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(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Aspiring principal" means an educator who is:
(i) employed by an LEA; and
(ii) pursuing a school leadership license or license area of concentration through enrollment in a state board approved school leadership program.
(b) "Educator" means an individual who holds a professional educator license described in Section 53E-6-201.
(c) "Eligible applicant" means one of the following that has established a mentoring program for new principals, or agrees to establish a mentoring program during the first year of funding, that meets the requirements as described in Subsection (6):
(i) a single LEA;
(ii) a group of more than one LEA that submits a joint application;
(iii) a regional education service agency as described in Section 53G-4-410.
(d) "Internship" means an extended supervised experience for an aspiring principal to engage in the work of a principal, designed to build and demonstrate the competencies required for a school leadership license or license area of concentration.
(e) "New principal" means a principal hired by an LEA within the previous three years who has not been previously employed as a principal by the LEA.
(f)
(i) "Principal" means a school-level leader with executive authority, including:
(A) a principal;
(B) an assistant principal;
(C) a charter school director; or
(D) another school-based administrator.
(ii) "Principal" does not include:
(A) a school district administrator; or
(B) a director of two or more charter schools.
(g) "Residency" means a clinical experience for an aspiring principal that:
(i) takes place in a new setting, other than the aspiring principal's current position; and
(ii) that is designed to build and demonstrate the competencies required for a school leadership license or license area of concentration.
(2)
(a) An eligible applicant may apply to the state board for a grant to provide professional learning and training activities for a new principal or an aspiring principal.
(b) Subject to legislative appropriations, the state board shall award a grant to an eligible applicant on a qualifying or competitive basis.
(c) The state board may award a grant to an eligible applicant for up to five years.
(d) The state board shall determine an eligible applicant's grant amount based on a formula determined by the state board as described Subsection (6).
(3)
(a) A grant recipient that receives a grant under this section may use the grant award:
(i) to provide mentoring activities to a new principal;
(ii) to provide job-embedded experiences such as an internship or residency to an aspiring principal to help the aspiring principal meet school leader standards and competencies required for licensure as a principal;
(iii) for activities designed to improve principal leadership, including:
(A) hiring a principal supervisor or a principal coach;
(B) providing professional learning activities to help a principal meet school leadership standards and competencies for principal licensure established by the state board; and
(C) other activities determined by the state board in Subsection (6); and
(iv) for planning purposes during the first year of the grant award.
(b) A grant recipient that receives a grant award under this section shall use the grant award for activities that are evidenced-based.
(4) A grant recipient that receives a grant award under this section shall report to the state board on the performance measures and reporting requirements described in Subsection (6).
(5) On or before the November 2026 meeting, the state board shall report to the Education Interim Committee on:
(a) the information described in Subsection (4); and
(b) for each grant recipient:
(i) how the grant recipient used the grant award;
(ii) the number and percent of principals receiving the professional learning and training activities described in Subsection (3);
(iii) survey data collected from participating new principals and aspiring principals regarding the quality and effectiveness of the professional learning and training activities described in Subsection (3);
(iv) retention rates for all principals;
(v) teacher retention rates in each school with a new principal or aspiring principal receiving the professional learning and training activities described in Subsection (3); and
(vi) school accountability data described in Title 53E, Chapter 5, Accountability, for each year the grant recipient uses the grant award to provide new and aspiring principals with the professional learning and training activities described in Subsection (3).
(6) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the state board shall make rules establishing:
(a) mentoring program requirements for new principals;
(b) grant application and award procedures including a formula for determining an eligible applicant's grant award amount;
(c) performance measures and reporting requirements for a grant recipient;
(d) principal leadership standards and competencies;
(e) a grant award distribution schedule; and
(f) professional learning activities to improve principal leadership for which a grant recipient may use a grant award.
Technically renumbered to avoid duplication of section number also enacted in HB114, Chapter 174 and HB434, Chapter 224.