Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 420 (2020GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Last, B.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/24/2020

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• amends the criteria for a low performing school to exit the school turnaround program.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

TURNAROUND PROGRAM AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Bradley G. Last
Senate Sponsor: 
 Ann Millner
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends the criteria for a low performing school to exit the school turnaround
program.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ amends the criteria for a low performing school to exit the school turnaround
program.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53E-5-301
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 186
53E-5-306
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 186
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53E-5-301
 is amended to read:
53E-5-301.
Definitions.
As used in this part:
(1) "Charter school authorizer" means the same as that term is defined in Section
53G-5-102
.
(2) "Cohort" means all district schools and charter schools identified as low performing
schools based on school accountabilty results from the same school year.
[
(2)
] 
(3)
 "Educator" means the same as that term is defined in Section 
53E-6-102
.
[
(3)
] 
(4)
 "Final remedial year" means the second 
or third
 school year following the
initial remedial year
, as determined by the state board
.
[
(4)
] 
(5)
 "Independent school turnaround expert" or "turnaround expert" means a
person identified by the state board under Section 
53E-5-305
.
[
(5)
] 
(6)
 "Initial remedial year" means the school year a district school or charter school
is designated as a low performing school under Section 
53E-5-302
.
[
(6)
] 
(7)
 " LEA governing board" means a local school board or charter school
governing board.
[
(7)
] 
(8)
 "Low performing school" means a district school or charter school that has
been designated a low performing school by the state board because the school is:
(a) for two consecutive school years in the lowest performing 3% of schools statewide
according to the percentage of possible points earned under the school accountability system;
and
(b) a low performing school according to other outcome-based measures as may be
defined in rules made by the state board.
[
(8)
] 
(9)
 "School accountability system" means the school accountability system
established in Part 2, School Accountability System.
[
(9)
] 
(10)
 "School grade" or "grade" means the letter grade assigned to a school as the
school's overall rating under the school accountability system.
[
(10)
] 
(11)
 "School turnaround committee" means a committee established under:
(a) for a district school, Section 
53E-5-303
; or
(b) for a charter school, Section 
53E-5-304
.
[
(11)
] 
(12)
 "School turnaround plan" means a plan described in:
(a) for a district school, Section 
53E-5-303
; or
(b) for a charter school, Section 
53E-5-304
.
Section 2. Section 
53E-5-306
 is amended to read:
53E-5-306.
Implications for failing to improve school performance.
(1) As used in this section, "high performing charter school" means a charter school
that:
(a) satisfies all requirements of state law and state board rules;
(b) meets or exceeds standards for student achievement established by the charter
school's charter school authorizer; and
(c) has received at least a B grade under the school accountability system in the
previous two school years.
(2) (a) The state board shall make rules establishing:
(i) the final remedial year for a cohort;
[
(i)
] 
(ii)
 exit criteria for a low performing school;
[
(ii)
] 
(iii)
 criteria for granting a school an extension as described in Subsection (3); and
[
(iii)
] 
(iv)
 implications for a low performing school that does not meet exit criteria after
the school's final remedial year or the last school year of the extension period described in
Subsection (3).
(b) In establishing exit criteria for a low performing school 
identified based on school
accountability results from the 2018-19 school year and later,
 the state board shall:
(i) determine for each low performing school the number of points awarded under the
school accountability system [
in the final remedial year
] that represent a substantive [
and
statistically significant
] improvement over the number of points awarded under the school
accountability system in the school year immediately preceding the initial remedial year; 
and
(ii) establish a method to [
estimate the exit criteria after a low performing school's first
remedial year to
] provide a target for each low performing school[
; and
]
.
[
(iii) use generally accepted statistical practices.
]
(c) The state board shall through a competitively awarded contract engage a third party
with expertise in school accountability and assessments to verify the 
exit
 criteria adopted under
[
this Subsection
] 
Subsections
 (2)
(a)(i) and (ii)
.
(3) (a) A low performing school may petition the state board for an extension to
continue school improvement efforts for up to two years if the low performing school does not
meet the exit criteria established by the state board as described in Subsection (2).
(b) A school that has been granted an extension under this Subsection (3) is eligible
for:
(i) continued funding under Section 
53E-5-305
; and
(ii) (A) the school teacher recruitment and retention incentive under Section
53E-5-308
; or
(B) the School Recognition and Reward Program under Section 
53E-5-307
.
(4) If a low performing school does not meet exit criteria after the school's final
remedial year or the last school year of the extension period, the state board may intervene by:
(a) restructuring a district school, which may include:
(i) contract management;
(ii) conversion to a charter school; or
(iii) state takeover;
(b) restructuring a charter school by:
(i) terminating a school's charter agreement;
(ii) closing a charter school; or
(iii) transferring operation and control of the charter school to:
(A) a high performing charter school; or
(B) the school district in which the charter school is located; or
(c) other appropriate action as determined by the state board.