1     
STUDENT ASSESSMENT TASK FORCE

2     
2015 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

5     
House Sponsor: Francis D. Gibson

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill creates the Student Assessment Task Force.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     creates the Student Assessment Task Force;
13          ▸     provides for membership of the task force and compensation for members; and
14          ▸     specifies duties and responsibilities of the task force.
15     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16          This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2016:
17          ▸     to the Legislature - Senate, as a one-time appropriation:
18               •     from the General Fund, $12,000;
19          ▸     to the Legislature - House of Representatives, as a one-time appropriation:
20               •     from the General Fund, $12,000; and
21          ▸     to the Legislature - Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, as a
22     one-time appropriation:
23               •     from the General Fund, $40,000.
24     Other Special Clauses:
25          This bill provides a special effective date.
26     Utah Code Sections Affected:
27     AMENDS:

28          63I-2-236, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2014, Chapters 150 and 189
29     ENACTS:
30          36-29-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
31          36-29-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
32     

33     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
34          Section 1. Section 36-29-101 is enacted to read:
35     
CHAPTER 29. LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCES

36          36-29-101. Title.
37          This chapter is known as "Legislative Task Forces."
38          Section 2. Section 36-29-102 is enacted to read:
39          36-29-102. Student Assessment Task Force -- Creation -- Membership -- Quorum
40     -- Compensation -- Staff -- Duties -- Interim Report.
41          (1) There is created the Student Assessment Task Force consisting of the following 11
42     members:
43          (a) three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
44     two of whom may be from the same political party;
45          (b) three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the
46     House of Representatives, no more than two of whom may be from the same political party;
47     and
48          (c) five members of the State Board of Education appointed by the chair of the State
49     Board of Education.
50          (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed
51     under Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
52          (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
53     of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
54          (3) (a) A majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum.
55          (b) The action of a majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the task force.
56          (4) (a) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force who are legislators shall
57     be paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rules, Title 5, Chapter 3,
58     Legislator Compensation.

59          (b) A member of the task force who is not a legislator may not receive compensation
60     for the member's work associated with the task force, but may receive per diem and
61     reimbursement for travel expenses incurred as a member of the task force at the rates
62     established by the Division of Finance under Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107.
63          (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support
64     to the task force.
65          (6) The task force shall review and make recommendations on:
66          (a) the extent to which school districts and charter schools are:
67          (i) providing a student the opportunity to learn actively at the student's own pace,
68     mastering each new skill before proceeding to the next; and
69          (ii) offering authentic formative assessments throughout the year to recognize mastery
70     when it occurs;
71          (b) the elements of the public education system that would need to change to
72     implement competency-based education that holds student mastery as a constant and time as a
73     variable; and
74          (c) whether to replace statewide student achievement assessments, including the
75     Student Assessment for Growth and Excellence, with assessments that are designed to provide
76     multiple means and opportunities to demonstrate mastery at multiple points throughout the
77     school year.
78          (7) A final report, including any proposed legislation, shall be presented to the
79     Education Interim Committee before November 30, 2015.
80          Section 3. Section 63I-2-236 is amended to read:
81          63I-2-236. Repeal dates -- Title 36.
82          (1) Section 36-12-15.1 is repealed July 1, 2015.
83          (2) Sections 36-28-101 through 36-28-104 are repealed July 1, 2019.
84          (3) Section 36-29-102 is repealed July 1, 2016.
85          Section 4. Appropriation.
86          Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act,
87     beginning July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016, the following sums of money are
88     appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts previously
89     appropriated, out of the funds or accounts indicated. These sums of money are in addition to

90     any amounts previously appropriated for fiscal year 2016.
91          To Legislature - Senate
92               From General Fund, One-time
$12,000

93               Schedule of Programs:
94                    Administration                         $12,000
95          To Legislature - House of Representatives
96               From General Fund, One-time
$12,000

97               Schedule of Programs:
98                    Administration                    $12,000
99          To Legislature - Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel
100               From General Fund, One-time
$40,000

101               Schedule of Programs:
102                    Administration                    $40,000
103          Section 5. Effective date.
104          (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), this bill takes effect on May 12, 2015.
105          (2) Uncodified Section 4, Appropriation, takes effect on July 1, 2015.






Legislative Review Note
     as of 2-27-15 11:50 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel