53F-5-222. Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program.

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Effective 5/6/2026

(1)As used in this section:

(a)"Master teacher" means a classroom teacher who has been approved by the teacher's administrator for an eligible initiative described in Subsection

(6).

(b)"Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program" or "program" means the program created in Subsection

(2).

(c)"Regional education service agency" or "RESA" means the same as the term is defined in Section 53G-4-410 .

(d)"Teacher leader work" means nonadministrative leadership tasks that occur in conjunction with a teacher's main duties to provide instruction while avoiding formal administrative roles, other than those relating directly to teacher leadership or development, for the teacher engaging in the tasks, including:

(i)leading teachers;

(ii)mentoring teachers; and

(iii)providing observations or feedback to teachers.

(2)There is created a program known as the Mentoring and Supporting Teacher Excellence and Refinement Program to provide funding to an LEA to improve retention of strong educators who remain in the classroom and have access to growth opportunities in the form of innovative teacher leadership tracks outside of contractual educator steps and lanes to:

(a)foster development of leadership skills in participating teachers; and

(b)provide the opportunity for a master teacher to impact and provide guidance for fellow teachers seeking to refine instructional skills.

(3)The state board shall:

(a)solicit proposals from LEAs and RESAs to receive a grant under this section; and

(b)award grants to LEAs or RESAs on a competitive basis based on the LEA's or RESA's application described in Subsection (4)(a) .

(4)To receive a grant under this section, an LEA or RESA shall:

(a)submit an application to the state board that:

(i)describes the program tier for which the LEA or RESA is applying;

(ii)describes the eligible initiatives for which the LEA or RESA will use the grant amount;

(iii)provides evidence of the required matching funds described in Subsection (4)(b) ;

(iv)describes how the proposal will further the purposes of the program described in Subsection

(2); and

(v)outlines the metrics the LEA or RESA will use to measure success of the program; and

(b)provide matching funds for a grant from a program tier as follows:

(i)a 10% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 1 level grant amount;

(ii)a 15% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 2 level grant amount; and

(iii)a 20% match by the LEA or RESA for a tier 3 level grant amount.

(5)In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state board shall make rules:

(a)subject to legislative appropriations, outlining the grant amount for each program tier described in Subsection (4)(b) ;

(b)describing the application requirements, including:

(i)the required format for submission; and

(ii)relevant deadlines;

(c)establishing a scoring rubric; and

(d)describing any required reporting and performance measures.

(6)An LEA or RESA that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant award for an eligible initiative to achieve the purposes described in Subsection

(2), including:

(a)allowing a teacher to add to or be released from all or part of an existing teacher contract to engage in teacher leader work, which may involve a new or amended contract for a master teacher, for a period determined by the LEA and the teacher, while maintaining the master teacher's status as a teacher;

(b)providing extended contracts outside of steps and lanes, resulting in increased pay for increased work or for new roles involving teacher leader work on a schedule outside of steps and lanes as determined by the LEA or RESA and the teacher; and

(c)building or expanding LEA or RESA leadership tracks, including incentives for differentiated teacher leader work pay scales for classroom teachers.

(7)The state board may use up to 6.25% of the money appropriated for the purposes described in this section to pay for administrative costs the state board, an LEA, or a RESA incurs in implementing the program.

(8)Upon request of the Education Interim Committee, an LEA that receives a grant and the state board shall report to the Education Interim Committee on the program's progress and outcomes.

Amended by Chapter 177 , 2026 General Session