35A-15-301. Becoming High Quality School Readiness Grant Program.
(1)
The High Quality School Readiness Grant Program is created to provide grants to the following, in order to assist an existing preschool or home-based educational technology program in becoming a high quality school readiness program:
Eligible home-based educational technology provider: means a provider that offers a home-based educational technology program to develop the school readiness skills of an eligible student. See Utah Code 35A-15-102
Eligible private provider: means a child care program that:
(i)
is licensed under 4; or
(ii)
except as provided in Subsection (5)(b)(ii), is exempt from licensure under Section 26B-2-405. See Utah Code 35A-15-102
High quality school readiness program: means a preschool program that:
(a)
is provided by an eligible LEA, eligible private provider, or eligible home-based educational technology provider; and
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
(a)
an eligible private provider;
(b)
an eligible LEA; or
(c)
an eligible home-based educational technology provider.
(2)
The board, in cooperation with the department and the StateBoard of Education, shall solicit proposals from eligible LEAs, eligible private providers, and eligible home-based educational technology providers.
(3)
Subject to legislative appropriations, and the prioritization described in Section 35A-15-201, the board shall award grants to respondents based on:
(a)
a respondent’s capacity to effectively implement the components described in Section 35A-15-202;
(b)
the percentage of a respondent’s students who are eligible students; and
(c)
the level of administrative support and leadership at a respondent’s program to effectively implement, monitor, and evaluate the program.
(4)
To receive a grant under this section, a respondent shall submit a proposal to the board detailing:
(a)
the respondent’s strategy to implement the high quality components described in Section 35A-15-202;
(b)
the number of students the respondent plans to serve, categorized by age and whether the students are eligible students;
(c)
for an eligible LEA or eligible private provider, the number of high quality school readiness program classrooms the respondent plans to operate; and
(d)
the estimated cost per student.
(5)
(a)
A recipient of a grant under this section shall use the grant to move the recipient’s preschool program toward achieving the components described in Section 35A-15-202.
(b)
A recipient of a grant under this section may not:
(i)
enter into a results-based contract while the recipient receives the grant; or
A recipient of a grant under this section shall ensure that each student who is enrolled in a classroom or who uses a home-based educational technology program supported by the grant has a unique student identifier by:
(a)
if the recipient is an eligible LEA, assigning a unique student identifier to each student enrolled in the classroom; or
(b)
if the recipient is an eligible private provider or eligible home-based educational technology provider, working with the State Board of Education to assign a unique student identifier to each student enrolled in the classroom or who uses the home-based educational technology program.
(7)
A grant recipient that is an eligible LEA shall report annually to the board and the State Board of Education the following:
(a)
number of students served by the preschool, including the number of students who are eligible students;
(b)
attendance;
(c)
cost per student; and
(d)
assessment results, including the school readiness assessment, kindergarten assessment, and other assessments as determined by the board.
(8)
A grant recipient that is an eligible private provider or an eligible home-based educational technology provider shall report annually to the board and the department the following:
(a)
number of students served by the preschool or program, including the number of students who are eligible students;
(b)
attendance;
(c)
cost per student; and
(d)
assessment results, including the school readiness assessment and other assessments as determined by the board.
(9)
The board shall make rules to effectively administer and monitor the grant program described in this section, including:
(a)
requiring grant recipients to use assessments, including the school readiness assessment, as determined by the board; and
(b)
establishing reporting requirements for grant recipients.
Amended by Chapter 342, 2019 General Session, (Coordination Clause) Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 342, 2019 General Session
Coordination clause direction that Section 35A-15-301 supersede Section 53F-6-305.
