2023 Utah Code › Title 53F - Public Education System -- Funding › Chapter 5 - State Funding -- Initiative Grant Programs › Part 2 - Miscellaneous Grant Programs › Section 214 - Grant for professional learning.

Affected by 63I-1-253 on 7/1/2025
Effective 5/4/2022
53F-5-214.
Grant for professional learning.
(1) Subject to legislative appropriations, the state board shall award grants to LEAs to provide teachers in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 through 3 with:
(a) professional learning opportunities in early literacy and mathematics; and
(b) the required early literacy professional learning opportunity described in Subsection (6).
(2) The state board shall award a grant described in Subsection (1)(a) to an LEA that submits to the state board a completed application, as provided by the state board, that includes a description of the evidence-based, based on assessment data, professional learning opportunities the LEA will provide that are:
(a) aligned with the professional learning standards described in Section 53G-11-303; and
(b) targeted to attaining the local and state early learning goals described in Section 53G-7-218.
(3) An LEA that receives a grant described in this section shall use the grant for the purposes described in Subsection (2).
(4) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state board shall make rules to establish:
(a) required elements of the professional learning opportunities described in Subsection (2);
(b) a formula to determine an LEA's grant amount under this section, including identifying the amount an LEA receives for:
(i) professional learning opportunities under Subsection (2); and
(ii) the required early literacy professional learning opportunity described in Subsection (6); and
(c) specifications regarding the LEA's provision of the required early literacy professional learning opportunity described in Subsection (6).
(5) The state board shall annually report to the Education Interim Committee on or before the November interim committee meeting regarding the administration and outcomes of the grant described in this section.
(6)
(a) As used in this Subsection (6), "early literacy professional learning opportunity" means the early literacy opportunity that the majority of recipients of grant funding under this section used before May 4, 2022, to provide professional learning opportunities in early literacy.
(b)
(i) Except as described in Subsection (6)(b)(ii), the following shall complete the early literacy professional learning opportunity before July 1, 2025, each:
(A) general and special education teacher in kindergarten through grade 3;
(B) district administrator over literacy;
(C) elementary school principal;
(D) school psychologist serving in an elementary school; and
(E) elementary school literacy coach who serves kindergarten through grade 3.
(ii) The following are exempt from the professional learning opportunity completion requirement in Subsection (6)(b)(i):
(A) an educator who has already completed the early literacy professional learning program;
(B) dual language immersion educators who teach in the target language;
(C) special education teachers who serve students with significant cognitive disabilities;
(D) teachers within one year of retirement; and
(E) other similar educator roles as the state board identifies in board rule, made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(c)
(i) Before the 2022-2023 school year, each LEA that serves elementary students shall apply for grant funding under this subsection (6) to provide the early literacy professional learning opportunity to each individual described in Subsection (6)(b)(i) within the LEA.
(ii) An LEA that receives a grant for use under this Subsection (6) shall:
(A) use the grant to provide the early literacy professional learning opportunity at the maximum of the restricted rate for each educator described in Subsection (6)(b)(i) within the LEA; and
(B) provide the early literacy professional learning opportunity as part of the educator's contracted time or daily rate.
(d) In awarding grant funding under this section for the required early literacy professional learning opportunity, the state board shall award funding to an LEA to provide the opportunity to each individual described in Subsection (6)(c)(i), prioritizing applicants that have not yet participated in the early literacy professional learning opportunity.
Amended by Chapter 285, 2022 General Session