{"data":{"id":"us-ut/utah-code-53f-4-203","jurisdiction":"us-ut","citation":"Utah Code § 53F-4-203","heading":"Early interactive reading software -- Independent evaluator.","body":"(1) Subject to legislative appropriations, the state board shall distribute funds to public schools based on enrollment for students in kindergarten through grade 3 to purchase personalized interactive reading software.\n(2) A public school that receives funds described in Subsection (1) shall use the funds for a student in kindergarten or grade 1, 2, or 3:\n(a) for intervention for the student if the student is reading below grade level; or\n(b) for advancement beyond grade level for the student if the student is reading at or above grade level.\n(3)\n(a) On or before August 1 of each year, the state board shall select and contract with an independent evaluator, through a request for proposals process, to act as an independent contractor to evaluate early interactive reading software provided under this section.\n(b) The state board shall ensure that a contract with an independent evaluator requires the independent evaluator to:\n(i) evaluate a student's learning gains as a result of using early interactive reading software provided under Subsection (1);\n(ii) for the evaluation under Subsection (3)(b)(i), use an assessment that is not developed by a provider of early interactive reading software; and\n(iii) determine the extent to which a public school uses the early interactive reading software.\n(c) The state board and the independent evaluator selected under Subsection (3)(a) shall submit a report on the results of the evaluation in accordance with Section 53E-1-201.\n(4) An LEA may acquire an analytical software program that:\n(a) monitors, for an individual school, early intervention interactive reading software use and the associated impact on student performance; and\n(b) analyzes the information gathered under Subsection (4)(a) to prescribe individual school usage time to maximize the beneficial impact on student performance.\n(5) The state board:\n(a) may use up to 6% of the appropriation provided under Subsection (1):\n(i) to contract with an independent evaluator selected under Subsection (3)(a); and\n(ii) for administrative costs associated with this section; and\n(b) shall distribute at least 94% of funds under this section to LEAs in accordance with Subsection (1).\n(6) Nothing in this section or in Section 53E-4-307 or 53G-11-303 requires a reading software product to demonstrate the statistically significant effect size described in Subsection 53G-11-303(1)(a) in order to be used as an instructional material.","path":["Title 53F Public Education System -- Funding","Chapter 53F-4 State Funding -- Contracted Initiatives","Part 53F-4-2 Contracts"],"source_url":"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title53F/Chapter4/53F-4-S203.html","current_through":"2026 General Session","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-03T11:34:33Z","sha256":"0cbdac7bfc0eeb04d3d3aea5769061a3b590630bfcbfe32b0fb95dd162cc5b98","source_id":"us-ut","stale":false,"prev":"us-ut/utah-code-53f-4-202","next":"us-ut/utah-code-53f-4-206"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}