Title 53E, Public Education System -- State Administration

53E-4-204. Standards and graduation requirements. (1) The state board shall establish rigorous core standards for Utah public schools and graduation requirements under Section 53E-3-501 for grades 9 through 12 that: (a) are consistent with state law and federal regulations; (b) u…

53E-4-205.2. American constitutional government and citizenship course standards. (1) Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, except as provided in Subsection (2)(e), and as part of the social studies requirement established under Section 53E-4-204, the state board shall require …

53E-4-205.3. Elementary social studies education. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Elementary grades" or "elementary grade level" means kindergarten through grade 6. (b) "Integrated instruction" means teaching that purposefully connects social studies content with other subject …

53E-4-205.4. Religious liberty instruction -- Optional topics. (1) In accordance with Section 53E-4-205.2, the state board standards for the course on American constitutional government and citizenship may instruct an educator that the educator may examine the fundamental role of…

53E-4-206. Career and college readiness mathematics competency standards. (1) As used in this section, "qualifying score" means a score established as described in Subsection (4), that, if met by a student, qualifies the student to receive college credit for a mathematics course …

53E-4-207. Firearm safety minimum standards and instruction. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Firearm" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-11-101. (b) "On or about school premises" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-11-205. (2) An LEA shall, in…

53E-4-208. Citizenship grading standards. (1) As used in this section, "citizenship grade" means a grade or evaluation that reflects a student's demonstration of college and career readiness. (2) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the sta…

53E-4-209. Test-out option for core classes. (1) As used in this section, "core class" means a course in English language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies and other courses required for high school graduation as described in Section 53E-4-204. (2) Beginning with the …

53E-4-210. Digital skills education and course standards. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Digital skills activities" include activities related to the topics listed in Subsection (1)(b). (b) "Digital skills concepts" include concepts related to the following topics: (i) digital…

53E-4-301. Definitions. As used in this part: (1) "Core standards for Utah public schools" means the standards established by the state board as described in Section 53E-4-202. (2) "Statewide assessment" means one or more of the following, as applicable: (a) a standards assessmen…

53E-4-301.5. Statewide assessment. The state board shall ensure that a statewide assessment provides the public, the Legislature, the state board, school districts, public schools, and school teachers with: (1) evaluative information regarding the various levels of proficiency ac…

53E-4-302. Statewide assessments -- Duties of the state board. (1) The state board shall: (a) require the state superintendent to: (i) submit and recommend statewide assessments to the state board for adoption by the state board; and (ii) distribute the statewide assessments adop…

53E-4-303. Utah standards assessments -- Administration -- Advisory committee. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Computer adaptive assessment" means an assessment that measures the range of a student's ability by adapting to the student's responses, selecting more difficult or le…

53E-4-305. College readiness assessments. (1) The Legislature recognizes the need for the state board to develop and implement standards and assessment processes to ensure that student progress is measured and that LEA governing boards and school personnel are accountable. (2) Th…

53E-4-307. Benchmark assessments in reading -- Report to parent. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Benchmark reading assessment" means an assessment that: (i) measures key literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, sound-symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, decoding and en…

53E-4-307.5. Mathematics benchmark assessment. (1) As used in this section, "early mathematics benchmark assessment" or "benchmark assessment" means a standardized assessment to measure the acquisition of mathematics skills in kindergarten and grades 1 through 3 that includes pre…

53E-4-308. Unique student identifier -- Coordination of higher education and public education information technology systems -- Coordination of preschool and public education information technology systems. (1) As used in this section, "unique student identifier" means an alphanu…

53E-4-309. Grade level specification change. (1) The state board may change a grade level specification for the administration of specific assessments under this part to a different grade level specification or a competency-based specification if the specification is more consist…

53E-4-310. Scoring -- Reports of results. (1) For a statewide assessment that requires the use of a student answer sheet, a local school board or charter school governing board shall submit all answer sheets on a per-school and per-class basis to the state superintendent for scor…

53E-4-311. Analysis of results -- Staff professional development. (1) The state board, through the state superintendent, shall develop an online data reporting tool to analyze the results of statewide assessments. (2) The online data reporting tool shall include components design…

53E-4-312. Preparation for tests. (1) School district employees may not conduct any specific instruction or preparation of students that would be a breach of testing ethics, such as the teaching of specific test questions. (2) School district employees who administer the test sha…

53E-4-313. Construction of part. Nothing in this part shall be construed to mean or represented to require that graduation from a high school or promotion to another grade is in any way dependent upon successful performance of any test administered as a part of the testing progra…

53E-4-314. School readiness assessment. (1) As used in this section: (a) "School readiness assessment" means a preschool assessment that: (i) measures literacy and numeracy; and (ii) beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, measures growth from the beginning of the year to the e…

53E-4-315. Waiver of requirement to administer certain assessments. (1) A statutory requirement to administer an assessment with which an LEA or the state board has not fully complied at the time of statewide school closures beginning on March 16, 2020, is waived for the 2019-20 …

53E-4-401. Definitions. As used in this part, "instructional materials" means textbooks or materials used as, or in place of, textbooks and which may be used within the state curriculum framework for courses of study by students in public schools, including: (1) textbooks; (2) wo…

53E-4-403. Evaluation of instructional materials -- Recommendation by the state board. (1) Semi-annually, the state board shall recommend instructional materials for use in the public schools. (2) The standard period of time instructional materials shall remain on the list of rec…

53E-4-405. Sealed proposals for instructional materials contracts -- Sample copies -- Price of instructional materials. (1) As used in this section, the word "sealed" does not preclude acceptance of electronically sealed and submitted bids or proposals in addition to bids or prop…

53E-4-406. Awarding instructional materials contracts. (1) The state board shall award contracts for furnishing instructional materials. (2) If a satisfactory proposal to furnish instructional materials is not received, a new request for proposals may be issued.

53E-4-407. Illegal acts -- Misdemeanor. It is a class B misdemeanor for a member of the state board to receive money or other remuneration as an inducement for the recommendation or introduction of instructional materials into the schools.

53E-4-408. Instructional materials alignment with core standards for Utah public schools. (1) For a school year beginning with or after the 2012-13 school year, a school district may not purchase primary instructional materials unless the primary instructional materials provider:…

53E-4-409. Open educational resources -- Development and implementation. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Open educational resources" means teaching, learning, and research materials that are in the public domain or released under an open license that permits free use, adaptatio…