SALT LAKE CITY — Darren Nielsen, assistant superintendent for student learning and director of Assessment and Accountability at the Utah State Board of Education, told the finance committee that his section’s unencumbered FY24 carry‑forward resulted in part from recovered federal assessment funds and timing changes from the pandemic.

Nielsen said the office recovered funds from a 2020 assessment grant and that staff used the carry‑forward to propose several projects to the finance committee, including funding for a PBL Works contract, continued item development and a reserve for Acadience reading and math if testing volumes grow. “We re realized those this year and we're able to shift some statewide expenses that typically pay for out of state budgets against those… federal funds,” Nielsen said.

Nut graf: The assessment office asked the committee to recommend that the board retain portions of the carry‑forward to cover project costs that can fluctuate year to year — for example, educator stipends and substitutes tied to professional development for performance‑based learning, contract amendments arising from legislative discussions about high school assessment, and costs that vary with student participation in Acadience assessments.

Nielsen highlighted PBL Works, a third‑party contract whose scope includes professional development for more than 100 Utah educators and the creation of performance‑based assessment items for preK‑12 science and social studies. He emphasized these performance tasks are “designed to support teachers and their work” and are not intended for the state accountability system.

Nielsen also described an approximately $2.2 million recovery from pandemic‑era timing on a federal Title I‑B assessment grant. He recommended the board retain funds to cover anticipated contract amendments and potential increases in testing volume, and to support a joint AI education specialist post that assessment would partially fund.

Action items: The assessment and accountability spend plan was part of the finance committee’s broader carry‑forward recommendation that passed in committee and will be forwarded to the full board.

Sources: Remarks by Assistant Superintendent Darren Nielsen during the USBE Finance Committee meeting, Sept. 22, 2024.