Enrolled Copy H.B. 246
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Statewide Online Education Program Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Joseph Elison
Senate Sponsor: Lincoln Fillmore
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LONG TITLE
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General Description:
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This bill makes changes to enhance quality, accountability, and transparency in the
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Statewide Online Education Program.
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Highlighted Provisions:
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This bill:
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▸ authorizes the State Board of Education (state board) to conduct sample audits of online
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courses;
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▸ expands performance reporting requirements for an authorized online course provider;
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▸ requires the state board to establish a report card for an authorized online course provider;
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▸ facilitates regular communication between an authorized online course provider and a
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primary LEA of enrollment;
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▸ implements a model syllabus template for online courses;
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▸ requires the state board to create a centralized registration system for parents and
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students; and
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▸ makes technical changes.
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Money Appropriated in this Bill:
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None
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Other Special Clauses:
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This bill provides a special effective date.
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Utah Code Sections Affected:
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AMENDS:
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53F-4-511, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 24
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53F-4-512, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 24
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53F-4-514, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 24 H.B. 246 Enrolled Copy
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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
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Section 1. Section 53F-4-511 is amended to read:
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53F-4-511 . Report on performance of authorized online course providers.
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(1) The state board, in collaboration with authorized online course providers and, if
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applicable, the state board's contractor, shall develop a report on the performance of
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authorized online course providers, which may be used to evaluate the Statewide Online
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Education Program and assess the quality of an authorized online course provider.
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(2) A report on the performance of an authorized online course provider shall include:
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(a) scores aggregated by test on statewide assessments administered under Title 53E,
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Chapter 4, Part 3, Assessments, taken by students at the end of an online course
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offered through the Statewide Online Education Program;
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(b) the percentage of the authorized online course provider's students who complete
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online courses within the applicable time period specified in Subsection 53F-4-505
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(4)(c);
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(c) the percentage of the authorized online course provider's students who complete
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online courses after the applicable time period specified in Subsection 53F-4-505
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(4)(c) and before the student graduates from high school;[ and]
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(d) the pupil-teacher ratio for the combined online courses of the authorized online
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course provider[.] ;
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(e) student grade distributions for each course the authorized online course provider
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offers;
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(f) student completion rates for each course the authorized online course provider offers;
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(g) results of student and parent satisfaction surveys;
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(h) if applicable, a summary of the authorized online course provider's plan to improve
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course quality and student outcomes; and
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(i) results of any sample audits the state board has conducted related to courses the
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authorized online course provider offers.
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(3) The state board shall post a report on the performance of an authorized online course
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provider on the Statewide Online Education Program's website described in Section
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53F-4-512.
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(4) The state board shall develop a standardized performance evaluation report card to
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assess an authorized online course provider, which shall be published annually on the
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Statewide Online Education Program's website described in Section 53F-4-512.
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Section 2. Section 53F-4-512 is amended to read:
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53F-4-512 . Dissemination of information on the Statewide Online Education
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Program.
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(1) The state board shall develop [a website for the Statewide Online Education Program] or
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purchase an enrollment and program administration system accessible to authorized
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online course providers, which shall include:
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(a) a description of the Statewide Online Education Program, including its purposes;
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(b) notwithstanding Subsection (2), information on who is eligible to enroll, and how an
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eligible student may enroll, in an online course;
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(c) a directory of authorized online course providers;
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(d) a link to a course catalog for each authorized online course provider;[ and]
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(e) a report on the performance of authorized online course providers as required by
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Section 53F-4-511[.] ; and
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(f) a centralized registration system that:
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(i) allows a parent or eligible student to register for online courses; and
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(ii) automatically shares registration information with the selected authorized online
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course provider.
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(2) An authorized online course provider shall provide the following information on the
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authorized online course provider's website:
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(a) a description of the Statewide Online Education Program, including its purposes;
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(b) information on who is eligible to enroll, and how an eligible student may enroll, in
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an online course;
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(c) a course catalog;
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(d) scores aggregated by test on statewide assessments administered under Title 53E,
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Chapter 4, Part 3, Assessments, taken by students at the end of an online course
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offered through the Statewide Online Education Program;
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(e) the percentage of an authorized online course provider's students who complete
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online courses within the applicable time period specified in Subsection 53F-4-505
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(4)(c);
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(f) the percentage of an authorized online course provider's students who complete
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online courses after the applicable time period specified in Subsection 53F-4-505
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(4)(c) and before the student graduates from high school;[ and]
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(g) the authorized online course provider's pupil-teacher ratio for the online courses
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combined[.] ; and
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(h) additional information described in Subsection 53F-4-511(2) not described in this
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Subsection (2).
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(3) The state board's contractor shall provide on the contractor's website information
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regarding enrollment and participation by a private school or home school student
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through the contractor.
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Section 3. Section 53F-4-514 is amended to read:
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53F-4-514 . State board -- Rulemaking -- Fees.
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(1) Notwithstanding Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state
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board shall provide a delayed effective date that is after the school year has ended for a
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change to an administrative rule related to the Statewide Online Education Program if
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the change would require an authorized online course provider to make program changes
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during the school year.
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(2) The state board shall make rules in accordance with this part and Title 63G, Chapter 3,
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Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, that establish:
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(a) a course credit acknowledgement form and procedures for completing and
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submitting to the state board or, in relation to a student who attends a private school
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or home school, the state board's contractor, a course credit acknowledgement;
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(b) procedures for the administration of a statewide assessment to a student enrolled in
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an online course; and
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(c) protocols for an online course provider to obtain approval to become a certified
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online course provider, including:
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(i) the application procedure for an online course provider to obtain approval to
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become a certified online course provider; and
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(ii) the standards that a certified online course provider and any online course the
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certified online course provider offers shall meet;
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(d) in accordance with Title 53E, Chapter 4, Academic Standards, Assessments, and
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Materials, criteria for an authorized online course provider to submit for approval an
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online course that does not have an existing state board course code;
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(e) [no later than July 1, 2024, ]a process within existing systems at the state board or, in
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relation to a student who attends a private school or home school, the state board's
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contractor, to allow a certified online course provider access to an educator's
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licensing, endorsement, certification, and assignment information if the educator is
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teaching an online course for the certified online course provider;
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(f) in consultation with the authorized online course providers, the parameters for
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conducting a site visit including:
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(i) a definition for the term site visit;
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(ii) the minimum amount of time required for:
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(A) notice to an authorized online course provider of a site visit; and
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(B) an authorized online course provider to prepare for a site visit;
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(iii) the documents, data, and artifacts subject to inspection during a site visit; and
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(iv) a process to ensure a site visit allows for observation of instruction without
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interfering with the instruction;
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(g) annual mandatory training for relevant staff at a primary LEA that includes:
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(i) program requirements for a primary LEA including reporting requirements and
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methods;
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(ii) uses of resources and tools to ensure adequate monitoring of an eligible student's
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progress;
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(iii) federal and state requirements for accommodating enrollments that involve
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special education;
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(iv) appropriate circumstances and methodologies for reducing an eligible student's
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schedule; and
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(v) other components the state board determines are necessary; and
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(3)(a) When establishing the standards described in Subsection (2)(c)(ii) the state board
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shall:
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(i) establish rules and minimum standards regarding accreditation;
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(ii) require an online course to be aligned with the core standards described in
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Section 53E-4-202;
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(iii) require proof that a national organization responsible for college athletics
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endorses:
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(A) the certified online course provider; or
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(B) the online course that a certified online course provider offers;
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(iv) permit an open-entry, open-exit method of instructional delivery that allows a
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student the flexibility to:
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(A) schedule in response to individual needs or requirements;
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(B) demonstrate competency when the student has mastered knowledge and skills;
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(C) begin or end study at any time; and
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(D) progress through course material at the student's own pace; and
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(v) except as provided in Subsection (5), require an individual who teaches a course
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for a certified online course provider to hold a teaching license issued by the state
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board.
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(b) When establishing the standards described in Subsection (2)(c)(ii), the state board
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may not:
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(i) specify a minimum duration for an online course;
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(ii) specify a minimum amount of time that a student must spend in an online course;
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or
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(iii) limit the class size of an online course.
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(4) No later than January 31, 2026, the state board shall create a communication dashboard
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for the program and only related to eligible students enrolled in a public school that may
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include:
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(a) a counselor contact list for an eligible student that is accessible to an authorized
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online course provider; and
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(b) progress monitoring fields that are accessible to the primary LEA, the eligible
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student's counselor, and the eligible student's parent containing:
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(i) grade progress reporting of an eligible student by an authorized online course
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provider;
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(ii) an ability to flag a student that is at-risk of failing an online course; and
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(iii) other relevant capabilities the state board determines to be necessary in
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consultation with LEA users of the dashboard.
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(5) If an individual possesses a provider-specific license described in Section 53E-6-201,
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the state board may not prohibit the individual from teaching an online course for an
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authorized online course provider while the individual is in the process of obtaining an
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endorsement or additional license issued by the state board.
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(6) The state board may establish a fee, in accordance with Section 63J-1-504, in an amount
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to pay the costs to the state board of the application approval process and the monitoring
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of a certified online course provider's compliance with the standards described in
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Subsection (2)(c)(ii).
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(7)(a) Fee revenue collected in accordance with Subsection (6) shall be:
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(i) deposited into the Uniform School Fund as a dedicated credit; and
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(ii) used to pay the costs to the state board of reviewing certified online course
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providers' applications and compliance with the standards described in Subsection
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(2)(c)(ii).
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Section 4. Effective Date.
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This bill takes effect on July 1, 2025.
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