H.B. 263

1

STUDENT EDUCATION/OCCUPATION PLAN
2 AMENDMENTS
3 2000 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Matt Throckmorton
6 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION; PROVIDING THAT POLICIES FOR
7 PLANNING, MONITORING, AND MANAGING EDUCATION AND CAREER
8 DEVELOPMENT AS PART OF THE STUDENT EDUCATION/OCCUPATION PLAN MAY
9 NOT REQUIRE OR MANDATE STUDENTS FOLLOW A SPECIFIC TRACK OF COURSES.
10 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
11 AMENDS:
12 53A-1a-106, as last amended by Chapter 310, Laws of Utah 1997
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
14 Section 1. Section 53A-1a-106 is amended to read:
15 53A-1a-106. School district and individual school powers.
16 (1) In order to acquire and develop the characteristics listed in Section 53A-1a-104 , each
17 school district and each public school within its respective district shall implement a
18 comprehensive system of accountability in which students advance through public schools by
19 demonstrating competency in required skills and mastery of required knowledge through the use
20 of diverse assessment instruments such as authentic and criterion referenced tests, projects, and
21 portfolios.
22 (2) (a) Each school district and public school is authorized and encouraged to do the
23 following:
24 (i) develop and implement programs integrating technology into the curriculum,
25 instruction, and student assessment;
26 (ii) increase teacher and parent involvement in decision-making at the school site;
27 (iii) implement a public school choice program to give parents, students, and teachers

28 greater flexibility in designing and choosing among programs with different focuses between
29 schools within the same district and between different districts, subject to space availability,
30 demographics, and legal and performance criteria;
31 (iv) establish strategic planning at both the district and school level and site-based decision
32 making programs at the school level;
33 (v) provide opportunities for each student to acquire and develop academic and
34 occupational knowledge, skills, and abilities;
35 (vi) participate in ongoing research and development projects primarily at the school level
36 aimed at improving the quality of education within the system; and
37 (vii) involve business and industry in the education process through the establishment of
38 partnerships with the business community at the district and school level.
39 (b) (i) Each school district, in consultation with its teachers, school community councils
40 or similar entities, and the State Board of Education, shall establish policies to provide for the
41 effective implementation of a personalized student education plan (SEP) or student
42 education/occupation plan (SEOP) for each student at the school site.
43 (ii) The policies shall include guidelines and expectations:
44 (A) for recognizing the student's accomplishments and strengths;
45 (B) for planning, monitoring, and managing education and career development, without
46 requiring or mandating the student to follow a specific career track of courses as part of the SEOP
47 process;
48 (C) for an on-going partnership involving students, parents, and school personnel in the
49 process, to include at least two annual SEP conferences at the elementary level, involving the
50 student, the student's parent or guardian, and school personnel, and at least one individual SEOP
51 conference held annually in grades 7-11, with an optional conference in grade 12, involving the
52 student, the student's parent or guardian, and school personnel, and at least one small group SEOP
53 conference in grade 12 and at least one small group SEOP conference in grade 7 or 8 and 9 or 10
54 involving the student, the student's parent or guardian, and school personnel; and
55 (D) for identifying and obtaining adequate resources, such as time and training, required
56 for a successful program.
57 (iii) (A) The State Board of Education shall provide guidelines, after receiving input from
58 local school boards, as to what constitutes the makeup of a small group SEOP.

59 (B) Nothing in Subsection (2)(b) prevents parents or guardians from having additional
60 conferences with school personnel on matters related to their students.
61 (iv) Time spent during the school day to implement SEPs and SEOPs is considered part
62 of the school term referred to in Subsection 53A-17a-103 (5).
63 (3) A school district or public school may submit proposals to modify or waive rules or
64 policies of a supervisory authority within the public education system in order to acquire or
65 develop the characteristics listed in Section 53A-1a-104 .
66 (4) (a) Each school district and public school shall make an annual report to its patrons on
67 its activities under this section.
68 (b) The reporting process shall involve participation from teachers, parents, and the
69 community at large in determining how well the district or school is performing.
70 (c) The State Board of Education shall receive a copy of each report and make a summary
71 report to the strategic planning committee referred to in Section 53A-1a-102 .




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-25-00 10:37 AM

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

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel