Board Meeting Summary

June 5, 2009 Meeting

Most Utah Seniors Pass Basic Skills Competency Test

Nearly 82 percent of Utah's public school graduating class of 2009 passed the Utah Basic Skills Competency Test (UBSCT), a slight increase over the 80.37 percent who passed the exam in 2008, according to a report reviewed by the Utah State Board of Education.

The largest class of individuals who were not able to pass all three sections (math, reading, and writing) of UBSCT were students with disabilities followed by students who were not yet proficient in English. The math portion of the test proved to be the most likely stumbling block for students who were unable to pass all three sections.

UBSCT became a required test of Utah high school students beginning with the class of 2006. Students are given five chances to pass the test beginning in their sophomore year.

For more information contact:

John Jesse, Director of Assessment (801) 538-7811.

Judy Park, Associate Superintendent for Data, Assessment and Accountability, (801) 538-7550.

 

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Board Approves Updated Secondary Health Curriculum

The Utah State Board of Education approved updated changes to the secondary health education curriculum.

For more information contact:

Frank Wojtech, Health and Physical Education Specialist, (801) 538-7732.

Lynne Greenwood, Core Curriculum Director, (801) 538-7828.

Brenda Hales, Associate Superintendent for Student Achievement & School Success, (801) 538-7515.

 

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Board Approves New Internal Auditing Rule

The Utah State Board of Education gave final approval to a change in its internal auditing rule clarifying how the Board can conduct internal audits.

For more information contact:

Todd Hauber, Associate Superintendent for Business Services, (801) 538-7514.

 

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Board OKs Revolving Loans to Four Charter Schools

The Utah State Board of Education approved the following loans to charter schools from the state revolving loan fund:

For more information contact:

Marlies Burns, State Charter School Director, (801) 538-7817.

Patti Harrington, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, (801) 538-7510.

 

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Charter and Online Student Participation
in Extracurricular Activities Rule Preliminarily Approved

A new rule establishing fees for charter and online students who participate in regular public school extracurricular activities was given preliminary approval by the Utah State Board of Education.

The fees are determined by the amount of the state and local tax revenue expended divided by the total enrollment of the school district.

For more information contact:

Larry Shumway, Deputy State Superintendent, (801) 538-7762.

 

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Board Salutes Four Who Saved Lives This Year

What to Do When Every Minute Counts is a joint Utah State Office of Education and community emergency medical services (EMS) program which teachers CPR and other emergency skills to high school students across Utah. The program, which will end this year, has trained over 20,000 students.

Four Utahns, teachers and students, managed to put the course into action this year and actually saved lives. The Utah State Board of Education honored those people:

  • Mark Moore, a student at Taylorsville High School, was able to save teacher Anne Rasmussen with the Heimlich maneuver after she was choking on a tater tot.
  • Russ Henrie, an Every Minute Counts teacher at Delta High School used an automated external defibrillator to help revive a man who collapsed outside the school.
  • Casey Gaboldon cleared the airway of her friend at Copper Hills High School, Courtney Bonnett, who had gotten food lodged in her throat.
  • Chelsea Pearson, a Copper Hills High School student, managed to resuscitate her young nephew who had drowned in a pool.

 

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Board approves consent calendar

The Utah State Board of Education approved the consent calendar.

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