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Iowa House to finish school reform Wednesday

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March 14th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa House delayed action an education reform plan after a drafting error was discovered at the end of a long day of debate, forcing the lawmakers to postpone the final vote until today (Wednesday). The bill gives the state more control over how student progress is measured and how teachers and administrators are evaluated. Those are among just a few aspects of education traditionally handled by local districts but passed on to state officials in the Republican-backed bill. Under the measure the Iowa Department of Education would establish new procedures to evaluate teachers and administrators annually. High school students would have to take new tests to determine if they’re prepared for college or a career and third graders not reading at grade level would be held back from fourth grade.