R277.  Education, Administration.
R277-526.  Paraeducator to Teacher Scholarship Program.
R277-526-1.  Authority and Purpose.
	(1)  This rule is authorized by:
	(a)  Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3, which vests general control and supervision of public education in the Board;
	(b)  Subsection 53E-3-401(4), which permits the Board to make rules to execute the Board's duties and responsibilities under the Utah Constitution and state law; and
	(c)  Subsection 53F-5-205(9), which requires the Board to make rules to administer the Paraeducator to Teacher Scholarship Program.
	(2)  The purpose of this rule is to:
	(a)  distribute funds to paraeducators seeking to become licensed educators; and
	(b)  establish application and accountability procedures to provide funding to prospective educators directly and fairly.

R277-526-2.  Definitions.
	(1)  "LEA" includes, for purposes of this rule, the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
	(2)  "Paraeducator" means the same as that term is defined in Subsection 53F-5-205(1)(b).
	(3)  "Paraeducator Scholarship Selection Committee" or "committee" means the committee established by the Board to select scholarship recipients as required by Subsection 53F-5-205(5).
	(4)  "Scholarship" means funds paid directly to a Utah institution of higher education on behalf of a paraeducator in accordance with Section 53F-5-205.

R277-526-3.  Scholarship Amounts and Requirements.
	(1)  A paraeducator shall use a stipend awarded under this rule solely for expenses approved by Section 53F-5-205 and this rule annually between July 1 and the following June 30.
	(2)  A scholarship recipient shall remain continuously employed by an LEA in accordance with Subsection 53F-5-205(8).
	(3)  A scholarship recipient shall provide documentation of progress toward graduation, as requested by the scholarship recipient's employer or the Board.
	(4)  A scholarship recipient who does not remain employed for the duration of the scholarship period or who does not satisfactorily complete funded courses shall be responsible to reimburse the Board for the amount of scholarship funding.

R277-526-4.  Applicant Scholarships Recipient and LEA Responsibilities.
	(1)  An LEA shall employ a scholarship recipient for a minimum of 10 hours per week at the time of application for the scholarship and during any year in which the paraeducator receives the scholarship.
	(2)  A scholarship applicant shall submit a completed application found on the Board website to the applicant's LEA.
	(3)  An applicant shall provide university transcripts and information about tuition expenses on the application based on the most recent information available from the Utah institution of higher education to which the applicant has either been admitted or made application.
	(4)  An LEA shall submit all applications to the Superintendent on or before May 15 annually.
	(5)  A scholarship recipient and the LEA whose employee receives funding under this program shall cooperate on any assessment required by the Board.

R277-526-5.  State Board of Education Staff/Committee Responsibilities.
	(1)  The committee shall consist of:
	(a)  one representative of the Board designated by the Board;
	(b)  one representative of the Board of Regents designated by the Board of Regents;
	(c)  one representative of the largest parent/teacher association in the state;
	(d)  no more than two additional representatives of the general public designated by the Board.
	(2)  The committee shall receive completed applications from LEAs consistent with R277-526-4.
	(3)  The committee shall determine funding for applicants from applications received from LEAs after considering the number of applications received and the amount of funding available.
	(4)  The committee may develop and consider additional selection criteria including:
	(a)  support from the recommending LEA; and
	(b)  geographical distribution of recipients.
	(5)  The committee shall provide names of scholarship recipients to the Board for review and comment by August 1, annually.
	(6)  The committee or the Board may require a summary assessment of the increased number of paraeducators who become educators and other program results from participating scholarship recipients and LEAs.

KEY:  paraeducators, scholarships
Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment:  February 7, 2017
Notice of Continuation:  December 14, 2016
Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law:  Art X Sec 3; 53E-3-401(4); 53F-5-205(9)