S.B. 211

1

PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS
2 CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
3 1999 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Ron Allen
6 Karen Hale

7 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; ESTABLISHING THE NATIONAL BOARD
8 OF PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS CERTIFICATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM;
9 PROVIDING AN APPLICATION PROCESS FOR TEACHER PARTICIPATION IN THE
10 PROGRAM; PROVIDING FOR A $2,500 ANNUAL MERIT AWARD; PROVIDING FOR
11 REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR
12 AN EVALUATION AND REPORT; PROVIDING FOR A $25,000 APPROPRIATION; AND
13 PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
14 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
15 ENACTS:
16 53A-6-110, Utah Code Annotated 1953
17 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
18 Section 1. Section 53A-6-110 is enacted to read:
19 53A-6-110. National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification
20 Incentive Program -- Merit awards -- Application process -- Evaluation and annual report.
21 (1) (a) The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Certification Incentive
22 Program is established to award grants to school districts to provide merit awards to teachers who:
23 (i) are employed by school districts; and
24 (ii) have attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching
25 Standards, hereafter referred to as "NBPTS."
26 (b) The purpose of the merit award is to provide an incentive for good teachers to become
27 excellent teachers.

28 (c) The amount of the merit award shall be $2,500 annually to those teachers who have
29 attained and continue to maintain their certification under the NBPTS.
30 (d) (i) The State Board of Education shall administer the program through the state
31 superintendent of public instruction.
32 (ii) In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
33 board shall make rules providing for certification and merit award information, criteria,
34 procedures, and applications.
35 (e) (i) The board shall distribute to school districts information developed under
36 Subsection (1)(d) about the certification process established by the NBPTS along with application
37 materials and instructions for the merit award program.
38 (ii) Each school district shall ensure that each teacher employed by the district is informed
39 about the program and can acquire the necessary application and information materials.
40 (f) (i) School districts are encouraged to provide for adequate release time and support for
41 a teacher to complete the certification process.
42 (ii) As a condition to providing that release time and support, a school district may require
43 that a teacher serve in a mentor capacity.
44 (2) (a) A teacher who attained certification from the NBPTS before the effective date of
45 this section and who was employed by a school district and assigned to teach in a Utah public
46 school on the date of certification may apply for a merit award if the teacher meets all other
47 requirements of this section.
48 (b) Teachers shall submit their merit award applications to the school district in which they
49 are employed.
50 (c) (i) When a school district receives an application, it shall certify that the applicant is
51 employed by the district and that the applicant has met all the criteria established under Subsection
52 (1)(d).
53 (ii) The school district shall then submit the application to the State Board of Education
54 for its review and approval.
55 (3) (a) The Legislature shall provide an annual appropriation to fund the awards program
56 established under this section.
57 (b) The State Board of Education shall evaluate the program and report annually on its
58 effectiveness to the Legislature through the state superintendent of public instruction.

59 Section 2. Appropriation.
60 Except as provided in H.B. 4, Appropriations Coordination Act, there is appropriated from
61 the Uniform School Fund for fiscal year 1999-2000, $25,000 to the State Board of Education for
62 merit awards to be given under Section 53A-6-110 .
63 Section 3. Effective date.
64 This act takes effect on July 1, 1999.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-1-99 6:02 PM

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

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel