Iowa Administrative Code

The purpose of this division is to provide uniform definitions and rules for public schools, accredited nonpublic schools, and area education agencies (AEAs) regarding standards for professional development and training in evidence-based classroom management practices, evidence-b…

“Assault” means the same as defined in Iowa Code section 708.1. “Bodily injury” or “injury” means physical pain, illness, or any other impairment of physical condition. For purposes of required reporting, the injury is to be the result of intentional act and not accidental and a …

14.8(1) A classroom teacher may clear students from the classroom only if necessary to prevent or terminate an imminent threat of bodily injury to a student or another person in the classroom. A threat is imminent when it is reasonably likely to inflict pain, illness, or any othe…

14.9(1) General. If a classroom clear is used to prevent an imminent threat, the following notifications and actions shall occur: a. The school principal will, by the end of the school day if possible, but at least within 24 hours after the incident, notify the parents/guardians …

“Accredited nonpublic school” means a nonpublic school accredited pursuant to Iowa Code section 256.11. “Appropriately licensed and endorsed” or “appropriately licensed” means possession of current and valid licensure by the Iowa board of educational examiners to practice at a pr…

15.10(1) Nature of general supervision. The department will exercise general supervision over compliance with this chapter and offer advice and technical assistance to foster compliance and improved outcomes. This will be accomplished by department staff. 15.10(2) Data collection…

15.2(1) Applicability. This rule applies to all AEAs, school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, community colleges, and institutes of higher education using telecommunications to serve students in kindergarten through grade 12. 15.2(2) Course eligibility. Telecommunications…

15.3(1) Online learning model established. An online learning program model is established by the director, pursuant to Iowa Code section 256.9, that provides districts and accredited nonpublic schools with a list of approved online providers. Approved providers will meet criteri…

15.4(1) Online learning program delivered by area education agencies. Subject to an appropriation of funds by the general assembly for this purpose, AEAs may provide an online learning program to deliver distance education to Iowa’s secondary students, including students receivin…

15.5(1) Online learning program provided by a school district. A school district may provide an online learning program delivered primarily over the Internet that operates as an online school. Such a program is governed by Iowa Code section 256.41. 15.5(2) Course content and deli…

courses. 15.6(1) Course content and delivery. A school district or accredited nonpublic school may provide an online learning program to deliver online learning and online coursework to students attending the district or school. Content and delivery provided by an online learning…

281—15.4(256), 281—15.5(256) or 281—15.6(256) may be provided to pupils who are participating in open enrollment under Iowa Code section 282.18. 15.7(1) Courses. A school district may provide individual courses it developed, or any other courses developed pursuant to this chapter…

enrolled in competent private instruction pursuant to Iowa Code chapter 299A may participate in online instruction pursuant to subrules 15.4(6) and 15.6(4). The individual providing instruction to a student under Iowa Code chapter 299A as described in Iowa Code section 299A.1(1) …

15.9(1) Children with disabilities are not to be categorically excluded from admission to online learning programs or from enrollment in online coursework. 15.9(2) Whether an online course or online learning is appropriate to a child with a disability must be determined by the ch…

“Applicant” means a school district applying to become an approved local program. Only public school districts in Iowa may apply for state funds under this chapter. “Approved local program” means the same as defined in Iowa Code section 256C.1. “Assessment” means a systematic ong…

Program Performance Standards, Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards and Criteria, or the NAEYC Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria. All approved local preschool programs adopt preschool program standards and meet the following criteria: 16.2(1) Personnel. A minimum o…

16.3(1) Teachers. The teacher complies with Iowa Code section 256C.3(2)“b.” 16.3(2) Programs. The program complies with Iowa Code section 256C.3(3)“e.” In doing so, the program makes available resources, including those described in subrule 16.2(14), necessary to meet the needs o…

department; address the standards found in rules 281—16.2(256C), 281—16.3(256C), and 281—16.9(256C); and contain a plan describing how they will fully meet the program standards within one year of the funding award. Points are awarded based on the applicant’s provision of the fol…

16.5(1) Request for applications. a. The department announces the commencement of the application period through public notice on the department’s website and the department’s relevant regular electronic publications. b. Applications for preschool program funding are available on…

16.6(1) Removal by agreement. The contract may be terminated in whole or in part when both parties agree that the continuation of the project would not produce beneficial results commensurate with the future expenditure of funds. The parties shall agree upon the termination condi…

may appeal to the director of the department the denial of a properly submitted preschool program funding application or the unilateral termination or removal of an approval. The jurisdictional criteria and procedures found in 281—Chapter 7 apply to any appeal of denial. [ARC 742…

16.8(1) General. The department implements Iowa Code sections 256C.4 and 256C.5. 16.8(2) Aid payments. Preschool foundation aid is paid as part of the state aid payments made to school districts in accordance with Iowa Code section 257.16, except that it is not necessary that an …

in this chapter. The department encourages approved local programs to exceed the minimum standards as programs work toward ongoing improvement. The department monitors each local program’s compliance with this rule. 16.9(1) Annual reports. Each approved local program provides, on…

“Alternative receiving district” means a district to which a parent/guardian petitions for the open enrollment of a pupil from a receiving district. An alternative receiving district could be the district of residence of the parents/guardians. “Attendance center” means a public s…

requiring special education, as provided by Iowa Code chapter 256B and 281—Chapter 41, this request will receive consideration under the following conditions. 17.10(1) Appropriateness of program. The request will be granted only if the receiving district is able to provide within…

guardians of students to transfer to other attendance centers operated by the district. Such transfers are at the discretion of the district, subject to terms that the district adopts. [ARC 7786C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24]

that a student has been bullied or harassed, then the school will permit the student to transfer under the provisions of Iowa Code section 279.82. For purposes of this rule, “harassment” and “bullying” mean the same as defined in Iowa Code section 280.28. Subrule 17.6(2) and rule…

“Department” means the Iowa department of education. “Forcible felony” means any crime defined in Iowa Code section 702.11. This includes felonious child endangerment, assault, murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, arson in the first degree, or burglary in the first degree. …

defined in this rule is eligible to transfer to a different school within the district. Transportation for students electing to transfer will be provided according to the district’s transportation policy. The transfers may be temporary or permanent, but will be in effect as long …

17.15(1) Any student who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense will, to the extent feasible, be permitted to transfer to another school within the district. For purposes of this rule, a victim of a violent criminal offense is a student who is physically injured or threat…

and requested information related to this division in a manner prescribed by the department. [ARC 7786C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24] This division is intended to implement 20 U.S.C. Section 7912. [Filed emergency 7/7/89—published 7/26/89, effective 7/7/89] [Filed 2/2/90, Noti…

school districts in processing open enrollment applications. 17.2(1) Parent/guardian responsibilities. Iowa Code section 282.18 governs the application process and responsibilities for parents/guardians and school districts. An application completed and submitted under this chapt…

17.3(1) Applicability. These rules govern only the components of a court-ordered desegregation plan as the plan affects open enrollment requests. 17.3(2) Nature of court-ordered desegregation plan. The language of the court order outlines a district’s implementation of open enrol…

guardian of a kindergarten pupil or a parent/guardian of a prekindergarten student enrolled in a special education program and eligible to be included in the resident school district’s basic enrollment under Iowa Code section 257.6(1)“a”(1) may request to enroll the pupil or stud…

17.5(1) General. A school district may provide courses developed by private providers and delivered primarily over the Internet to pupils who are participating in open enrollment under Iowa Code section 282.18. However, if a student’s participation in open enrollment to receive e…

provisions related to open enrollment requests: 17.6(1) Court-ordered desegregation plans. If the resident district has a court-ordered desegregation plan, the superintendent of the resident district may act upon the request for transfer as outlined in Iowa Code section 282.18(3)…

17.7(1) Renewal of an open enrollment agreement. An open enrollment agreement remains in place unless canceled by the parent/guardian or terminated as outlined in the provisions of subrule 17.7(5). 17.7(2) Change in residence when participating in open enrollment. If the parent/g…

17.8(1) Parent responsibilities. The parent/guardian of a pupil who has been accepted for open enrollment is to be responsible to transport the pupil without reimbursement, except as provided in subrule 17.8(2), to a point on a regular school bus route of the receiving district a…

cost to their parents/guardians. Open enrollment pupils are considered enrolled resident pupils in the resident district and are included in the certified enrollment count of that district for the purposes of generating school foundation aid. 17.9(1) Full-time pupils. The residen…

participation in or denied the benefits of course offerings and related activities due to the student’s or the student’s parent’s or guardian’s financial inability to pay a fee associated with the class, program, or activity. [ARC 7426C, IAB 12/27/23, effective 1/31/24]

policy regarding the charging and collecting of fees for course offerings and related activities and for transportation provided to resident students who are not entitled to transportation under Iowa Code section 285.1, apply its policy to any fees charged, and develop procedures…

mandated by rule 281—18.2(256) is to include provisions for granting a waiver, partial waiver, or temporary waiver of student fees upon application by the student. 18.3(1) Waivers. At minimum, the policy is to include the following provisions relating to eligibility for the waive…

not be waived. Nothing in this chapter authorizes the charging of a fee for which there is no authority in law. [ARC 7426C, IAB 12/27/23, effective 1/31/24] These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 256.7(20). [Filed 4/15/96, Notice 1/3/96—published 5/8/96, effectiv…

education. Charter schools established on or after July 1, 2021, are subject to Iowa Code chapter 256E and Division I of this chapter. Charter schools established prior to July 1, 2021, continue to operate under and are subject to the provisions of Iowa Code chapter 256F and Divi…

purpose, a charter school established under this division is organized as a nonprofit education organization. It has the powers, duties, and exemptions specified in Iowa Code section 256E.7. For purposes of “applicable federal, state, and local health and safety requirements,” th…

19.11(1) General. Charter school funding is governed by Iowa Code section 256E.8. 19.11(2) Enrollment estimates. If necessary, and pursuant to paragraph 19.11(2)“a,” funding amounts determined under this rule for the first school year of a new charter school are to be based on en…

19.12(1) General. The state board’s monitoring, oversight, remedial actions, and enforcement actions (up to and including revocation) are governed by Iowa Code section 256E.10. 19.12(2) Renewal guidance. The state board’s renewal application guidance will, at a minimum, include t…

are governed by Iowa Code section 256E.11. Prior to any charter school closure decision, the state board will develop a charter school closure protocol to ensure timely notice to parents and guardians, provide for the orderly transition of students and student records to new scho…

19.14(1) Annual report. Each charter school prepares and files an annual report with the department, on or before October 1 and including data from the prior school year, pursuant to Iowa Code section 256E.12(1) that includes: a. The charter school’s mission statement, including …

Code chapter 256F continue to operate pursuant to that Iowa Code chapter and are not subject to the requirements of this division or Iowa Code chapter 256E. [ARC 8241C, IAB 10/2/24, effective 11/6/24] These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code chapter 256E. DIVISION II CHART…