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

[Bill Documents]