DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a press conference on Wednesday afternoon with Iowa Department of Education leadership and the Superintendent of Davenport Community Schools.
The Iowa Legislature over the last two calendar years have passed new academic standards for literacy advancements, expanding work-based learning opportunities and addressing chronic absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism rates dropped in the state from school year 2023-24 at 21.6% to school year 2024-25 which sat at 15.8%. The difference, according to district leaders, has been the bipartisan chronic absenteeism law that was passed in the 2024 Iowa legislative session.
“In the area of attendance, we took that legislation and we created teams at each one of our schools. And those teams look at student data, they put together plans for students, they reached out to parents, they find out the barriers on it, I could go on and on and on,” said T.J. Schneckloth, Superintendent of the Davenport Community School District “And due to that work our chronic absenteeism has drastically reduced in Davenport. And a lot of that has to do with the teeth that is put in that legislation.”
That legislation sent notices to families at risk of chronic absenteeism, which is missing 10% of school days. It also required school engagement meetings with families, setting up plans for students missing school and created partnerships with county attorneys to enforce the law, if necessary. Schneckloth added that the new statewide school cell phone restriction policy has been met with positive feedback from student leadership groups in the district.
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Work-based learning opportunities have expanded in the state after a bill drafted by Gov. Reynolds’ office was passed in the 2024 session.
“Forty-five percent of all seniors attained a work-based learning experience,” said McKenzie Snow, Director of the Iowa Department of Education. “That is a 19.5 percentage point increase and a 76% rate of growth increase over two years.”
Another topic highlighted by the educational leadership was schools in need of support for classroom support. The department recently identified 35 schools that needed support and improvement due to being some of the worst performing schools in the state in the last school year. An example was given about how visits from the Iowa Department of Education to these schools to observe and then implement modeling and coaching for these education professionals has paid off in the short-term.
“This cycle of support aligns with each school’s action plan, and it exemplifies a model that has proven effective. Schools have embraced this support, allowing us to become true partners in fostering rigorous learning environments for students,” said Tina Wahlert, the administrator of the PK-12 Learning Division at the Iowa Department of Education.
Early literacy statistics were cited by the governor and education leadership, pointing to a growth in early literacy rates. Gov. Reynolds’ Office said that after the early literacy legislation that passed in 2024, there was a growth of 11 percentage points for the state’s third graders in 2023-24 to their fourth grade year in 2024-25.
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