(1) As used in this section: (a) "Educator preparation program" means: (i) a university teacher education program; or (ii) a program that prepares individuals using an alternative pathway to licensure, as the state board provides, that does not include content or time requirements that conflict with the content or time requirements described in rule made by the state board in accordance with Subsection (2). (b) "Required literacy preparation assessment" means the same as that term is defined in Section 53E-6-301. (c) "University teacher preparation program" means a program that an institution of higher education offers to prepare educators for licensure. (2) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state board shall make rules that establish standards for approval of an educator preparation program. (3) The state board shall ensure that standards adopted under Subsection (2): (a) meet or exceed generally recognized national standards for preparation of educators; and (b) include requirements for educator preparation programs to: (i) provide instruction in the science of reading; and (ii) prepare license applicants to pass the required literacy preparation assessment at no cost to the applicants for the preparation, including providing ongoing preparation for up to three total attempts of the required literacy preparation assessment. (4) The state board shall designate an employee of the state board's staff to: (a) work with education deans of state institutions of higher education to coordinate university teacher preparation programs that may include: (i) monitoring courses for university teacher preparation programs; and (ii) working with course instructors for university teacher preparation programs; (b) act as a liaison between: (i) the state board; (ii) local school boards or charter school governing boards; and (iii) representatives of university teacher preparation programs; and (c) report the employee's findings and recommendations for the improvement of teacher preparation programs to: (i) the state board; and (ii) education deans of state institutions of higher education. (5) The state board shall: (a) in good faith, consider the findings and recommendations described in Subsection (4)(c); and (b) in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, make rules, as the state board determines is necessary, to implement recommendations described in Subsection (4)(c). (6) Subject to legislative appropriations, the Utah Board of Higher Education shall: (a) provide matching funds to each of the state's institutions of higher education with a university teacher preparation program: (i) to hire an additional faculty member who has training in the science of reading and the science of reading instruction; and (ii) in an amount equal to 75% of the cost of making the hire described in Subsection (6)(a) if the institution provides 25% of the cost; and (b) consult the state superintendent regarding: (i) criteria for the hire described in Subsection (6)(a) that would qualify for a distribution of funding; and (ii) an individual institution's fulfillment of the criteria described in Subsection (6)(b)(i) before distributing funding. (7) An institution that hires an additional faculty member shall coordinate with the science of reading panel described in Section 53E-3-1003 to include two members of the panel in the institution's hiring process. (8) The state board shall: (a) monitor accreditation of university programs regarding the science of reading preparation described in Subsection (3)(b) at the institutions described in Subsection (6)(a); and (b) (i) develop strategies to provide support for preparation programs with low rates of passage on the required literacy preparation assessment; and (ii) provide increasing levels of support to a preparation program with low rates of passage on the required literacy preparation assessment for two consecutive years.
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