S.B. 63

1

CORE CURRICULUM AMENDMENTS
2 2003 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Bill Wright
5 This act modifies the State System of Public Education Code by requiring the core
6 curriculum to include phonics, spelling, and basic computational skills.
7 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
8 AMENDS:
9 53A-1-402.6, as last amended by Chapters 299 and 324, Laws of Utah 2002
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
11 Section 1. Section 53A-1-402.6 is amended to read:
12 53A-1-402.6. Core curriculum.
13 (1) In establishing minimum standards related to curriculum and instruction
14 requirements under Section 53A-1-402 , the State Board of Education shall, in consultation
15 with local school boards, school superintendents, teachers, and parents define and establish a
16 core curriculum.
17 (2) The board shall:
18 (a) include in its definition an identification of the basic knowledge, skills, and
19 competencies each student is expected to acquire or master as the student advances through the
20 public education system; and
21 (b) align the core curriculum and tests administered under the Utah Performance
22 Assessment System for Students (U-PASS) with each other.
23 (3) The basic knowledge, skills, and competencies identified pursuant to Subsection
24 (2)(a) shall increase in depth and complexity from year to year and focus on consistent and
25 continual progress in the core academic areas of:
26 (a) English, including phonics, spelling, grammar, reading, writing, vocabulary, and
27 speech;

28 (b) mathematics, including basic computational skills;
29 (c) science; and
30 (d) history.
31 [(3)] (4) Local school boards shall design their school programs to focus on the core
32 curriculum with the expectation that each program will enhance or help achieve mastery of the
33 core curriculum.
34 [(4)] (5) Except as provided in Section 53A-13-101 , each school may select
35 instructional materials and methods of teaching that it considers most appropriate to meet core
36 curriculum objectives.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-3-03 1:07 PM

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

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel