53E-10-703. ULEAD director -- Qualification and employment -- Duties -- Reporting -- Annual conference.
(1) The ULEAD director shall: hold a doctorate degree in education or an equivalent degree; and have demonstrated experience in research and dissemination of best practices in education; and be a full-time employee; report to the state superintendent; and provide a report to the selection committee, at least twice per year, on the status of the ULEAD program.
(2) The state superintendent shall: evaluate the director's performance annually; report on the director's performance to the selection committee; and provide space for the director and the director's staff.
(3) The director may: hire staff, using only money specifically appropriated to ULEAD; and with approval from the superintendent, utilize state board staff.
(4) The director shall perform the following duties and functions: gather current research on innovative and effective practices in K-12 education for use by policymakers and practitioners; facilitate collaboration between LEAs, higher education researchers, and practitioners by: sharing innovative and effective practices in Utah shown to improve student learning; identifying experts in Utah in specific areas of practice; and maintaining a research clearinghouse and directory of researchers; and analyze barriers to replication or adaption of innovative and successful practices studied by ULEAD or contributed to the ULEAD research clearinghouse.
(5) The director shall: prioritize reports and other research based on recommendations of the steering committee in accordance with Subsection, and after consulting with individuals described in Subsection; 53E-10-707(5) 53E-10-707(6) identify Utah LEAs, or schools outside of the public school system, that are: innovative in specific areas of practice; and more effective or efficient than comparable LEAs in improving student learning, especially for students performing below proficiency; establish criteria for innovative practice reports to be performed by participating institutions and included in the research clearinghouse, including report templates; arrange with participating institutions to generate innovative practice reports on effective and innovative K-12 education practices; and disseminate each innovative practice report to the state board for dissemination to LEAs and school leaders; and publish innovative practice reports on the ULEAD website.
(6) In an innovative practice report, a participating institution shall: include or reference a review of research regarding the practice in which the subject LEA has demonstrated success; identify through academically acceptable, evidence-based research methods the causes of the LEA's successful practice; identify opportunities for LEAs to adopt or customize innovative or best practices; address limitations to successful replication or adaptation of the successful practice by other LEAs, which may include barriers arising from federal or state law, state or LEA policy, socioeconomic conditions, or funding limitations; include practical templates for successful replication and adaptation of successful practices, following criteria established by the director; identify experts in the successful practice that is the subject of the innovative practice report, including teachers or administrators at the subject LEA; and include: an executive summary describing the innovative practice report; and a video component or other elements designed to ensure that an innovative practice report is readily understandable by practitioners.
(7) The director may, if requested by an LEA leader or policymaker, conduct an evidence-based review of a possible innovation in an area of practice. The director shall: review the performance of an innovation program, as defined in Section, to determine the extent to which the learning and performance of students in an opportunity class, as defined in Section, met the criteria established in the innovation program; 53G-10-601 53G-10-601 report on the director's findings under Subsection (7)(b)(i): to the LEA governing board that approved the innovation program; and within 120 days after the completion of the school year during which the opportunity class was functioning; and market the innovation program, as described in Title 53G, Chapter 10, Part 6, Education Innovation Program, to Utah educators.
(8) The director may also accept innovative practice reports from trained practitioners that meet the criteria set by the director.
(9) The director or a participating institution, to enable successful replication or adaption of successful practices, may recommend to: the Legislature, amendments to state law; or the state board, revisions to state board rule, made in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, or policy.
(10) The director shall: report on the activities of ULEAD annually to the state board; and provide reports or other information to the state board upon state board request. The report described in Subsection (10)(a)(i) shall include: examples identified for innovative practice reports; and the current status of ULEAD's relationship with participating institutions.
(11) The director shall: prepare an annual report on ULEAD research and other activities; submit the report in accordance with Sectionsand; 53E-1-201 53E-1-202 publish the annual report on the ULEAD website; and disseminate the report to the state board for dissemination to LEAs and school leaders through electronic channels.
(12) The director shall facilitate and conduct an annual conference on successful and innovative K-12 education practices in Utah, featuring: Utah education leaders; and practitioners and researchers, chosen by the director, to discuss the subjects of LEA and other ULEAD activities, or other innovative and successful education practices.