Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 246 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Elison, Joseph

Final action

Governor Signed 3/27/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• authorizes the State Board of Education (state board) to conduct sample audits of online courses;
• expands performance reporting requirements for an authorized online course provider;
• requires the state board to establish a report card for an authorized online course provider;
• facilitates regular communication between an authorized online course provider and a primary LEA of enrollment;
• implements a model syllabus template for online courses;
• requires the state board to create a centralized registration system for parents and students; and
• makes technical changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

8
53F-4-511
53F-4-512
53F-4-514
0
Statewide Online Education Program Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Joseph Elison
Senate Sponsor: Lincoln Fillmore
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill makes changes to enhance quality, accountability, and transparency in the 
Statewide Online Education Program.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
authorizes the State Board of Education (state board) to conduct sample audits of online 
courses;
expands performance reporting requirements for an authorized online course provider;
requires the state board to establish a report card for an authorized online course provider;
facilitates regular communication between an authorized online course provider and a 
primary LEA of enrollment;
implements a model syllabus template for online courses;
requires the state board to create a centralized registration system for parents and 
students; and
makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53F-4-511
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 24
53F-4-512
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 24
53F-4-514
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 24
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
53F-4-511
 is amended to read:
53F-4-511
. Report on performance of authorized online course providers.
(1)
The state board, in collaboration with authorized online course providers and, if 
applicable, the state board's contractor, shall develop a report on the performance of 
authorized online course providers, which may be used to evaluate the Statewide Online 
Education Program and assess the quality of an authorized online course provider.
(2)
A report on the performance of an authorized online course provider shall include:
(a)
scores aggregated by test on statewide assessments administered under Title 53E, 
Chapter 4, Part 3, Assessments, taken by students at the end of an online course 
offered through the Statewide Online Education Program;
(b)
the percentage of the authorized online course provider's students who complete 
online courses within the applicable time period specified in Subsection 
53F-4-505
(4)(c);
(c)
the percentage of the authorized online course provider's students who complete 
online courses after the applicable time period specified in Subsection 
53F-4-505
(4)(c) and before the student graduates from high school;
 and
(d)
the pupil-teacher ratio for the combined online courses of the authorized online 
course provider
.
;
(e)
student grade distributions for each course the authorized online course provider 
offers;
(f)
student completion rates for each course the authorized online course provider offers;
(g)
results of student and parent satisfaction surveys;
(h)
if applicable, a summary of the authorized online course provider's plan to improve 
course quality and student outcomes; and
(i)
results of any sample audits the state board has conducted related to courses the 
authorized online course provider offers.
(3)
The state board shall post a report on the performance of an authorized online course 
provider on the Statewide Online Education Program's website described in Section 
53F-4-512
.
(4)
The state board shall develop a standardized performance evaluation report card to 
assess an authorized online course provider, which shall be published annually on the 
Statewide Online Education Program's website described in Section 
53F-4-512
.
Section 2, Section 
53F-4-512
 is amended to read:
53F-4-512
. Dissemination of information on the Statewide Online Education 
Program.
(1)
The state board shall develop 
a website for the Statewide Online Education Program
or 
purchase an enrollment and program administration system accessible to authorized 
online course providers,
 which shall include:
(a)
a description of the Statewide Online Education Program, including its purposes;
(b)
notwithstanding Subsection (2), information on who is eligible to enroll, and how an 
eligible student may enroll, in an online course;
(c)
a directory of authorized online course providers;
(d)
a link to a course catalog for each authorized online course provider;
 and
(e)
a report on the performance of authorized online course providers as required by 
Section 
53F-4-511
.
; and
(f)
a centralized registration system that:
(i)
allows a parent or eligible student to register for online courses; and
(ii)
automatically shares registration information with the selected authorized online 
course provider.
(2)
An authorized online course provider shall provide the following information on the 
authorized online course provider's website:
(a)
a description of the Statewide Online Education Program, including its purposes;
(b)
information on who is eligible to enroll, and how an eligible student may enroll, in 
an online course;
(c)
a course catalog;
(d)
scores aggregated by test on statewide assessments administered under Title 53E, 
Chapter 4, Part 3, Assessments, taken by students at the end of an online course 
offered through the Statewide Online Education Program;
(e)
the percentage of an authorized online course provider's students who complete 
online courses within the applicable time period specified in Subsection 
53F-4-505
(4)(c);
(f)
the percentage of an authorized online course provider's students who complete 
online courses after the applicable time period specified in Subsection 
53F-4-505
(4)(c) and before the student graduates from high school;
 and
(g)
the authorized online course provider's pupil-teacher ratio for the online courses 
combined
.
; and
(h)
additional information described in Subsection 
53F-4-511(2)
 not described in this 
Subsection 
(2)
.
(3)
The state board's contractor shall provide on the contractor's website information 
regarding enrollment and participation by a private school or home school student 
through the contractor.
Section 3, Section 
53F-4-514
 is amended to read:
53F-4-514
. State board -- Rulemaking -- Fees.
(1)
Notwithstanding Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state 
board shall provide a delayed effective date that is after the school year has ended for a 
change to an administrative rule related to the Statewide Online Education Program if 
the change would require an authorized online course provider to make program changes 
during the school year.
(2)
The state board shall make rules in accordance with this part and Title 63G, Chapter 3, 
Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that establish:
(a)
a course credit acknowledgement form and procedures for completing and 
submitting to the state board or, in relation to a student who attends a private school 
or home school, the state board's contractor, a course credit acknowledgement;
(b)
procedures for the administration of a statewide assessment to a student enrolled in 
an online course; and
(c)
protocols for an online course provider to obtain approval to become a certified 
online course provider, including:
(i)
the application procedure for an online course provider to obtain approval to 
become a certified online course provider; and
(ii)
the standards that a certified online course provider and any online course the 
certified online course provider offers shall meet;
(d)
in accordance with Title 53E, Chapter 4, Academic Standards, Assessments, and 
Materials, criteria for an authorized online course provider to submit for approval an 
online course that does not have an existing state board course code;
(e)
no later than July 1, 2024, 
a process within existing systems at the state board or, in 
relation to a student who attends a private school or home school, the state board's 
contractor, to allow a certified online course provider access to an educator's 
licensing, endorsement, certification, and assignment information if the educator is 
teaching an online course for the certified online course provider;
(f)
in consultation with the authorized online course providers, the parameters for 
conducting a site visit including:
(i)
a definition for the term site visit;
(ii)
the minimum amount of time required for:
(A)
notice to an authorized online course provider of a site visit; and
(B)
an authorized online course provider to prepare for a site visit;
(iii)
the documents, data, and artifacts subject to inspection during a site visit; and
(iv)
a process to ensure a site visit allows for observation of instruction without 
interfering with the instruction;
(g)
annual mandatory training for relevant staff at a primary LEA that includes:
(i)
program requirements for a primary LEA including reporting requirements and 
methods;
(ii)
uses of resources and tools to ensure adequate monitoring of an eligible student's 
progress;
(iii)
federal and state requirements for accommodating enrollments that involve 
special education;
(iv)
appropriate circumstances and methodologies for reducing an eligible student's 
schedule; and
(v)
other components the state board determines are necessary; and
(3)
(a)
When establishing the standards described in Subsection (2)(c)(ii) the state board 
shall:
(i)
establish rules and minimum standards regarding accreditation;
(ii)
require an online course to be aligned with the core standards described in 
Section 
53E-4-202
;
(iii)
require proof that a national organization responsible for college athletics 
endorses:
(A)
the certified online course provider; or
(B)
the online course that a certified online course provider offers;
(iv)
permit an open-entry, open-exit method of instructional delivery that allows a 
student the flexibility to:
(A)
schedule in response to individual needs or requirements;
(B)
demonstrate competency when the student has mastered knowledge and skills;
(C)
begin or end study at any time; and
(D)
progress through course material at the student's own pace; and
(v)
except as provided in Subsection (5), require an individual who teaches a course 
for a certified online course provider to hold a teaching license issued by the state 
board.
(b)
When establishing the standards described in Subsection (2)(c)(ii), the state board 
may not:
(i)
specify a minimum duration for an online course;
(ii)
specify a minimum amount of time that a student must spend in an online course; 
or
(iii)
limit the class size of an online course.
(4)
No later than January 31, 2026, the state board shall create a communication dashboard 
for the program and only related to eligible students enrolled in a public school that may 
include:
(a)
a counselor contact list for an eligible student that is accessible to an authorized 
online course provider; and
(b)
progress monitoring fields that are accessible to the primary LEA, the eligible 
student's counselor, and the eligible student's parent containing:
(i)
grade progress reporting of an eligible student by an authorized online course 
provider;
(ii)
an ability to flag a student that is at-risk of failing an online course; and
(iii)
other relevant capabilities the state board determines to be necessary in 
consultation with LEA users of the dashboard.
(5)
If an individual possesses a provider-specific license described in Section 
53E-6-201
, 
the state board may not prohibit the individual from teaching an online course for an 
authorized online course provider while the individual is in the process of obtaining an 
endorsement or additional license issued by the state board.
(6)
The state board may establish a fee, in accordance with Section 
63J-1-504
, in an amount 
to pay the costs to the state board of the application approval process and the monitoring 
of a certified online course provider's compliance with the standards described in 
Subsection (2)(c)(ii).
(7)
(a)
Fee revenue collected in accordance with Subsection (6) shall be:
(i)
deposited into the Uniform School Fund as a dedicated credit; and
(ii)
used to pay the costs to the state board of reviewing certified online course 
providers' applications and compliance with the standards described in Subsection 
(2)(c)(ii).
Section 4. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
July 1, 2025
.
3-6-25 2:29 PM