Education and Health Related Laws

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015 and replaced the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, the national kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) education law emphasizing equal educational opportunities for all students. The law maintains a focus on equity for all students while giving states and local school districts much more ownership over systems of school accountability and support.

Learn more from the Iowa Department of Education

Iowa's Anti Bullying Law

Bullying and harassment is not only harmful to the social and emotional development of children, it gets in the way of learning. Ensuring the physical safety and emotional security of children in school is a critical concern shared by parents and educators. Recognizing that concern, in 2007 the Iowa Legislature passed a state law to help prevent and address bullying in schools.

Learn more from ASK Resource Center

Bullying & Harassment

Harassment and bullying are defined in Iowa Code 280.28 as: Any electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment

Learn more from the IDOE

Iowa Code 280.28 Harassment and Bullying Prohibited

The state of Iowa is committed to providing all students with a safe and civil school environment in which all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect. The general assembly finds that a safe and civil school environment is necessary for students to learn and achieve at high academic levels. Harassing and bullying behavior can seriously disrupt the ability of school employees to maintain a safe and civil environment, and the ability of students to learn and succeed. Therefore, it is the policy of the state of Iowa that school employees, volunteers, and students in Iowa schools shall not engage in harassing or bullying behavior,

Read the Iowa Legislation Here

What Is Cyberbullying? Facts, Laws & Resources | Maryville Online

This guide on what cyberbullying is from Maryville University Online will help you learn everything you need to know about cyberbullying, from relevant facts and statistics to helpful resources, so you can keep your teen safe online.

Learn more from Maryville Online

About the ACA

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, referred to as the Affordable Care Act or “ACA” for short, is the comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010. The law has 3 primary goals: 1) Make affordable health insurance available to more people. 2) Expand the Medicaid program to cover all adults with income below 138% of the FPL. 3) Support innovative medical care delivery methods designed to lower the costs of health care generally.

Learn more from HHS.gov

Understanding HIPAA: What Parents Need to Know About Privacy & Their Adult Child's Health Information

This document answers frequently asked questions (FAQs) about when parents can access their adult child's protected health information. You will find information about parent's rights to access their minor child's protected health information.

Read the PHI PDF

Iowa Code 299.1A Compulsory Attendance Age

Learn more about Compulsory attendance age.

Read the Legislation Here

Truancy

Children may miss school for lots of reasons. Students may be sick, afraid of being bullied, or too depressed to attend. If they have not had success in school, they may start to dread going. As students get older, parents may find it harder to make children attend. One response to poor attendance is to label the student as a "truant." This article will deal with truancy laws.

Visit the Iowa Legal Aid Website

File a FERPA Complaint - Protecting Student Privacy

If you believe your rights have been violated under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), please review the videos and instructions below to learn how to file a complaint with the Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO). While the videos are specific to FERPA complaints, a similar process applies to PPRA complaints.

Learn more from the U.S. Department of Education