IOWA STATUTES AND CODES
272A.1 - INTERSTATE AGREEMENT.
272A.1 INTERSTATE AGREEMENT.
The interstate agreement on qualification of educational personnel
is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all jurisdictions
legally joining therein, in the form substantially as follows:
1. Article I -- Purpose, findings, and policy.
a. The states party to this agreement, desiring by common
action to improve their respective school systems by utilizing the
teacher or other professional educational person wherever educated,
declare that it is the policy of each of them, on the basis of
cooperation with one another, to take advantage of the preparation
and experience of such persons wherever gained, thereby serving the
best interest of society, of education, and of the teaching
profession. It is the purpose of this agreement to provide for the
development and execution of such programs of cooperation as will
facilitate the movement of teachers and other professional
educational personnel among the states party to it, and to authorize
specific interstate educational personnel contracts to achieve that
end.
b. The party states find that included in the large movement
of population among all sections of the nation are many qualified
educational personnel who move for family and other personal reasons
but who are hindered in using their professional skill and experience
in their new locations. Variations from state to state in
requirements for qualifying educational personnel discourage such
personnel from taking the steps necessary to qualify in other states.
As a consequence, a significant number of professionally prepared and
experienced educators is lost to our school systems. Facilitating
the employment of qualified educational personnel, without reference
to their states of origin, can increase the available educational
resources. Participation in this agreement can increase the
availability of educational personnel.
2. Article II -- Definitions. As used in this agreement and
contracts made pursuant to it, unless the context clearly requires
otherwise:
a. "Educational personnel" means persons who must meet
requirements pursuant to state law as a condition of employment in
educational programs.
b. "Designated state official" means the education official
of a state selected by that state to negotiate and enter into, on
behalf of that state, contracts pursuant to this agreement.
c. "Accept", or any variant thereof, means to recognize and
give effect to one or more determinations of another state relating
to the qualifications of educational personnel in lieu of making or
requiring a like determination that would otherwise be required by or
pursuant to the laws of a receiving state.
d. "State" means a state, territory, or possession of the
United States; the District of Columbia; or the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico.
e. "Originating state" means a state, and the subdivision
thereof, if any, whose determination that certain educational
personnel are qualified to be employed for specific duties in schools
is acceptable in accordance with the terms of a contract made
pursuant to article III of this agreement.
f. "Receiving state" means a state, and the subdivisions
thereof, which accepts educational personnel in accordance with the
terms of a contract made pursuant to article III of this agreement.
3. Article III -- Interstate educational personnel contracts.
a. The designated state official of a party state may make
one or more contracts on behalf of that state with one or more other
party states providing for the acceptance of educational personnel.
Any such contract for the period of its duration shall be applicable
to and binding on the states whose designated state officials enter
into it, and the subdivisions of those states, with the same force
and effect as if incorporated in this agreement. A designated state
official may enter into a contract pursuant to this article only with
states in which the official finds that there are programs of
education, licensure standards or other acceptable qualifications
that assure preparation or qualification of educational personnel on
a basis sufficiently comparable, even though not identical to that
prevailing in the official's state.
b. Any such contract shall provide for:
(1) Its duration.
(2) The criteria to be applied by an originating state in
qualifying educational personnel for acceptance by a receiving state.
(3) Such waivers, substitutions, and conditional acceptances as
shall aid the practical effectuation of the contract without
sacrifice of basic educational standards.
(4) Any other necessary matters.
c. No contract made pursuant to this agreement shall be for a
term longer than five years but any such contract may be renewed for
like or lesser periods.
d. Any contract dealing with acceptance of educational
personnel on the basis of their having completed an educational
program shall specify the earliest date or dates on which originating
state approval of the program or programs involved can have occurred.
No contract made pursuant to this agreement shall require acceptance
by a receiving state of any persons qualified because of successful
completion of a program prior to January 1, 1954.
e. The license or other acceptance of a person who has been
accepted pursuant to the terms of a contract shall not be revoked or
otherwise impaired because the contract has expired or been
terminated. However, any license or other qualifying document may be
revoked or suspended on any ground which would be sufficient for
revocation or suspension of a license or other qualifying document
initially granted or approved in the receiving state.
f. A contract committee composed of the designated state
officials of the contracting states or their representatives shall
keep the contract under continuous review, study means of improving
its administration, and report no less frequently than once a year to
the heads of the appropriate education agencies of the contracting
states.
4. Article IV -- Approved and accepted programs.
a. Nothing in this agreement shall be construed to repeal or
otherwise modify any law or regulation of a party state relating to
the approval of programs of educational preparation having effect
solely on the qualification of educational personnel within that
state.
b. To the extent that contracts made pursuant to this
agreement deal with the educational requirements for the proper
qualification of educational personnel, acceptance of a program of
educational preparation shall be in accordance with such procedures
and requirements as may be provided in applicable contract.
5. Article V -- Interstate cooperation. The party states
agree that:
a. They will, so far as practicable, prefer the making of
multilateral contracts pursuant to article III of this agreement.
b. They will facilitate and strengthen cooperation in
interstate certification and other elements of educational personnel
qualification and for this purpose shall cooperate with agencies,
organizations, and associations interested in certification and other
elements of educational personnel qualification.
6. Article VI -- Agreement evaluation. The designated state
officials of any party states may meet from time to time as a group
to evaluate programs under the agreement, and to formulate
recommendations for changes.
7. Article VII -- Other arrangements. Nothing in this
agreement shall be construed to prevent or inhibit other arrangements
or practices of any party state or states to facilitate the
interchange of educational personnel.
8. Article VIII -- Effect and withdrawal.
a. This agreement shall become effective when enacted into
law by two states. Thereafter it shall become effective as to any
state upon its enactment of this agreement.
b. Any party state may withdraw from this agreement by
enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall
take effect until one year after the governor of the withdrawing
state has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the governors
of all other party states.
c. No withdrawal shall relieve the withdrawing state of any
obligation imposed upon it by a contract to which it is a party. The
duration of contracts and the methods and conditions of withdrawal
therefrom shall be those specified in their terms.
9. Article IX -- Construction and severability. This
agreement shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the
purposes thereof. The provisions of this agreement shall be
severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this
agreement is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any state
or of the United States, or the application thereof to any
government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the
validity of the remainder of this agreement and the applicability
thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not
be affected thereby. If this agreement shall be held contrary to the
constitution of any state participating therein, the agreement shall
remain in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all
severable matters. Section History: Early Form
[C75, 77, 79, 81, § 284.1] Section History: Recent Form
90 Acts, ch 1249, §14
C93, § 272A.1
2008 Acts, ch 1032, §201
Referred to in § 272A.2