Section 53F-4-203 - Early interactive reading software - Independent evaluator(1) Subject to legislative appropriations, the state board shall distribute funds to public schools based on enrollment for students in kindergarten through grade 3 to purchase personalized interactive reading software.(2) A public school that receives funds described in Subsection (1) shall use the funds for a student in kindergarten or grade 1, 2, or 3: (a) for intervention for the student if the student is reading below grade level; or(b) for advancement beyond grade level for the student if the student is reading at or above grade level.(3)(a) On or before August 1 of each year, the state board shall select and contract with an independent evaluator, through a request for proposals process, to act as an independent contractor to evaluate early interactive reading software provided under this section.(b) The state board shall ensure that a contract with an independent evaluator requires the independent evaluator to: (i) evaluate a student's learning gains as a result of using early interactive reading software provided under Subsection (1);(ii) for the evaluation under Subsection (3)(b)(i), use an assessment that is not developed by a provider of early interactive reading software; and(iii) determine the extent to which a public school uses the early interactive reading software.(c) The state board and the independent evaluator selected under Subsection (3)(a) shall submit a report on the results of the evaluation in accordance with Section 53E-1-201.(4) An LEA may acquire an analytical software program that: (a) monitors, for an individual school, early intervention interactive reading software use and the associated impact on student performance; and(b) analyzes the information gathered under Subsection (4)(a) to prescribe individual school usage time to maximize the beneficial impact on student performance.(5) The state board: (a) may use up to 4% of the appropriation provided under Subsection (1):(i) to contract with an independent evaluator selected under Subsection (3)(a); and(ii) for administrative costs associated with this section; and(b) shall distribute at least 96% of funds under this section to LEAs in accordance with Subsection (1).(6) Nothing in this section or in Section 53E-4-307 or 53G-11-303 requires a reading software product to demonstrate the statistically significant effect size described in Subsection 53G-11-303(1)(a) in order to be used as an instructional material.Amended by Chapter 20, 2023 General Session ,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2023.Amended by Chapter 324, 2020 General Session ,§ 1, eff. 5/12/2020.Amended by Chapter 324, 2019 General Session ,§ 35, eff. 5/14/2019.Amended by Chapter 186, 2019 General Session ,§ 229, eff. 5/14/2019.Amended by Chapter 164, 2019 General Session ,§ 1, eff. 5/14/2019.Amended by Chapter 286, 2018 General Session ,§ 1, eff. 5/8/2018.Added by Chapter 2, 2018 General Session ,§ 75, eff. 1/24/2018.