Read the full stored bill text
House
File
460
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
460
BY
EHLERT
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
play-based
learning
in
preschool,
1
prekindergarten,
and
kindergarten.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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460
Section
1.
Section
256.11,
subsection
1,
paragraphs
a
and
b,
1
Code
2025,
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
a.
If
a
school
offers
a
prekindergarten
program,
the
program
3
shall
be
designed
to
help
children
to
work
and
play
with
4
others,
to
express
themselves,
to
learn
to
use
and
manage
their
5
bodies,
and
to
extend
their
interests
and
understanding
of
the
6
world
about
them.
The
prekindergarten
program
shall
encourage
7
cooperative
efforts
between
home
and
school
and
shall
focus
8
on
community
resources.
The
prekindergarten
program
shall
9
include
at
least
ninety
minutes
of
play-based
learning
during
10
each
half
school
day
and
at
least
one
hundred
eighty
minutes
11
of
play-based
learning
during
each
full
school
day.
Except
12
as
otherwise
provided
in
this
subsection
,
a
prekindergarten
13
teacher
shall
hold
a
license
certifying
that
the
holder
is
14
qualified
to
teach
in
prekindergarten.
A
nonpublic
school
15
which
offers
only
a
prekindergarten
may,
but
is
not
required
16
to,
seek
and
obtain
accreditation.
17
b.
If
the
board
of
directors
of
a
school
district
contracts
18
for
the
operation
of
a
prekindergarten
program,
the
program
19
shall
be
under
the
oversight
of
an
appropriately
licensed
20
teacher.
If
the
program
contracted
with
was
in
existence
21
on
July
1,
1989,
oversight
of
the
program
shall
be
provided
22
by
the
district.
If
the
program
contracted
with
was
not
23
in
existence
on
July
1,
1989,
the
director
of
the
program
24
shall
be
a
licensed
teacher
and
the
director
shall
provide
25
program
oversight.
Any
director
of
a
program
contracted
26
with
by
a
school
district
under
this
section
who
is
not
a
27
licensed
teacher
is
required
to
register
with
the
department
of
28
education.
The
prekindergarten
program
shall
include
at
least
29
ninety
minutes
of
play-based
learning
during
each
half
school
30
day
and
at
least
one
hundred
eighty
minutes
of
play-based
31
learning
during
each
full
school
day.
32
Sec.
2.
Section
256.11,
subsection
2,
Code
2025,
is
amended
33
to
read
as
follows:
34
2.
The
kindergarten
program
shall
include
experiences
35
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designed
to
develop
healthy
emotional
and
social
habits
and
1
growth
in
the
language
arts
and
communication
skills,
as
well
2
as
a
capacity
for
the
completion
of
individual
tasks,
and
3
protect
and
increase
physical
well-being
with
attention
given
4
to
experiences
relating
to
the
development
of
life
skills
and,
5
subject
to
section
279.80
,
age-appropriate
and
research-based
6
human
growth
and
development.
The
kindergarten
program
shall
7
include
at
least
forty-five
minutes
of
play-based
learning
8
during
each
school
day.
A
kindergarten
teacher
shall
be
9
licensed
to
teach
in
kindergarten.
An
accredited
nonpublic
10
school
must
meet
the
requirements
of
this
subsection
only
if
11
the
nonpublic
school
offers
a
kindergarten
program;
provided,
12
however,
that
section
279.80
shall
not
apply
to
a
nonpublic
13
school.
14
Sec.
3.
Section
256.11,
subsection
19,
Code
2025,
is
amended
15
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
16
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
0b.
“Play-based
learning”
means
a
17
pedagogical
approach
that
emphasizes
play
and
child-directed
18
experiences
in
promoting
learning
and
that
includes
19
developmentally
appropriate
strategies
that
can
be
integrated
20
with
existing
learning
standards.
“Play-based
learning”
21
includes
social
imitation,
learning
through
expression,
and
22
unstructured
play
within
the
classroom
setting
where
it
is
a
23
time
for
the
discovery
of
each
child’s
individual
talents,
24
abilities,
and
needs.
“Play-based
learning”
does
not
include
25
time
spent
in
recess
or
as
part
of
a
physical
education
course
26
or
instruction.
27
Sec.
4.
Section
256C.3,
subsection
3,
Code
2025,
is
amended
28
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
29
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
i.
Provision
for
at
least
ninety
minutes
of
30
play-based
learning
during
each
half
school
day
and
at
least
31
one
hundred
eighty
minutes
of
play-based
learning
during
each
32
full
school
day.
For
purposes
of
this
paragraph,
“play-based
33
learning”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
256.11,
34
subsection
19.
35
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Sec.
5.
Section
256E.7,
subsection
2,
paragraph
g,
Code
1
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subparagraph:
2
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(01)
The
educational
standards
3
established
in
section
256.11,
subsections
1
and
2,
related
to
4
play-based
learning.
5
Sec.
6.
Section
256F.4,
subsection
2,
Code
2025,
is
amended
6
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
7
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
r.
Be
subject
to
and
comply
with
the
8
requirements
of
section
256.11,
subsections
1
and
2,
relating
9
to
play-based
learning
in
the
same
manner
as
a
school
district.
10
EXPLANATION
11
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
12
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
13
This
bill
relates
to
play-based
learning
in
preschool,
14
prekindergarten,
and
kindergarten.
15
The
bill
defines
“play-based
learning”
as
a
pedagogical
16
approach
that
emphasizes
play
and
child-directed
experiences
17
in
promoting
learning
and
that
includes
developmentally
18
appropriate
strategies
that
can
be
integrated
with
existing
19
learning
standards.
20
The
bill
requires
school
districts,
accredited
nonpublic
21
schools,
charter
schools,
and
innovation
zone
schools
to
22
incorporate
at
least
90
minutes
of
play-based
learning
during
23
each
half
school
day
and
at
least
180
minutes
of
play-based
24
learning
during
each
full
school
day
into
the
prekindergarten
25
program.
Schools
are
required
to
incorporate
at
least
45
26
minutes
of
play-based
learning
each
school
day
into
the
27
kindergarten
program.
The
bill
also
requires
preschools
that
28
operate
under
Code
chapter
256C
(statewide
preschool
program)
29
to
provide
for
at
least
90
minutes
of
play-based
learning
30
during
each
half
school
day
and
at
least
180
minutes
of
31
play-based
learning
during
each
full
school
day.
32
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