Utah State Board of Education Policy Request / Business Case Request 2022 General Session

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Agency: UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

Program or Request Title: Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program

Summary of Request: (briefly articulate the need for the policy change or funding

request and the anticipated outcomes) Only 382 of Utah’s K-6 schools have access to a BTS Arts educator in their school. During the 2019 session, applications were accepted for program expansion. The total funding was not sufficient to add schools for SFY20. Over 50 schools have active applications and are waiting for funding with many other schools and LEAs interested in submitting applications. The return to the base budget in SFY21 further increased the stress on participating schools and funding was supplemented by LEAs and private foundations. Every K-6 student in the state deserves access to this program as stated by former Governor Gary Herbert. He further stated, “We will not rest until that happens.” The program growth is constrained by legislative funding, LEA capacity to match funds and arts educator supply. The five-year plan takes these constraints into consideration for scale-up to state-wide implementation. This business case also includes suggested policy to ensure the sustainability, equity, and access of the program.

What is the nature of your request? Please select one:

❏ POLICY REQUEST – You are seeking changes to Utah State Code to improve your program/services.

❏ BUSINESS CASE - You are seeking new or additional financial resources to support a program/service for education.

❏ XXXBOTH POLICY and BUSINESS – You are proposing a new program or expansion of an existing program that will require new/amended state code and financial resources.

Questions? Please contact:

Angie Stallings for questions related to a policy request and Dale Frost for questions related to a business case/funding request.

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USBE Lead Point of Contact: Name: Cathy Jensen Email Address: cathy.jensen@schools.utah.gov Phone Number: 801.518.4824 USBE Section: Teaching and Learning Additional USBE points of contact (as needed): Name: Karen Tolley, Kelly Bruce Glynn Email Address: karen.tolley@schools.utah.gov, kelly.bruceglynn@schools.utah.gov Phone Number: 801.538.7503, 801.538.7646 USBE Section: Teaching and Learning If you are already working with a policymaker or member of USBE leadership on this request, please identify them below: Senator Evan Vickers, Board Member Randy Boothe

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POLICY REQUEST This section only needs to be completed if you are making a policy request (creating or changing existing Utah Code language).

1. Section(s) of State Code to be addressed (if none, insert “N/A”): 53F-2-506

2. Describe the issues or concerns the legislation will address: Policy change is needed to ensure stability of the program as implementation costs increase each year. 95% of the legislative funding goes to educator salaries. The BTS Arts Educators are hired through a grant program that is an addition to school staffing provided by the LEA. The grant pays up to 80% of the total compensation of the arts educator based on FTE approved by BTS Arts. Educator salary increases are funded from the increases in WPU for all educators in an LEA. Because the Arts Educators are not part of the regular LEA FTE, the BTS Arts grant program must fund the same salary increases as given to other educators. If these increases are not recognized in the grants, the program will become unsustainable as LEAs must continually match more for this program. This is not equitable for the arts educators and will inadvertently encourage less qualified and inexperienced educators in the program. The BTS Arts Educators are part of the LEA licensed educator salary schedule and are required to hold the appropriate license and endorsement.

3. Describe the history of the issues or concerns including relevant context and timelines: The original allocation in the 2020 session was for an increase of $4 million. The return to the base budget not only lost the increase but also $1 million in one-time funding from the prior year. The additional $2 million in funding from SFY20 to SFY21 restored the $1 million lost and provided for some increases in program costs. LEAs continued to make more than the 20% match and were supplemented with private foundation funding. Details of the total salary costs and district match are available.

4. What are the suggested legislative solutions? Please include code references and suggested language where possible: 53F-2-506(8) Language is in initial draft form and is being discussed with Senator Vickers.

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“The allocation shall increase by 80% of the annual WPU percentage increase.” .80 × WPU% Increase × Total Funding = Maintenance Increase Example: .80 × .04 × $12,880,000 = $412,160 This funding formula would ensure BTS Arts Educators are compensated equitably with their peers funded through the LEA FTE and WPU. Any funding from this formula not needed for equitable salary increases will be used for additional program growth.

5. What data needs to be collected to support this potential legislation? Please include

whether this data is currently collected and available: Average salary increases over time, as related to the WPU increase.

Yes, this data is available.

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BUSINESS CASE This section only needs to be completed if you are making a business case request (only if you are seeking new or additional funding).

1. Total Amount Requested:

Funding Source Amount ($)

FY 2022 one-time funding $

FY 2023 one-time funding $

FY 2023 ongoing funding $4,400,000 + $412,000*

TOTAL funding requested $4,812,000

* $4,400,000 for program growth and $412,00 for program maintenance based on $4% WPU increase

2. Describe how the business case supports the goals and metrics of the USBE Strategic Plan.

● 1A: Promote high-quality instruction in every early grade classroom. “That’s how little children learn. They sing, they dance, they play. That is how they learn.” --Beverley Taylor Sorenson

● 1D: Increase engagement of families with young children in early learning experiences. BTS Arts programming provides arts experiences for the community at large and informance, presentation and performance experiences for families at school.

● 2B: Assist districts and schools in providing continuous personalized professional learning for each educator and leader. BTS Arts provides professional learning for Arts Educators in the program through the University partnerships. Additional professional learning is provided to grade-level elementary educators and para-professionals focused on arts-integration as an effective instructional strategy. BTS Arts Educators provide mentoring and professional learning to the educators in their school(s) as they model the impact of learning in and through the arts.

● 2E: Promote equitable access to highly effective teachers. BTS Arts Educators are licensed and endorsed in an art form. They deliver high quality instruction in and

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through the arts. Increased legislative funding will eventually provide equitable access to the program across the state. An increase related to the WPU will entice LEAs to keep veteran educators in the program as their salaries increase.

● 3A: Support districts and schools in creating and maintaining conditions for safe and healthy learning environments. The arts inherently create safe spaces for students to explore themselves and the world around them.

● 3B: Increase adoption of evidence-based student health and wellness practices. Research on BTS Arts has shown increased student engagement in learning, better behavior, and increased attendance. Each of these leads to increased self-concept and wellness.

● 3C: Build capacity of educators and other stakeholders to meet students’ mental, emotional, and social needs. The arts support emotional and social wellness.

● 4B: Support LEAs in providing a personalized learning plan for each student. BTS Arts allows students to access other core content through the arts, to explore the world through the arts, and to develop an aesthetic awareness. Each of these is personalized by the individual experiences of the student.

3. Identify how the business case aligns with specific action steps within Strategic Priority #2 (Education innovation and investment) of the One Utah Roadmap.

● Funding--Increase Education funding to support students and effective teachers and leaders. Increased funding to BTS Arts will ensure a well-rounded education for K-6 students that includes the arts and arts integration.

● Early Learning--Help parents and families give every child a great start, especially in the critical first few years of life. BTS Arts provides learning in the way children learn best, “they sing, they dance, they play, they create.” As reported in the BTS Arts Assurance data collected in 2021, 84% of educators and 70% of principals agree or strongly agree that “Arts integration instruction improves literacy and numeracy skills in students at my school.”

● Teachers--Recruit, retain, and develop highly effective educators for every child. Increased funding will help retain experienced teachers as salaries increase. Every BTS Arts Educator is provided professional learning through partner universities. This includes the effective use of technology in the arts classroom.

● Equity--Provide every child with equitable opportunities and resources. Summer programs were provided at SUU and DSU to address the emotional well-being of

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students after COVID. Additional funding will help bring the program to underserved LEAs. Courses were developed to support educators in delivering instruction during the pandemic. These courses supported digital learning for both the educators who took the course and the students they taught.

4. Explain how the business case advances the Board’s mission of “creating equitable conditions for student success: advocating for necessary resources, developing policy, and providing effective oversight and support.”

The Business case advances the Board's mission of “creating equitable conditions for student success” by increasing the number of students and schools receiving the benefits of the BTS Arts grant and arts learning. The change in code will ensure the sustainability of the program. The program currently includes 382 of the 615 schools in the state with K-6 students. Support for the program is widespread with all LEAs interested in participating. Every elementary child deserves access to this program.

5. Which populations or geographic areas will benefit most from this request? What safeguards will be implemented to prevent inequities or other unintended distributional consequences as it relates to this request?

Applications have been received from all areas of the state, from the very most rural to the largest districts. Distribution of grants will be based not only on quality of application but LEA needs and capacity. Care will be taken to nurture capacity in all LEAs to prepare them for successful implementation of BTS Arts.

6. Which stakeholders have you engaged and coordinated with during the development of this request? Art Works for Kids, Beverley Taylor Sorenson Foundation, LEA Superintendents, LEA Arts Coordinators, Sorenson Impact Center, Utah PTA, Seven University BTS Partners, Individual Legislators, Utah Cultural Alliance, Utah Division of Arts and Museums, Professional Outreach Program in the Schools

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7. Summarize the current budget for the project or program that is being funded. If this

is a new project or program, summarize resources that are available for like-objectives within USBE.

INCOME

Legislative Allocation $ 12,880,000

Art Works For Kids $ 200,000

Carry Forward $ 230,000

Total Income $ 13,310,000

EXPENDITURES

PD Grants to IHE $ 698,000

Grants to LEAs $ 12,536,972

Additional .5 USBE Staff (AWFK Grant) $ 75,000

Total Expenditures $ 13,309,972

8. What problems would be solved with the additional funding? (Provide details and sources on any research or analysis that supports the evidence-basis for this request or the associated program such as a cost benefit analysis, program evaluation, results from a pilot program, etc.)

Additional funding will provide for program maintenance and allow for additional schools and students to benefit from BTS Arts.

9. Provide an itemized budget, including revenue and expenditure sources, for how the funding will be utilized.

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Funding Source(s): Legislative Allocation; Administrative Legislative Allocation; Private Foundation Grant (Art Works for Kids)

Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program

Cost Category FY 2022 FY 2023

Personnel Services $75,000 $75,000

Travel/In State $0 $0

Travel/Out State $0 $0

Current Expenses $0 $0

Data Processing Current Expenses $0 $0

Data Processing Capital Outlay $0 $0

Capital Outlay $0 $0

Other Charges/Pass Through $13,234,972 $17,300,000

Transfers $0 $0

Other $ $52,000

Total $13,309,972 $17,427,000

USBE FTEs FY 2022 FY 2023

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USBE FTEs 1.5 Legis and Private 2.5

10. To what extent is this request scalable? Articulate the impacts if lower funding amounts were provided for this request. BTS Arts has developed a scalable 5-year plan that would take the program to all K-6 students. This will require total funding of approximately $30,000,000. Funding at lower amounts will result in fewer students having access and will slow the growth of the program. BTS Arts Educators are hired with this grant funding and are not part of the LEA FTE funding to schools. Teachers may lose jobs if LEAs are not able to sustain BTS Arts positions without increased funding related to salary increases. Students will not have access to learning in and through the arts as an essential part of a well-rounded education that leads to Mastery, Autonomy and Purpose as outlined in Utah’s Portrait of a Graduate.

11. What has been done or considered to address this problem with existing resources, instead of requesting additional state funding? Can any of the costs in the business case be covered with federal funds? Do any of the requested funds fall under one or more of the federal allowable use cases for ARP ESSER? Existing resources have been exhausted with additional funding provided by LEAs and private foundations. Because this program is ongoing, federal funds through ARP and ESSER are not appropriate. Application through ESSER for other arts learning and professional learning has been submitted.

12. Are there any future funding obligations (operations and maintenance, multi-year scale up, etc.) created by this request? What are the long-term funding or policy needs for this project or program outside the current budget window of two years? How should the state prepare to address these longer-term needs? See attached five-year plan.

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13. What value will these additional resources create for Utah and how will this value be measured? List the performance measure(s) that will be used to track outcomes for this business case. Data is gathered on the impact of the program through annual Assurances surveys and university research. BTS Arts creates the space for students to develop a life-long understanding of the arts, in turn contributing to a sustainable arts culture so valued in our State. Performance Measures: Number of Schools Number of Students Impact as reported in assurances survey: Learning School Culture Family Involvement

14. Is this request related to an effort to streamline, modernize, or innovate processes or systems within USBE? If so, describe how this request furthers those efforts. No

15. Please create a quad chart for your business case and send to Dale Frost (dale.frost@schools.utah.gov) when you submit your request. You can find examples of quad charts and a template here.

SUBMISSION:

Once you have completed this document, please upload your application here for USBE leadership review and consideration.