Data Recipient(s)

• University of Utah

Start and End Dates

Original starting date: 09/10/2020

Current end date: 06/30/2022

Agreement Type

Interagency Agreement

Description

Purpose

The purpose of this interagency agreement between the Utah State Board of Education and University of Utah is for Addressing State Needs for Licensed Teachers in Preschool Special Education with an Early Intervention Credential (UU-TOPS) is designed to address the critical shortage of preschool special education licensed teachers (birth-five) in Utah. During the two-year project period, UU-TOPS will deliver a comprehensive licensure program in preschool special education to one cohort of six newly recruited teacher candidates.

Legal Authority

34 CFR § 99.31(a), 20 U.S. Code § 1232g(b). This data sharing is permitted under the “School Official Exception” of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
This federal law mandates that interagency agreements or other mechanisms for interagency coordination are in effect between educational and non-educational public agencies to ensure services for individuals with disabilities. The UU-TOPS program directly aligns with IDEA's purpose of ensuring free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for children with disabilities, including those aged 3 through 22, by preparing qualified teachers.

Utah Administrative Code R277-520-4
Administrative rule specifically states that an educator assigned to serve preschool-aged students with disabilities must hold a current Utah Educator License with a preschool special education (birth-age 5) license area of concentration.

53E-3-401(4)
Authorizes the USBE to make rules to execute its duties related to special education, which are further reinforced by UCA 53E-3-501, requiring the USBE to establish rules governing services to individuals with disabilities.

Justification

• Required by State Law
• Required by Federal Law  

Approval

Original Agreement

Approved by: Utah State Board of Education

Approval Date: 10/06/2020

No Amendments

Data

Data Type

De-identified student-level data

Data Shared

Data shared includes relevant educator and student personal information for the purpose of incidental data sharing while participating in the UU-TOPS project which will utilize web-based support resources for course activities and to facilitate student-faculty interaction, and intensive and ongoing collaborative on-site supervision and support of teacher candidates in inclusive preschool, preschool special education, and early intervention field-based placements, including student teaching.

Agreements