S.C.R. 2

1

STUDENTS IN LARGE HIGH SCHOOLS
2 RESOLUTION
3 2000 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Millie M. Peterson
6 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR
7 ENCOURAGING LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS IN THOSE DISTRICTS WITH LARGE
8 NUMBERS OF STUDENTS IN THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS TO ESTABLISH STUDENT
9 SUPPORT GROUPS OF NO MORE THAN 100 STUDENTS PER GROUP TO PROVIDE
10 EXPERIENCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EACH STUDENT WITHIN THE GROUP TO
11 FEEL ACCEPTED AT THE SCHOOL AND BUILD HIS OR HER SELF ESTEEM.
12 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
13 WHEREAS, many school districts throughout the state, most particularly along the
14 Wasatch Front, have high schools with large student populations that average between 1,000 to
15 2,500 students per school;
16 WHEREAS, since there are limited resources for school districts to build high schools to
17 accommodate smaller student populations, large high schools will probably continue to be the
18 standard in the state's metropolitan areas;
19 WHEREAS, the transition from childhood to adulthood can be a difficult and even
20 traumatic time in the life of a student and the interpersonal relationships that are established during
21 these years typically have a significant impact on a student's self image or self esteem;
22 WHEREAS, interpersonal relationships are formed in high school that promote and
23 reenforce the esteem or self worth of individual students and frequently students, particularly in
24 large high schools, feel left out or isolated from having these relationships;
25 WHEREAS, with increasing frequency students who do not feel accepted by their
26 classmates and teachers become alienated and perceive themselves as insignificant or having no
27 worth;

28 WHEREAS, recent studies have shown that students who become detached from their
29 peers often experience a desire to strike out and physically or emotionally injure classmates or
30 school faculty who they feel have not given them the support or recognition they feel they deserve;
31 and
32 WHEREAS, high schools with large student populations have to make an extra effort to
33 provide adequate opportunities for involving each student in programs and activities that will help
34 them to feel accepted and promote a positive self image:
35 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature, the Governor concurring
36 therein, that local school boards, most particularly in those school districts with large numbers of
37 students in their high schools, are encouraged to establish student support groups of no more than
38 100 students per group, which could be supervised or advised by teachers, volunteers, or peer
39 counselors and could be used for such purposes as orienting new students to the high school,
40 providing for participation in intramural or other extracurricular activities, setting up study or
41 tutorial groups, and providing other experiences and opportunities for each student within the
42 group to feel accepted at the school and build his or her self esteem.
43 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the State Board of
44 Education and the local school boards of school districts in the state with high schools that have
45 a student population of at least 1,000 students.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-14-00 8:33 AM

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

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel