53E-2 - Public Education System Policy

Title 53E > 53E-2

Sections (7)

General Provisions

53E-2-101 - Title.

This chapter is known as “Public Education System Policy.”

Policy and Planning for the Public Education System

53E-2-201 - Policy for Utah’s public education system.

53E-2-201(1) The continuous cultivation of an informed and virtuous citizenry among succeeding generations is essential to the state and the nation. The state’s public education system is established and maintained as provided in Utah Constitution, Article X, and this public education code. Parents have the primary responsibility for the education of their children and elect representatives in the Legislature and on state and local school boards to administer the state public education system, which provides extensive support and assistance. All children of the state are entitled to a free elementary and secondary public education as provided in Utah Constitution, Article X. Public schools fulfill a vital purpose in the education and preparation of informed and responsible citizens who: fully understand and lawfully exercise their individual rights and liberties; become self-reliant and able to provide for themselves and their families; and contribute to the public good and the health, welfare, and security of the state and the nation. 53E-2-201(2) In the implementation of all policies, programs, and responsibilities adopted in accordance with this public education code, the Legislature, the state board, local school boards, and charter school governing boards shall:

respect, protect, and further the interests of parents in their children’s public education; and promote and encourage full and active participation and involvement of parents at all public schools.

53E-2-202 - Planning for Utah’s public education system.

The state board shall: 53E-2-202(1) create, maintain, and review on a regular basis a statewide, comprehensive multi-year strategic plan that includes long-term goals for improved student outcomes; and 53E-2-202(2) report annually to the Education Interim Committee on or before December 15 on the strategic plan described in Subsection (1), including progress toward achieving long-term goals.

Goals and Methods of the Public Education System

53E-2-301 - Public education’s vision and mission.

53E-2-301(1) The Legislature envisions an educated citizenry that encompasses the following foundational principles:

citizen participation in civic and political affairs; economic prosperity for the state by graduating students who are college and career ready; strong moral and social values; and loyalty and commitment to constitutional government. 53E-2-301(2) The Legislature recognizes that public education’s mission is to assure Utah the best educated citizenry in the world and each individual the training to succeed in a global society by providing students with:

learning and occupational skills; character development; literacy and numeracy; high quality instruction; curriculum based on high standards and relevance; and effective assessment to inform high quality instruction and accountability. 53E-2-301(3) The Legislature:

recognizes that parents are a child’s first teachers and are responsible for the education of their children; encourages family engagement and adequate preparation so that students enter the public education system ready to learn; and intends that the mission detailed in Subsection (2) be carried out through a responsive educational system that guarantees local school communities autonomy, flexibility, and client choice, while holding them accountable for results. 53E-2-301(4) This section will be applied consistent with Section 53G-10-204.

53E-2-302 - Characteristics of public education system.

The Legislature shall assist in maintaining a public education system that has the following characteristics: 53E-2-302(1) assumes that all students have the ability to learn and that each student departing the system will be prepared to achieve success in productive employment, further education, or both; 53E-2-302(2) provides a personalized education plan or personalized education occupation plan for each student, which involves the student, the student’s parent, and school personnel in establishing the plan; 53E-2-302(3) provides students with the knowledge and skills to take responsibility for their decisions and to make appropriate choices; 53E-2-302(4) provides opportunities for students to exhibit the capacity to learn, think, reason, and work effectively, individually and in groups; 53E-2-302(5) offers world-class core standards that enable students to successfully compete in a global society, and to succeed as citizens of a constitutional republic; 53E-2-302(6) incorporates an information retrieval system that provides students, parents, and educators with reliable, useful, and timely data on the progress of each student; 53E-2-302(7) attracts, prepares, inducts, and retains excellent teachers for every classroom in large part through collaborative efforts among the state board, the Utah Board of Higher Education, and school districts, provides effective ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers to improve their teaching skills, and provides recognition, rewards, and compensation for their excellence; 53E-2-302(8) empowers each school district and public school to create its own vision and plan to achieve results consistent with the objectives outlined in this part; 53E-2-302(9) uses technology to improve teaching and learning processes and for the delivery of educational services; 53E-2-302(10) promotes ongoing research and development projects at the district and the school level that are directed at improving or enhancing public education; 53E-2-302(11) offers a public school choice program, which gives students and their parents options to best meet the student’s personalized education needs; 53E-2-302(12) emphasizes the involvement of educators, parents, business partnerships, and the community at large in the educational process by allowing them to be involved in establishing and implementing educational goals and participating in decision-making at the school site; and 53E-2-302(13) emphasizes competency-based standards and progress-based assessments, including tracking and measurement systems.

53E-2-303 - Family participation in educational process — Family engagement policy.

53E-2-303(1) The Legislature recognizes the importance of parental participation in the educational process in order for students to achieve and maintain high levels of performance. 53E-2-303(2) It is, therefore, the policy of the state to:

encourage parents to provide a home environment that values education and send their children to school prepared to learn; rely upon school districts and schools to provide opportunities for parents of students to be involved in establishing and implementing educational goals for their respective schools and students; and expect employers to recognize the need for parents and members of the community to participate in the public education system in order to help students achieve and maintain excellence. 53E-2-303(3) Each local school board shall adopt a policy on parental involvement in the schools of the district. The local school board shall design its policy to build consistent and effective communication among parents, teachers, and administrators. The policy described in Subsection (3)(b)(i):

shall include parents or family, when appropriate, of children learning English, regardless of prevalence of children learning English in the geographic area in which the LEA is located; and may include assistance from community organizations to assist through a preferred method of communication. The policy shall provide parents with the opportunity to be actively involved in their children’s education and to be informed of: the importance of the involvement of parents in directly affecting the success of their children’s educational efforts; and groups and organizations that may provide instruction and training to parents to help improve their children’s academic success and support their academic efforts.

53E-2-304 - School district and individual school powers — Plan for college and career readiness definition.

53E-2-304(1) In order to acquire and develop the characteristics listed in Section 53E-2-302, each school district and each public school within its respective district shall implement a comprehensive system of accountability in which students advance through public schools by demonstrating competency in the core standards for Utah public schools through the use of diverse assessment instruments such as authentic assessments, projects, and portfolios. 53E-2-304(2) Each school district and public school shall:develop and implement programs integrating technology into the curriculum, instruction, and student assessment;in accordance with Subsection (5) and beginning July 1, 2025:provide an environment to all educators, school staff, and students that does not pose a predictable threat of serious bodily injury to the educators, school staff, or students;provide an education to all students in which the students’ classroom is not disrupted by a pattern of behavior that interferes substantially and materially with classroom instruction; andprovide an environment to all educators, school staff, and students that is free from repeated verbal or physical sexual harassment or sexual assault;provide for teacher and parent involvement in policymaking at the school site;implement a public school choice program to give parents, students, and teachers greater flexibility in designing and choosing among programs with different focuses through schools within the same district and other districts, subject to space availability, demographics, and legal and performance criteria;establish strategic planning at both the district and school level and site-based decision making programs at the school level;provide opportunities for each student to acquire and develop academic and occupational knowledge, skills, and abilities;participate in ongoing research and development projects primarily at the school level aimed at improving the quality of education within the system; andinvolve business and industry in the education process through the establishment of partnerships with the business community at the district and school level.As used in this section, “plan for college and career readiness” means a plan developed by a student and the student’s parent, in consultation with school counselors, teachers, and administrators that:is initiated at the beginning of grade 7;identifies a student’s skills and objectives;maps out a strategy to guide a student’s course selection; andlinks a student to post-secondary options, including higher education and careers.Each local school board, in consultation with school personnel, parents, and school community councils or similar entities shall establish policies to provide for the effective implementation of a plan for college and career readiness for each student at the school site.The policies shall include guidelines and expectations for:recognizing the student’s accomplishments, strengths, and progress toward meeting student achievement standards as defined in the core standards for Utah public schools;planning, monitoring, and managing education and career development; andinvolving students, parents, and school personnel in preparing and implementing an individual learning plan and a plan for college and career readiness.A parent may request a conference with school personnel in addition to an individual learning plan or a plan for college and career readiness conference established by local school board policy.Time spent during the school day to implement an individual learning plan or a plan for college and career readiness is considered part of the school term described in Section 53F-2-102. 53E-2-304(3) A school district or public school may submit proposals to modify or waive rules or policies of a supervisory authority within the public education system in order to acquire or develop the characteristics listed in Section 53E-2-302. 53E-2-304(4) Each school district and public school shall make an annual report to its patrons on its activities under this section.The reporting process shall involve participation from teachers, parents, and the community at large in determining how well the district or school is performing. 53E-2-304(5) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state board shall make rules to ensure implementation of the requirements described in Subsection (2)(a)(ii). 53E-2-304(6) Nothing in this section creates a private right of action or constitutes a waiver of immunity under Section 63G-7-301.