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First Substitute H.B. 364

This document includes House Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Wed, Feb 21, 2007 at 11:55 AM by jeyring. --> This document includes Senate 3rd Reading Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Wed, Feb 28, 2007 at 4:04 PM by rday. -->

Representative Gage Froerer proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOK EVALUATION

             2     
2007 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Gage Froerer

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill establishes requirements related to public education instructional materials.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    prohibits a school district from purchasing certain instructional materials unless the
             13      materials have been evaluated by an independent party for alignment with the core
             14      curriculum;
             15          .    requires that the alignment evaluation be made available on a website at no charge;
             16      and
             17      S. [ H. [ ] .    exempts charter schools from the evaluation requirements. [ ] .H ] .S
             18      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             19          None
             20      Other Special Clauses:
             21          None
             22      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             23      AMENDS:
             24          53A-1a-511, as last amended by Chapter 14, Laws of Utah 2006
             25      ENACTS:


             26          53A-14-107, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             27     
             28      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             29          Section 1. Section 53A-1a-511 is amended to read:
             30           53A-1a-511. Waivers from state board rules -- Application of statutes and rules
             31      to charter schools.
             32          (1) A charter school shall operate in accordance with its charter and is subject to Title
             33      53A, State System of Public Education, and other state laws applicable to public schools,
             34      except as otherwise provided in this part.
             35          (2) (a) A charter school or any other public school or school district may apply to the
             36      State Board of Education for a waiver of any state board rule that inhibits or hinders the school
             37      or the school district from accomplishing its mission or educational goals set out in its strategic
             38      plan or charter.
             39          (b) The state board may grant the waiver, unless:
             40          (i) the waiver would cause the school district or the school to be in violation of state or
             41      federal law; or
             42          (ii) the waiver would threaten the health, safety, or welfare of students in the district or
             43      at the school.
             44          (c) If the State Board of Education denies the waiver, the reason for the denial shall be
             45      provided in writing to the waiver applicant.
             46          (3) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), State Board of Education rules
             47      governing the following do not apply to a charter school:
             48          (i) school libraries;
             49          (ii) required school administrative and supervisory services; and
             50          (iii) required expenditures for instructional supplies.
             51          (b) A charter school shall comply with rules implementing statutes that prescribe how
             52      state appropriations may be spent.
             53          (4) The following provisions of Title 53A, State System of Public Education, and rules
             54      adopted under those provisions, do not apply to a charter school:
             55          (a) Sections 53A-1a-108 and 53A-1a-108.5 , requiring the establishment of a school
             56      community council and school improvement plan;


             57          (b) Sections 53A-3-413 and 53A-3-414 , pertaining to the use of school buildings as
             58      civic centers;
             59          (c) Section 53A-3-420 , requiring the use of activity disclosure statements;
             60          (d) Section 53A-12-207 , requiring notification of intent to dispose of textbooks;
             61          (e) Section 53A-13-107 , requiring annual presentations on adoption; [and]
             62          (f) Chapter 19, Part 1, Fiscal Procedures, pertaining to fiscal procedures of school
             63      districts and local school boards S. [ H. [[ ] . [ ] ] ; and
             64          (g) Section 53A-14-107 , requiring an independent evaluation of instructional materials ] [ .H ] .S .

             65          (5) For the purposes of Title 63, Chapter 56, Utah Procurement Code, a charter school
             66      shall be considered a local public procurement unit.
             67          (6) Each charter school shall be subject to:
             68          (a) Title 52, Chapter 4, Open and Public Meetings Act; and
             69          (b) Title 63, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act.
             70          (7) (a) The State Charter School Board shall, in concert with the charter schools, study
             71      existing state law and administrative rules for the purpose of determining from which laws and
             72      rules charter schools should be exempt.
             73          (b) (i) The State Charter School Board shall present recommendations for exemption to
             74      the State Board of Education for consideration.
             75          (ii) The State Board of Education shall consider the recommendations of the State
             76      Charter School Board and respond within 60 days.
             77          (c) Annually, the State Charter School Board shall report the results of its review of
             78      state laws and administrative rules, along with the responses received from the State Board of
             79      Education, to the Education Interim Committee by October 1.
             80          Section 2. Section 53A-14-107 is enacted to read:
             81          53A-14-107. Instructional materials alignment with core curriculum.
             82          (1) A school district may not purchase primary instructional materials unless the
             83      primary instructional materials provider:
             84          (a) contracts with an independent party to evaluate and map the alignment of the
             85      primary instructional materials with the core curriculum adopted under Section 53A-1-402 ;
             86          (b) provides a detailed summary of the evaluation under Subsection (1)(a) on a public
             87      website at no charge, for use by teachers and the general public; and


             88          (c) pays the costs related to the requirements of this Subsection (1).
             89          (2) The requirements under Subsection (1) may not be performed by:
             90          (a) the State Board of Education;
             91          (b) the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's staff;
             92          (c) the State Instructional Materials Commission appointed pursuant to Section
             93      53A-14-101 ;
             94          (d) an employee or board member of a school district; or
             95          (e) the instructional materials creator or publisher.


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