H.B. 417

             1     

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Carol Spackman Moss

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill provides for English language arts instruction in public schools.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    defines terms;
             13          .    requires the State Board of Education to select one or more technology providers,
             14      through a request for proposals process, to provide software licenses for an
             15      interactive web-based English language arts instructional tool for students in grades
             16      4 through 12;
             17          .    specifies criteria for the State Board of Education to consider in selecting a
             18      provider;
             19          .    provides for the distribution of the English language arts instructional tool licenses
             20      to school districts and charter schools; and
             21          .    requires the State Board of Education to annually report testing data regarding the
             22      English language arts instructional tool to the Education Interim Committee.
             23      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             24          This bill appropriates:
             25          .    to the State Board of Education - Utah State Office of Education - Initiative
             26      Programs, as an ongoing appropriation:
             27              .    from the Education Fund, $1,000,000.


             28      Other Special Clauses:
             29          This bill provides an effective date.
             30      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             31      ENACTS:
             32           53A-1-710 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             33     
             34      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             35          Section 1. Section 53A-1-710 is enacted to read:
             36          53A-1-710. English language arts instructional tool.
             37          (1) As used in this section:
             38          (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
             39          (b) "Lexile measure" means a unit of measurement that indicates the reading level of
             40      readers and the difficulty of a text that can be used to match reading materials to the level and
             41      comprehension rate of readers.
             42          (c) "Licenses" means software licenses for a tool described in Subsection (2).
             43          (2) On or before July 1, 2014, the board shall select one or more technology providers,
             44      through a request for proposals process, to provide licenses for a tool for students in grades 4
             45      through 12 that:
             46          (a) enables student reading ability to be reported as a Lexile measure;
             47          (b) uses Lexile measures to match reading materials and exercises to the
             48      comprehension level of readers;
             49          (c) includes activities designed to assess and improve:
             50          (i) reading skills;
             51          (ii) writing skills; and
             52          (iii) vocabulary;
             53          (d) is self-adapting to respond to the needs and progress of the learner, including
             54      allowing for increasingly intense instruction and additional practice opportunities based on
             55      individual student needs;
             56          (e) provides opportunities for frequent and informal assessments and includes an
             57      embedded progress monitoring tool and mechanisms for regular feedback to students and
             58      teachers; and


             59          (f) is aligned with state core curriculum standards related to English language arts.
             60          (3) The board shall:
             61          (a) solicit proposals from school districts and charter schools for the use of the
             62      licenses; and
             63          (b) make the licenses available to school districts and charter schools based on a
             64      competitive basis.
             65          (4) On or before November 1, 2015, and on or before November 1 each year thereafter,
             66      the board shall report to the Education Interim Committee final testing data regarding the
             67      licenses provided under this section, including student learning gains as a result of using the
             68      tool.
             69          Section 2. Appropriation.
             70          Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, for
             71      the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015, the following sums of money
             72      are appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts
             73      previously appropriated, out of the funds or accounts indicated. These sums of money are in
             74      addition to any amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2015.
             75          To State Board of Education - Utah State Office of Education - Initiative Programs
             76              From Education Fund
$1,000,000

             77              Schedule of Programs:
             78                  English Language Arts Instructional Tool        $1,000,000
             79          The Legislature intends that appropriations provided in this section are to be used as
             80      provided in Section 53A-1-710 .
             81          Section 3. Effective date.
             82          (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), if approved by two-thirds of all the members
             83      elected to each house, this bill takes effect upon approval by the governor, or the day following
             84      the constitutional time limit of Utah Constitution, Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's
             85      signature, or in the case of a veto, the date of veto override.
             86          (2) Uncodified Section 2, Appropriation, takes effect on July 1, 2014.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-26-14 8:16 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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