‘Education’ Archives

New Study Shows Decrease In Heart Disease

            The American Cancer Society announced on Thursday, January 14 that heart disease admissions in Iowa have decreased 24 percent since the Iowa Smokefree Air Act was passed in 2008.

            The benefits appear to be increasing in size, with more than a 40 percent decrease in coronary heart disease admissions from June 2008 through June 2009.

            The study monitored hospital admissions for tobacco related illnesses from July 2005 through June 2009.

            The studies also show a five percent decrease in hospital admissions for strokes, and an eight percent decrease in hospital admissions for heart attacks.  Other data illustrates a sharp decline in the smoking rate and cigarettes consumed in Iowa since 2007.  This correlates with the increased tobacco tax released that year, as well as the passage of the Iowa Smokefree Air Act.

Tags: decrease in heart disease, smoke-free iowa act
Category 2010 Session Information, Education, Featured, Health Care |

Strong Schools Package Clears First Hurdle

A key house committee has already approved a package of education initiatives that will strengthen Iowa k-12 schools and protect local property taxpayers.  On a 12-4 vote, the House Education Committee passed a series of reforms to help Iowa land up to $175 million in Race to the Top funds. (House File 2033)

Iowa property tax payers will benefit from another bill passed to make sure schools spend down their cash reserves before raising property taxes. (House File 2030)  

Requested by schools last fall, two other bills approved by the committee will delay setting the school aid formula schools by one year, instead of setting it two years in advance. (House File 2031 & 2032)

Tags: Education
Category Education |

Iowa Math and Science Education Partnership

In 2008, the Legislature appropriated $4 million to the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) for the development and implementation of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Collaborative Initiative between the three Regents universities.
The goals of the program are to promote statewide collaboration and coordination, prepare highly qualified math and science teachers, and improve math and science performance of Iowa’s students.
A report has now been issued showing what has been accomplished over the past year by drawing in 47 more mathematics and science majors for teaching at ISU and UNI.

Category Education |

Iowa Shows Decrease in Junenile Detention Rates

There were new promising results announced from efforts to decrease Iowa’s rates of youth detention, especially for minority youth who are overrepresented in the state’s juvenile justice system.

Statewide, Iowa has decreased its overall detention of juveniles by about 15%, especially for low-level juvenile offenders, in each of the last two years, without any impact on public safety. In Black Hawk County, detention rates of minority youth declined by more than 20% for calendar year 2008. In Polk County, minority detention declined by 23.2%, and in Woodbury County minority detention was cut by 5.2%.

Executive Order 5, signed on Oct. 30, 2007, established the Governor’s Youth, Race and Detention Task Force, administered by the Criminal Juvenile and Justice Planning Division of the Iowa Department of Human Rights.

Representative Wayne Ford of Des Moines, a key member of getting this important legislation passed, congratulated the Youth, Race and Detention Task Force on their promising initial results. “ I respect the efforts in appointing this group to look at an issue we have been facing for too long, especially toward youth and minorities,” he added.

Category Education, Public Safety |

IPERS Advisory Committee Makes Recommendations

The Benefits Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) has agreed on recommendations to the Legislature to deal with the long-term funding concerns facing the system.
The committee’s recommendations to the Legislature include the following:
1. Increase the combined employer/employee contribution rate to 13.45% effective July 1, 2011. Under current law, the rate will be 11.45% on July 1, 2011.
2. Allow IPERS to “float” the contribution rate by 1% each year. Current law sets this at 0.5%.
3. Change the vesting requirement from the current four years to seven years.
4. Change the final average salary from the current high three years to five years.
5. Increase the early retirement reduction penalty from the current 3% to an average of 6% per year below age 65 for anyone retiring before they have earned the Rule of 88, or age 62 with 20 years of service or have reached age 65.
6. The benefit multiplier remains unchanged under this proposal. Currently, employees earn 2% per year for up to 30 years of employment resulting in a 60% multiplier. Once the employee has worked from 30 to 35 years, the benefit multiplier is 1% resulting in their final retirement benefit being the average of the highest three years salary times 65%.

Tags: Education, IPERS, Retirement
Category Education, Jobs & Economy |