R277-320. Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program

R277.  Education, Administration.

R277-320.  Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program.

R277-320-1.  Authority and Purpose.

          (1)  This rule is authorized by:

          (a)  Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3, which vests general control and supervision over public education in the Board;

          (b)  Subsection 53E-3-401(4), which allows the Board to make rules to execute the Board's duties and responsibilities under the Utah Constitution and state law; and

          (c)  Section 53F-5-218, which directs the Board to make rules to implement the Grow Your Own Educator Pipeline Program.

          (2)  The purpose of this rule is to establish requirements for administration of the grant program.

R277-320-2.  Definitions.

          (1)  "Grant program" means the Grow Your Own Educator Program established in Section 53F-5-218.

          (2)  "Grant program candidate" or "candidate" means:

          (a)  for a school counselor, a student who is:

          (i)  enrolled in an accredited school counseling master's degree program; or

          (ii)  completing the candidate's hours of a supervised practicum or internship by applying appropriate school counseling practices under the supervision of a licensed school counselor;

          (b)  for a school psychologist, a student who is:

          (i)  enrolled in an accredited school psychology degree program; or

          (ii)  completing the candidate's hours of a supervised practicum or internship by applying appropriate school psychology practices under the supervision of a licensed school psychologist;

          (c)  for a school social worker, a student who is:

          (i)  enrolled in an accredited social work master's degree program; or

          (ii)  completing the candidate's hours of a supervised practicum or internship by applying appropriate school social work practices under the supervision of a licensed social worker; or

          (d)  for a teacher, meets the requirements of Section 53F-5-218.

          (3)  "High leverage" means critical instructional practices that research has demonstrated can impact student achievement and be used across different content areas and grade levels, including:

          (a)  collective efficacy;

          (b)  student engagement;

          (c)  systematically designed instruction;

          (d)  feedback; and

          (e)  learning environment.

          (4)  "Mentor" means an educator selected in consultation with a candidate's principal who:

          (a)  has a professional educator license and license area in the field for which the educator is mentoring;

          (b)  has no less than three years full-time experience in the appropriate license area;

          (c)  has effective or highly effective evaluations in accordance with Rule R277-533;

          (d)  has proven successful in positively improving student outcomes;

          (e)  follows all applicable supervision and mentoring requirements from a candidate's educator preparation program and Rule R277-308; and

          (f)  for a mentor teacher:

          (i)  models the use of high leverage teaching practices that meets the needs of diverse learners;

          (ii)  demonstrates content and grade level expertise; and

          (iii)  effectively collaborates with colleagues, families, and the broader community.

          (5)  "Regional Education Service Agency or "RESA" has the same meaning as the term is defined in Section 53G-4-410.

          (6)  "School counselor assistant" has the same meaning as defined in Section 53F-5-218.

R277-320-3.  Program Administration.

          (1)  The Superintendent shall prepare an application for participation in the grant program and post the application on the Board website.

          (2)(a)  An LEA shall submit an application, based upon the recommendation of a principal, to the Superintendent by the third Monday in May annually.

          (b)  A RESA may submit an application, based upon the recommendation of a principal, on behalf of one or more of its member LEAs.

          (3)  The Superintendent shall determine awards under the grant program taking into consideration the number of applicants and the needs of LEAs for grant program funds in each cohort and subject to the following:

          (a)  The Superintendent may allocate funds to an LEA or RESA annually as follows, subject to Subsection 53F-5-218(6)(a):

          (i)  up to $12,000 for a candidate in an undergraduate program; and

          (ii)  up to $14,000 for a candidate in a graduate program;

          (b)  The Superintendent may annually allocate FTE costs up to $9,000 per candidate per eligible semester subject to the internship limits established in Subsection 53F-5-218(6)(c);

          (c)  The Superintendent may award mentor stipends as follows:

          (i)  $500 for mentors serving 1-2 candidates;

          (ii)  $750 for mentors serving 3-4 candidates; and

          (iii)  $1,000 for mentors serving 5 candidates;

          (d)  The Superintendent may award stipends for school counselor assistants up to $7,000 annually.

          (e)  The Superintendent may annually allocate up to $150,000 for RESA administrative costs.

          (5)  An LEA applicant shall provide documentation of efforts by each candidate to maximize financial aid opportunities and programs, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

          (6)  The Superintendent shall disburse approved funds to an LEA by July 1 annually.

          (7)  The Superintendent shall monitor LEA expenditures of program funds consistent with Rule R277-113:

          (a)  to ensure compliance with Section 53F-5-218 and this rule; and

          (b)  to collect data required for performance measures and required legislative reporting.

          (8)  An LEA shall maintain documentation of information required in Subsection (7) consistent with Rule R277-113.

          (9)  The Superintendent may reallocate any funds not expended by an LEA by the end of the fiscal year in which the funds were disbursed.

R277-320-4.  Candidate Learning Pathways.

          (1)  A grant program candidate's educator preparation pathway:

          (a)  shall result in a Utah professional educator license in accordance with Rule R277-303 and Section R277-306-6;

          (b)  shall provide courses outside of the candidate's LEA work hours;

          (c)  shall incorporate opportunities, where available, for candidates to demonstrate competency in lieu of course completion, assignments, and other preparation requirements for the institution and;

          (d)  may not require qualifying exams or prerequisites for program admission.

          (2)  A majority of a grant program candidate's clinical experiences, required by the candidate's educator preparation program, shall be at the site of the candidate's school of employment.

KEY:  school counselor program, grant program

Date of Last Change:  July 11, 2023

Authorizing, and Implemented, or Interpreted Law:  Art X Sec 3; 53E-3-401(4), 53F-5-218

Status of Rule

Effective July 11, 2023

Five-year review July 20, 2026

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Oversight Framework

Uncategorized

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Related Utah Law

Public Education Statutes
53F-5-218

Other Statutes
None

USBE Administrative Rules
R277-100, Definitions for USBE Rules

R277-113, Local Education Agency (LEA) Fiscal and Auditing Policies

R277-301, Educator Licensing

R277-303, Educator Preparation Programs

R277-304, Grow Your Own Teacher and School Counselor Program

R277-306, Educator Preparation Programs for School Psychologists, Audiologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Speech-Language Technicians, Counselors, and School Social Workers

R277-308, New Educator Induction and Mentoring

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Related Federal Law

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

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Resources

Grant Opportunities

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Contact Information

Primary Contact:
Lisa McLachlan
lisa.mclachlan@schools.utah.gov
Teaching and Learning, Educator Licensing

Secondary Contact:
Bethany Marker
bethany.marker@schools.utah.gov
Student Support, Prevention, School Counseling

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This page was last updated on May 23, 2024.

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NOTE: The information on this webpage is provided as a service to users and the Utah State Board of Education is not responsible for any errors or omissions.

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