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8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill establishes additional mechanisms for growth opportunities for certain school
11 employees.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This bill:
14 ▸ broadens the scope of the Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program to include
15 individuals seeking education to become a school psychologist or school social
16 worker; and
17 ▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
18 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
19 None
20 Other Special Clauses:
21 This bill provides a special effective date.
22 Utah Code Sections Affected:
23 AMENDS:
24 53F-5-218, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 476
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26 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
27 Section 1. Section 53F-5-218 is amended to read:
28 53F-5-218. Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program.
29 (1) As used in this section:
30 (a) "Paraprofessional" means an individual who:
31 (i) works with students in an LEA as a paraprofessional or in a similar teaching
32 assistant position; and
33 (ii) is not licensed to teach.
34 (b) "Program" means the Grow Your Own [
35 Program that this section creates.
36 (c) "School counselor" means an educator who is:
37 (i) licensed as a school counselor in accordance with state board rule; and
38 (ii) assigned to provide direct and indirect services to students in accordance with a
39 school counseling program model that the state board provides.
40 (d) "School counselor assistant" means a student who is:
41 (i) enrolled in an accredited bachelor's degree program in a related field; and
42 (ii) completing the student's practicum experience in a school counseling department
43 under the supervision of a licensed school counselor.
44 (e) "School counselor intern" means a student who is:
45 (i) enrolled in an accredited school counselor master's degree program; and
46 (ii) completing the student's hours of a supervised counseling internship by applying
47 appropriate school counseling techniques under the supervision of a licensed school counselor.
48 (f) "School psychologist" means an individual:
49 (i) whom the state board licenses to practice as a school psychologist; and
50 (ii) who is assigned to provide direct and indirect services to students within the
51 relevant school or LEA seeking program grant funding.
52 (g) "School social worker" means an individual:
53 (i) whom the state board licenses as a school social worker; and
54 (ii) who is assigned to provide direct and indirect services to students within the
55 relevant school or LEA seeking program grant funding.
56 [
57 (2) The Grow Your Own [
58 is a competitive grant program created to provide funding to LEAs to award scholarships to
59 paraprofessionals, teachers, school counselor assistants, and school counselor interns within the
60 LEA for education and training to become licensed teachers [
61 licensed school psychologists, or licensed school social workers.
62 (3) The state board shall use money appropriated for the program to provide funding to
63 LEAs that are awarded grants under the program to award scholarships to eligible candidates
64 whom principals within the LEA nominate, in an amount that the state board determines.
65 (4) An LEA that participates in the program may select a candidate for a scholarship
66 award if:
67 (a) the candidate is a resident of the state; and
68 (b) (i) for a paraprofessional:
69 (A) a school district or charter school has employed the candidate as a paraprofessional
70 for at least one year before entering the program; or
71 (B) subject to Subsection (5), the candidate has experience outside the school district,
72 charter school, or state that is equivalent to the experience described in Subsection (4)(b)
73 (i)(A);
74 (ii) for a teacher, the candidate:
75 (A) was a paraprofessional who was awarded a scholarship;
76 (B) was offered employment as a teacher before the teacher completed the training to
77 become a professionally licensed teacher; and
78 (C) is working as a teacher for the same LEA where the teacher previously worked as a
79 paraprofessional and was awarded the scholarship[
80 (iii) for a school counselor assistant, the candidate:
81 (A) is enrolled in a bachelor's degree program in a related field; and
82 (B) demonstrates a commitment to continue the school counselor assistant's education
83 after graduation in school counseling; [
84 (iv) for a school counselor intern, the candidate is enrolled in an accredited school
85 counselor master's degree program accredited by:
86 (A) the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; or
87 (B) another regionally recognized accrediting body that meets the state board's
88 standards for school counselor education programs[
89 (v) for a school psychologist student, including a student, practicum student, or intern,
90 the candidate is enrolled in a school psychology education specialist or doctorate program that
91 the National Association of School Psychologists accredits; or
92 (vi) for a candidate studying to become a school social worker, including a student or
93 practicum intern, the candidate is enrolled in a masters level social work program that the
94 Council of Social Work Education accredits.
95 (5) The percentage of an LEA's paraprofessional scholarship recipients who are eligible
96 for a scholarship using equivalent experience under Subsection (4)(b)(i)(B) may not exceed
97 20%.
98 (6) A scholarship award under the program may only be used for:
99 (a) tuition, books, fees, and certification tests for required coursework and licensure;
100 (b) stipends for mentors or school counselor assistants; and
101 (c) if the LEA pays 0.15 of a full-time equivalent and all employee benefits, payment
102 of a 0.35 full-time equivalent for:
103 (i) a paraprofessional, up to one semester of student teaching; or
104 (ii) a school counselor assistant or school counselor intern, up to two semesters of
105 practicum or internship hours.
106 (7) [
107 continuously employed as a paraprofessional by the paraprofessional's LEA while pursuing a
108 degree using scholarship money under the program.
109 (8) The state board shall make rules in accordance with this section and Title 63G,
110 Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to administer the program, including rules
111 regarding:
112 (a) grant and scholarship application procedures;
113 (b) procedures for distributing scholarship money;
114 (c) assignment and eligibility of qualified mentors;
115 (d) stipends for mentors or school counselor assistants;
116 (e) administrative costs for regional education service agencies, as that term is defined
117 in Section 53G-4-410; and
118 (f) eligibility requirements for potential candidates for scholarships regarding the
119 completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the acceptance of other grants,
120 tuition or fee waivers, and scholarships offered to the candidate.
121 Section 2. Effective date.
122 This bill takes effect on July 1, 2023.