Signed by Governor Gary Herbert

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes the Teacher and Student Success Program.

Highlights:

• Defines “LEA” as a local education agency which includes (Sec. 2):

• A school district;

• A charter school; or

• The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.

• Defines “LAND Trust plan” as a school’s plan to use School LAND Trust Program money to implement a component of the school’s success plan (Sec. 6).

• Defines “teacher and student success plan” or “success plan” as a school performance and student academic achievement improvement plan (Sec. 7).

• Establishes the Teacher and Student Success Program to improve school performance and student academic achievement (Sec. 8).

• Requires the legislature to annually appropriate funds from the Teacher and Student Success Account to the state board for the Teacher and Student Success Program (Sec. 1).

• Requires each school receiving funds through the Program to post on their website (Sec. 10):

• The school’s approved success plan;

• A description of the school’s school allocation budgeted and actual expenditures and how the expenditures and how the expenditures help the school accomplish the school’s success plan; and

• The school’s current level of performance.

• Requires the principal of a school to develop the school’s teacher and student success plan (Sec. 11):

• In accordance with the LEA governing board student success framework for the school’s LEA;

• By integrating school-specific goals and criteria for improving the school’s performance within the state accountability system; and

• In accordance with the school’s school turnaround plan if the school has a school turnaround plan.

• Requires a principal to solicit input on developing a success plan from (Sec. 11):

• The school community council for a district school or the charter trust land council for a charter school;

• School-level educators;

• Parents of students at the school; and

• School-level administrators. 

• Authorizes a principal to solicit input on developing a success plan from (Sec. 11):

• Students;

• Support professionals; or

• Other community stakeholders.

• Requires the state board to make rules that (Sec. 12):

• Decide upon a threshold of points under the statewide school accountability system that designates a school as succeeding in school performance and student academic achievement using a criteria-setting process; and

• Decide on performance standards for a school that serves a special student population. 

• Requires an LEA governing board, for each year after the year in which a school received approval for a success plan, to determine if the school (Sec. 12):

• Meets or exceeds the threshold of points referred to in the preceding highlight;

• Has demonstrated at least a 1 percent increase in the school’s total points received under the statewide school accountability system compared to the previous school year; or

• Qualifies for and satisfies the performance standards in regards to a school that serves a special student population.

• Specifies that if a school does not satisfy the achievements described in the preceding highlight, the LEA governing board will work with the school’s principal to modify the success plan, and oversee and adjust the school’s allocation expenditures until the school satisfies these goal requirements (Sec. 12).

• Repeals the reading achievement plan legislation and the school improvement plan legislation (Sec. 13).

Full Bill Text