2015 Utah Code
Title 53A - State System of Public Education
Chapter 1 - Administration of Public Education at the State Level
Part 7 - Educational Technology Programs
Section 710 - Digital teaching and learning program task force -- Funding proposal for a program -- Master plan -- Reporting requirements.

Effective 5/12/2015
53A-1-710. Digital teaching and learning program task force -- Funding proposal for a program -- Master plan -- Reporting requirements.

• (1) As used in this section:
  • (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
  • (b) "Core subject areas" means the following subject areas:
    • (i) English language arts;
    • (ii) mathematics;
    • (iii) science; and
    • (iv) social studies.
  • (c) "High quality professional learning" means the professional learning standards described in Section 53A-3-701.
  • (d) "LEA plan" means an LEA's plan to implement a digital teaching and learning program that meets requirements set by the board.
  • (e) "Local education agency" or "LEA" means:
    • (i) a school district;
    • (ii) a charter school; or
    • (iii) the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
  • (f) "Statewide assessment" means a test of student achievement in English language arts, mathematics, or science, including a test administered in a computer adaptive format, which is administered statewide under Part 6, Achievement Tests.
  • (g) "Utah Education and Telehealth Network" or "UETN" means the Utah Education and Telehealth Network created in Section 53B-17-105.

• (2)
  • (a) The board shall establish a digital teaching and learning task force to develop a funding proposal to present to the Legislature for digital teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools.
  • (b) The digital teaching and learning task force shall include representatives of:
    • (i) the board;
    • (ii) UETN;
    • (iii) LEAs; and
    • (iv) the Governor's Education Excellence Commission.

• (3)
  • (a) The board, in consultation with the digital teaching and learning task force created in Subsection (2), shall create a funding proposal for a statewide digital teaching and learning program designed to:
    • (i) improve student outcomes through the use of digital teaching and learning technology; and
    • (ii) provide high quality professional learning for educators to improve student outcomes through the use of digital teaching and learning technology.
  • (b) The board shall:
    • (i) identify outcome based metrics to measure student achievement related to a digital teaching and learning program; and
    • (ii) develop minimum benchmark standards for student achievement and school level outcomes to measure successful implementation of a digital teaching and learning program.

• (4) As funding allows, the board shall develop a master plan for a statewide digital teaching and learning program, including the following:
  • (a) a statement of purpose that describes the objectives or goals the board will accomplish by implementing a digital teaching and learning program;
  • (b) a forecast for fundamental components needed to implement a digital teaching and learning program, including a forecast for:
    • (i) student and teacher devices;
    • (ii) Wi-Fi and wireless compatible technology;
    • (iii) curriculum software;
    • (iv) assessment solutions;
    • (v) technical support;
    • (vi) change management of LEAs;
    • (vii) high quality professional learning;
    • (viii) Internet delivery and capacity; and
    • (ix) security and privacy of users;
  • (c) a determination of the requirements for:
    • (i) statewide technology infrastructure; and
    • (ii) local LEA technology infrastructure;
  • (d) standards for high quality professional learning related to implementing and maintaining a digital teaching and learning program;
  • (e) a statewide technical support plan that will guide the implementation and maintenance of a digital teaching and learning program, including standards and competency requirements for technical support personnel;
  • (f)
    • (i) a grant program for LEAs; or
    • (ii) a distribution formula to fund LEA digital teaching and learning programs;
  • (g) in consultation with UETN, an inventory of the state public education system's current technology resources and other items and a plan to integrate those resources into a digital teaching and learning program;
  • (h) an ongoing evaluation process that is overseen by the board;
  • (i) proposed rules that incorporate the principles of the master plan into the state's public education system as a whole; and
  • (j) a plan to ensure long-term sustainability that:
    • (i) accounts for the financial impacts of a digital teaching and learning program; and
    • (ii) facilitates the redirection of LEA savings that arise from implementing a digital teaching and learning program.

• (5) UETN shall:
  • (a) in consultation with the board, conduct an inventory of the state public education system's current technology resources and other items as determined by UETN, including software;
  • (b) perform an engineering study to determine the technology infrastructure needs of the public education system to implement a digital teaching and learning program, including the infrastructure needed for the board, UETN, and LEAs; and
  • (c) as funding allows, provide infrastructure and technology support for school districts and charter schools.

• (6) On or before December 1, 2015, the board and UETN shall present the funding proposal for a statewide digital teaching and learning program described in Subsection (3) to the Education Interim Committee and the Executive Appropriations Committee, including:
  • (a) the board's progress on the development of a master plan described in Subsection (4); and
  • (b) the progress of UETN on the inventory and study described in Subsection (5).

Enacted by Chapter 446, 2015 General Session