R277-728. Honors Courses

R277.  Education, Administration.

R277-728.  Honors Courses.

R277-728-1.  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.

          (2)  The purpose of this rule is to establish standards for honors courses in k-12 schools.

R277-728-2.  Definitions.

          "Honors course" means a course that focuses on extension and purposeful differentiation while facilitating more depth within course standards.

R277-728-3.  Honors Course Objectives.

          (1)  An honors course shall:

          (a)  offer students opportunities to learn from the perspectives of others;

          (b)  encourage students to find multiple possible solution pathways, where appropriate;

          (c)  use data to reason;

          (d)  encourage students to take risks and persevere in problem solving;

          (e)  personalize student learning experiences; and

          (f)  emphasize deep understanding of grade level content and above-level content, if appropriate.

          (2)  An honors course may not:

          (a)  emphasize teacher lecture;

          (b)  emphasize rote memorization of rules and procedures or basic recall of facts;

          (c)  equate an honors distinction with an increased workload, such as requiring more assignments or reading additional texts without clear intent; or

          (d)  include little to no collaborative work.

          (3)(a)  An honors course shall be open and available to any interested student.

          (b)  A school may not prohibit enrollment in an honors course based on a students past performance, experience, or other measures.

          (4)  School staff shall uniformly promote honors courses to all students and families.

          (5)  To the extent possible, a school shall provide enough sections for honors courses to meet student demand.

          (6)  A school shall remove barriers and provide opportunities to students from all representative demographics to reach their academic potential.

KEY:  honors

Date of Last Change:  November 7, 2022

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

Status of Rule

Effective November 7, 2022

Five-year review November 7, 2027

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Oversight Framework

Uncategorized

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Related Utah Law

Public Education Statutes
None

Other Statutes
None

USBE Administrative Rules
R277-100, Definitions for USBE Rules

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Related Federal Law

None

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Resources

None

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Contact Information

Primary Contact:
Todd Call
todd.call@schools.utah.gov
Teaching and Learning

Secondary Contact:
Darin Nielsen
darin.nielsen@schools.utah.gov
Teaching and Learning

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This page was last updated on November 20, 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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