H.B. 55

1

TECHNOLOGY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL - PILOT
2 PROGRAM
3 1999 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Tammy J. Rowan
6 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; ESTABLISHING A MIDDLE SCHOOL
7 TECHNOLOGY-BASED SCIENCE PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE
8 TECHNOLOGY-BASED SUPPORT FOR AN INTEGRATED SCIENCE CURRICULUM;
9 PROVIDING FOR A $290,000 APPROPRIATION; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
10 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
11 ENACTS:
12 53A-15-901, Utah Code Annotated 1953
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
14 Section 1. Section 53A-15-901 is enacted to read:
15 Part 9. Middle School Technology-Based Science Pilot Program
16 53A-15-901. Middle School Technology-Based Science Pilot Program -- Components
17 -- Evaluation.
18 (1) (a) There is established a Middle School Technology-Based Science Pilot Program to
19 provide technology-based support for an integrated science curriculum at the middle school level.
20 (b) The program shall use technology to connect science curriculum components at
21 selected middle schools to "real world" science research being done around the world.
22 (2) (a) The State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Public
23 Instruction, shall:
24 (i) establish application procedures and deadlines for participation in the program; and
25 (ii) select ten middle schools to participate in the program.
26 (b) Participation in the program is on a voluntary basis and subject to the following
27 requirements:

28 (i) a commitment on the part of each applicant school that at least three but no more than
29 four of its science teachers shall participate in an intense teacher development course focused on
30 implementing the program, the duration of which shall be from three to five days; and
31 (ii) an agreement by each school with the board to an evaluation of its program based on,
32 at least, criterion-referenced testing against a base control group of similar middle schools.
33 (3) The State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
34 shall closely monitor the pilot program and make an annual report on its effectiveness to the
35 Legislature's Education Interim Committee and the governor.
36 Section 2. Appropriation.
37 (1) Except as provided in H.B. 4, Appropriations Coordination Act, there is appropriated
38 from the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 1999-2000, $290,000 to the State Board of
39 Education to fund the Middle School Technology-Based Science Pilot Program authorized under
40 Section 53A-15-901 .
41 (2) (a) Each of the ten selected middle schools shall receive $14,500 of the appropriation
42 to help implement the program at each school.
43 (b) The board shall use $145,000 of the appropriation for equipment needed to implement
44 the program.
45 (3) The appropriation is nonlapsing.
46 Section 3. Effective date.
47 This act takes effect on July 1, 1999.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-5-99 11:32 AM

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

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel