Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 290 (2022GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Peterson, K.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/24/2022

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• modifies the eligibility requirements for a preschool student to participate in a high quality school readiness program;
• modifies requirements for lead teacher certifications in a preschool program that an eligible LEA or an eligible private provider runs as part of a high quality school readiness program; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

SCHOOL READINESS AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Karen M. Peterson
Senate Sponsor: 
Lincoln Fillmore
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies provisions related to a high quality school readiness program.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ modifies the eligibility requirements for a preschool student to participate in a high
quality school readiness program;
▸ modifies requirements for lead teacher certifications in a preschool program that an
eligible LEA or an eligible private provider runs as part of a high quality school
readiness program; and
▸ makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
35A-15-102
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 171
35A-15-202
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 186 and renumbered and
amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 342 and last amended by Coordination
Clause, Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 342
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
35A-15-102
 is amended to read:
35A-15-102.
Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Board" means the School Readiness Board, created in Section 
35A-15-201
.
(2) "Economically disadvantaged" means to be eligible to receive free or reduced price
lunch.
(3) "Eligible home-based educational technology provider" means a provider that
offers a home-based educational technology program to develop the school readiness skills of
an eligible student.
(4) (a) "Eligible LEA" means an LEA that has a data system capacity to collect
longitudinal academic outcome data, including special education use by student, by identifying
each student with a statewide unique student identifier.
(b) "Eligible LEA" includes a program exempt from licensure under Subsection
26-39-403
(2)(c).
(5) (a) "Eligible private provider" means a child care program that:
(i) is licensed under Title 26, Chapter 39, Utah Child Care Licensing Act; or
(ii) except as provided in Subsection (5)(b)(ii), is exempt from licensure under Section
26-39-403
.
(b) "Eligible private provider" does not include:
(i) residential child care, as defined in Section 
26-39-102
; or
(ii) a program exempt from licensure under Subsection 
26-39-403
(2)(c).
(6) "Eligible student" means a student:
(a) (i) who is age three, four, or five; and
(ii) is not eligible for enrollment under Subsection 
53G-4-402
(6); and
(b) (i) (A) who is economically disadvantaged; and
(B) whose parent or legal guardian reports that the student has experienced at least one
risk factor; [
or
]
(ii) is an English learner[
.
]
; or
(iii) is in foster care.
(7) "Evaluation" means an evaluation conducted in accordance with Section
35A-15-303
.
(8) "High quality school readiness program" means a preschool program that:
(a) is provided by an eligible LEA, eligible private provider, or eligible home-based
educational technology provider; and
(b) meets the elements of a high quality school readiness program described in Section
35A-15-202
.
(9) "Investor" means a person that enters into a results-based contract to provide
funding to a high quality school readiness program on the condition that the person will receive
payment in accordance with Section 
35A-15-402
 if the high quality school readiness program
meets the performance outcome measures included in the results-based contract.
(10) "Kindergarten assessment" means the kindergarten entry assessment described in
Section 
53F-2-507
.
(11) "Kindergarten transition plan" means a plan that supports the smooth transition of
a preschool student to kindergarten and includes communication and alignment among the
preschool, program, parents, and K-12 personnel.
(12) "Local Education Agency" or "LEA" means a school district or charter school.
(13) "Performance outcome measure" means:
(a) indicators, as determined by the board, on the school readiness assessment and the
kindergarten assessment; or
(b) for a results-based contract, the indicators included in the contract.
(14) "Results-based contract" means a contract that:
(a) is entered into in accordance with Section 
35A-15-402
;
(b) includes a performance outcome measure; and
(c) is between the board, a provider of a high quality school readiness program, and an
investor.
(15) "Risk factor" means:
(a) having a mother who was 18 years old or younger when the child was born;
(b) a member of a child's household is incarcerated;
(c) living in a neighborhood with high violence or crime;
(d) having one or both parents with a low reading ability;
(e) moving at least once in the past year;
(f) having ever been in foster care;
(g) living with multiple families in the same household;
(h) having exposure in a child's home to:
(i) physical abuse or domestic violence;
(ii) substance abuse;
(iii) the death or chronic illness of a parent or sibling; or
(iv) mental illness;
(i) the primary language spoken in a child's home is a language other than English; or
(j) having at least one parent who has not completed high school.
(16) "School readiness assessment" means the same as that term is defined in Section
53E-4-314
.
(17) "Tool" means the tool developed in accordance with Section 
35A-15-303
.
Section 2. Section 
35A-15-202
 is amended to read:
35A-15-202.
Elements of a high quality school readiness program.
(1) A high quality school readiness program [
run by
] 
that
 an eligible LEA or eligible
private provider 
runs
 shall include [
the following components
]:
(a) an evidence-based curriculum that is aligned with all of the developmental domains
and academic content areas defined in the Utah [
Early Childhood Standards adopted by
] 
core
standards for preschool that
 the State Board of Education 
adopts, and
 that incorporates:
(i) intentional and differentiated instruction in whole group, small group, and
child-directed learning; and
(ii) [
explicit
] 
intentional
 instruction in key areas of literacy and numeracy, as
determined by the State Board of Education, that:
(A) is teacher led or through a partnership with a contractor as defined in Section
53F-4-401
;
(B) includes specific literary and numeracy skills, such as phonological awareness; and
(C) includes provider monitoring and ongoing professional learning and coaching;
(b) ongoing, focused, and intensive professional development for staff of the school
readiness program;
(c) ongoing assessment of a student's educational growth and [
developmental
]
development that:
(i) is aligned to the Utah core standards for preschool that the State Board of Education
adopts; and
(ii) evaluates student
 progress to inform instruction;
(d) administration of the school readiness assessment to each student;
(e) for a preschool program [
run by an eligible LEA
] 
that an eligible LEA runs
, a class
size that does not exceed 20 students, with one adult for every 10 students in the class;
(f) ongoing program evaluation and data collection to monitor program goal
achievement and implementation of required program components;
(g) family engagement, including ongoing communication between home and school,
and parent education opportunities based on each family's circumstances;
[
(h) for a preschool program run by an eligible LEA, each teacher having at least
obtained:
]
[
(i) the minimum standard of a child development associate certification; or
]
[
(ii) an associate or bachelor's degree in an early childhood education related field;
]
[
(i) for a preschool program run by an eligible private provider, by a teacher's second
year, each teacher having at least obtained:
]
(h) only lead teachers who, by the lead teacher's second year, obtain at least:
(i) the minimum standard of a child development associate certification; or
(ii) an associate or bachelor's degree in an early childhood education related field; and
[
(j)
] 
(i)
 a kindergarten transition plan.
(2) A high quality school readiness program [
run by
] 
that
 a home-based educational
technology provider 
runs
 shall:
(a) be an evidence-based and age appropriate individualized interactive instruction
assessment and feedback technology program that teaches eligible students early learning skills
needed to be successful upon entry into kindergarten;
(b) require regular parental engagement with the student in the student's use of the
home-based educational technology program;
(c) be aligned with the Utah [
early childhood
] core standards 
for preschool that the
State Board of Education adopts
;
(d) require the administration of a pre- and post-assessment of each student whose
parent or legal guardian consents to the assessment that, for a home-based technology program
that receives funding under this part, is designated by the board in accordance with Section
35A-15-402
; and
(e) require technology providers to ensure successful implementation and utilization of
the technology program.