iowa workforce.
c.  Review the state's education accountability measures, including but not limited to student proficiency and individual and organization program accountability.
d.  Identify state and local barriers to improved student achievement and student success aswell as barriers to sharing among and within all areas of Iowa's education system.
e.  Identify effective education structure and delivery models that promote optimum student achievement opportunities for all Iowa students that include, but are not limited to, the role of technology.
f.  Serve as a clearinghouse for existing and emerging innovative educational sharing and collaborative efforts among and between Iowa's secondary education system as well as Iowa's postsecondary education system.
g.  Promote partnerships between other Iowa governance structures including, but not limited to, cities and counties, and all areas of Iowa's education system.
i.  Identify ways to reduce the achievement gap between white and non-white, non-Asian students.
j.  The board of directors of the foundation, within the limits of the funds available to the foundation, shall do the following:

(1) Employ an executive director to direct the activities of the foundation.
(2)  Execute contracts with public and private agencies to conduct research and development activities.
(3)  Perform functions necessary to carry out the purposes of the foundation.
MEMBERSHIP. The board of directors of the foundation shall consist of fifteen members serving staggered three-year terms beginning on May 1 of the year of appointment who shall be appointed as follows:

a.  Five members shall be appointed by the governor as follows:

(1)  A school district superintendent from a school district with enrollment of one thousand one hundred forty-nine or fewer pupils.
(2)  An individual representing an Iowa business employing more than two hundred fifty employees.
(3)  A community college president.
(4)  An individual representing labor and workforce interests.
(5)  An individual representing an Iowa agriculture association.

b.  Five members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives as follows:

(1)  An individual representing the area education agencies.
(2)  The president of an accredited private institution as defined in section 261.9.
(3)  An individual representing an Iowa business employing more than fifty employees but less than two hundred fifty employees.
(4)  An individual representing urban economic development interests.
(5)  An individual from an association representing Iowa business.

c.  Five members shall be appointed by the president of the senate as follows:

(1)  A school district superintendent from a school district with an enrollment of more than one thousand one hundred forty-nine pupils.
(2)  A president of an institution of higher education under the control of the state board of regents.
(3)  An individual representing an Iowa business employing fifty or fewer employees.
(4)  An individual representing rural economic development interests.
(5) An individual representing a business that established itself in Iowa on or after July 1, 1999.

Members, except as provided in paragraph "c," subparagraph (2), shall not be emplyed by the state. One co-chairperson shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one co-chairperson shall be appointed by the president of the senate.
MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENT. Moneys appropriated by the general assembly for purposes of the foundation shall be allocated only to the extent that the state moneys are matched from other sources by the foundation on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The foundation shall submit its findings and recommendations by January 15 annually in a report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the state board of education, the state board of regents, the department of workforce development, the department of economic development, the Iowa association of community college trustees, the college student aid commission, the Iowa association of independent colleges and univerisities, and associations representing school boards, nonpublic schools, area education agencies, and teachers. The report shall include an accounting of the revenues and expenditures of the foundation.
This chapter is repealed effective July 1, 2015.