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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill provides for supplemental English language arts instruction in public schools.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 ▸ defines terms;
13 ▸ requires the State Board of Education to select one or more technology providers,
14 through a request for proposals process, to provide software licenses for an English
15 language arts instructional tool that meets certain criteria;
16 ▸ provides for the distribution of the English language arts instructional tool licenses
17 to school districts and charter schools; and
18 ▸ requires the State Board of Education to annually report testing data regarding the
19 English language arts instructional tool to the Education Interim Committee.
20 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
21 This bill appropriates:
22 ▸ to the State Board of Education - Utah State Office of Education - Initiative
23 Programs, as an ongoing appropriation:
24 • from the Education Fund, $1,000,000.
25 Other Special Clauses:
26 This bill provides a special effective date.
27 Utah Code Sections Affected:
28 ENACTS:
29 53A-1-710, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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31 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
32 Section 1. Section 53A-1-710 is enacted to read:
33 53A-1-710. English language arts instructional tool.
34 (1) As used in this section:
35 (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
36 (b) "Lexile measure" means a unit of measurement that indicates the reading level of
37 readers and the difficulty of a text that can be used to appropriately align reading materials to
38 the level and comprehension rate of readers.
39 (c) "Licenses" means software licenses for a tool described in Subsection (2).
40 (2) On or before July 1, 2015, the board shall select one or more technology providers,
41 through a request for proposals process, to provide licenses for a supplemental tool for students
42 in grades 4 through 12 that:
43 (a) enables student reading ability to be reported as a Lexile measure;
44 (b) uses Lexile measures to appropriately align reading materials and exercises to the
45 comprehension level of readers;
46 (c) includes activities designed to assess and improve:
47 (i) reading skills;
48 (ii) writing skills; and
49 (iii) vocabulary;
50 (d) is self-adapting to respond to the needs and progress of the learner, including
51 allowing for increasingly intense instruction and additional practice opportunities based on
52 individual student needs;
53 (e) provides opportunities for frequent and informal assessments and includes an
54 embedded progress monitoring tool and mechanisms for regular feedback to students and
55 teachers; and
56 (f) supplements and is aligned with state core curriculum standards related to English
57 language arts.
58 (3) The board may select one or more providers that does not meet all the criteria
59 described in Subsections (2)(a) through (f) if the board ensures that the selected providers
60 collectively meet all the criteria described in Subsections (2)(a) through (f).
61 (4) The board shall:
62 (a) solicit proposals from school districts and charter schools for the use of the
63 licenses; and
64 (b) make the licenses available to school districts and charter schools on a competitive
65 basis.
66 (5) (a) On or before November 1, 2016, and on or before November 1 each year
67 thereafter, the board shall report to the Education Interim Committee on the use of the tool
68 described in Subsection (2) to supplement and enhance English language arts instruction in
69 public schools.
70 (b) The board shall ensure that the report under Subsection (5)(a) includes student
71 learning gains on statewide achievement tests as a result of using the tool described in
72 Subsection (2).
73 Section 2. Appropriation.
74 Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, for
75 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016, the following sums of money
76 are appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts
77 previously appropriated, out of the funds or accounts indicated. These sums of money are in
78 addition to any amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2016.
79 To State Board of Education - Utah State Office of Education - Initiative Programs
80 From Education Fund
$1,000,000
81 Schedule of Programs:
82 English Language Arts Instructional Tool $1,000,000
83 The Legislature intends that appropriations provided in this section are to be used as
84 provided in Section 53A-1-710.
85 Section 3. Effective date.
86 (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), if approved by two-thirds of all the members
87 elected to each house, this bill takes effect upon approval by the governor, or the day following
88 the constitutional time limit of Utah Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's
89 signature, or in the case of a veto, the date of veto override.
90 (2) Uncodified Section 2, Appropriation, takes effect on July 1, 2015.