Jun. 17, 9:00 AM
The Education Interim Committee of the State Legislature holds a public meeting.
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Feb. 23 - Mar. 22
Comcast Newsmakers interviews Robyn Bagley about www.Utah-EducationFacts.com
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Mar. 12
The 2009 Legislative Session concluded on Thursday, March 12th at midnight
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This year marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark report, A Nation at Risk.
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In the 2007-08 school year, Utah spent $8,224 per public school student.
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Charter schools are independent public schools run by parents or non-profits.
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The average class size in Utah is 22.2
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High school students can graduate with an associate's degree and a scholarship worth 75% of college tuition.
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Future of K-12 Coming Soon to Utah
This section highlights changes to our education system that have been proposed or are just being implemented. Scroll down to learn more about specific changes.
In May 2008, the Utah State Board of Education adopted an alternative teacher certification program called Passport toTeaching that allows qualified individuals to become certified teachers in less than a year. Passport to Teaching is administered by the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence at no cost to the state.
E8 new charter schools will be opening for the 2009-10 school year. 4 more will be opening for the 2010-11 school year. Click "Read More" to see a list of new charter schools
In the 2009 Legislative Session, the Utah State Legislature passed House Bill 210, which requires school districts and charter schools to post on their websites the collective bargaining agreements they enter into.
The scholarship amounts for two of Utah’s state-funded college scholarship programs have been cahnged. Starting with the graduate class of 2011, the New Century Scholarship and the Exemplary Academic Achievement award of the Regents’ Scholarship will be a flat $5,000 instead of 75% of tuition for two years. These changes were made in the 2009 Legislative Session through Senate Bill 104, sponsored by Senator Hillyard.
UPDATE - May 1, 2009
Some Utah schools will be piloting computer-adaptive testing programs this fall while being exempt from state testing requirements.
The Transparency in Government Act created a website (www.transparent.utah.gov) where all financial transactions made by state and local governments in Utah must be reported. Currently, the website only includes financial data from state-level agencies, but by May 15, 2010, it will also include data from local government entities, including school districts and charter schools.
The online educational options available to Utah students continue to increase each year. Here's the newest online school that will be coming to Utah:
The Open High School of Utah is an online charter high school, offering an incredible curriculum, personalized learning experiences, and the flexibility of studying from your home or wherever else you may be. And because the Open High School of Utah is a public high school, there's no cost to attend.
Effective May 12, 2009, fewer courses will be offered through Utah's Concurrent Enrollment program, which allows students to take courses in high school that grant college credit. In the 2009 session, the Utah State Legislature passed Senate Bill 81 which prevents high school classes typically offered in 9th or 10th grade from counting towards college credit.
A few school districts in Utah are using a new online database called Student Achievement Management System (SAMS) to track student progress. The system allows parents, students, and educators to see test scores, attendance records, and grades for a particular student or group of students in reall time. It also lets student data be transferred easily from one school or agency to another.
5 elementary schools have been chosen to participate in a performance pay pilot program created in the 2009 General Session. Participating teachers can earn bonuses worth up to $2,000 based on the following criteria:
