Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 115 First Substitute (2018GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Adams, J. S.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/16/2018

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• permits the State Board of Education to issue a request for proposals and enter into a contract for a two-year pilot of a home-based educational technology program; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

UPSTART PROGRAM AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: J. Stuart Adams
House Sponsor: 
Bradley G. Last
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions related to a contract for a home-based educational
technology program.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ permits the State Board of Education to issue a request for proposals and enter into
a contract for a two-year pilot of a home-based educational technology program;
and
▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53F-4-402
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 2
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53F-4-402
 is amended to read:
53F-4-402.
UPSTART program to develop school readiness skills of preschool
children.
(1) UPSTART, a project that uses a home-based educational technology program to
develop school readiness skills of preschool children, is established within the public education
system.
(2) UPSTART is created to:
(a) evaluate the effectiveness of giving preschool children access, at home, to
interactive individualized instruction delivered by computers and the Internet to prepare them
academically for success in school; and
(b) test the feasibility of scaling a home-based curriculum in reading, math, and science
delivered by computers and the Internet to all preschool children in Utah.
(3) (a) The State Board of Education shall contract with an educational technology
provider, selected through a request for proposals process, for the delivery of a home-based
educational technology program for preschool children that meets the requirements of
Subsection (4).
(b) (i) The State Board of Education [
shall
] 
may
, on or before July 1, 2019, issue a
request for proposals for two-year pilot proposals from
, and enter into a contract with,
 one or
more educational technology providers that do not have an existing contract under this part
with the state for the delivery of a home-based educational technology program for preschool
children that meets the requirements of Subsection (4).
(ii) [
After the two-year pilots
] 
If the State Board of Education enters into a contract for
a two-year pilot as
 described in Subsection (3)(b)(i), the State Board of Education may enter
into a contract with one or more educational technology providers that have participated in a
Utah pilot.
(c) Every five years after July 1, 2021, the State Board of Education may issue a new
request for proposals described in this section.
(4) A home-based educational technology program for preschool children shall meet
the following standards:
(a) the contractor shall provide computer-assisted instruction for preschool children on
a home computer connected by the Internet to a centralized file storage facility;
(b) the contractor shall:
(i) provide technical support to families for the installation and operation of the
instructional software; and
(ii) provide for the installation of computer and Internet access in homes of low income
families that cannot afford the equipment and service;
(c) the contractor shall have the capability of doing the following through the Internet:
(i) communicating with parents;
(ii) updating the instructional software;
(iii) validating user access;
(iv) collecting usage data;
(v) storing research data; and
(vi) producing reports for parents, schools, and the Legislature;
(d) the program shall include the following components:
(i) computer-assisted, individualized instruction in reading, mathematics, and science;
(ii) a multisensory reading tutoring program; and
(iii) a validated computer adaptive reading test that does not require the presence of
trained adults to administer and is an accurate indicator of reading readiness of children who
cannot read;
(e) the contractor shall have the capability to quickly and efficiently modify, improve,
and support the product;
(f) the contractor shall work in cooperation with school district personnel who will
provide administrative and technical support of the program as provided in Section 
53F-4-403
;
(g) the contractor shall solicit families to participate in the program as provided in
Section 
53F-4-404
; and
(h) in implementing the home-based educational technology program, the contractor
shall seek the advise and expertise of early childhood education professionals within the Utah
System of Higher Education on issues such as:
(i) soliciting families to participate in the program;
(ii) providing training to families; and
(iii) motivating families to regularly use the instructional software.
(5) (a) The contract shall provide funding for a home-based educational technology
program for preschool children, subject to the appropriation of money by the Legislature for
UPSTART.
(b) An appropriation for a request for proposals described in Subsection (3)(b)(i) shall
be separate from an appropriation described in Subsection (5)(a).
(6) The State Board of Education shall evaluate a proposal based on:
(a) whether the home-based educational technology program meets the standards
specified in Subsection (4);
(b) the results of an independent evaluation of the home-based educational technology
program;
(c) the experience of the home-based educational technology program provider; and
(d) the per pupil cost of the home-based educational technology program.