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S.B. 159

             1     

MATH EDUCATION INITIATIVE

             2     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             5     
House Sponsor: John Dougall

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill creates a program that awards grants for the improvement of math education.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    requires the Legislature to annually appropriate money to the State Board of
             13      Education for the Math Education Initiative, subject to future budget constraints;
             14          .    directs the State Board of Education to use monies appropriated for the Math
             15      Education Initiative to award grants to:
             16              .    school districts and charter schools to help pay for costs to adopt Singapore
             17      math; and
             18              .    institutions of higher education or nonprofit education organizations for math
             19      teacher training programs;
             20          .    requires a school district or charter school that participates in the Math Education
             21      Initiative to:
             22              .    offer Singapore math in grades kindergarten through six and certain courses at
             23      the secondary school level;
             24              .    administer math achievement tests using computerized adaptive testing; and
             25              .    provide professional development to teachers in Singapore math;
             26          .    requires the State Board of Education to make rules:
             27              .    requiring teachers who teach Singapore math in school districts and charter


             28      schools that participate in the Math Education Initiative to demonstrate competency in math by
             29      passing a test; and
             30              .    establishing criteria for awarding grants for math teacher training programs; and
             31          .    directs the State Board of Education to:
             32              .    adopt math curriculum standards for students who participate in the Math
             33      Education Initiative;
             34              .    appoint an advisory committee to make recommendations regarding the
             35      implementation of the Math Education Initiative; and
             36              .    contract with an independent, qualified evaluator, selected through a request for
             37      proposals process, to evaluate the effect of instruction in Singapore math on
             38      student achievement.
             39      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             40          This bill appropriates:
             41          .    as an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, $1,750,000 from
             42      the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2009-10 to the State Board of Education.
             43      Other Special Clauses:
             44          This bill provides an effective date.
             45      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             46      AMENDS:
             47          63I-2-253, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Second Special Session, Chapter 6
             48      ENACTS:
             49          53A-13-401, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             50          53A-13-402, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             51          53A-13-403, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             52          53A-13-404, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             53          53A-13-405, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             54          53A-13-406, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             55          53A-13-407, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             56          53A-13-408, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             57          53A-13-409, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             58          53A-13-410, Utah Code Annotated 1953


             59     
             60      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             61          Section 1. Section 53A-13-401 is enacted to read:
             62     
Part 4. Math Education Initiative

             63          53A-13-401. Definitions.
             64          As used in this section:
             65          (1) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
             66          (2) "Singapore math" means the math curriculum created by the education ministry in
             67      Singapore for use in Singapore schools and encompassing the textbooks, workbooks, and other
             68      materials based on the math curriculum.
             69          Section 2. Section 53A-13-402 is enacted to read:
             70          53A-13-402. Purposes of the Math Education Initiative -- Public-private
             71      partnerships encouraged.
             72          (1) The Math Education Initiative is created to:
             73          (a) make Utah the premier state for math education and a recognized source of skilled
             74      scientists and engineers;
             75          (b) meet the demand of Utah employers for workers with high math skills; and
             76          (c) entice companies that require a highly skilled technical workforce to locate in the
             77      state.
             78          (2) The formation of public-private partnerships is encouraged to advance the purposes
             79      of the Math Education Initiative.
             80          Section 3. Section 53A-13-403 is enacted to read:
             81          53A-13-403. Annual appropriation for Math Education Initiative -- Use of Math
             82      Education Initiative monies.
             83          (1) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall:
             84          (a) annually appropriate money to the State Board of Education for the Math Education
             85      Initiative; and
             86          (b) increase appropriations for the Math Education Initiative as the state's capacity to
             87      provide professional development to teachers in Singapore math expands.
             88          (2) From monies appropriated for the Math Education Initiative, the State Board of
             89      Education shall:


             90          (a) award grants to:
             91          (i) school districts and charter schools to help pay for a school district's or charter
             92      school's costs of adopting Singapore math as provided by Section 53A-13-404 ; and
             93          (ii) institutions of higher education or nonprofit educational organizations for math
             94      teacher training programs as provided in Section 53A-13-409 ; and
             95          (b) contract with an independent, qualified evaluator, selected through a request for
             96      proposals process, to evaluate the effect of instruction in Singapore math on student
             97      achievement.
             98          Section 4. Section 53A-13-404 is enacted to read:
             99          53A-13-404. Grants to school districts and charter schools.
             100          (1) Participation in the Math Education Initiative is voluntary for school districts and
             101      charter schools and is based on a competitive grant proposal process.
             102          (2) The board may award grants of up to $100 per student for the portion of a school
             103      district's or charter school's kindergarten through grade eight enrollment that participates in the
             104      Math Education Initiative for the first time.
             105          (3) A school district or charter school may use the grant monies to pay for Singapore
             106      math instructional materials or professional development in teaching Singapore math.
             107          Section 5. Section 53A-13-405 is enacted to read:
             108          53A-13-405. Requirements of school districts and charter schools to participate in
             109      the Math Education Initiative.
             110          (1) A school district or charter school that participates in the Math Education Initiative:
             111          (a) (i) shall adopt Singapore math for grades kindergarten through six, except as
             112      provided in Subsection (2); and
             113          (ii) may adopt Singapore math for grades seven and eight;
             114          (b) shall at the secondary school level, offer:
             115          (i) honors and regular sections of algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2, taught from a
             116      small group of high quality textbooks recommended by the State Board of Education;
             117          (ii) an honors pre-calculus course that corresponds to Math 1050, college algebra, and
             118      Math 1060, trigonometry, at Utah higher education institutions so that high achieving students
             119      can receive college credit through concurrent enrollment; and
             120          (iii) calculus and statistics courses that meet the standards for the Advanced Placement


             121      exams;
             122          (c) shall administer math achievement tests at the beginning and the end of the school
             123      year using computerized adaptive testing to students taking Singapore math classes; and
             124          (d) shall provide professional development to teachers in Singapore math.
             125          (2) (a) A school district or charter school may phase in the adoption of Singapore math
             126      in grades kindergarten through eight over two or more years.
             127          (b) A school district may phase in the adoption of Singapore math throughout schools
             128      in the school district over two or more years.
             129          (3) If a school district or charter school has insufficient enrollment in a higher level
             130      math class listed in Subsection (1)(b) to justify the cost of hiring an instructor for the class, the
             131      school district or charter school may offer the class through distance education, including
             132      interactive video conferencing or online instruction.
             133          Section 6. Section 53A-13-406 is enacted to read:
             134          53A-13-406. Math curriculum standards.
             135          (1) The State Board of Education shall adopt math curriculum standards for students
             136      who participate in the Math Education Initiative.
             137          (2) The standards adopted pursuant to Subsection (1) shall include:
             138          (a) the Singapore 2001 elementary mathematics standards; and
             139          (b) the standards for the quick recall of arithmetic facts contained in the Curriculum
             140      Focal Points of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
             141          (3) (a) A school district or charter school shall deliver instruction to students who
             142      participate in the Math Education Initiative in accordance with the math curriculum standards
             143      adopted under this section.
             144          (b) A school district or charter school may deliver instruction to students who do not
             145      participate in the Math Education Initiative in accordance with the math curriculum standards
             146      adopted under this section in lieu of other math curriculum standards prescribed by the board.
             147          Section 7. Section 53A-13-407 is enacted to read:
             148          53A-13-407. Math competency tests for Singapore math teachers.
             149          The board shall make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
             150      Administrative Rulemaking Act, that require a teacher who teaches Singapore math in a school
             151      district or charter school that participates in the Math Education Initiative to demonstrate math


             152      competency by passing a test as follows:
             153          (1) a teacher who teaches Singapore math in grades kindergarten through three shall
             154      pass a grade level six Singapore math test; and
             155          (2) a teacher who teaches Singapore math in grades four through eight shall pass a
             156      grade level eight Singapore math test.
             157          Section 8. Section 53A-13-408 is enacted to read:
             158          53A-13-408. Advisory committee.
             159          (1) The board shall appoint an advisory committee to:
             160          (a) evaluate Singapore math instructional materials and make recommendations to
             161      school districts and charter schools for the adoption of Singapore math instructional materials;
             162          (b) make recommendations to school districts and charter schools that participate in the
             163      Math Education Initiative on professional development in math, including:
             164          (i) the qualifications of individuals who provide professional development in
             165      Singapore math; and
             166          (ii) the extent and content of initial and continuing professional development in
             167      Singapore math;
             168          (c) review grant proposals submitted by school districts and charter schools to adopt
             169      Singapore math and make recommendations to the board on awarding grants; and
             170          (d) review and make recommendations to the board on the math competency tests for
             171      teachers required by Section 53A-13-407 .
             172          (2) In reviewing and making recommendations to the board on grant proposals, the
             173      advisory council shall consider:
             174          (a) the extent and content of professional development for teachers of Singapore math;
             175          (b) the quality of instructional materials;
             176          (c) the grade seven and eight math curricula; and
             177          (d) elementary and secondary math class schedules, including the number of days and
             178      hours per week each class is scheduled.
             179          (3) The advisory committee appointed under Subsection (1) shall consist of five
             180      members of whom:
             181          (a) three members shall be mathematicians who serve or have served as a math
             182      professor at a higher education institution in Utah that offers graduate level degrees in math;


             183      and
             184          (b) two additional members shall have a high level of expertise in mathematics.
             185          Section 9. Section 53A-13-409 is enacted to read:
             186          53A-13-409. Grants for math teacher training programs.
             187          (1) The board may award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit
             188      educational organizations for programs that provide training leading to a secondary education
             189      license with an endorsement in mathematics for an individual who:
             190          (a) is not a teacher in a public or private school;
             191          (b) does not have a teaching license;
             192          (c) has a bachelor's degree or higher; and
             193          (d) demonstrates a high level of mathematics competency by:
             194          (i) successfully completing substantial coursework in mathematics; and
             195          (ii) passing a mathematics content exam.
             196          (2) (a) The board shall make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
             197      Administrative Rulemaking Act, that establish criteria for awarding grants under this section.
             198          (b) In awarding grants, the board shall consider the amount or percent of matching
             199      funds provided by the grant recipient.
             200          Section 10. Section 53A-13-410 is enacted to read:
             201          53A-13-410. Annual report.
             202          (1) Through 2012, the State Board of Education shall make a report to the Education
             203      Interim Committee after each year of instruction in Singapore math in Utah schools.
             204          (2) The report shall include an evaluation of the effect of instruction in Singapore math
             205      on student achievement.
             206          Section 11. Section 63I-2-253 is amended to read:
             207           63I-2-253. Repeal dates -- Titles 53, 53A, and 53B.
             208          (1) Section 53A-1-403.5 is repealed July 1, 2012.
             209          (2) Subsection 53A-1-603 (5) is repealed July 1, 2010.
             210          (3) Title 53A, Chapter 1a, Part 10, UPSTART, is repealed July 1, 2014.
             211          (4) Section 53A-3-702 is repealed July 1, 2008.
             212          (5) Section 53A-6-112 is repealed July 1, 2009.
             213          (6) Subsection 53A-13-110 (3) is repealed July 1, 2013.


             214          (7) Section 53A-13-410 is repealed July 1, 2013.
             215          [(7)] (8) Section 53A-17a-152 is repealed July 1, 2010.
             216          [(8)] (9) Section 53A-17a-162 is repealed July 1, 2012.
             217          Section 12. Appropriation.
             218          (1) As an ongoing appropriation subject to future budget constraints, there is
             219      appropriated $1,750,000 from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 2009-10 to the State
             220      Board of Education for the Math Education Initiative created in Title 53A, Chapter 13, Part 4,
             221      Math Education Initiative.
             222          (2) Of the monies appropriated in Subsection (1), the State Board of Education may
             223      use:
             224          (a) $1,000,000 to:
             225          (i) award grants to school districts and charter schools to adopt Singapore math; and
             226          (ii) contract with an independent, qualified evaluator, selected through a request for
             227      proposals process, to evaluate the effect of instruction in Singapore math on student
             228      achievement; and
             229          (b) $750,000 to award grants for math teacher training programs as provided in Section
             230      53A-13-409 .
             231          Section 13. Effective date.
             232          (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), if approved by two-thirds of all the members
             233      elected to each house, this bill takes effect upon approval by the governor, or the day following
             234      the constitutional time limit of Utah Constitution Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's
             235      signature, or in the case of a veto override.
             236          (2) Uncodified Section 12, Appropriation, takes effect on July 1, 2009.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-2-09 5:34 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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