Council Bluffs Board hears plan after Iowa law reshapes work‑based learning definition

Council Bluffs Community School District staff briefed the school board on changes to how Iowa counts post‑secondary readiness, including a new work‑based learning definition under Senate File 2411 and related state reporting that will affect the district’s Iowa School Performance Profile scores.

Miss Kollmaine, a district staff member presenting on post‑secondary readiness indicators, told the board that the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Iowa school performance profile now allocates 100 of 900 points (11.1 percent) to post‑secondary readiness at the high‑school level, up from about 8 percent under the previous system. “The only things that count towards work based learning are these specific types of work based learning embedded opportunities,” Kollmaine said, describing the state’s new, narrower definition tied to Senate File 2411.

The change matters because the state has added new state reporting lines (lines 11–16) that did not exist for the 2022–23 reporting year. Kollmaine said the Department of Education used 2022–23 data for this year’s profile; because the new lines were not present in that year’s reporting, the district — and others statewide — will be disadvantaged in profile points for one or two years while historical data are not retroactively accepted.

Why it matters: the profile affects public reporting of high‑school readiness and the district’s post‑secondary readiness metric, which combines three indicators in the new system: students who earn post‑secondary credit while in high school, students who participate in qualifying work‑based learning under the new definition, and students who earn an industry‑recognized credential (IRC) on the state‑approved list.

Details and examples

Kollmaine explained the new categories in practical terms. Post‑secondary credit includes concurrent enrollment and AP scores of 3 or higher. Work‑based learning now includes sustained authentic projects with industry partners, internships, pre‑apprenticeships, apprenticeships and certain school‑based enterprises when an IRC is attached. An example used by the presenter: students who complete Tradeworx 1 can earn an OSHA‑10 credential; such an IRC counts toward the profile only if the credential appears on the state’s approved list or is later approved through the Department of Education’s application window.

Kollmaine said the IRC list the state released is not all‑inclusive and that a state application window will open for districts to request additional credentials be added. The district plans to apply for approvals where appropriate.

District strategy and timeline

Kollmaine described a district plan to integrate meaningful work‑based learning experiences into each content area and to implement at least one qualifying work‑based learning activity by the end of the school year. Stakeholder steps already taken include a November business advisory committee meeting with CTE teachers, post‑secondary and industry partners; teacher planning sessions in December; follow‑up planning when teachers return in January; and outreach to business partners to finalize placements for second‑semester embedding.

On state reporting, Kollmaine said administrators asked the Department of Education whether districts could submit prior‑year evidence to recapture points and were told that is not permitted; as a result, the district expects a temporary decline in the work‑based learning portion of its profile until the new reporting lines are populated in the two subsequent reporting cycles.

Board questions and concerns

Board members pressed for specificity on two items: how many Diploma Plus pathways or credentials the district currently offers that are not yet on the state approved list, and when the application window will open. Kollmaine said she did not have an exact count of not‑yet‑listed credentials and that the Department had only verified an upcoming application window without firm dates. Board member Mr. Bozara criticized the state’s two‑year lag in recognizing newly counted activity, saying, “To me, it’s their easy way out, but it is penalizing when we know the work we’re doing.”

Next steps and local implications

Kollmaine said teachers will continue planning in early January, finalize partnerships with industry members who attended the advisory meeting, and begin embedding approved work‑based learning experiences in second‑semester coursework. District staff also plan to submit IRC applications to the Department of Education when the application window opens.

The presentation did not propose a board motion; it was delivered as an informational update and to request direction to continue planning and stakeholder outreach.

Ending

Board members praised the work done to align district practice with the new law and emphasized the need for the Department of Education to provide clearer retroactive reporting options. District staff said they will return with implementation details and requests if state guidance or application outcomes require board action.