53A-1a-1002 - Pilot project to develop school readiness skills of preschool children.
53A-1a-1002. Pilot project to develop school readiness skills of preschool children.
(1) UPSTART, a pilot project that uses a home-based educational technology program todevelop school readiness skills of preschool children, is established within the public educationsystem.
(2) UPSTART is created to:
(a) evaluate the effectiveness of giving preschool children access, at home, to interactiveindividualized instruction delivered by computers and the Internet to prepare them academicallyfor success in school; and
(b) test the feasibility of scaling a home-based curriculum in reading, math, and sciencedelivered by computers and the Internet to all preschool children in Utah.
(3) The State Board of Education shall contract with an educational technology provider,selected through a request for proposals process, for the delivery of a home-based educationaltechnology program for preschool children that meets the requirements of Subsection (4).
(4) A home-based educational technology program for preschool children shall meet thefollowing standards:
(a) the contractor shall provide computer-assisted instruction for preschool children on ahome computer connected by the Internet to a centralized file storage facility;
(b) the contractor shall:
(i) provide technical support to families for the installation and operation of theinstructional software; and
(ii) provide for the installation of computer and Internet access in homes of low incomefamilies that cannot afford the equipment and service;
(c) the contractor shall have the capability of doing the following through the Internet:
(i) communicating with parents;
(ii) updating the instructional software;
(iii) validating user access;
(iv) collecting usage data;
(v) storing research data; and
(vi) producing reports for parents, schools, and the Legislature;
(d) the program shall include the following components:
(i) computer-assisted, individualized instruction in reading, mathematics, and science;
(ii) a multisensory reading tutoring program; and
(iii) a validated computer adaptive reading test that does not require the presence oftrained adults to administer and is an accurate indicator of reading readiness of children whocannot read;
(e) the contractor shall have the capability to quickly and efficiently modify, improve,and support the product;
(f) the contractor shall work in cooperation with school district personnel who willprovide administrative and technical support of the program as provided in Section 53A-1a-1003;
(g) the contractor shall solicit families to participate in the program as provided inSection 53A-1a-1004; and
(h) in implementing the home-based educational technology program, the contractorshall seek the advise and expertise of early childhood education professionals within the UtahSystem of Higher Education on issues such as:
(i) soliciting families to participate in the program;
(ii) providing training to families; and
(iii) motivating families to regularly use the instructional software.
(5) The contract shall provide funding for a home-based educational technology programfor preschool children for one year with an option to extend the contract for additional years or toexpand the program to a greater number of preschool children, subject to the appropriation ofmoney by the Legislature for UPSTART.
Enacted by Chapter 397, 2008 General Session