State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Utah > Title-53a > Chapter-17a > 53a-17a-15953A-17a-159. Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative Centers Program.
(1) (a) The Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) Centers Programis created to provide a financial incentive for charter schools and school districts to adoptprograms that result in a more efficient use of human resources and capital facilities.
(b) The potential benefits of the program include:
(i) increased compensation for math and science teachers by providing opportunities foran expanded contract year which will enhance school districts' and charter schools' ability toattract and retain talented and highly qualified math and science teachers;
(ii) increased capacity of school buildings by using buildings more hours of the day ormore days of the year, resulting in reduced capital facilities costs;
(iii) decreased class sizes created by expanding the number of instructional opportunitiesin a year;
(iv) opportunities for earlier high school graduation;
(v) improved student college preparation;
(vi) increased opportunities to offer additional remedial and advanced courses in mathand science;
(vii) opportunities to coordinate high school and post-secondary math and scienceeducation; and
(viii) the creation or improvement of science, technology, engineering, and math centers(STEM Centers).
(2) From money appropriated for the USTAR Centers Program, the State Board ofEducation shall award grants to charter schools and school districts to pay for costs related to theadoption and implementation of the program.
(3) The State Board of Education shall:
(a) solicit proposals from the State Charter School Board and school districts for the useof grant money to facilitate the adoption and implementation of the program; and
(b) award grants on a competitive basis.
(4) The State Charter School Board shall:
(a) solicit proposals from charter schools that may be interested in participating in theUSTAR Centers Program;
(b) prioritize the charter school proposals and consolidate them into the equivalent of asingle school district request; and
(c) submit the consolidated request to the State Board of Education.
(5) In selecting a grant recipient, the State Board of Education shall consider:
(a) the degree to which a charter school or school district's proposed adoption andimplementation of an extended year for math and science teachers achieves the benefitsdescribed in Subsection (1);
(b) the unique circumstances of different urban, rural, large, small, growing, anddeclining charter schools and school districts; and
(c) providing pilot programs in as many different school districts and charter schools aspossible.
(6) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (6)(b), a school district or charter school mayonly use grant money to provide full year teacher contracts, part-time teacher contract extensions,or combinations of both, for math and science teachers.
(b) Up to 5% of the grant money may be used to fund math and science field trips,
textbooks, and supplies.
(7) Participation in the USTAR Centers Program shall be:
(a) voluntary for an individual teacher; and
(b) voluntary for a charter school or school district.
(8) The State Board of Education shall make an annual report during the 2009, 2010, and2011 interims to the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee describing the program'simpact on students and its effectiveness at achieving the benefits described in Subsection (1).
Enacted by Chapter 397, 2008 General Session
