R277-715. Out-of-School Time Program Standards, R277. Education, Administration, Utah Administrative Code

Utah Administrative Code (Current through November 1, 2019)

R277. Education, Administration

R277-715. Out-of-School Time Program Standards

R277-715-1. Authority and Purpose

Latest version.

(1) This rule is authorized by:

(a) Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3, which vests general control and supervision over public education in the Board;

(b) Subsection 53E-4-301(4), which allows the Board to make rules to execute the Board's duties and responsibilities under the Utah Constitution and state law; and

(c) Section 53E-3-508, which requires the Board to adopt rules to set standards for high quality out-of-school time programs.

(2) The purpose of this rule is to set standards for high quality out-of-school time programs, and establish the programs required to adopt those standards.

R277-715-2. Definitions

Latest version.

(1) "Assessment tool" means the Utah After-school Program Quality Assessment and Improvement Tool developed by a statewide multi-agency stakeholder group, and administered by the Utah After-school Network.

(2) "Out-of-school time" means time that a student at a participating program is engaged in a learning environment that is not during regular school hours, including before school, after school, and during the summer.

(3) "Participating program" means a program that receives funds from the Board or from the Department of Workforce Services to support the program's out-of-school time programming.

R277-715-3. Requirements and Standards for High Quality Out-of-School Time Programs

Latest version.

(1) A participating program shall:

(a) use the assessment tool to determine the extent to which the program is meeting the standards described in this Section;

(b) ensure that it is working toward achieving the standards described in this Section; and

(2) The Superintendent shall provide for a flag in a student's data file to indicate the student's attendance in a participating program.

(3) The safety standard includes the following components in order to provide a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment for all participants, including that:

(a) staff are professionally qualified to work with program participants;

(b) policies and procedures are established and implemented to ensure the health and safety of all program participants;

(d) a transportation policy is established and communicated to staff and families of participants; and

(e) a consistent and responsive behavior management plan is established and implemented.

(4) The relationships standard includes the following components in order to develop and maintain positive relationships among staff, participants, families, schools, and communities, including that:

(a) staff and participants know, respect, and support each other;

(b) the program communicates and collaborates with the school and the community; and

(5) The skills standard includes the following components in order to encourage participants to learn new skills, including that:

(a) participants are actively engaged in learning activities that promote critical thinking, creative thinking, and that build on the individual's interests and strengths;

(b) the program aligns academic support and interventions to the school-day curricula to address student learning needs; and

(c) the program offers a variety of life skill activities and needs-based support to promote leadership skills, personal growth, and responsible behaviors toward self and others.

(6) The administration standard includes the following components in order to ensure that the program is effectively administered, including that the program:

(a) has established a plan for increasing capacity, ensuring program quality, and promoting sustainability, including sound fiscal management;

(b) establishes and consistently implements clearly-defined policies and procedures;

(d) provides professional development and training opportunities to enhance staff job performance.