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S.B. 63

             1     

K-3 READING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

             2     
ACCOUNTABILITY

             3     
2011 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Karen W. Morgan

             6     
House Sponsor: Marie H. Poulson

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill amends provisions in the Minimum School Program Act related to the K-3
             11      Reading Improvement Program.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    provides allowable uses for K-3 Reading Improvement Program money;
             15          .    requires the State Board of Education to report school district and charter school
             16      expenditures of K-3 Reading Improvement Program money; and
             17          .    makes technical changes.
             18      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             19          None
             20      Other Special Clauses:
             21          None
             22      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             23      AMENDS:
             24          53A-17a-150, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2004, Chapter 305
             25     
             26      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             27          Section 1. Section 53A-17a-150 is amended to read:


             28           53A-17a-150. K-3 Reading Improvement Program.
             29          (1) As used in this section:
             30          (a) "Program" means the K-3 Reading Improvement Program[; and].
             31          (b) "Program [monies] money" means:
             32          (i) school district revenue from the levy authorized under Section 53A-17a-151 ;
             33          (ii) school district revenue allocated to the program from other [monies] money
             34      available to the school district, except [monies] money provided by the state, for the purpose of
             35      receiving state funds under this section; and
             36          (iii) [monies] money appropriated by the Legislature to the program.
             37          (2) The K-3 Reading Improvement Program consists of program [monies] money and
             38      is created to achieve the state's goal of having third graders reading at or above grade level.
             39          (3) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature may annually appropriate
             40      money to the K-3 Reading Improvement Program.
             41          (4) (a) Prior to using program [monies] money, a school district or charter school shall
             42      submit a plan to the State Board of Education for reading proficiency improvement that
             43      incorporates the following components:
             44          (i) assessment;
             45          (ii) intervention strategies;
             46          (iii) professional development;
             47          (iv) reading performance standards; and
             48          (v) specific measurable goals that are based upon gain scores.
             49          (b) The State Board of Education shall provide model plans which a school district or
             50      charter school may use, or the school district or charter school may develop its own plan.
             51          (c) Plans developed by a school district or charter school shall be approved by the State
             52      Board of Education.
             53          (5) There is created within the K-3 Reading Achievement Program three funding
             54      programs:
             55          (a) the Base Level Program;
             56          (b) the Guarantee Program; and
             57          (c) the Low Income Students Program.
             58          (6) [Monies] Money appropriated to the State Board of Education for the K-3 Reading


             59      Improvement Program shall be allocated to the three funding programs as follows:
             60          (a) 8% to the Base Level Program;
             61          (b) 46% to the Guarantee Program; and
             62          (c) 46% to the Low Income Students Program.
             63          (7) (a) To participate in the Base Level Program, a school district or charter school
             64      shall submit a reading proficiency improvement plan to the State Board of Education as
             65      provided in Subsection (4) and must receive approval of the plan from the [board] State Board
             66      of Education.
             67          (b) (i) Each school district qualifying for Base Level Program funds and the qualifying
             68      elementary charter schools combined shall receive a base amount.
             69          (ii) The base amount for the qualifying elementary charter schools combined shall be
             70      allocated among each school in an amount proportionate to:
             71          (A) each existing charter school's prior year fall enrollment in grades kindergarten
             72      through grade 3; and
             73          (B) each new charter school's estimated fall enrollment in grades kindergarten through
             74      grade 3.
             75          (8) (a) A school district that applies for program [monies] money in excess of the Base
             76      Level Program funds shall choose to first participate in either the Guarantee Program or the
             77      Low Income Students Program.
             78          (b) A school district must fully participate in either the Guarantee Program or the Low
             79      Income Students Program before it may elect to either fully or partially participate in the other
             80      program.
             81          (c) To fully participate in the Guarantee Program, a school district shall:
             82          (i) levy a tax rate of .000056 under Section 53A-17a-151 ;
             83          (ii) allocate to the program other [monies] money available to the school district,
             84      except [monies] money provided by the state, equal to the amount of revenue that would be
             85      generated by a tax rate of .000056; or
             86          (iii) levy a tax under Section 53A-17a-151 and allocate to the program other [monies]
             87      money available to the school district, except [monies] money provided by the state, so that the
             88      total revenue from the combined revenue sources equals the amount of revenue that would be
             89      generated by a tax rate of .000056.


             90          (d) To fully participate in the Low Income Students Program, a school district shall:
             91          (i) levy a tax rate of .000065 under Section 53A-17a-151 ;
             92          (ii) allocate to the program other [monies] money available to the school district,
             93      except [monies] money provided by the state, equal to the amount of revenue that would be
             94      generated by a tax rate of .000065; or
             95          (iii) levy a tax under Section 53A-17a-151 and allocate to the program other [monies]
             96      money available to the school district, except [monies] money provided by the state, so that the
             97      total revenue from the combined revenue sources equals the amount of revenue that would be
             98      generated by a tax rate of .000065.
             99          (9) (a) A school district that fully participates in the Guarantee Program shall receive
             100      state funds in an amount that is:
             101          (i) equal to the difference between $21 times the district's total WPUs and the revenue
             102      the school district is required to generate or allocate under Subsection (8)(c) to fully participate
             103      in the Guarantee Program; and
             104          (ii) not less than $0.
             105          (b) An elementary charter school shall receive under the Guarantee Program an amount
             106      equal to $21 times the school's total WPUs.
             107          (10) The State Board of Education shall distribute Low Income Students Program
             108      funds in an amount proportionate to the number of students in each school district or charter
             109      school who qualify for free or reduced price school lunch multiplied by two.
             110          (11) A school district that partially participates in the Guarantee Program or Low
             111      Income Students Program shall receive program funds based on the amount of school district
             112      revenue generated for or allocated to the program as a percentage of the amount of revenue that
             113      could have been generated or allocated if the school district had fully participated in the
             114      program.
             115          (12) (a) [Each] A school district [and] or charter school shall use program [monies]
             116      money for reading proficiency improvement in grades kindergarten through grade three.
             117          (b) A school district or charter school may use program money for:
             118          (i) reading assessments; and
             119          (ii) focused reading remediations that may include:
             120          (A) the use of reading specialists;


             121          (B) tutoring;
             122          (C) before or after school programs;
             123          (D) summer school programs; or
             124          (E) the use of software technology.
             125          [(b)] (c) Program [monies] money may not be used to supplant funds for existing
             126      programs, but may be used to augment existing programs.
             127          (13) (a) Each school district and charter school shall annually submit a report to the
             128      State Board of Education accounting for the expenditure of program [monies] money in
             129      accordance with its plan for reading proficiency improvement.
             130          (b) On or before the November meeting of the Education Interim Committee of each
             131      year, the State Board of Education shall report a summary of the program expenditures of each
             132      school district and charter school.
             133          [(b)] (c) If a school district or charter school uses program [monies] money in a manner
             134      that is inconsistent with Subsection (12), the school district or charter school is liable for
             135      reimbursing the State Board of Education for the amount of program [monies] money
             136      improperly used, up to the amount of program [monies] money received from the State Board
             137      of Education.
             138          (14) (a) The State Board of Education shall make rules to implement the program.
             139          (b) (i) The rules under Subsection (14)(a) shall require each school district or charter
             140      school to annually report progress in meeting goals stated in the school district's or charter
             141      school's plan for student reading proficiency as measured by gain scores.
             142          (ii) If a school district or charter school does not meet or exceed the goals, the school
             143      district or charter school shall prepare a new plan which corrects deficiencies. The new plan
             144      must be approved by the State Board of Education before the school district or charter school
             145      receives an allocation for the next year.
             146          (15) If after 36 months of program operation, a school district fails to meet goals stated
             147      in the school district's plan for student reading proficiency as measured by gain scores, the
             148      school district shall terminate any levy imposed under Section 53A-17a-151 .





Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-2-11 9:32 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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