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S.B. 271

             1     

SCHOOL GRADING AMENDMENTS

             2     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: J. Stuart Adams

             5     
House Sponsor: Gregory H. Hughes

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the School Grading Act.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    defines terms;
             13          .    specifies that the school grading system shall be known and referred to as "school
             14      grading";
             15          .    modifies the criteria and procedures for determining school grades, including:
             16              .    the calculation of learning growth;
             17              .    the calculation of a high school's graduation rate; and
             18              .    the measurement of high school students' college and career readiness; and
             19          .    requires the State Board of Education to annually develop a personal student
             20      achievement report for each public school student to be delivered to the student's
             21      parent or guardian.
             22      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             23          None
             24      Other Special Clauses:
             25          This bill coordinates with S.B. 175, Assessment of College Readiness, by providing
             26      substantive and technical amendments.
             27      Utah Code Sections Affected:


             28      AMENDS:
             29          53A-1-1102, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 417
             30          53A-1-1103, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 100
             31          53A-1-1105, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 417
             32          53A-1-1108, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 417
             33          53A-1-1110, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 417
             34          53A-1-1112, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 100
             35      REPEALS AND REENACTS:
             36          53A-1-1107, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 417
             37      Utah Code Sections Affected by Coordination Clause:
             38          53A-1-1103, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 100
             39          53A-1-1105, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 417
             40          53A-1-1108, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 417
             41     
             42      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             43          Section 1. Section 53A-1-1102 is amended to read:
             44           53A-1-1102. Definitions.
             45          As used in this part:
             46          (1) "High school" means a school that includes grade 12.
             47          (2) "Statewide assessment" means any of the following assessments that are
             48      administered statewide under Part 6, Achievement Tests:
             49          (a) a criterion-referenced test of student achievement in language arts, mathematics, or
             50      science, including a test administered in a computer adaptive format; or
             51          (b) an online writing assessment.
             52          (3) "Student growth percentile" means the result of a statistical model that calculates
             53      each student's change in achievement between two or more points in time on a statewide
             54      assessment and compares each student's performance to that of similarly achieving students.
             55          (4) "Sufficient growth" means growth greater than or equal to growth at the 60th
             56      percentile in the prior year.
             57          Section 2. Section 53A-1-1103 is amended to read:
             58           53A-1-1103. State Board of Education to establish school grading system --


             59      Report to Education Interim Committee.
             60          (1) (a) The State Board of Education shall establish a school grading system in
             61      accordance with this part in which a school annually is designated a grade of A, B, C, D, or F
             62      based on the performance of the school's students on statewide assessments, and for a high
             63      school, the graduation rate and, except for the 2012-13 school year, measures that indicate
             64      college and career readiness.
             65          (b) The school grading system established in this part shall be known and referred to as
             66      "school grading."
             67          (2) The State Board of Education shall:
             68          (a) model the school grading system described in this part using school performance
             69      data for the 2010-11 school year;
             70          (b) study modifications to the school grading system; and
             71          (c) make recommendations for proposed legislation to the Education Interim
             72      Committee on modifications to the school grading system by the committee's September 2012
             73      meeting.
             74          (3) The school grading system shall take effect for the 2012-13 school year and shall
             75      replace the U-PASS accountability system developed and implemented by the State Board of
             76      Education.
             77          Section 3. Section 53A-1-1105 is amended to read:
             78           53A-1-1105. Criteria for determining school grades.
             79          A school's grade shall be based on:
             80          (1) the proficiency of a school's students in language arts, mathematics, science, and
             81      writing as measured by statewide assessments;
             82          (2) learning gains of a school's students on statewide assessments of language arts,
             83      mathematics, and science achievement; and
             84          (3) for a high school:
             85          (a) the graduation rate; and
             86          (b) [measures] except for the 2012-13 school year, a measure indicating college and
             87      career readiness.
             88          Section 4. Section 53A-1-1107 is repealed and reenacted to read:
             89          53A-1-1107. Calculation of points earned for students demonstrating sufficient


             90      growth in language arts, mathematics, and science.
             91          (1) A school shall receive points for a school's students demonstrating sufficient
             92      growth in language arts, mathematics, science, and writing as follows:
             93          (a) A school shall receive 0.5 points for each percentage of the school's students who
             94      take a statewide assessment of language arts achievement and make sufficient growth.
             95          (b) A school shall receive 0.5 points for each percentage of the school's students who
             96      take a statewide assessment of mathematics achievement and make sufficient growth.
             97          (c) A school shall receive 0.5 points for each percentage of the school's students who
             98      take a statewide assessment of science achievement and make sufficient growth.
             99          (2) A school shall receive points for a school's students in the lowest quartile on
             100      statewide achievement tests who demonstrate sufficient growth in language arts, mathematics,
             101      and science as follows:
             102          (a) A school shall receive 0.5 points for each percentage of the school's students in the
             103      lowest quartile, as determined by prior year language arts test scores, who take a statewide
             104      assessment of language arts achievement and make sufficient growth.
             105          (b) A school shall receive 0.5 points for each percentage of the school's students in the
             106      lowest quartile, as determined by prior year mathematics test scores, who take a statewide
             107      assessment of mathematics achievement and make sufficient growth.
             108          (c) A school shall receive 0.5 points for each percentage of the school's students in the
             109      lowest quartile, as determined by prior year science test scores, who take a statewide
             110      assessment of science achievement and make sufficient growth.
             111          (3) A school may earn a maximum of 50 points for each of the criteria listed in
             112      Subsections (1)(a), (b), and (c), and (2)(a), (b), and (c).
             113          Section 5. Section 53A-1-1108 is amended to read:
             114           53A-1-1108. Calculation of additional points earned for high school graduation
             115      and college and career readiness.
             116          (1) In addition to the points described in Sections 53A-1-1106 and 53A-1-1107 and
             117      subject to Subsection (2), a high school shall receive points, as determined by the State Board
             118      of Education, for:
             119          (a) the [percent] percentage of students who graduate from high school; and
             120          (b) except for the 2012-13 school year, indicators of college and career readiness.


             121          (2) In calculating the [percent] percentage of students who graduate, the State Board of
             122      Education shall use the same graduation rate for a high school that is used [to determine
             123      whether the high school makes Adequate Yearly Progress] under the federal No Child Left
             124      Behind accountability system.
             125          (3) (a) [A] Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), a school may earn a maximum of
             126      [200] 350 points for the criteria described in Subsection (1) with two-thirds of the maximum
             127      number of points allotted to high school graduation and one-third allotted to indicators of
             128      college and career readiness.
             129          (b) For the 2012-13 school year, a school may earn a maximum of 233 points for the
             130      percentage of students who graduate from high school.
             131          Section 6. Section 53A-1-1110 is amended to read:
             132           53A-1-1110. Letter grade based on percentage of maximum points earned.
             133          (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), a school shall receive a letter grade based on
             134      the [percent] percentage of the maximum number of points the school may earn as calculated
             135      under Section 53A-1-1109 as follows:
             136          (a) A, 100% - 90%;
             137          (b) B, 89% - 80%;
             138          (c) C, 79% - 70%;
             139          (d) D, 69% - 50%; and
             140          (e) F, 49% or less.
             141          (2) [If student participation in a statewide assessment is fewer than 95%, the] A school
             142      shall receive an F if:
             143          (a) student participation in a statewide assessment is fewer than 95%; or
             144          (b) the participation of students in the lowest quartile as determined by prior year test
             145      scores is fewer than 95%.
             146          Section 7. Section 53A-1-1112 is amended to read:
             147           53A-1-1112. Reporting.
             148          (1) For the 2012-13 school year and thereafter, the State Board of Education, in
             149      collaboration with school districts and charter schools, shall annually develop a school report
             150      card and a personal student achievement report for each public school student to be delivered to
             151      parents of students in public schools.


             152          (2) The school report card shall include:
             153          (a) the school's grade;
             154          (b) the percentage of the maximum number of points that may be earned; and
             155          (c) information indicating the school's performance on the various criteria upon which
             156      the grade is based.
             157          (3) The personal student achievement report shall include:
             158          (a) information on a student's level of proficiency as measured by a statewide
             159      assessment; and
             160          (b) a comparison of a student's expected learning growth and actual learning growth in
             161      a subject as measured by a statewide assessment.
             162          (4) A school report card and personal student achievement report shall be delivered to
             163      the parent or guardian of each student either electronically or by mail.
             164          [(3)] (5) On or before August 15, the State Board of Education shall annually publish,
             165      on the State Board of Education's website, a report card for each school with the information
             166      required in Subsection (2).
             167          [(4)] (6) On or before August 15, a school district shall annually publish on the school
             168      district's website, and a school's website, a school report card with the grade for the prior
             169      school year, together with the current school improvement plan established in accordance with
             170      Section 53A-1a-108.5 .
             171          [(5)] (7) On or before August 15, a charter school shall annually publish on the charter
             172      school's website a school report card with the grade for the prior school year.
             173          Section 8. Coordinating S.B. 271 with S.B. 175 -- Substantive and technical
             174      amendments.
             175          If this S.B. 271 and S.B. 175, Assessment of College Readiness, both pass and become
             176      law, the Legislature intends that the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, in
             177      preparing the Utah Code database for publication, make the following changes:
             178          (1) modify Subsection 53A-1-1103 (1)(a) to read:
             179          "(1) (a) The State Board of Education shall establish a school grading system in
             180      accordance with this part in which a school annually is designated a grade of A, B, C, D, or F
             181      based on the performance of the school's students on statewide assessments, and for a high
             182      school, the graduation rate and [measures that indicate college and career readiness], except for


             183      the 2012-13 school year, student performance on a college admissions test administered
             184      pursuant to Section 53A-1-611 .";
             185          (2) modify Subsection 53A-1-1105 (3)(b) to read:
             186          "(b) [measures indicating college and career readiness] except for the 2012-13 school
             187      year, student performance on a college admissions test administered pursuant to Section
             188      53A-1-611 .";
             189          (3) modify Subsection 53A-1-1108 (1)(b) to read:
             190          "(b) [indicators of college and career readiness] except for the 2012-13 school year, the
             191      percentage of students who are considered college ready as measured by a college admissions
             192      test administered pursuant to Section 53A-1-611 ."; and
             193          (4) modify Subsection 53A-1-1108 (3)(a) to read:
             194          "(3) (a) [A] Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), a school may earn a maximum of
             195      [200] 350 points for the criteria described in Subsection (1) with two-thirds of the maximum
             196      number of points allotted to high school graduation and one-third allotted to [indicators of
             197      college and career readiness] the percentage of students who are considered college ready as
             198      measured by a college admissions test administered pursuant to Section 53A-1-611 ."




Legislative Review Note
    as of 3-1-13 11:26 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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