1     
LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS AMENDMENTS

2     
2021 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Bradley G. Last

5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill makes changes to the way the State Board of Education designates a low
10     performing school.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     requires the State Board of Education (state board) to set the criteria for designating
14     a low performing school in rules the state board makes; and
15          ▸     defines terms.
16     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
17          None
18     Other Special Clauses:
19          None
20     Utah Code Sections Affected:
21     AMENDS:
22          53E-5-301, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapters 146 and 408
23     

24     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
25          Section 1. Section 53E-5-301 is amended to read:
26          53E-5-301. Definitions.
27          As used in this part:
28          (1) "Charter school authorizer" means the same as that term is defined in Section
29     53G-5-102.
30          (2) "Cohort" means all district schools and charter schools identified as low performing
31     schools based on school [accountabilty] accountability results from the same school year.
32          (3) "Educator" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53E-6-102.
33          (4) "Final remedial year" means the second or third school year following the initial
34     remedial year, as determined by the state board.
35          (5) "Independent school turnaround expert" or "turnaround expert" means a person
36     identified by the state board under Section 53E-5-305.
37          (6) "Initial remedial year" means the school year a district school or charter school is
38     designated as a low performing school under Section 53E-5-302.
39          (7) " LEA governing board" means a local school board or charter school governing
40     board.
41          (8) "Low performing school" means a district school or charter school that has been
42     designated a low performing school by the state board [because the school is: (a) for two
43     consecutive school years in the lowest performing 3% of schools statewide according to the
44     percentage of possible points earned under the school accountability system; and (b) a low
45     performing school according to other outcome-based measures as may be defined in] under
46     rules [made by] the state board makes in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
47     Administrative Rulemaking Act.
48          (9) "School accountability system" means the school accountability system established
49     in Part 2, School Accountability System.
50          (10) "School grade" or "grade" means the letter grade assigned to a school as the
51     school's overall rating under the school accountability system.
52          (11) "School turnaround committee" means a committee established under:
53          (a) for a district school, Section 53E-5-303; or
54          (b) for a charter school, Section 53E-5-304.
55          (12) "School turnaround plan" means a plan described in:
56          (a) for a district school, Section 53E-5-303; or
57          (b) for a charter school, Section 53E-5-304.