1. (1) "Active participation" means, for purposes of an initial funding distribution described in Section 53F-4-505, that during the 20 day period allowed for withdrawal at the beginning of a semester-length course, or a quarter length course when taken in isolation, a student has:

   1. (a) logged into the course one or more times;
   2. (b) submitted one or more grade assignments; and
   3. (c) not requested to withdraw.

2. (2) "Applicable statewide assessments" means:

   1. (a) the high school assessment described in Section 53E-4-304 and Subsection R277-404-2(7);
   2. (b) a standards assessment as defined in Section 53E-4-303; and
   3. (c) a Utah alternative assessment as defined in Rule R277-404.
3. (3) "Approved absence" means an absence permitted in accordance with Subsection 53G-6-803(5).
4. (4) "Authorized online provider" or "provider" means the same as the term is defined in Section 53F-4-501.
5. (5) "Certified online course provider" means the same as the term is defined in Section 53F-4-501.

6. (6) "Confirm" means that a provider certifies:

   1. (a) that a student has met the criteria outlined in Subsection (1) for active participation; and
   2. (b) that the provider acknowledges an obligation to the Board or a primary LEA for related accountability mandates associated with the student and the student's course of instruction.
7. (7) "Course completion" means that a student has completed a course with a passing grade and the provider has transmitted the course title, course code, grade, and credit to the primary LEA and the Superintendent.

8. (8) "Course Credit Acknowledgment" or "CCA" means an agreement and registration record that:

   1. (a) uses the Statewide Online Education Program application provided by the Superintendent; and
   2. (b) except as provided in Section 53F-4-508, is signed by the designee of the primary school, and the qualified provider.
9. (9) "Day of census" means the school day immediately following the expiration of the 20 school days allowed for a student to withdraw from an SOEP course.

10. (10) "Disciplinary withdrawal" means that:

    1. (a) a student was administratively withdrawn from an online course for disciplinary reasons; and
    2. (b) the student, counselor, and parents were notified.
11. (11) "Effective Date" means that, notwithstanding Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, a delayed effective date that the Board is required to provide after the school year has ended for changes in administrative rule related to the Statewide Online Education Program, as described in Subsection 53F-4-514(1).

12. (12)(a) "Eligible student" means the same as the term is defined in Section 53F-4-501.

    1. (b) A student up to the age of 19 in an adult education program may be an "eligible student" if the student re-enrolls in a public or private secondary school before the student's cohort's date of graduation.

    2. (c) "Eligible student" does not include:

       1. (i) a student receiving a scholarship under Title 53F, Chapter 6, Part 4, Utah Fits All Scholarship Program;
       2. (ii) a student attending a private school; or
       3. (iii) a student participating in the Utah Private Course Choice Empowerment program under Section 53F-5-501.
13. (13) "Executed CCA" means a CCA that has been executed pursuant to Subsection 53F-4-508(3) resulting in the issuance of a notice of enrollment.
14. (14) "Fee" means the same as the term is defined in Rule R277-407.
15. (15) "High school" means the same as the term is defined in Section 53F-4-501.
16. (16) "LEA" includes, for purposes of this rule, the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.

17. (17) "Learner validated enrollment measures" means measures for establishing attendance and participation in online coursework, which shall include:

    1. (a) required periodic contact with a teacher of record through means applicable to an online environment, such as:

       1. (i) asynchronous discussion boards;
       2. (ii) emails; or
       3. (iii) scheduled synchronous meetings;

    2. (b) one or more mandatory measures chosen by a provider from the following:

       1. (i) a minimum frequency of student logins every five or ten days;
       2. (ii) student work submitted within required timeline for the student to provide completed assignments, coursework, or to have made progress toward academic goals;
       3. (iii) routinely completed student assignments demonstrating acceptable progress toward timely completion; or otherwise meeting established pacing guidelines; or
       4. (iv) additional measures selected for display in a dashboard communicating student progress to a counselor.
18. (18) "Loss of eligibility" means that a change in circumstances caused a student to lose program eligibility, resulting in the student being administratively withdrawn from a course.
19. (19) "Middle school" means the same as the term is defined in Section 53F-4-501.

20. (20)(a) "Notice of enrollment" means a certification issued by the Superintendent indicating that a student:

    1. (i) completed registration procedures;

       1. (ii) was accepted to participate by a provider; and
       2. (iii) received actual or statutory approval from a primary LEA, or the Superintendent, for a home school student.

    2. (b) A "notice of enrollment" enables a provider to initiate instruction based on:

       1. (i) for a public school student, the primary LEA's acknowledgment of financial responsibility; or
       2. (ii) for a home school student, the Superintendent's acknowledgment of financial responsibility.
21. (21) "Online course" means the same as the term is defined in Section 53F-4-501 regardless of whether the student participates in the online course at home, at a school, at another location, or in any combination of these settings.
22. (22) "Online course payment" means the amount of funds withheld from a student's primary LEA and disbursed, or otherwise paid to the designated provider following satisfaction of the requirements of the law, and as directed in Subsection 53F-4-507(2) and Section 53F-4-518.
23. (23) "Participation" means that a student continues to satisfy learner validated enrollment measures following confirmation.

24. (24) "Primary LEA" means:

    1. (a) the LEA reporting the student to be in regular membership, and special education membership, if applicable; and
    2. (b) the LEA in which an eligible student is enrolled.

25. (25) "Primary school of enrollment" or "primary school" means:

    1. (a) a student's school of record within a primary LEA;
    2. (b) the school that maintains the student's cumulative file, enrollment information, individualized education program, and transcript for purposes of high school graduation;
    3. (c) the school responsible for providing a student access to facilities, technology, internet, and other non-instructional amenities required by membership-related funding derived from the minimum school program, and other local, state, and federal funding streams; and
    4. (d) the school responsible for oversight and implementation of the student's educational requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
26. (26) "Resident school" means the district school within whose attendance boundaries the student's custodial parent or legal guardian resides.
27. (27) "School" means the same as the term is defined in Rule R277-100.
28. (28) "Section 504" means Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 794.

29. (29) "Standard of active participation" means:

    1. (a) the established measures of student engagement, selected from a menu of Board-approved learner validated enrollment measures, used by an authorized online course provider to count a student in attendance and participation at least once every ten school days for a course consistent with Section R277-419-5;

    2. (b) a written policy:

       1. (i) articulating evidence of student participation contained in a learning management system and used by an authorized online course provider to qualify to receive payment as provided in Subsection 53F-4-505(4); and
       2. (ii) used to monitor program outcomes and program financial compliance in accordance with Rule R277-114.
30. (24) "Statewide Online Education Program" or "SOEP" or "program" means the Statewide Online Education Program created in Section 53F-4-502.
31. (31) "Teacher of record" means the teacher who is assigned by a provider and to whom students are assigned for purposes of reporting and data submissions to the Superintendent in accordance with Section R277-484-3 and this rule.
32. (32) "Underenrolled student" means a student with less than a full course load, as defined by the LEA, during the regular school day at the student's primary school.
33. (33) "Unexcused absence" means an absence charged to a student when the student, without prior authorization, does not meet required participation criteria and fails to respond to outreach, resulting in administrative withdrawal from a course.
34. (34) "USBE course code" means a code for a designated subject matter course assigned by the Superintendent.

35. (35) "Withdrawal from online course" means that a student requests to withdraw from an online course as follows:

    1. (a) within 20 school calendar days of the start date for a semester-length course, if the student enrolls on or before the start date;
    2. (b) within 20 school calendar days of enrolling in a semester-length course, if the student enrolls after the start date; or
    3. (c) within ten school calendar days after the start date or enrollment in a quarter-length course.

KEY: statewide online education program

Date of Last Change: March 10, 2026

Notice of Continuation: January 13, 2022

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: Art X Sec 3; 53F-4-510; 53F-4-514; 53E-3-401