H.B. 99 Enrolled

READING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER AMENDMENTS
2001 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Sponsor: Karen W. Morgan
This act modifies provisions related to the State System of Public Education by changing the
Reading Skills Development Center into a clinic to assist educators and parents of students
in assessing elementary school students who do not demonstrate satisfactory progress in
reading. The act requires the clinic to provide professional development programs in
reading to help educators and parents become better prepared to assist all students in
becoming better readers.
This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
AMENDS:
53A-3-402.10, as enacted by Chapter 338, Laws of Utah 1999
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 53A-3-402.10 is amended to read:
53A-3-402.10. Reading Clinic -- Purpose.
(1) The Legislature recognizes the critical importance of identifying, assessing, and
assisting students with reading difficulties at an early age in order for them to have successful and
productive school and life experiences.
(2) In order to help accomplish this, there is established a Reading [Skills Development
Center] Clinic, hereafter referred to as the ["center,"] "clinic," at the University of Utah to assist
educators and parents of students statewide in:
[(a) assist school districts in detecting reading difficulties in students in the early grades;
and]
(a) assessing elementary school students who do not demonstrate satisfactory progress in
reading;
(b) [provide] providing instructional intervention to enable the students to overcome [their]
reading difficulties[.]; and
(c) becoming better prepared to help all students become successful readers by providing

them with professional development programs in reading that are based on best practices and the
most current, scientific research available through nationally and internationally recognized reading
researchers and instructional specialists.
[(3) (a) The center shall assist school districts by providing expertise in the assessment of
reading difficulties and designing effective instructional interventions to overcome those
difficulties.]
[(b) The assessment and intervention programs]
(3) (a) The clinic shall focus primarily on students in grades one through three [in order to
correct any detected difficulties by the end of the third grade, but] since research shows the need for
students to become successful readers by the end of the third grade.
(b) The clinic shall make assessment and instructional intervention services [shall be]
available to public education students of all ages.
[(c) School districts may use the assessment and intervention programs on site at the center,
at the student's school, or by using interactive technology.]
[(4) (a) The center shall provide school districts with a professional development program
for reading endorsements that can be added to active elementary certificates.]
[(b) Each school district may allow its teachers to participate in the program through:]
[(i) programs taught on-site at local schools;]
[(ii) distance education with videotaped classes and on-site facilitators; and]
[(iii) interactive delivery by computers and video.]
[(c) Each school district may use this professional teacher development program in an effort
to place at least one reading specialist in each of its elementary schools.]
[(5)] (4) The [center] clinic shall provide [school district administrators, school
administrators, and school teachers with the most current research-based knowledge about reading
and reading instruction through nationally and internationally recognized reading researchers and
instructional specialists] these services on-site at the University of Utah and through remote access
interactive technology to reach educators, parents, and students throughout the state.

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