Annual Trainings

Below we have listed all of the different trainings that are required of LEA's. Please familiarize yourself with these requirements. 

Required Training - Administration

Building Rental and/or Use

Statute/Regulation: 53G-7-209, 210 Links to an external site.

Required Audience: Administrators

Required Frequency: Not specified, but it is recommended that such persons receive training upon initial employment and as needed thereafter.

Required Content, Elements: Per 53G-7-210, training must be about implementing the provisions of 53G-7-209, and -210. For example, meaning of "civic center," proper uses of school property as a civic center, governmental immunity, the school's Building Rental and/or Use Policy, and fees the school may charge for use of its building.

Trainer Requirements: N/A

Charter Trust Land Council

Statute/Regulation: 53G-7-1203, -1205, -1206; R277-477

Required Audience: Board members; school's charter trust land council

Required Frequency: Annually

Required Content, Elements: The school's charter trust land council must be trained on the requirements in 53G-7-1203 (e.g., council meetings are open to the public; meeting information must be posted to school website one week before meeting; and meeting schedule for the year as well as certain contact information for council members and the annual report must be posted by principal to school website and front office by Oct. 20 of each year).

The Board must receive training on the requirements outlined in 53G-7-1206 (e.g charter trust land council must be established in accordance with 53G-7-1205; land trust funds must be used to implement a component of the school's student and teacher success plan; and charter trust land plan must be approved by the Board and school's authorizer).

Trainer Requirements: N/A Board provides training on 53G-7-1203 to the school's charter land trust council.

Board chair provides training on 53G-7-1206 to the Board.

In addition, the School LAND Trust Program (established under the USBE) shall provide training on the School LAND Trust Program and charter trust land councils to the Board and the school.

Training by the USBE for boards and councils can be found at here. Links to an external site.

Employee Discrimination

Statute/Regulation: 42 USC 1981, 2000e-2, 12112, 2000ff-1; 20 USC 1681, 1684; 29 USC 621-634, 794

Required Audience: Employees with authority over other employees

Required Frequency: Not specified, but it is recommended that such employees receive training before exercising authority over other employees and as needed thereafter.

Required Content, Elements: Not specified, but should probably at least cover discrimination on the basis of all protected classes.

Trainer Requirements: Not Specified

Fee Related Policies

Statute/Regulation: R277-407-15

Required Audience: Employees

Required Frequency: Annually, beginning January 1, 2020.

Required Content, Elements: The school's fee related policies. Training should be specific to each employee's job function.

Trainer Requirements: Not specified. USBE is required to provide ongoing training, informational materials, and model policies for LEAs to be able to use, however.

Fiscal Matters

Statute/Regulation: R277-113, 53G-7-401 et seq.

Required Audience: Employees who are involved in cash handling, donations and/or fundraising, financial reporting, purchasing and disbursement, or procurement (only employees involved in these functions have to be trained), Board Members, Audit Committee Members (some board members may also serve on the audit committee).

Required Frequency: Employees - annually. Board members and audit committee members - during on-boarding process or as soon as possible thereafter.

Required Content, Elements: 

Employees:

The fiscal policies adopted by the school (budgeting, cash handling, donation/fundraising, financial reporting, purchasing and disbursement, and procurement); appropriate financial practices; necessary accounting procedures; and ethical financial practices. Trainings may have different components, specificity, and levels of complexity for public elementary and secondary schools.

The USBE is required to provide online training and resources for LEAS regarding the use and management of public funds and ethical practices for licensed Utah educators who manage, control, participate in fundraising, or spend public funds.

Board Members and Audit Committee:

The USBE is required to provide online training and informational materials for use by LEA governing boards in establishing their audit committees and internal audit programs in compliance with Utah Code § 53G-7-402, and LEAs must use this online training and the informational materials to train all board members and all audit committee members. There are two separate trainings, one for board members and one for audit committee members. The training must comply with Utah Code § 63G-22-103.

Trainer Requirements: The online trainings developed by the USBE can be found at this link. Links to an external site. There is one training for board members and another for audit committee members.

GRAMA Records Officer Online Training

Statute/Regulation: 63G-2-108; 63A-12-110

Required Audience: Records Officer

Required Frequency: Annually

Required Content, Elements: Title 64G, Chapter 2, of the Government Records Access and Management Act and rules made thereunder; other legal and policy matters relating to responding to a public records request.

Trainer Requirements: The Division of Archives and Records Services provides the online training course here

Harassment

Statute/Regulation: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (including 42 USC 2000e et seq)

Required Audience: Employees

Required Frequency: Upon initial employment and annually thereafter.

Required Content, Elements: Not specified.

Trainer Requirements: Not Specified

Human Resource Management

Statute/Regulation: 53G-5-407(9); 17B-1-805

Required Audience: Employee or person assigned human resource management duties at the school

Required Frequency: Annually, prior to the beginning of each school year.

Required Content, Elements: Human resource management functions and responsibilities, including complying with federal and state employment law; administering compensation and benefits; and ensuring employee safety. 

Trainer Requirements: Not Specified

Information Technology Security

Statute/Regulation: R277-487

Required Audience: Employees, aides, and volunteers

Required Frequency: Annually

Required Content, Elements: Information technology security matters and issues; school's Information Technology Security Policy; school's Information Technology Systems Security Plan; and audits and e-discovery.

Trainer Requirements: Not specified by law, but school's policies and plans state school's IT Security Manager will provide the training.

Open and Public Meetings Act

Statute/Regulation: 52-4-104

Required Audience: Board members

Required Frequency: Annually

Required Content, Elements: Per 52-4-104, the requirements of the Open and Public Meetings Act.

Trainer Requirements: Not specified. The Office of the State Auditor has a video training available at https://training.auditor.utah.gov/ Links to an external site.

Pledge of Allegiance

Statute/Regulation: 53G-10-304(3)(d)

Required Audience: Students

Required Frequency: At least annually.

Required Content, Elements: Participation in the Pledge of Allegiance is voluntary and not compulsory; and not only is it acceptable for someone to choose not to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance for religious or other reasons, but students should show respect for any student who chooses not to participate.

Trainer Requirements: Not Specified

Protecting Student Constitutional Rights With Respect to Religion and Conscience

Specifically in connection with students not wanting to participate in a portion of curriculum or in an activity that would require the student to affirm or deny a religious belief or right of conscience or engage or refrain from engaging in a practice forbidden or required in the exercise of a religious right or right of conscience.

Statute/Regulation: 53G-10-202 et seq; 53G-10-402

Required Audience: Employees

Required Frequency: Not specified, but it is recommended that employees receive training before beginning their work with students and as needed thereafter.

Required Content, Elements: The person to whom a request for waiver of participation in or substitution of another activity is to be directed; how notice is to be given to the parent of a minor secondary student who makes a request pursuant to an exercise of freedom of conscience or exercise of religious freedom under 53G-10-203 and -205; how appeals may be taken from a decision to require participation in any curriculum or activity after a request to either waive participation or allow substitution of another activity has been made by a parent, legal guardian, or secondary student, including suspension of participation requirements until a ruling on the appeal is issued; procedures whereby students are not compelled to participate in any curriculum or activity after a request to waive participation or allow substitution of another activity has been submitted unless it is determined that requiring the participation of that particular student is the least restrictive means necessary to achieve a specifically identified educational objective in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and procedures whereby any portion of any curriculum or activity that is repeatedly alleged to interfere with the rights of conscience or exercise of religious freedom of students, parents or legal guardians shall be evaluated to determine whether the educational objectives could be achieved by less intrusive means.

Trainer Requirements: Not specified, but the USBE is required to provide training materials for schools to use to train their employees on these issues.

School Personnel Giving Medical Recommendations to Parents or Guardians

Statute/Regulation: 53G-9-203

Required Audience: School personnel

Required Frequency: Not specified, but it is recommended that personnel receive training upon initial employment and as needed thereafter.

Required Content, Elements: Training must include what school personnel can and can't do as set forth in 53G-9-203. Except as provided in 53G-9-203(2) & (6) and 53G-9-604, the things school personnel can't do are as follows (to see what they can do refer to the statute):

recommend to a parent or guardian that a child take or continue to take a psychotropic medication;

require that a student take or continue to take a psychotropic medication as a condition for attending school;

recommend that a parent or guardian seek or use a type of psychiatric or psychological treatment for a child;

conduct a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation or mental health screening, test, evaluation, or assessment of a child, except where this conflicts with the IDEA; or

make a child abuse or neglect report to authorities, including DCFS, solely or primarily on the basis that a parent or guardian refuses to consent to (1) a psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral treatment for a child, including the administration of a psychotropic medication to a child; or (2) a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation of a child.

Trainer Requirements: Not Specified

Staff Code of Conduct Policy

Statute/Regulation: 63G-7-301

Required Audience: "Staff members," which for this training purpose means an employee, contractor, or volunteer with unsupervised access to students.

Required Frequency: Within 10 days of beginning employment with the school and annually thereafter. For staff members who are employed by the school at the time of the intial adoption of this policy, training must occur prior to the first day of the school year.

Required Content, Elements: Training must cover the school's Staff Code of Conduct Policy. All staff members must annually sign a statement acknowledging that the staff member has received the training and has read and understands the Staff Code of Conduct Policy.

Trainer Requirements: Not specified other than "the School" will provide the training.

Student Data Activities Prohibited Without Prior Written Consent

Statute/Regulation: 53E-9-203

Required Audience: Teachers and administrators

Required Frequency: Not specified, but it is recommended that such personnel receive training upon initial employment and as needed thereafter.

Required Content, Elements: Training must cover implementation of the requirements set forth in 53E-9-203. For example, not administering certain surveys, exams, tests, or evaluations without obtaining prior written parental consent; giving the required written notice to parents before seeking parental consent; application of the two week minimum notification period; and recognizing that students are allowed to spontaneously express sentiments or opinions otherwise protected from disclosure under 53E-9-203..

Trainer Requirements: Board provides training. 

Student Data Privacy, Security, and Records

Statute/Regulation: R277-487; 53E-9-204; 53E-9-301 (et seq.)

Required Audience: Employees, aides, and volunteers who are authorized by the LEA to have access to education records as defined in FERPA; educators

Required Frequency: Employees, aides, and volunteers - annually.

NOTE: Schools are required to have all employees who are authorized to have access to education records to sign a statement certifying that they have received the training and that they understand student privacy requirements. These signed statements must be provided to the School's Board.

Educators - additional training prior to re-licensure.

Required Content, Elements: Employees, aides, and volunteers who are authorized to have access to education records -

Student data privacy; confidentiality of student data, including PII and student performance data.

Student privacy laws, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA); Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA); Utah's student privacy and data protection laws in Title 53E, Chapter 9 and rule R277-487; confidentiality of student data; LEA's required student privacy training; confidentiality of PII and student performance data.

School policies, such as the School's Student Data Privacy and Security Policy, Data Governance Plan, and FERPA policy and procedures.

Educators - beginning in the 2018-19 school year, educators shall complete the student data privacy and security training developed for educators by the USBE as a condition of re-licensure.

Trainer Requirements: Board shall provide the training. The USBE has provided some power point slides and videos for schools to use for this training if they want. Also, the FERPA/Student Data Privacy Section in the annual online training provided by HR probably already satisfies this training topic. Schools would still need to have their employees sign the required statement, however, unless the signed statement is somehow handled electronically through HR's annual online training. 

The additional training for educators as a condition of their licensure will be provided by the USBE.

Student Searches

Statute/Regulation: R277-615-4(5)

Required Audience: Appropriate classes of employees (so, probably employees who have authority to conduct student searches)

Required Frequency: Not specified, but it is recommended that such employees receive training before beginning their work with students and as needed thereafter..

Required Content, Elements: Fair and consistent implementation of the school's student search policies.

Trainer Requirements: Not Specified

Test/Assessment Administration and Ethics

Statute/Regulation: R277-404-5; R277-515-4(2)(b)(v)(D); 53E-4-311(3)

Required Audience: Educators, administrators, appropriate paraprofessionals, standardized assessment administrators, and proctors.

Required Frequency: Schools must provide educators, administrators, assessment administrators, and proctors annual training concerning guidelines and procedures for statewide assessment administration, including educator responsibility for assessment and security and proper professional practices. 

Other training frequency for educators and paraprofessionals is not specified, but it should probably be annually as well.

Required Content, Elements: For educators - how to implement the assessment system;

For educators and appropriate Para pros -requirements of assessment administration ethics; and how to use statewide assessment results effectively to inform student instruction;

For educators, administrators, assessment administrators, and proctors - guidelines and procedures for statewide assessment administration, including educator responsibility for assessment security and proper professional practices.

The Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy shall be used in providing training for all assessment administrators and proctors.

Trainer Requirements: Not Specified

Title I (Elementary and Secondary Education Act)

Statute/Regulation: 20 USC 6301 et seq.; 20 USC 6318

Required Audience: Teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, and other schools leaders and staff; parents of participating children

Required Frequency: Not specified, but should be as often as required by the LEA's Plan adopted pursuant to 20 USC 6312.

Required Content, Elements: Not specified

Trainer Requirements: Not Specified

Title IX; Sexual Harassment; Discrimination on Basis of Sex; Sexual Violence

Statute/Regulation: Title IX (20 USC 1681 et seq; 34 CFR 106); OCR Letters/Guidance

Required Audience: The school's Title IX Coordinator, Investigator, Decision-Maker, and Facilitator of Informal Resolution Process; the school's regular employees (training for regular employees is not the same or as extensive as the training for the positions mentioned above)

Required Frequency: Not specified, but it is recommended that the Title IX Coordinator, Investigator, Decision-Maker, and Facilitator of Informal Resolution Process receive training upon assignment to such positions, that regular employees receive training upon employment, and that all such individuals receive additional training as needed thereafter.

Required Content, Elements: Title IX Coordinator, Investigator, Decision-Maker, and Facilitator of Informal Resolution Process must receive sexual harassment training that covers the applicable definition of sexual harassment; the scope of the school's educational program and activities; how to conduct a sexual harassment investigation and grievance process including hearings, appeals, and informal resolution processes, as applicable; and how to serve impartially, including by avoiding prejudgment of the facts at issue, conflicts of interest, and bias. Investigators must receive training on issues of relevance so that they can create an investigative report that fairly summarizes relevant evidence. Training materials must not rely on sex stereotypes and must promote impartial investigations and adjudications of formal complaints of sexual harassment.

Training requirements for regular employees is not specified, but should probably cover Title IX compliance requirements and applicable state and federal laws; and how to identify, stop, prevent, and report sexual harassment and violence and discrimination based on sex. The USBE has a video training that schools may use to satisfy the training requirement for regular employees. It can be found at https://youtu.be/Xxr2Oh2Qp7g (Links to an external site.)

Trainer Requirements: Not specified. However, in 2020, State Risk Management in cooperation with the USBE and the AG's office conducted virtual trainings for Title IX Coordinators, Decision-Makers, and Facilitators of Informal Resolution Process. These trainings were recorded and are available for viewing.

State Risk Management provides investigator training for their client schools. Schools not insured with State Risk Management can find investigator training at https://www.bricker.com/events/title-ix-regulations-training-k-12-57800 (Links to an external site.) (this includes two levels of training, both of which must be completed).