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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill addresses the licensing of educators by the State Board of Education.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 ▸ defines terms;
13 ▸ allows individuals who complete certain educator training programs, without
14 receiving a bachelor's degree, to obtain an educator license from the State Board of
15 Education;
16 ▸ requires the State Board of Education to establish licensing standards for educator
17 training programs; 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 53E-6-201, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapters 365, 408
26 53E-6-302, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 285
27 53E-6-303, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 186
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29 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
30 Section 1. Section 53E-6-201 is amended to read:
31 53E-6-201. State board licensure.
32 (1) [
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34 Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, a system for educator licensing that includes:
35 (a) an associate educator license that permits an individual to provide educational
36 services in a public school while working to meet the requirements of a professional educator
37 license;
38 (b) a professional educator license that permits an individual to provide educational
39 services in a public school after demonstrating that the individual meets licensure requirements
40 established in state board rule; [
41 (c) an LEA-specific educator license issued by the state board at the request of an
42 LEA's governing body that is valid for an individual to provide educational services in the
43 requesting LEA's schools[
44 (d) a certified educator license that permits an individual who has successfully
45 completed a certified educator training program, as defined in Section 53E-6-302, to provide
46 educational services in a public school after demonstrating that the individual meets licensure
47 requirements established in state board rule.
48 (2) An individual employed in a position that requires licensure by the state board shall
49 hold the license that is appropriate to the position.
50 (3) (a) The state board may by rule made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3,
51 Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, rank, endorse, or otherwise classify licenses and
52 establish the criteria for obtaining, retaining, and reinstating licenses.
53 (b) An educator who is enrolling in a course of study at an institution within the state
54 system of higher education to satisfy the state board requirements for retaining a license is
55 exempt from tuition, except for a semester registration fee established by the Utah Board of
56 Higher Education, if:
57 (i) the educator is enrolled on the basis of surplus space in the class after regularly
58 enrolled students have been assigned and admitted to the class in accordance with regular
59 procedures, normal teaching loads, and the institution's approved budget; and
60 (ii) enrollments are determined by each institution under rules and guidelines
61 established by the Utah Board of Higher Education in accordance with findings of fact that
62 space is available for the educator's enrollment.
63 Section 2. Section 53E-6-302 is amended to read:
64 53E-6-302. Educator preparation programs.
65 (1) As used in this section:
66 (a) "Certified educator training program" means a competency-based program that:
67 (i) provides educators with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to teach in the
68 classroom and prepare educators for licensure; and
69 (ii) does not lead to a bachelor's degree.
70 [
71 (i) a university teacher education program; [
72 (ii) a program that prepares individuals using an alternative pathway to licensure, as the
73 state board provides[
74 (iii) a certified educator training program.
75 [
76 defined in Section 53E-6-301.
77 [
78 of higher education offers to prepare educators for licensure.
79 (2) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
80 state board shall make rules that establish standards for approval of an educator preparation
81 program.
82 (3) (a) [
83 adopted under Subsection (2):
84 [
85 educators; and
86 [
87 [
88 [
89 at no cost to the applicants for the preparation, including providing ongoing preparation for up
90 to three total attempts of the required literacy preparation assessment.
91 (b) Rules made by the state board under Subsection (2) may not require a license
92 applicant who has completed a certified educator training program to obtain a bachelor's
93 degree.
94 (4) The state board shall designate an employee of the state board's staff to:
95 (a) work with education deans of state institutions of higher education to coordinate
96 university teacher preparation programs that may include:
97 (i) monitoring courses for university teacher preparation programs; and
98 (ii) working with course instructors for university teacher preparation programs;
99 (b) act as a liaison between:
100 (i) the state board;
101 (ii) local school boards or charter school governing boards; and
102 (iii) representatives of university teacher preparation programs; and
103 (c) report the employee's findings and recommendations for the improvement of
104 teacher preparation programs to:
105 (i) the state board; and
106 (ii) education deans of state institutions of higher education.
107 (5) The state board shall:
108 (a) in good faith, consider the findings and recommendations described in Subsection
109 (4)(c); and
110 (b) in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act,
111 make rules, as the state board determines is necessary, to implement recommendations
112 described in Subsection (4)(c).
113 (6) Subject to legislative appropriations, the Utah Board of Higher Education shall:
114 (a) provide matching funds to each of the state's institutions of higher education with a
115 university teacher preparation program:
116 (i) to hire an additional faculty member who has training in the science of reading and
117 the science of reading instruction; and
118 (ii) in an amount equal to 75% of the cost of making the hire described in Subsection
119 [
120 (b) consult the state superintendent regarding:
121 (i) criteria for the hire described in Subsection [
122 distribution of funding; and
123 (ii) an individual institution's fulfillment of the criteria described in Subsection
124 (6)(b)(i) before distributing funding.
125 (7) An institution that hires an additional faculty member shall coordinate with the
126 science of reading panel described in Section 53E-3-1003 to include two members of the panel
127 in the institution's hiring process.
128 (8) The state board shall:
129 (a) monitor accreditation of university programs regarding the science of reading
130 preparation described in Subsection [
131 Subsection (6)(a); and
132 (b) (i) develop strategies to provide support for preparation programs with low rates of
133 passage on the required literacy preparation assessment; and
134 (ii) provide increasing levels of support to a preparation program with low rates of
135 passage on the required literacy preparation assessment for two consecutive years.
136 Section 3. Section 53E-6-303 is amended to read:
137 53E-6-303. Prohibition on use of degrees or credit from unapproved institutions.
138 (1) An individual may not use a postsecondary degree, certificate, or credit awarded by
139 a postsecondary institution or program to gain a license, employment, or any other benefit
140 within the public school system unless the institution or program was, at the time the degree,
141 certificate, or credit was awarded:
142 (a) approved for the granting of the degree, certificate, or credit by the state board; or
143 (b) accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the state board.
144 (2) The state board may grant an exemption from Subsection (1) to an individual who
145 shows good cause for the granting of the exemption.