H.B. 447

1

EDUCATOR PHONICS REQUIREMENTS
2 2006 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: David N. Cox
5 Senate Sponsor: ____________
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill establishes prerequisites for obtaining certain educator licenses.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 . requires an applicant for a level 1 license with a concentration in elementary
13 education or early childhood education to have successfully completed a course in
14 the teaching of phonics; and
15 . defines terms.
16 Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
17 None
18 Other Special Clauses:
19 None
20 Utah Code Sections Affected:
21 ENACTS:
22 53A-6-112, Utah Code Annotated 1953
23
24 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
25 Section 1. Section 53A-6-112 is enacted to read:
26 53A-6-112. Phonics course prerequisite for licensing.
27 (1) As used in this section:

28 (a) "Phonemic awareness" means the awareness of sounds that make up spoken words
29 and the ability to use this awareness of sounds in reading.
30 (b) "Phonics" means the techniques and strategies used to teach children to match,
31 blend, and translate letters of the alphabet into the sounds they represent, which techniques and
32 strategies are systematically integrated and thoroughly practiced in a developmentally
33 appropriate instructional program to assist the child in learning to read, write, and spell.
34 (2) Rules enacted by the board establishing criteria for obtaining a license pursuant to
35 Section 53A-6-104 shall require each applicant for a level 1 license with a concentration in
36 elementary education or early childhood education to have successfully completed at least one
37 separate course of at least three semester hours in the teaching of phonics in the context of
38 reading, writing, and spelling that covers the following topics:
39 (a) phonological and morphological underpinnings of English spellings;
40 (b) the nature and role of word recognition in proficient reading;
41 (c) methods for the instruction of phonemic awareness, decoding, and spelling; and
42 (d) the relation of deficits in phonemic awareness, decoding, spelling, and word
43 recognition to reading disabilities.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-30-06 5:28 PM

Based on a limited legal review, this legislation has not been determined to have a high
probability of being held unconstitutional.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel