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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill addresses standards for, and the evaluation of, high school athletic coaches.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 ▸ defines terms;
13 ▸ requires the State School Board to develop sport-specific coaching standards for
14 high school athletic coaches;
15 ▸ requires a principal to conduct an annual standardized evaluation of a coach based
16 on the relevant standards developed by the State School Board;
17 ▸ allows a coach to review and respond to the evaluation; and
18 ▸ provides for the collection and use of a coach's evaluation for the purpose of making
19 a hiring decision.
20 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
21 None
22 Other Special Clauses:
23 None
24 Utah Code Sections Affected:
25 ENACTS:
26 53E-3-524, Utah Code Annotated 1953
27 53G-7-221, Utah Code Annotated 1953
28 53G-7-1107, Utah Code Annotated 1953
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30 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
31 Section 1. Section 53E-3-524 is enacted to read:
32 53E-3-524. State board to establish coaching standards.
33 (1) As used in this section:
34 (a) "Association" means the association, as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1101,
35 that regulates a majority of athletic activities in the state.
36 (b) "Athletic coach" means an individual who, on behalf of an LEA, coaches students
37 participating in a sport.
38 (c) "Interscholastic activity" means the same as that term is defined in Section
39 53G-7-1102.
40 (d) "LEA" means a school district, public school, or charter school that serves students
41 in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12.
42 (e) "Sport" means an athletic interscholastic activity sanctioned by the association.
43 (2) In consultation with the association and groups and organizations that represent
44 athletic coaches in the state, the state board shall establish, for each sport:
45 (a) state standards for athletic coaches; and
46 (b) an evaluation form to be used to evaluate an athletic coach's performance relative to
47 the applicable standards established under Subsection (2)(a).
48 (3) The standards established under Subsection (2) shall include standards related to an
49 athletic coach's:
50 (a) relationship with students, administrators, referees, parents, and other stakeholders;
51 (b) training and certification; and
52 (c) use and management of athletic resources, including fiscal and facility resources.
53 Section 2. Section 53G-7-221 is enacted to read:
54 53G-7-221. Athletic coach evaluations.
55 (1) As used in this section:
56 (a) "Association" means the association, as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1101,
57 that regulates a majority of athletic activities in the state.
58 (b) "Athletic coach" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53E-3-524.
59 (c) "Classification" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1101.
60 (d) "Completed coach evaluation" means a completed evaluation described in
61 Subsection (2), including any response provided by a coach as described in Subsection (3).
62 (e) "Contest" means an interscholastic meet, game, tournament, or other competitive
63 activity.
64 (f) "LEA" means a school district, public school, or charter school that serves students
65 in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12.
66 (g) "Sport" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53E-3-524.
67 (h) (i) "Sport season" means the competition season for a sport.
68 (ii) A sport season ends on the day of the last sanctioned state contest for the sport,
69 regardless of whether the last sanctioned state contest is for schools in a different classification.
70 (2) Within 10 business days after a sport season ends, an LEA principal or the
71 principal's designee shall evaluate the LEA's athletic coaches for that sport using the relevant
72 evaluation form established by the state board under Subsection 53E-3-524(2).
73 (3) Upon completion of an evaluation under Subsection (2), the principal or the
74 principal's designee who conducts the evaluation shall provide the coach with:
75 (a) a copy of the evaluation; and
76 (b) a reasonable opportunity to provide a written response to the evaluation.
77 (4) After complying with Subsection (3), an LEA shall:
78 (a) maintain the completed coach evaluation as part of the coach's personnel file; and
79 (b) submit a copy of the completed coach evaluation to the association.
80 (5) (a) An LEA shall classify a completed coach evaluation as a private performance
81 evaluation under Subsection 63G-2-302(2)(a).
82 (b) A completed coach evaluation submitted to the association as required by
83 Subsection (4) retains the classification of a private record.
84 Section 3. Section 53G-7-1107 is enacted to read:
85 53G-7-1107. Athletic coach evaluations.
86 (1) As used in this section:
87 (a) "Association" means the association, as that term is defined in Section 53G-7-1101,
88 that regulates a majority of athletic activities in the state.
89 (b) "Athletic coach" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53E-3-524.
90 (c) "Completed coach evaluation" means the same as that term is defined in Section
91 53G-7-221.
92 (d) "LEA" means a school district, public school, or charter school that serves students
93 in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12.
94 (2) The association shall collect and maintain completed coach evaluations submitted
95 to the association by an LEA pursuant to Section 53G-7-221.
96 (3) The association shall provide a copy of an athletic coach's completed coach
97 evaluation to an LEA that requests the coach's evaluation if:
98 (a) the requesting LEA certifies that:
99 (i) the LEA is requesting a copy of the completed coach evaluation for the purpose of
100 making a hiring decision;
101 (ii) the LEA will not use the completed coach evaluation for any purpose other than
102 making the hiring decision; and
103 (iii) the LEA will maintain the completed coach evaluation as a private record under
104 Title 63G, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act; and
105 (b) the coach who is the subject of the completed coach evaluation authorizes, in
106 writing, the release of the completed coach evaluation to the requesting LEA.
107 (4) (a) The association shall classify a completed coach evaluation as a private
108 performance evaluation under Subsection 63G-2-302(2)(a).
109 (b) A completed coach evaluation submitted to an LEA under Subsection (3) retains
110 the classification of a private record.
111 (5) The association shall retain a completed coach evaluation for 10 years after the date
112 of the completed coach evaluation, and then destroy the completed coach evaluation.