Iowa Policy Changes Would Range From Pre-K Through High School

Education took center stage in Iowa’s 2006 legislative session, resulting in measures to boost teacher salaries, start a pilot program that bases teacher pay on student achievement, expand preschool, and establish statewide graduation requirements.

Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Democrat, is expected to sign the measures, which include goals he had outlined in January. He is “very pleased” with the session, said Jennifer L. Mullin, a spokeswoman for the governor, who has 30 days from the May 4 end of the session to sign the measures.

Much of the legislation closely followed recommendations released in January by the Institute for Tomorrow’s Workforce, a nonprofit organization formed by the Iowa legislature last year to help the Hawkeye State regain its prominence as a national...