Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 281 - Education Department › Title II - Accredited Schools and School Districts › Chapter 12 - General Accreditation Standards › Rule 281-12.4 - School Personnel

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
License/certificate and endorsement standards required in
				  this rule relate to licenses/certificates and endorsements issued by the state
				  board of educational examiners as referenced in Iowa Code chapter 256,
				  subchapter VII, part 3. The following standards apply to personnel employed in
				  accredited schools:
(1)
Instructional professional staff.
Each person who holds a
				license/certificate endorsed for the service for which that person is employed
				is eligible for classification as a member of the instructional professional
				staff as referenced in Iowa Code section
				279.13.
(2)
Noninstructional professional
				staff.
A person who holds a statement of professional recognition,
				including a physician, dentist, nurse, speech therapist, or a person in one of
				the other noninstructional professional areas designated by the state board of
				education, is eligible for classification as a member of the noninstructional
				professional staff.
(3)
Basis for approval of professional staff.
Each member of the
				professional staff will be classified as either instructional or
				noninstructional. An instructional professional staff member will be regarded
				as approved when holding either an appropriate license/certificate with
				endorsement or endorsements, or a license/certificate with an endorsement
				statement, indicating the specific teaching assignments that may be given. A
				noninstructional professional staff member will be regarded as approved when
				holding a statement of professional recognition for the specific type of
				noninstructional professional school service for which employed.
(4)
Required administrative
				personnel.
Each board that operates both an elementary school and a
				secondary school will employ as its executive officer and chief administrator a
				person who holds a license/certificate endorsed for service as a
				superintendent. The board of a school district may meet this provision by
				contracting with its area education agency for "superintendency services" as
				provided by Iowa Code section
				273.7A. The individual employed
				or contracted for as superintendent may serve as an elementary principal or as
				a high school principal in that school or school district provided that the
				superintendent holds the proper licensure/certification. For purposes of this
				subrule, high school means a school that commences with either grade 9 or grade
				10, as determined by the board of directors of the school district, or by the
				governing authority of the nonpublic school in the case of nonpublic schools.
				Boards of school districts may jointly employ a superintendent, provided such
				arrangements comply with the provisions of Iowa Code section
				279.23(4).
(5)
Staffing
				policies-elementary schools.
The board operating an elementary school
				will develop and adopt staffing policies designed to attract, retain, and
				effectively utilize competent personnel. Each board operating an elementary
				school will employ at least one elementary principal. This position may be
				combined with that of secondary principal or with a teaching assignment at the
				elementary or secondary level, provided the individual holds the proper
				licenses/certificates and endorsements.
When grades 7 and 8 are part of an organized and administered
				  junior high school, the staffing policies adopted by the board for secondary
				  schools apply. When grades 7 and 8 are part of an organized and administered
				  middle school, the staffing policies adopted by the board for elementary
				  schools apply.
(6)
Staffing policies-secondary schools.
The board operating a
				secondary school will develop and adopt staffing policies designed to attract,
				retain, and effectively utilize competent personnel. Each board operating a
				secondary school will employ at least one secondary principal. This position
				may be combined with that of elementary principal or with a teaching assignment
				at the elementary or secondary level, provided the individual holds the proper
				licenses/certificates and endorsements. This position may be combined with that
				of superintendent, but one person may not serve as elementary principal,
				secondary principal, and superintendent.
(7)
Principal.
"Principal"
				means a licensed/certificated member of a school's instructional staff who
				serves as an instructional leader, coordinates the process and substance of
				educational and instructional programs, coordinates the budget of the school,
				provides formative evaluation for all practitioners and other persons in the
				school, recommends or has effective authority to appoint, assign, promote, or
				transfer personnel in a school building, implements the local school board's
				policy in a manner consistent with professional practice and ethics, and
				assists in the development and supervision of a school's student activities
				program.
(8)
Teacher.
A teacher is defined as a member of the instructional
				professional staff who holds a license/certificate endorsed for the type of
				position in which employed. A teacher diagnoses, prescribes, evaluates, and
				directs student learnings in terms of the school's objectives, either singly or
				in concert with other professional staff members; shares responsibility with
				the total professional staff for developing educational procedures and student
				activities to be used in achieving the school's objectives; supervises
				educational aides who assist in serving students for whom the teacher is
				responsible; and evaluates or assesses student progress during and following
				instruction in terms of the objectives sought, and uses this information to
				develop further educational procedures.
(9)
Educational assistant.
An educational assistant is defined as an employee who, in the presence or
				absence of an instructional professional staff member but under the direction,
				supervision, and control of the instructional professional staff, supervises
				students or assists in providing instructional and other direct educational
				services to students and their families. An educational assistant shall not
				substitute for or replace the functions and duties of a teacher as established
				in subrule 12.4(8).
During the initial year of employment, an educational
				  assistant will complete staff development approved by the board as provided in
				  subrule 12.7(1).
(10)
Record of license/certificate or statement of professional
				recognition.
The board shall require each administrator, teacher,
				support service staff member, and noninstructional professional staff member on
				its staff to supply evidence that each holds a license/certificate or statement
				of professional recognition that is in force and valid for the type of position
				in which the individual is employed.
(11)
Record required regarding
				teacher and administrative assignments.
The board shall require its
				superintendent or other designated administrator to maintain a file for all
				regularly employed members of the instructional professional staff, including
				substitute teachers. The file will consist of official licenses/certificates or
				copies thereof for all members of the instructional professional staff,
				including substitute teachers, showing that they are eligible for the position
				in which employed. The official will also maintain on file an official
				license/certificate or statement of professional recognition as defined in
				subrule 12.4(2) for each member of the noninstructional professional staff.
				These records will be on file at the beginning of and throughout each school
				year and updated annually to reflect all professional growth.
On December 1 of each year, the official will verify to the
				  department the licensure/certification and endorsement status of each member of
				  the instructional and administrative staff. This report will be on forms
				  provided by the department and identify all persons holding authorizations and
				  their specific assignment(s) with the authorization(s).
(12)
Nurses.
The board of
				each school district shall employ a school nurse and require a current license
				to be filed with the superintendent or other designated administrator as
				specified in subrule 12.4(10).
(13)
Prekindergarten staff.
Prekindergarten teachers shall hold a
				license/certificate valid for the prekindergarten level. The board will employ
				personnel as necessary to provide effective supervision and instruction in the
				prekindergarten program as referenced in Iowa Code sections
				256.11(1)  and
				256.11(2).
(14)
Support
				staff.
The board shall develop and implement procedures for the use of
				educational support staff to augment classroom instruction and to meet
				individual student needs. These staff members may be employed by the board or
				by the area education agency.
(15)
Volunteer.
A volunteer is defined as an individual who,
				without compensation or remuneration, provides a supportive role and performs
				tasks under the direction, supervision, and control of the school or school
				district staff. A volunteer shall not work as a substitute for or replace the
				functions and duties of a teacher as established in subrule 12.4(8).