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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill amends provisions related to a contract for a home-based educational
10 technology program.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 ▸ permits the State Board of Education to issue a request for proposals and enter into
14 a contract for a two-year pilot of a home-based educational technology program;
15 and
16 ▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
17 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
18 None
19 Other Special Clauses:
20 None
21 Utah Code Sections Affected:
22 AMENDS:
23 53F-4-402, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 2
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25 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
26 Section 1. Section 53F-4-402 is amended to read:
27 53F-4-402. UPSTART program to develop school readiness skills of preschool
28 children.
29 (1) UPSTART, a project that uses a home-based educational technology program to
30 develop school readiness skills of preschool children, is established within the public education
31 system.
32 (2) UPSTART is created to:
33 (a) evaluate the effectiveness of giving preschool children access, at home, to
34 interactive individualized instruction delivered by computers and the Internet to prepare them
35 academically for success in school; and
36 (b) test the feasibility of scaling a home-based curriculum in reading, math, and science
37 delivered by computers and the Internet to all preschool children in Utah.
38 (3) (a) The State Board of Education shall contract with an educational technology
39 provider, selected through a request for proposals process, for the delivery of a home-based
40 educational technology program for preschool children that meets the requirements of
41 Subsection (4).
42 (b) (i) The State Board of Education [
43 request for proposals for two-year pilot proposals from, and enter into a contract with, one or
44 more educational technology providers that do not have an existing contract under this part
45 with the state for the delivery of a home-based educational technology program for preschool
46 children that meets the requirements of Subsection (4).
47 (ii) [
48 a two-year pilot as described in Subsection (3)(b)(i), the State Board of Education may enter
49 into a contract with one or more educational technology providers that have participated in a
50 Utah pilot.
51 (c) Every five years after July 1, 2021, the State Board of Education may issue a new
52 request for proposals described in this section.
53 (4) A home-based educational technology program for preschool children shall meet
54 the following standards:
55 (a) the contractor shall provide computer-assisted instruction for preschool children on
56 a home computer connected by the Internet to a centralized file storage facility;
57 (b) the contractor shall:
58 (i) provide technical support to families for the installation and operation of the
59 instructional software; and
60 (ii) provide for the installation of computer and Internet access in homes of low income
61 families that cannot afford the equipment and service;
62 (c) the contractor shall have the capability of doing the following through the Internet:
63 (i) communicating with parents;
64 (ii) updating the instructional software;
65 (iii) validating user access;
66 (iv) collecting usage data;
67 (v) storing research data; and
68 (vi) producing reports for parents, schools, and the Legislature;
69 (d) the program shall include the following components:
70 (i) computer-assisted, individualized instruction in reading, mathematics, and science;
71 (ii) a multisensory reading tutoring program; and
72 (iii) a validated computer adaptive reading test that does not require the presence of
73 trained adults to administer and is an accurate indicator of reading readiness of children who
74 cannot read;
75 (e) the contractor shall have the capability to quickly and efficiently modify, improve,
76 and support the product;
77 (f) the contractor shall work in cooperation with school district personnel who will
78 provide administrative and technical support of the program as provided in Section 53F-4-403;
79 (g) the contractor shall solicit families to participate in the program as provided in
80 Section 53F-4-404; and
81 (h) in implementing the home-based educational technology program, the contractor
82 shall seek the advise and expertise of early childhood education professionals within the Utah
83 System of Higher Education on issues such as:
84 (i) soliciting families to participate in the program;
85 (ii) providing training to families; and
86 (iii) motivating families to regularly use the instructional software.
87 (5) (a) The contract shall provide funding for a home-based educational technology
88 program for preschool children, subject to the appropriation of money by the Legislature for
89 UPSTART.
90 (b) An appropriation for a request for proposals described in Subsection (3)(b)(i) shall
91 be separate from an appropriation described in Subsection (5)(a).
92 (6) The State Board of Education shall evaluate a proposal based on:
93 (a) whether the home-based educational technology program meets the standards
94 specified in Subsection (4);
95 (b) the results of an independent evaluation of the home-based educational technology
96 program;
97 (c) the experience of the home-based educational technology program provider; and
98 (d) the per pupil cost of the home-based educational technology program.