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H.B. 63
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5 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
6 READING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH;
7 PROVIDING THAT THE CENTER ASSIST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN IDENTIFYING,
8 ASSESSING, AND PROVIDING INSTRUCTIONAL INTERVENTION PROGRAMS FOR
9 STUDENTS WITH READING DIFFICULTIES; PROVIDING FOR A PROFESSIONAL
10 TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM; PROVIDING A $1,000,000 APPROPRIATION FOR
11 THE CENTER; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
12 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
13 ENACTS:
14 53A-3-402.10, Utah Code Annotated 1953
15 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
16 Section 1. Section 53A-3-402.10 is enacted to read:
17 53A-3-402.10. Reading Skills Development Center -- Purpose.
18 (1) The Legislature recognizes the critical importance of identifying, assessing, and
19 assisting students with reading difficulties at an early age in order for them to have successful and
20 productive school and life experiences.
21 (2) In order to help accomplish this, there is established a Reading Skills Development
22 Center, hereafter referred to as the "center", at the University of Utah to:
23 (a) assist school districts in detecting reading difficulties in students in the early grades;
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25 (b) provide instructional intervention to enable the students to overcome their reading
26 difficulties.
27 (3) (a) The center shall assist school districts by providing expertise in the assessment of
28 reading difficulties and designing effective instructional interventions to overcome those
29 difficulties.
30 (b) The assessment and intervention programs shall focus primarily on grades one through
31 three in order to correct any detected difficulties by the end of the third grade, but assessment and
32 instructional intervention services shall be available to public education students of all ages.
33 (c) School districts may use the assessment and intervention programs on site at the center,
34 at the student's school, or by using interactive technology.
35 (4) (a) The center shall provide school districts with a professional development program
36 for reading endorsements that can be added to active elementary certificates.
37 (b) Each school district may allow its teachers to participate in the program through:
38 (i) programs taught on-site at local schools;
39 (ii) distance education with videotaped classes and on-site facilitators; and
40 (iii) interactive delivery by computers and video.
41 (c) Each school district shall use this professional teacher development program in an
42 effort to place at least one reading specialist in each of its elementary schools.
43 (5) The center shall provide school district administrators, school administrators, and
44 school teachers with the most current research-based knowledge about reading and reading
45 instruction through nationally and internationally recognized reading researchers and instructional
46 specialists.
47 Section 2. Appropriation.
48 (1) Except as provided in H.B. 4, Appropriations Coordination Act, there is appropriated
49 from the General Fund for fiscal year 1999-2000, $1,000,000 to the University of Utah to help
50 fund the activities of the Reading Skills Development Center at the university.
51 (2) The money appropriated in Subsection (1) is nonlapsing.
52 Section 3. Effective date.
53 This act takes effect on July 1, 1999.
Legislative Review Note
as of 1-4-99 12:11 PM
A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.