S.B. 98

             1     

PARAEDUCATOR FUNDING

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Karen Mayne

             5     
House Sponsor: Ronda Rudd Menlove

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends provisions related to funding for paraeducators at certain schools.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    amends language to conform with new federal accountability standards.
             13      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             14          This bill appropriates:
             15          .    to the Related to Basic Program, as an ongoing appropriation:
             16              .    from the Education Fund, $100,000.
             17      Other Special Clauses:
             18          This bill provides an effective date.
             19      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             20      AMENDS:
             21           53A-17a-168 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 188
             22     
             23      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             24          Section 1. Section 53A-17a-168 is amended to read:
             25           53A-17a-168. Appropriation for Title 1 Priority Schools Paraeducators Program.
             26          (1) As used in this section:
             27          (a) "Eligible school" means a low-performing Title 1 school [that has not achieved


             28      adequate yearly progress, as defined in] identified by the State Board of Education as a priority
             29      school in accordance with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.
             30      [in the same subject area for two consecutive years.]
             31          (b) "Paraeducator" means a school employee who:
             32          (i) delivers instruction under the direct supervision of a teacher; and
             33          (ii) meets the requirements under Subsection (3).
             34          (c) "Program" means the Title 1 Priority Schools [in Improvement] Paraeducators
             35      Program created in this section.
             36          (2) The program is created to provide funding for eligible schools to hire paraeducators
             37      to provide additional instructional aid in the classroom to assist students in achieving academic
             38      success and assist the school in exiting Title 1 priority school [improvement] status.
             39          (3) A paraeducator who is funded under this section shall have:
             40          (a) earned a secondary school diploma or a recognized equivalent;
             41          (b) (i) completed at least two years with a minimum of 48 semester hours at an
             42      accredited higher education institution;
             43          (ii) obtained an associates or higher degree from an accredited higher education
             44      institution; or
             45          (iii) satisfied a rigorous state or local assessment about the individual's knowledge of,
             46      and ability to assist in instructing students in reading, writing, and mathematics; and
             47          (c) received large group-, small group-, and individual-level professional development
             48      that is intensive and focused and covers curriculum, instruction, assessment, classroom and
             49      behavior management, and teaming.
             50          (4) The State Board of Education shall distribute money appropriated for the program
             51      to eligible schools, in accordance with rules adopted by the board.
             52          (5) Funds appropriated under the program may not be used to supplant other money
             53      used for paraeducators at eligible schools.
             54          (6) The State Board of Education shall submit an annual report to the Legislature's
             55      Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee that includes information on:
             56          (a) the amount of money distributed to each eligible school under this section;
             57          (b) how many paraeducators were hired at each eligible school with program money;
             58          (c) additional funding eligible schools used to supplement program money in hiring


             59      paraeducators; and
             60          (d) accountability measures, including test scores of students served by the program.
             61          Section 2. Appropriation.
             62          Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, for
             63      the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015, the following sums of money
             64      are appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts
             65      previously appropriated, out of the funds or accounts indicated. These sums of money are in
             66      addition to any amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2015.
             67          To Related to Basic Program
             68              From Education Fund
$100,000

             69              Schedule of Programs:
             70                  Title 1 Priority Schools Paraeducator Program    $100,000
             71          Section 3. Effective date.
             72          (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), this bill takes effect on May 13, 2014.
             73          (2) Uncodified Section 2, Appropriation, takes effect on July 1, 2014.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 7-15-13 5:30 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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