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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill amends provisions related to the UPSTART program.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 ▸ repeals provisions describing UPSTART as a pilot program, including provisions
13 that would have repealed the UPSTART program;
14 ▸ requires the State Board of Education to issue a request for two-year pilot proposals
15 from certain educational technology providers;
16 ▸ requires a contractor to work with the Department of Workforce Services and the
17 State Board of Education to solicit certain families to participate in UPSTART; and
18 ▸ makes technical corrections.
19 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20 None
21 Other Special Clauses:
22 None
23 Utah Code Sections Affected:
24 AMENDS:
25 53A-1a-1001, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2014, Chapter 102
26 53A-1a-1002, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2014, Chapter 102
27 53A-1a-1003, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 397
28 53A-1a-1004, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2014, Chapter 102
29 63I-2-253, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2016, Chapters 128, 229, 236, 271, and
30 318
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32 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
33 Section 1. Section 53A-1a-1001 is amended to read:
34 53A-1a-1001. Definitions.
35 As used in this part:
36 (1) "Contractor" means the educational technology provider selected by the State Board
37 of Education under Section 53A-1a-1002.
38 (2) "Low income" means an income below 185% of the federal poverty guideline.
39 (3) "Preschool children" means children who are:
40 (a) age four or five; and
41 (b) have not entered kindergarten.
42 (4) "UPSTART" means the [
43 uses a home-based educational technology program to develop school readiness skills of
44 preschool children.
45 Section 2. Section 53A-1a-1002 is amended to read:
46 53A-1a-1002. UPSTART program to develop school readiness skills of preschool
47 children.
48 (1) UPSTART, a [
49 program to develop school readiness skills of preschool children, is established within the
50 public education system.
51 (2) UPSTART is created to:
52 (a) evaluate the effectiveness of giving preschool children access, at home, to
53 interactive individualized instruction delivered by computers and the Internet to prepare them
54 academically for success in school; and
55 (b) test the feasibility of scaling a home-based curriculum in reading, math, and science
56 delivered by computers and the Internet to all preschool children in Utah.
57 (3) (a) The State Board of Education shall contract with an educational technology
58 provider, selected through a request for proposals process, for the delivery of a home-based
59 educational technology program for preschool children that meets the requirements of
60 Subsection (4).
61 (b) (i) The State Board of Education shall, on or before July 1, 2019, issue a request for
62 proposals for two-year pilot proposals from one or more educational technology providers that
63 do not have an existing contract under this part with the state for the delivery of a home-based
64 educational technology program for preschool children that meets the requirements of
65 Subsection (4).
66 (ii) After the two-year pilots described in Subsection (3)(b)(i), the State Board of
67 Education may enter into a contract with one or more educational technology providers that
68 have participated in a Utah pilot.
69 (c) Every five years after July 1, 2021, the State Board of Education may issue a new
70 request for proposals described in this section.
71 (4) A home-based educational technology program for preschool children shall meet
72 the following standards:
73 (a) the contractor shall provide computer-assisted instruction for preschool children on
74 a home computer connected by the Internet to a centralized file storage facility;
75 (b) the contractor shall:
76 (i) provide technical support to families for the installation and operation of the
77 instructional software; and
78 (ii) provide for the installation of computer and Internet access in homes of low income
79 families that cannot afford the equipment and service;
80 (c) the contractor shall have the capability of doing the following through the Internet:
81 (i) communicating with parents;
82 (ii) updating the instructional software;
83 (iii) validating user access;
84 (iv) collecting usage data;
85 (v) storing research data; and
86 (vi) producing reports for parents, schools, and the Legislature;
87 (d) the program shall include the following components:
88 (i) computer-assisted, individualized instruction in reading, mathematics, and science;
89 (ii) a multisensory reading tutoring program; and
90 (iii) a validated computer adaptive reading test that does not require the presence of
91 trained adults to administer and is an accurate indicator of reading readiness of children who
92 cannot read;
93 (e) the contractor shall have the capability to quickly and efficiently modify, improve,
94 and support the product;
95 (f) the contractor shall work in cooperation with school district personnel who will
96 provide administrative and technical support of the program as provided in Section
97 53A-1a-1003;
98 (g) the contractor shall solicit families to participate in the program as provided in
99 Section 53A-1a-1004; and
100 (h) in implementing the home-based educational technology program, the contractor
101 shall seek the advise and expertise of early childhood education professionals within the Utah
102 System of Higher Education on issues such as:
103 (i) soliciting families to participate in the program;
104 (ii) providing training to families; and
105 (iii) motivating families to regularly use the instructional software.
106 (5) (a) The contract shall provide funding for a home-based educational technology
107 program for preschool children [
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109 the appropriation of money by the Legislature for UPSTART.
110 (b) An appropriation for a request for proposals described in Subsection (3)(b)(i) shall
111 be separate from an appropriation described in Subsection (5)(a).
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118 specified in Subsection (4);
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120 technology program;
121 [
122 and
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124 Section 3. Section 53A-1a-1003 is amended to read:
125 53A-1a-1003. School district participation in UPSTART.
126 (1) A school district may participate in UPSTART if the local school board agrees to
127 work in cooperation with the contractor to provide administrative and technical support for [
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129 (2) Family participants in UPSTART shall be solicited from school districts that
130 participate in UPSTART.
131 (3) A school district that participates in UPSTART shall:
132 (a) receive funding for:
133 (i) paraprofessional and technical support staff; and
134 (ii) travel, materials, and meeting costs of the program;
135 (b) participate in program training by the contractor; and
136 (c) agree to adopt standardized policies and procedures in implementing [
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138 Section 4. Section 53A-1a-1004 is amended to read:
139 53A-1a-1004. Family participation in UPSTART.
140 (1) The contractor shall:
141 (a) solicit families to participate in UPSTART through a public information campaign
142 and referrals from participating school districts[
143 (b) work with the Department of Workforce Services and the State Board of Education
144 to solicit participation from families of children experiencing intergenerational poverty, as
145 defined in Section 35A-9-102, to participate in UPSTART.
146 (2) (a) Preschool children who participate in UPSTART shall:
147 (i) be from families with diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds; [
148 (ii) reside in different regions of the state in both urban and rural areas[
149 (iii) be given preference to participate if the preschool child's family resides in a rural
150 area with limited prekindergarten services.
151 (b) (i) If the number of families who would like to participate in UPSTART exceeds
152 the number of participants funded by the legislative appropriation, the contractor shall give
153 priority to preschool children from low income families and preschool children who are
154 English language learners.
155 (ii) At least 30% of the preschool children who participate in UPSTART shall be from
156 low income families.
157 (3) A low income family that cannot afford a computer and Internet service to operate
158 the instructional software may obtain a computer and peripheral equipment on loan and receive
159 free Internet service for the duration of the family's participation in [
160 UPSTART.
161 (4) (a) The contractor shall make the home-based educational technology program
162 available to families at a cost agreed upon by the State Board of Education and the contractor if
163 the number of families who would like to participate in UPSTART exceeds the number of
164 participants funded by the legislative appropriation.
165 (b) The State Board of Education and the contractor shall annually post on their
166 websites information on purchasing a home-based educational technology program as provided
167 in Subsection (4)(a).
168 Section 5. Section 63I-2-253 is amended to read:
169 63I-2-253. Repeal dates -- Titles 53, 53A, and 53B.
170 (1) Section 53A-1-403.5 is repealed July 1, 2017.
171 (2) Section 53A-1-411 is repealed July 1, 2017.
172 (3) Section 53A-1-709 is repealed July 1, 2020.
173 (4) Subsection 53A-1a-513(4) is repealed July 1, 2017.
174 (5) Section 53A-1a-513.5 is repealed July 1, 2017.
175 [
176 [
177 repealed July 1, 2017.
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180 (b) When repealing Subsections 53B-2a-103(2) and (4), the Office of Legislative
181 Research and General Counsel shall, in addition to its authority under Subsection 36-12-12(3),
182 make necessary changes to subsection numbering and cross references.
183 [
184 repealed July 1, 2023.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel