Utah Code § 53G-10-801 — Utah Code / Title 53G / Chapter 53G-10 / § 53G-10-801
§ 53G-10-801. Definitions.
Status: in_force

7/1/2026As used in this part: (1) "Above typical academic progress" means a score for the progress metric on the benchmark reading assessment that demonstrates the rate of a student's progress toward achieving grade-level benchmarks that is higher than typical academic progress. (2) "Benchmark reading assessment" means the statewide benchmark assessment in reading described in Section 53E-4-307. (3) "Individualized reading plan" means a plan described in Section 53G-10-802 that defines the reading interventions a student will receive in given intervention settings to remediate a reading deficiency that the benchmark reading assessment identifies. (4) (a) "Intervention setting" means the setting in which a student receives a reading intervention. (b) "Intervention setting" includes: (i) a teacher leading an intervention during regular classroom work; (ii) a paraprofessional leading an intervention; (iii) an after-school or extended-day program; (iv) a summer school program; (v) an at-home activity; and (vi) an online activity. (5) "Literacy team" means the following group of individuals who unite to establish and monitor the progress of an individualized reading plan for a student: (a) the student's parents; (b) at the discretion of the student's parents, the student; (c) the student's teacher, including general and special education; (d) for a student scoring well below benchmark on a benchmark reading assessment, a representative of the LEA who is knowledgeable about available literacy resources and who has the authority to commit literacy resources; and (e) depending on the circumstances of the student and availability in the LEA, other educators or support personnel, including a therapist, counselor, social worker, translator, friend, or parent advocate. (6) (a) "Reading intervention" means an evidence-based instructional strategy, instructional methodology, technique, or resource that assists a student in becoming a successful reader, able to read at or above grade level, and ready for promotion to the next grade. (b) "Reading intervention" includes: (i) dyad reading in which two individuals, typically a skilled reader and a developing reader, sit side-by-side and read the same text aloud together; (ii) decoding text in which an individual translates printed letters and words into speech through phonics; (iii) a targeted literacy skill intervention resource that is aligned with the science of reading; (iv) a word list; (v) phoneme and grapheme mapping; (vi) handwriting practice; (vii) reading protocols; (viii) retelling; (ix) vocabulary practice; (x) retention in the student's current grade level; and (xi) other strategies that are aligned with the science of reading to meet student needs in improving literacy. (7) "Reading on grade level" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53E-3-1001. (8) "Regional education service agency" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53G-4-410. (9) "Retention" means a reading intervention through which a student who does not meet a specific reading benchmark or satisfy a good cause exemption repeats the grade in the subsequent school year to provide the student with additional time and intensive, targeted reading intervention to remediate a learning deficiency before advancing to a grade for which the student is not prepared to succeed academically. (10) "Science of reading" means an interdisciplinary body of scientific evidence that: (a) informs how students learn to read and write proficiently; (b) explains why some students have difficulty with reading and writing; (c) indicates that all students benefit from explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing to become effective readers; and (d) does not rely on any model of teaching students to read based on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues, including a three-cueing approach. (11) "Three-cueing" means a model of teaching students to read based on visual memory and contextual deduction as the primary basis for teaching word recognition rather than more effective methods, including sounding out words or using a phonics-based approach.