S.B. 148
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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill amends provisions related to the UPSTART early education program.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 . establishes the UPSTART program as a permanent, nonpilot program;
13 . repeals a repeal date related to the UPSTART program; and
14 . makes technical changes.
15 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16 None
17 Other Special Clauses:
18 None
19 Utah Code Sections Affected:
20 AMENDS:
21 53A-1a-1001 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 397
22 53A-1a-1002 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 397
23 53A-1a-1003 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 397
24 53A-1a-1004 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 397
25 63I-2-253 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapters 173 and 434
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27 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28 Section 1. Section 53A-1a-1001 is amended to read:
29 53A-1a-1001. Definitions.
30 As used in this part:
31 (1) "Contractor" means the educational technology provider selected by the State Board
32 of Education under Section 53A-1a-1002 .
33 (2) "Low income" means an income below 200% of the federal poverty guideline.
34 (3) "Preschool children" means children who are:
35 (a) age four or five; and
36 (b) have not entered kindergarten.
37 (4) "UPSTART" means the [
38 53A-1a-1002 that uses a home-based educational technology program to develop school
39 readiness skills of preschool children.
40 Section 2. Section 53A-1a-1002 is amended to read:
41 53A-1a-1002. UPSTART program to develop school readiness skills of preschool
42 children.
43 (1) UPSTART, [
44 program to develop school readiness skills of preschool children, is established within the
45 public education system.
46 (2) UPSTART is created to:
47 (a) evaluate the effectiveness of giving preschool children access, at home, to
48 interactive individualized instruction delivered by computers and the Internet to prepare them
49 academically for success in school; and
50 (b) test the feasibility of scaling a home-based curriculum in reading, math, and science
51 delivered by computers and the Internet to all preschool children in Utah.
52 (3) The State Board of Education shall contract with an educational technology
53 provider, selected through a request for proposals process, for the delivery of a home-based
54 educational technology program for preschool children that meets the requirements of
55 Subsection (4).
56 (4) A home-based educational technology program for preschool children shall meet
57 the following standards:
58 (a) the contractor shall provide computer-assisted instruction for preschool children on
59 a home computer connected by the Internet to a centralized file storage facility;
60 (b) the contractor shall:
61 (i) provide technical support to families for the installation and operation of the
62 instructional software; and
63 (ii) provide for the installation of computer and Internet access in homes of low income
64 families that cannot afford the equipment and service;
65 (c) the contractor shall have the capability of doing the following through the Internet:
66 (i) communicating with parents;
67 (ii) updating the instructional software;
68 (iii) validating user access;
69 (iv) collecting usage data;
70 (v) storing research data; and
71 (vi) producing reports for parents, schools, and the Legislature;
72 (d) the program shall include the following components:
73 (i) computer-assisted, individualized instruction in reading, mathematics, and science;
74 (ii) a multisensory reading tutoring program; and
75 (iii) a validated computer adaptive reading test that does not require the presence of
76 trained adults to administer and is an accurate indicator of reading readiness of children who
77 cannot read;
78 (e) the contractor shall have the capability to quickly and efficiently modify, improve,
79 and support the product;
80 (f) the contractor shall work in cooperation with school district personnel who will
81 provide administrative and technical support of the program as provided in Section
82 53A-1a-1003 ;
83 (g) the contractor shall solicit families to participate in the program as provided in
84 Section 53A-1a-1004 ; and
85 (h) in implementing the home-based educational technology program, the contractor
86 shall seek the advise and expertise of early childhood education professionals within the Utah
87 System of Higher Education on issues such as:
88 (i) soliciting families to participate in the program;
89 (ii) providing training to families; and
90 (iii) motivating families to regularly use the instructional software.
91 (5) The contract shall provide funding for a home-based educational technology
92 program for preschool children for one year with an option to extend the contract for additional
93 years or to expand the program to a greater number of preschool children, subject to the
94 appropriation of money by the Legislature for UPSTART.
95 Section 3. Section 53A-1a-1003 is amended to read:
96 53A-1a-1003. School district participation in UPSTART.
97 (1) A school district may participate in UPSTART if the local school board agrees to
98 work in cooperation with the contractor to provide administrative and technical support for [
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100 (2) Family participants in UPSTART shall be solicited from school districts that
101 participate in UPSTART.
102 (3) A school district that participates in UPSTART shall:
103 (a) receive funding for:
104 (i) paraprofessional and technical support staff; and
105 (ii) travel, materials, and meeting costs of the program;
106 (b) participate in program training by the contractor; and
107 (c) agree to adopt standardized policies and procedures in implementing [
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109 Section 4. Section 53A-1a-1004 is amended to read:
110 53A-1a-1004. Family participation in UPSTART.
111 (1) The contractor shall solicit families to participate in UPSTART through a public
112 information campaign and referrals from participating school districts.
113 (2) (a) Preschool children who participate in UPSTART shall:
114 (i) be from families with diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds; and
115 (ii) reside in different regions of the state in both urban and rural areas.
116 (b) At least 30% of the preschool children who participate in UPSTART shall be from
117 low income families.
118 (3) A low income family that cannot afford a computer and Internet service to operate
119 the instructional software may obtain a computer and peripheral equipment on loan and receive
120 free Internet service for the duration of the family's participation in [
121 UPSTART.
122 (4) The contractor shall make the home-based educational technology program
123 available to families at an agreed upon cost if the number of families who would like to
124 participate in UPSTART exceeds the number of participants funded by the legislative
125 appropriation.
126 Section 5. Section 63I-2-253 is amended to read:
127 63I-2-253. Repeal dates -- Titles 53, 53A, and 53B.
128 (1) Section 53A-1-402.7 is repealed July 1, 2014.
129 (2) Section 53A-1-403.5 is repealed July 1, 2017.
130 (3) Section 53A-1-411 is repealed July 1, 2016.
131 (4) Section 53A-1-412 is repealed July 1, 2013.
132 (5) Section 53A-1a-513.5 is repealed July 1, 2017.
133 [
134 [
135 repealed July 1, 2017.
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137 [
Legislative Review Note
as of 12-16-13 1:54 PM