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S.B. 260 Enrolled

             1     

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMS AMENDMENTS

             2     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Stephen H. Urquhart

             5     
House Sponsor: Bradley G. Last

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends provisions related to public school early education programs.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    defines terms;
             13          .    requires the State Board of Education to develop uniform standards for acceptable
             14      growth goals that a school district or charter school adopts in its K-3 Reading
             15      Improvement Program plan;
             16          .    provides what K-3 reading program money may be used for;
             17          .    amends provisions related to the K-3 Reading Improvement Program;
             18          .    modifies the distribution of funds for enhanced kindergarten programs to school
             19      districts and charter schools;
             20          .    requires the State Board of Education to select technology providers for the early
             21      intervention interactive computer software program by September 1 of each year;
             22          .    in addition to kindergarten and grade 1, provides that the early intervention
             23      interactive software program shall include instruction for grades 2 and 3; and
             24          .    provides that a school district or charter school that received a license during the
             25      prior year for the early intervention interactive computer software program shall be
             26      given first priority to receive a license during the current year.
             27      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             28          This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2014:
             29          .    to the State Board of Education - State Office of Education - Contracts and Grants -


             30      K-3 Reading Diagnostic Assessment System, as an ongoing appropriation:
             31              .    from the Education Fund, ($2,200,000);
             32          .    to the State Board of Education - State Office of Education - Board and
             33      Administration, as an ongoing appropriation:
             34              .    from the Education Fund, $100,000; and
             35          .    to the State Board of Education - State Office of Education - Contracts and Grants -
             36      Early Intervention, as an ongoing appropriation:
             37              .    from the Education Fund, $4,600,000.
             38      Other Special Clauses:
             39          This bill provides an effective date.
             40      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             41      AMENDS:
             42          53A-1-606.5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 372
             43          53A-1-606.6, as repealed and reenacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 372
             44          53A-17a-150, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapters 342, 359, 371, 372, 418
             45      and last amended by Coordination Clause, Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 372
             46          53A-17a-167, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 420
             47     
             48      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             49          Section 1. Section 53A-1-606.5 is amended to read:
             50           53A-1-606.5. State reading goal -- Reading achievement plan.
             51          (1) As used in this section[, the]:
             52          (a) "Competency" means a demonstrable acquisition of a specified knowledge, skill, or
             53      ability that has been organized into a hierarchical arrangement leading to higher levels of
             54      knowledge, skill, or ability.
             55          (b) "Five domains of reading" include phonological awareness, phonics, fluency,
             56      comprehension, and vocabulary.
             57          (2) (a) The Legislature recognizes that:


             58          (i) reading is the most fundamental skill, the gateway to knowledge and lifelong
             59      learning;
             60          (ii) there is an ever increasing demand for literacy in the highly technological society
             61      we live in;
             62          (iii) students who do not learn to read will be economically and socially disadvantaged;
             63          (iv) reading problems exist in almost every classroom;
             64          (v) almost all reading failure is preventable if reading difficulties are diagnosed and
             65      treated early; and
             66          (vi) early identification and treatment of reading difficulties can result in students
             67      learning to read by the end of the third grade.
             68          (b) It is therefore the goal of the state to have every student in the state's public
             69      education system reading on or above grade level by the end of the third grade.
             70          (3) (a) Each public school containing kindergarten, grade one, grade two, or grade
             71      three, including charter schools, shall develop, in conjunction with all other school planning
             72      processes and requirements, a reading achievement plan for its students in kindergarten through
             73      grade three to reach the reading goal set in Subsection (2)(b).
             74          (b) The reading achievement plan shall be:
             75          (i) created under the direction of:
             76          (A) the school community council or a subcommittee or task force created by the
             77      school community council, in the case of a school district school; or
             78          (B) the charter school governing board or a subcommittee or task force created by the
             79      governing board, in the case of a charter school; and
             80          (ii) implemented by the school's principal, teachers, and other appropriate school staff.
             81          (c) The school principal shall take primary responsibility to provide leadership and
             82      allocate resources and support for teachers and students, most particularly for those who are
             83      reading below grade level, to achieve the reading goal.
             84          (d) Each reading achievement plan shall include:
             85          (i) an assessment component that:


             86          (A) focuses on ongoing formative assessment to measure the five domains of reading,
             87      as appropriate, and inform individualized instructional decisions; and
             88          (B) includes a benchmark assessment of reading approved by the State Board of
             89      Education pursuant to Section 53A-1-606.6 ;
             90          (ii) an intervention component:
             91          (A) that provides adequate and appropriate interventions focused on each student
             92      attaining [proficiency] competency in reading skills;
             93          (B) based on best practices identified through proven researched-based methods;
             94          (C) that provides intensive intervention, such as focused instruction in small groups
             95      and individualized data driven instruction, implemented at the earliest possible time for
             96      students having difficulty in reading;
             97          (D) that provides an opportunity for parents to receive materials and guidance so that
             98      they will be able to assist their children in attaining [proficiency] competency in reading skills;
             99      and
             100          (E) that, as resources allow, may involve a reading specialist; and
             101          (iii) a reporting component that includes reporting to parents:
             102          (A) at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of grade one, grade two, and grade
             103      three, their child's benchmark assessment results as required by Section 53A-1-606.6 ; and
             104          (B) at the end of third grade, their child's reading level.
             105          (e) In creating or reviewing a reading achievement plan as required by this section, a
             106      school community council, charter school governing board, or a subcommittee or task force of
             107      a school community council or charter school governing board may not have access to data that
             108      reveal the identity of students.
             109          (4) (a) The school district shall approve each plan developed by schools within the
             110      district prior to its implementation and review each plan annually.
             111          (b) The charter school governing board shall approve each plan developed by schools
             112      under its control and review each plan annually.
             113          (c) A school district and charter school governing board shall:


             114          (i) monitor the learning gains of a school's students as reported by the benchmark
             115      assessments administered pursuant to Section 53A-1-606.6 ; and
             116          (ii) require a reading achievement plan to be revised, if the school district or charter
             117      school governing board determines a school's students are not making adequate learning gains.
             118          Section 2. Section 53A-1-606.6 is amended to read:
             119           53A-1-606.6. Benchmark assessments in reading -- Report to parent or guardian.
             120          (1) As used in this section:
             121          (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
             122          (b) "Competency" means a demonstrable acquisition of a specified knowledge, skill, or
             123      ability that has been organized into a hierarchical arrangement leading to higher levels of
             124      knowledge, skill, or ability.
             125          [(1)] (2) The [State Board of Education] board shall approve a benchmark assessment
             126      for use statewide by school districts and charter schools to assess the reading [proficiency]
             127      competency of students in grades one, two, and three as provided by this section.
             128          [(2)] (3) A school district or charter school shall:
             129          (a) administer benchmark assessments to students in grades one, two, and three at the
             130      beginning, middle, and end of the school year using the benchmark assessment approved by the
             131      [State Board of Education] board; and
             132          (b) after administering a benchmark assessment, report the results to a student's parent
             133      or guardian.
             134          [(3)] (4) If a benchmark assessment or supplemental reading assessment indicates a
             135      student lacks [proficiency] competency in a reading skill, or is lagging behind other students in
             136      the student's grade in acquiring a reading skill, the school district or charter school shall:
             137          (a) provide focused individualized intervention to develop the reading skill;
             138          (b) administer formative assessments to measure the success of the focused
             139      intervention;
             140          (c) inform the student's parent or guardian of activities that the parent or guardian may
             141      engage in with the student to assist the student in improving reading proficiency; and


             142          (d) provide information to the parent or guardian regarding appropriate interventions
             143      available to the student outside of the regular school day that may include tutoring, before and
             144      after school programs, or summer school.
             145          Section 3. Section 53A-17a-150 is amended to read:
             146           53A-17a-150. K-3 Reading Improvement Program.
             147          (1) As used in this section:
             148          (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
             149          (b) "Five domains of reading" include phonological awareness, phonics, fluency,
             150      comprehension, and vocabulary.
             151          [(a)] (c) "Program" means the K-3 Reading Improvement Program.
             152          [(b)] (d) "Program money" means:
             153          (i) school district revenue allocated to the program from other money available to the
             154      school district, except money provided by the state, for the purpose of receiving state funds
             155      under this section; and
             156          (ii) money appropriated by the Legislature to the program.
             157          (2) The K-3 Reading Improvement Program consists of program money and is created
             158      to supplement other school resources to achieve the state's goal of having third graders reading
             159      at or above grade level.
             160          (3) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature may annually appropriate
             161      money to the K-3 Reading Improvement Program.
             162          (4) (a) To receive program money, a school district or charter school must submit a plan
             163      to the [State Board of Education] board for reading proficiency improvement that incorporates
             164      the following components:
             165          (i) assessment;
             166          (ii) intervention strategies;
             167          (iii) professional development for classroom teachers in kindergarten through grade
             168      three;
             169          (iv) reading performance standards; and


             170          (v) specific measurable goals that include the following:
             171          (A) a growth goal for each school within a school district and each charter school
             172      based upon student learning gains as measured by benchmark assessments administered
             173      pursuant to Section 53A-1-606.6 ; and
             174          (B) a growth goal for each school district and charter school to increase the percentage
             175      of third grade students who read on grade level from year to year as measured by the third
             176      grade reading test administered pursuant to Section 53A-1-603 .
             177          (b) The [State Board of Education] board shall provide model plans which a school
             178      district or charter school may use, or the school district or charter school may develop its own
             179      plan.
             180          (c) Plans developed by a school district or charter school shall be approved by the
             181      [State Board of Education] board.
             182          (d) The board shall develop uniform standards for acceptable growth goals that a
             183      school district or charter school adopts as described in this Subsection (4).
             184          (5) (a) There is created within the K-3 Reading Achievement Program three funding
             185      programs:
             186          (i) the Base Level Program;
             187          (ii) the Guarantee Program; and
             188          (iii) the Low Income Students Program.
             189          (b) The [State Board of Education] board may use no more than $7,500,000 from an
             190      appropriation described in Subsection (3) for computer-assisted instructional learning and
             191      assessment programs.
             192          (6) Money appropriated to the [State Board of Education] board for the K-3 Reading
             193      Improvement Program and not used by the [State Board of Education] board for
             194      computer-assisted instructional learning and assessments as described in Subsection (5)(b),
             195      shall be allocated to the three funding programs as follows:
             196          (a) 8% to the Base Level Program;
             197          (b) 46% to the Guarantee Program; and


             198          (c) 46% to the Low Income Students Program.
             199          (7) (a) To participate in the Base Level Program, a school district or charter school
             200      shall submit a reading proficiency improvement plan to the [State Board of Education] board as
             201      provided in Subsection (4) and must receive approval of the plan from the [State Board of
             202      Education] board.
             203          (b) (i) Each school district qualifying for Base Level Program funds and the qualifying
             204      elementary charter schools combined shall receive a base amount.
             205          (ii) The base amount for the qualifying elementary charter schools combined shall be
             206      allocated among each school in an amount proportionate to:
             207          (A) each existing charter school's prior year fall enrollment in grades kindergarten
             208      through grade three; and
             209          (B) each new charter school's estimated fall enrollment in grades kindergarten through
             210      grade three.
             211          (8) (a) A school district that applies for program money in excess of the Base Level
             212      Program funds shall choose to first participate in either the Guarantee Program or the Low
             213      Income Students Program.
             214          (b) A school district must fully participate in either the Guarantee Program or the Low
             215      Income Students Program before it may elect to either fully or partially participate in the other
             216      program.
             217          (c) To fully participate in the Guarantee Program, a school district shall allocate to the
             218      program money available to the school district, except money provided by the state, equal to
             219      the amount of revenue that would be generated by a tax rate of .000056.
             220          (d) To fully participate in the Low Income Students Program, a school district shall
             221      allocate to the program money available to the school district, except money provided by the
             222      state, equal to the amount of revenue that would be generated by a tax rate of .000065.
             223          (e) (i) The [State Board of Education] board shall verify that a school district allocates
             224      the money required in accordance with Subsections (8)(c) and (d) before it distributes funds in
             225      accordance with this section.


             226          (ii) The State Tax Commission shall provide the [State Board of Education] board the
             227      information the [State Board of Education] board needs in order to comply with Subsection
             228      (8)(e)(i).
             229          (9) (a) Except as provided in (9)(c), a school district that fully participates in the
             230      Guarantee Program shall receive state funds in an amount that is:
             231          (i) equal to the difference between $21 times the district's total WPUs and the revenue
             232      the school district is required to allocate under Subsection (8)(c) to fully participate in the
             233      Guarantee Program; and
             234          (ii) not less than $0.
             235          (b) Except as provided in (9)(c), an elementary charter school shall receive under the
             236      Guarantee Program an amount equal to $21 times the school's total WPUs.
             237          (c) The [State Board of Education] board may adjust the $21 guarantee amount
             238      described in Subsections (9)(a) and (b) to account for actual appropriations and money used by
             239      the [State Board of Education] board for computer-assisted instructional learning and
             240      assessments.
             241          (10) The [State Board of Education] board shall distribute Low Income Students
             242      Program funds in an amount proportionate to the number of students in each school district or
             243      charter school who qualify for free or reduced price school lunch multiplied by two.
             244          (11) A school district that partially participates in the Guarantee Program or Low
             245      Income Students Program shall receive program funds based on the amount of school district
             246      revenue allocated to the program as a percentage of the amount of revenue that could have been
             247      allocated if the school district had fully participated in the program.
             248          (12) (a) A school district or charter school shall use program money for reading
             249      proficiency improvement interventions in grades kindergarten through grade [three] 3 that have
             250      proven to significantly increase the percentage of students reading at grade level, including:
             251          (i) reading assessments; and
             252          (ii) focused reading remediations that may include:
             253          (A) the use of reading specialists;


             254          (B) tutoring;
             255          (C) before or after school programs;
             256          (D) summer school programs; or
             257          (E) the use of reading software[.]; or
             258          (F) the use of interactive computer software programs for literacy instruction and
             259      assessments for students.
             260          (b) A school district or charter school may use program money for portable technology
             261      devices used to administer reading assessments.
             262          (c) Program money may not be used to supplant funds for existing programs, but may
             263      be used to augment existing programs.
             264          (13) (a) Each school district and charter school shall annually submit a report to the
             265      [State Board of Education] board accounting for the expenditure of program money in
             266      accordance with its plan for reading proficiency improvement.
             267          (b) On or before the November meeting of the Education Interim Committee of each
             268      year, the [State Board of Education] board shall report a summary of the reading improvement
             269      program expenditures of each school district and charter school.
             270          (c) If a school district or charter school uses program money in a manner that is
             271      inconsistent with Subsection (12), the school district or charter school is liable for reimbursing
             272      the [State Board of Education] board for the amount of program money improperly used, up to
             273      the amount of program money received from the [State Board of Education] board.
             274          (14) (a) The [State Board of Education] board shall make rules to implement the
             275      program.
             276          (b) (i) The rules under Subsection (14)(a) shall require each school district or charter
             277      school to annually report progress in meeting school and school district goals stated in the
             278      school district's or charter school's plan for student reading proficiency.
             279          (ii) If a school does not meet or exceed the school's goals, the school district or charter
             280      school shall prepare a new plan which corrects deficiencies. The new plan must be approved
             281      by the [State Board of Education] board before the school district or charter school receives an


             282      allocation for the next year.
             283          (15) (a) If for [three] two consecutive school years, a school district fails to meet its
             284      goal to increase the percentage of third grade students who read on grade level as measured by
             285      the third grade reading test administered pursuant to Section 53A-1-603 , the school district
             286      shall terminate any levy imposed under Section 53A-17a-151 and may not receive money
             287      appropriated by the Legislature for the K-3 Reading Improvement Program.
             288          (b) If for [three] two consecutive school years, a charter school fails to meet its goal to
             289      increase the percentage of third grade students who read on grade level as measured by the
             290      third grade reading test administered pursuant to Section 53A-1-603 , the charter school may
             291      not receive money appropriated by the Legislature for the K-3 Reading Improvement Program.
             292          (16) The [State Board of Education] board shall make an annual report to the Public
             293      Education Appropriations Subcommittee that:
             294          (a) includes information on:
             295          (i) student learning gains in reading for the past school year and the five-year trend;
             296          (ii) the percentage of third grade students reading on grade level in the past school year
             297      and the five-year trend; [and]
             298          (iii) the progress of schools and school districts in meeting goals stated in a school
             299      district's or charter school's plan for student reading proficiency; and
             300          (iv) the correlation between third grade students reading on grade level and results of
             301      third grade language arts scores on a criterion-referenced test or computer adaptive test; and
             302          (b) may include recommendations on how to increase the percentage of third grade
             303      students who read on grade level.
             304          Section 4. Section 53A-17a-167 is amended to read:
             305           53A-17a-167. Early intervention program -- Enhanced kindergarten program --
             306      Educational technology.
             307          (1) The State Board of Education shall, as described in Subsection (4), distribute funds
             308      appropriated under this section for an enhanced kindergarten program described in Subsection
             309      (2), [consistent with guidelines in this section,] to school districts and charter schools that


             310      apply for the funds.
             311          (2) A school district or charter school shall use funds appropriated in this section to
             312      offer an early intervention program, delivered through an enhanced kindergarten program that:
             313          (a) is an academic program focused on building age-appropriate literacy and numeracy
             314      skills;
             315          (b) uses an evidence-based early intervention model;
             316          (c) is targeted to at-risk students; and
             317          (d) is delivered through additional hours or other means.
             318          (3) A school district or charter school may not require a student to participate in an
             319      enhanced kindergarten program described in Subsection (2).
             320          [(4) The State Board of Education shall distribute funds appropriated under this section
             321      to school districts and charter schools based on the number of kindergarten students eligible to
             322      receive free or reduced price school lunch in each school district or charter school that applies
             323      for funding under Subsection (1).]
             324          (4) The State Board of Education shall distribute funds appropriated under this section
             325      for an enhanced kindergarten program described in Subsection (2) as follows:
             326          (a) (i) the total allocation for charter schools shall be calculated by:
             327          (A) dividing the number of charter school students by the total number of students in
             328      the public education system in the prior school year; and
             329          (B) multiplying the resulting percentage by the total amount of available funds; and
             330          (ii) the amount calculated under Subsection (4)(a) shall be distributed to charter
             331      schools with the greatest need for an enhanced kindergarten program, as determined by the
             332      State Board of Education in consultation with the State Charter School Board;
             333          (b) each school district shall receive the amount calculated by:
             334          (i) multiplying the value of the weighted pupil unit by 0.45; and
             335          (ii) multiplying the result by 20; and
             336          (c) the remaining funds, after the allocations described in Subsections (4)(a) and (4)(b)
             337      are made, shall be distributed to applicant school districts by:


             338          (i) determining the number of students eligible to receive free lunch in the prior school
             339      year for each school district; and
             340          (ii) prorating the remaining funds based on the number of students eligible to receive
             341      free lunch in each district.
             342          (5) In addition to an enhanced kindergarten program described in Subsection (2), the
             343      early intervention program includes a component to address early intervention through the use
             344      of an interactive computer software program.
             345          (6) [The] (a) Subject to legislative appropriations, by September 1 of each year, the
             346      State Board of Education shall select one or more technology providers, through a request for
             347      proposals process, to provide an interactive computer software program for literacy [or
             348      numeracy] instruction[, or both,] and assessments for students in kindergarten [and] through
             349      grade [1] 3.
             350          (b) The State Board of Education shall distribute licenses for an interactive computer
             351      software program described in Subsection (6)(a) to school districts and charter schools that
             352      apply for the licenses.
             353          (c) A school district or charter school that received a license described in Subsection
             354      (6)(b) during the prior year shall be given first priority to receive an equivalent license during
             355      the current year.
             356          (d) Licenses distributed to school districts and charter schools in addition to the
             357      licenses described in Subsection (6)(c) shall be distributed through a competitive process.
             358          (7) On or before November 1, 2013, and every year thereafter, the State Board of
             359      Education shall report final testing data regarding an interactive computer software program
             360      described in Subsection (6), including student learning gains as a result of the interactive
             361      computer software program, to:
             362          (a) the Education Interim Committee; and
             363          (b) the governor.
             364          Section 5. Appropriation.
             365          Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, for


             366      the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, and ending June 30, 2014, the following sums of money
             367      are appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts
             368      previously appropriated, out of the funds or accounts indicated. These sums of money are in
             369      addition to any amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2014.
             370          To State Board of Education - State Office of Education - Initiative Programs
             371          From Education Fund
($2,200,000)

             372          Schedule of Programs:
             373              Contracts and Grants - K-3 Reading Program -
             374              Diagnostic Assessment System            ($2,200,000)
             375          To State Board of Education - State Office of Education
             376          From Education Fund
$100,000

             377          Schedule of Programs:
             378              Board and Administration                $100,000
             379          To State Board of Education - State Office of Education - Initiative Programs
             380          From Education Fund
$4,600,000

             381          Schedule of Programs:
             382              Contracts and Grants - Early Intervention        $4,600,000
             383          The Legislature intends that:
             384          (1) the appropriation for Board and Administration be used by the State Board of
             385      Education for administration costs related to the selection of technology providers;
             386          (2) the appropriation for Contracts and Grants - Early Intervention be used by the State
             387      Board of Education to select one or more technology providers to provide an interactive
             388      computer software program for literacy instruction and assessments for students as described in
             389      Subsection 53A-17a-167 (6); and
             390          (3) the appropriations described in Subsections (1) and (2):
             391          (a) be ongoing; and
             392          (b) not lapse at the close of fiscal year 2014.
             393          Section 6. Effective date.


             394          (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), this bill takes effect on May 14, 2013.
             395          (2) Uncodified Section 5, Appropriation, takes effect on July 1, 2013.


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