H.B. 35

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ACCELERATED LEARNING AMENDMENTS
2 1997 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Lloyd W. Frandsen
5 AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION; ESTABLISHING A DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM
6 FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM AT
7 SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS; PROVIDING FOR OBJECTIVES; PROVIDING
8 QUALIFICATION CRITERIA; PROVIDING A REVENUE SOURCE; PROVIDING FOR AN
9 ANNUAL REPORT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
10 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
11 ENACTS:
12 53A-15-103, Utah Code Annotated 1953
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
14 Section 1. Section 53A-15-103 is enacted to read:
15 53A-15-103. Developmental program for extended school year -- Objectives --
16 Participation requirements -- Appropriation -- Evaluation.
17 (1) In pursuit of educational excellence and consistent with the State Strategic Plan for
18 Public Education, there is established a developmental program for the implementation of an
19 extended school year program at selected secondary public schools.
20 (2) The objectives of the program are to:
21 (a) develop and implement an extended school year program for middle or junior high and
22 high school students;
23 (b) increase school building efficiency in better utilizing facilities by the addition of a
24 summer term of school;
25 (c) provide an optional term in the summer for voluntary enrollment in basic programs for
26 acceleration, enrichment, promotion, and remediation;
27 (d) increase attendance options by allowing students and their parents to choose which

1 terms the student will attend school during the school year, so long as the students attend a
2 required minimum number of days as determined by the State Board of Education under
3 Subsection 53A-17a-103(5);
4 (e) provide teachers with opportunities for flexible contracts;
5 (f) provide a program in high school to enable students to complete at least the first year
6 of college at the high school site or at least one year of an applied technology apprenticeship
7 program or components of both;
8 (g) determine the effect of the extended school year on student discipline, extracurricular
9 activities, and family vacations; and
10 (h) provide a meaningful summer program for students.
11 (3) Participation in the program is voluntary and subject to the following requirements:
12 (a) a prepared plan for the development and implementation of a program by the applicant
13 school or school district that:
14 (i) includes competency based promotion or graduation components consistent with the
15 Utah Strategic Plan for Educational Excellence and the standards established under Section
16 53A-15-101;
17 (ii) provides for the transferability of credits from the middle school or junior high school
18 level to the high school level under an accelerated learning program; and
19 (iii) at the high school level, allows students to participate in the programs referred to in
20 Subsection (2)(f);
21 (b) verification that the school has an effective student education-occupation plan for each
22 student at the school; and
23 (c) a process for the development and implementation of procedures for teachers and
24 administrators at the applicant school to be able to waive or modify any state or district rules or
25 policies that would impede or interfere with the implementation of the extended school year
26 program, including a component for waivers relating to contracts or agreements between the
27 district and its employees, and requiring agreement to the waivers by the entity that represented
28 the employees in obtaining the contract or agreement.
29 (4) (a) The State Board of Education shall select the schools to participate in the
30 developmental program authorized under this section.
31 (b) The board, through the state superintendent of public instruction, shall establish

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1 application deadlines for participation in the program.
2 (5) (a) The State Board of Education shall use experimental and developmental program
3 monies appropriated under Section 53A-17a-132 to implement the developmental program
4 authorized under this section.
5 (b) The board, through the state superintendent, shall administer and distribute the
6 appropriation in such a manner as to provide for participation by a junior high or middle school
7 that is a feeder school to a high school selected to participate in the program.
8 (c) (i) Participation in the program is limited to four consecutive years unless otherwise
9 reauthorized by the Legislature.
10 (ii) Unless otherwise approved by the state board, a participant school shall devote its first
11 year in the program to planning and development for full implementation of the program
12 beginning with summer sessions in 1998.
13 (d) (i) A participant school's funding in succeeding years shall be based, in part, on the
14 school's achievements in the previous year.
15 (ii) Participating high schools shall:
16 (A) collaborate with the state superintendent of public instruction to develop a funding
17 mechanism for the schools that takes into account the acceleration of students through the system
18 under the program; and
19 (B) present their findings to the Legislature's Education Interim Committee, together with
20 any proposal for legislation, prior to the 1998 Annual General Session.
21 (e) (i) Participant schools are encouraged to supplement their allocation of the
22 appropriation with monies they may have access to under other programs authorized in Title 53A,
23 such as centennial schools, modified centennial schools, and comprehensive guidance.
24 (ii) This appropriation is in addition to any other appropriations made under Title 53A for
25 accelerated learning programs, including concurrent enrollment and advanced placement, and may
26 not be used to supplant monies for those programs.
27 (6) (a) Each participating school shall closely monitor and report its progress and
28 achievements under the program pursuant to guidelines established by the State Board of
29 Education.
30 (b) The state board shall make an annual report on the effectiveness of the program to the
31 Legislature's Education Interim Committee and the Task Force on Strategic Planning for Public

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1 and Higher Education.
2 (7) Each school participating in the program shall structure its program to be compatible
3 with the collaborative, early graduation, and centennial scholarship programs authorized under
4 Sections 53A-15-101 and 53A-15-102.
5 Section 2. Effective date.
6 This act takes effect on July 1, 1997.




Legislative Review Note
as of 12-11-96 1:17 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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