Senate OKs School Turnaround and Leadership Development Act, including incentive pay for leaders

The Utah Senate passed a first substitute to SB 235, the School Turnaround and Leadership Development Act, authorizing a slate of tools intended to improve low-performing public and charter schools. The bill establishes a state-approved roster of independent school-turnaround experts, a state leadership-development program for principals, and a recognition and reward schedule that includes monetary incentives for educators when school grades improve.

Senator Stevenson, sponsor of the substitute, explained the bill’s two primary elements: teams that will work with the lowest-performing three percent of schools statewide and a leadership-development program modeled on successful private-sector programs. The substitute reduces the original appropriation to $8 million and moves $500,000 specifically toward creating the principal leadership program.

Under the bill, districts and charters identified as low performing would receive a state-appointed turnaround team and could be expected to implement a turnaround plan developed in partnership with the state board and local turnaround committee. Independent turnaround experts would be compensated on an incentive schedule (50% up front, remainder contingent on performance measured by grade improvement), and schools achieving improvements would qualify for recognition payments to educators and schools.

Lawmakers questioned metrics, the number of schools that might qualify, and safeguards against perverse incentives. The sponsor said the state board will set rules and maintain flexibility on implementation; the Senate passed the bill on final passage (first substitute, 21–6) and will transmit it to the House.

Next steps: The House will consider the first substitute, and the State Board of Education will be tasked with identifying approved turnaround experts and setting implementation rules if the bill becomes law.