UT Code § 53E-5-303 (2021)
2021 Utah Code|Title 53E - Public Education System -- State Administration|Chapter 5 - Accountability|Part 3 - School Turnaround and Leadership Development|Section 303 - Required action to turn around a low performing district school -- Notification to parents and municipality.

 Effective 5/14/2019  53E-5-303. Required action to turn around a low performing district school -- Notification to parents and municipality.    (1) In accordance with deadlines established by the state board, a local school board of a low performing school shall:   (a) establish a school turnaround committee composed of the following members:   (i) the local school board member who represents the voting district where the low performing school is located;     (ii) the school principal;     (iii) three parents of students enrolled in the low performing school appointed by the chair of the school community council;     (iv) one teacher at the low performing school appointed by the principal;     (v) one teacher at the low performing school appointed by the school district superintendent; and     (vi) one school district administrator;       (b) solicit proposals from a turnaround expert identified by the state board under Section 53E-5-305;     (c) partner with the school turnaround committee to select a proposal;     (d) submit the proposal described in Subsection (1)(b) to the state board for review and approval; and     (e) subject to Subsections (3) and (4), contract with a turnaround expert.       (2) A proposal described in Subsection (1)(b) shall include a:   (a) strategy to address the root causes of the low performing school's low performance identified through the needs assessment described in Section 53E-5-302; and     (b) scope of work to facilitate implementation of the strategy that includes at least the activities described in Subsection (4)(b).       (3) A local school board may not select a turnaround expert that is:   (a) the school district; or     (b) an employee of the school district.       (4) A contract between a local school board and a turnaround expert:   (a) shall be based on an explicit stipulation of desired outcomes and consequences for not meeting goals, including cancellation of the contract;     (b) shall include a scope of work that requires the turnaround expert to at a minimum:   (i) develop and implement, in partnership with the school turnaround committee, a school turnaround plan that meets the criteria described in Subsection (5);     (ii) monitor the effectiveness of a school turnaround plan through reliable means of evaluation, including on-site visits, observations, surveys, analysis of student achievement data, and interviews;     (iii) provide ongoing implementation support and project management for a school turnaround plan;     (iv) provide high-quality professional development personalized for school staff that is designed to build:   (A) the leadership capacity of the school principal;     (B) the instructional capacity of school staff;     (C) educators' capacity with data-driven strategies by providing actionable, embedded data practices; and       (v) leverage support from community partners to coordinate an efficient delivery of supports to students inside and outside the classroom;       (c) may include a scope of work that requires the turnaround expert to:   (i) develop sustainable school district and school capacities to effectively respond to the academic and behavioral needs of students in high poverty communities; or     (ii) other services that respond to the needs assessment conducted under Section 53E-5-302;       (d) shall include travel costs and payment milestones; and     (e) may include pay for performance provisions.       (5) A school turnaround committee shall partner with the turnaround expert selected under Subsection (1) to develop and implement a school turnaround plan that:   (a) addresses the root causes of the low performing school's low performance identified through the needs assessment described in Section 53E-5-302;     (b) includes recommendations regarding changes to the low performing school's personnel, culture, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, governance, leadership, finances, policies, or other areas that may be necessary to implement the school turnaround plan;     (c) includes measurable student achievement goals and objectives and benchmarks by which to measure progress;     (d) includes a professional development plan that identifies a strategy to address problems of instructional practice;     (e) includes a detailed budget specifying how the school turnaround plan will be funded;     (f) includes a plan to assess and monitor progress;     (g) includes a plan to communicate and report data on progress to stakeholders; and     (h) includes a timeline for implementation.       (6) A local school board of a low performing school shall:   (a) prioritize school district funding and resources to the low performing school;     (b) grant the low performing school streamlined authority over staff, schedule, policies, budget, and academic programs to implement the school turnaround plan;     (c) assist the turnaround expert and the low performing school with:   (i) addressing the root cause of the low performing school's low performance; and     (ii) the development or implementation of a school turnaround plan; and       (d) provide initial and annual notice:   (i) that includes the following information regarding the low performing school:   (A) the school's turnaround status;     (B) the goals, benchmarks, and timetable in the school's turnaround plan and any progress toward the goals, benchmarks, and timetable; and     (C) how the community may provide support to the school and students of the school inside and outside the classroom; and       (ii) to:   (A) parents of students enrolled in the school, using the same form of communication the local school board regularly uses to communicate with parents; and     (B) the governing council and the mayor of the municipality in which the school is located.           (7)   (a) On or before June 1 of an initial remedial year, a school turnaround committee shall submit the school turnaround plan to the local school board for approval.     (b) Except as provided in Subsection (7)(c), on or before July 1 of an initial remedial year, a local school board of a low performing school shall submit the school turnaround plan to the state board for approval.     (c) If the local school board does not approve the school turnaround plan submitted under Subsection (7)(a), the school turnaround committee may appeal the disapproval in accordance with rules made by the state board as described in Subsection 53E-5-305(6).       (8) A local school board, or a local school board's designee, shall annually report to the state board progress toward the goals, benchmarks, and timetable in a low performing school's turnaround plan.    Amended by Chapter 186, 2019 General SessionAmended by Chapter 451, 2019 General Session