R277-502-3. Program Approval and Requirements

  (1) The Superintendent shall accept educator license recommendations from educator preparation programs that have applied for Board approval and have met the requirements described in this Rule R277-502 and the Standards for Program Approval established in:

  (a) Rule R277-504;

  (b) Rule R277-505; or

  (c) Rule R277-506.

  (2) The Superintendent may establish deadlines and uniform forms and procedures for all aspects of program approval.

  (3) To be approved for license recommendation an educator preparation program shall:

  (a) have a physical location in Utah where students attend classes or if the program provides only online instruction:

  (i) have the program's primary headquarters located in Utah; and

  (ii) be licensed to do business in Utah through the Utah Department of Commerce;

  (b) include requirements designed to ensure that the educator meets the Utah Effective Educator Standards established in R277-530;

  (c) include requirements, if the program offers content endorsement preparation, that are, at minimum, equivalent to the competency requirements for the endorsement as established by the Superintendent;

  (d) establish entry requirements, approved by the Superintendent, that are designed to ensure that only high quality individuals enter the licensure program, which include measures of:

  (i) previous academic success;

  (ii) disposition for employment in an educational setting; and

  (iii) basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics; and

  (e) include a student teaching or intern experience that meets the requirements detailed in Rules R277-504, R277-505, and R277-506.

  (4) The Superintendent shall work with Board-approved educator preparation programs, LEAs, and other stakeholders to establish standards for pedagogical performance assessments that will be required under Rule R277-301 no later than January 1, 2019.

  (5) The Superintendent shall lead the approval review for any Board-approved educator preparation program seeking to maintain or receive program approval.

  (6) The Superintendent shall be responsible for:

  (a) observing and monitoring the approval review process;

  (b) reviewing subject specific programs to determine if the program meets state standards for licensure in specific areas;

  (c) reviewing program procedures to ensure that Board requirements for licensure are followed; and

  (d) reviewing licensure candidate files to determine if the program followed Board requirements for licensure.

  (7) After completion of the approval review site visit, a Board-approved educator preparation program, working with the Superintendent, shall prepare and submit a program approval request for consideration by the Board that includes:

  (a) a program summary;

  (b) approval review findings;

  (c) program areas of distinction;

  (d) program enrollment; and

  (e) program goals and direction.

  (8) If the program approval request is approved by the Board, the program shall be considered Board-approved until the next scheduled approval review visit.

  (9)(a) Notwithstanding Subsection 8, the Superintendent may place a program on probation for:

  (i) failure to meet program requirements detailed in applicable Board rules; and

  (ii) submission of inadequate or incomplete information in a report required under this R277-502.

  (b) The Board may revoke its approval of a probationary program that fails to meet probationary requirements with at least one year's notice.

  (10) If a new educator preparation program seeks Board approval or a previously Board-approved educator preparation program seeks approval for additional license area preparation and endorsements, the program shall submit an application to the Superintendent including:

  (a) information detailing the exact license areas of concentration and endorsements that the program intends to award;

  (b) detailed requirement information, including required course lists, course descriptions, and course syllabi for all courses that will be required as part of a program;

  (c) detailed information showing how the program will ensure that the educator satisfies all standards in the Utah Effective Educator Standards established in Rule R277-530 and Professional Educator Standards established in Rule R277-515;

  (d) information about program timelines and anticipated enrollment.

  (11) The Board shall approve or deny applications for new educator preparation programs.

  (12)(a) The Superintendent shall review and approve or deny applications from previously Board-approved educator preparation programs desiring Board approval for additional license areas and endorsements.

  (b) The Superintendent may grant preliminary approval pending Utah State Board of Regents approval of a new program if the program is within a public institution.

  (13) An educator preparation program seeking Board approval may apply to the Board for probationary approval for a maximum of three years contingent on the completion of the approval process.

  (14) A Board-approved educator preparation program shall submit an annual report to the Superintendent by July 1 of each year, which shall include the following:

  (a) student enrollment counts designated by anticipated license area of concentration and endorsement and disaggregated by gender and ethnicity;

  (b) information explaining any significant changes to program requirements or content;

  (c) the program's response to areas of concern or areas of focus identified by the Superintendent; and

  (d) information regarding any program-determined areas of concern or areas of focus and the program's planned response.

  (15) The Superintendent shall provide reporting criteria to Board-approved educator preparation programs regarding the annual report and designated areas of concern or focus by January 31 annually.

  (16) An individual that completes a Board-approved educator preparation program may be recommended for licensure within five years of program completion if the individual meets current licensing requirements.

  (17)(a) If five years have passed since an individual completed a Board-approved preparation program, the individual may be recommended for licensure following review by the individual program.

  (b) The preparation program officials shall determine whether any content or pedagogy requirement previously met meets current program standards and if additional requirements are necessary to recommend licensure.

  (c) The individual shall complete all requirements established by program officials before receiving a license recommendation from the program.