Education

Administration

Rule 717: High School Course Grading Requirements

Effective Date: 10/08/2026

Admin. Code Reference: R277-717

Rule Type: Current Rule

NOTICE OF SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE

TYPE OF FILING: Amendment

Filing ID: 58166

Rule or section number:

R277-717

1. Agency Information

Title catchline:

Education, Administration

Building:

Board of Education

Street address:

250 E 500 S

City, state:

Salt Lake City, UT

Mailing address:

PO Box 144200

City, state and zip:

Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200

2. Contact Persons

Name:

Phone:

Email:

Elisse Newey

801-538-7500

Elisse.newey@schools.utah.gov

Please address questions regarding information on this notice to the persons listed above.

3. General Information

A. Rule or section catchline:

R277-717. High School Course Grading Requirements

B. Purpose of the new rule or reason for the change:

These rule amendments are due to the passage of HB 502 during the 2026 General Session.

C. Summary of the new rule or change:

These amendments provide language to implement the citizenship grading provisions established in HB 502 (2026).

The changes add definitions related to citizenship grading and durable skills and establish minimum statewide standards for Local Education Agency (LEA) citizenship grading policies.

These proposed amendments require citizenship grades to be based on clearly defined and observable behaviors using consistent criteria and clarify that citizenship grades remain separate from measures of academic content mastery except where otherwise authorized in statute.

This rule also requires LEAs that adopt citizenship grading policies to establish standards related to attendance, meeting deadlines, participation and engagement, and communication with instructional staff.

Additionally, the proposed amendments require annual parent notification regarding citizenship grading policies and opt-out rights, establish requirements for parent opt-out procedures, and require citizenship grades reported on transcripts to be clearly distinguished from academic course grades.

4. Legislative Action Information

A. Are any changes in this filing

because of state legislative action?

Changes are because of legislative action.

B. If yes, any bill number and

session:

HB 502 (2026 General Session)

5. Fiscal Information

Provide an estimate and written explanation of the aggregate anticipated cost or savings to:

A. State budget:

This amendment is not expected to have fiscal impact on state government revenues or expenditures.

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) believes that any fiscal impacts were captured in the fiscal note for HB 502 (2026) and there are no additional fiscal impacts due to the rule change.

B. Local governments:

This amendment is not expected to have fiscal impact on local governments' revenues or expenditures.

The USBE believes that any fiscal impacts were captured in the fiscal note for HB 502 (2026) and there are no additional fiscal impacts due to the rule change.

C. Small businesses ("small business" means a business employing 1-49 persons):

This amendment is not expected to have fiscal impact on small businesses' revenues or expenditures.

The USBE believes that any fiscal impacts were captured in the fiscal note for HB 502 (2026) and there are no additional fiscal impacts due to the rule change.

D. Non-small businesses ("non-small business" means a business employing 50 or more persons):

There are no non-small businesses in the industry in question, Elementary and Secondary Schools (North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 611110). Because there are no non-small businesses, they do not account for any service delivery for Elementary and Secondary Schools. Therefore, non-small businesses are not expected to receive increased or decreased revenues per year. This proposed rule change is not expected to have any fiscal impact on non-small businesses' revenues or expenditures because there are no applicable non-small businesses, and it does not require any expenditures of, or generate revenue for non-small businesses.

E. Persons other than small businesses, non-small businesses, state, or local government entities ("person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or public or private organization of any character other than an agency):

This amendment is not expected to have fiscal impact on revenues or expenditures for persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local government entities.

The USBE believes that any fiscal impacts were captured in the fiscal note for HB 502 (2026) and there are no additional fiscal impacts due to the rule change.

F. Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no compliance costs for affected persons.

The USBE believes that any fiscal impacts were captured in the fiscal note for HB 502 (2026) and there are no additional fiscal impacts due to the rule change.

6. Regulatory Impact Summary Table

Enter the cost or savings in the relevant cell. If there is no cost or savings, enter, "$0." If a cost or savings is inestimable, enter, "inestimable."

Fiscal Cost

FY2027

FY2028

FY2029

FY2030

FY2031

State Budget

Local Governments

Small Businesses

Non-Small Businesses

Other Persons

Total Fiscal Cost

Fiscal Benefits

FY2027

FY2028

FY2029

FY2030

FY2031

State Budget

Local Governments

Small Businesses

Non-Small Businesses

Other Persons

Total Fiscal Benefits

Net Fiscal Benefits

7. Regulatory Impact Analysis Approval

The State Superintendent of the Utah State Board of Education, Molly Hart, has reviewed and approved this regulatory impact analysis.

8. Family Impact Information

A. The agency has considered this rule's impact on family health, stability, and formation:

☒

9. Citation Information

Provide citations to the statutory authority for the rule. If there is also a federal requirement for the rule, provide a citation to that requirement:

Utah Constitution, Article X, Section 3

Subsection 53E-3-401(4)

Section 53E-4-208

The public may submit written or oral comments to the agency identified in box 1.

A. Comments will be accepted until:

10/01/2026

12. Effective Date Information

This rule change MAY become effective on:

(NOTE: This is the date the agency anticipates making the filing effective. It is NOT the effective date)

10/08/2026

13. Agency Authorization Information

Agency head or

designee and title:

Elisse Newey, Deputy Superintendent of

Policy

Date:

08/14/2026

R277. Education, Administration.

R277-717. High School Course Grading Requirements.

R277-717-1. Authority and Purpose.

(1) This rule is authorized by:

(a) Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3, which vests general control and supervision over public education in the Board;[ and]

(b) Subsection 53E-3-401(4), which allows the Board to make rules to execute the Board's duties and responsibilities under the Utah Constitution and state law[.]; and

(2) The purpose of this rule is to establish requirements for awarding credit when a student repeats a course or takes a comparable course and earns a higher grade.

R277-717-2. Definitions.

(1) "Citizenship grade" has the same meaning as defined in Section 53E-4-208.

[(1)](2) "Comparable course" means a teacher led course that:

(a) fulfills the same graduation credit requirements as the original course; and

(b) aligns with a majority of the same Core Standards, strands, or essential learning objectives as the course for which a student seeks to improve a grade.

[(2)](3) "Course" means a course that a student:

(a) is enrolled in; and

(b)(i) completes; or

(ii) withdraws from but still receives a grade.

[(3)](4) "Course Component" means a quarter, term, or other defined grading interval within a course.

(5) "Durable skills" means behaviors and habits associated with college and career readiness, including responsibility, participation,

engagement, timeliness, and effective communication.

[(4)](6) "Highest grade" means a grade that reflects the higher grade of:

(a) a course and a repeat of the course; or

(b) a course and a comparable course.

[(5)](7) "LEA" includes the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind for purposes of this rule.

(8) "Observable behavior" means a documented student action or omission that may be consistently measured using clearly disclosed

criteria.

[(6)](9) "Packet" has the same meaning as defined in Subsection R277-705-2(9).

[(7)](10) "Packet Method" has the same meaning as defined in Subsection R277-705-2(10).

[(8)](11) "Recurring course" means a course that a student takes more than once to:

(a) further the student's understanding and skills in the course subject, such as journalism or band; or

(b) satisfy a different credit requirement that the course may fulfill, such as an art class that fulfills an elective requirement and an art requirement.

[(9)](12) "Student" means an individual enrolled in an LEA in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12.

[(10)](13) "Teacher[-] led" means a course led by a licensed educator:

(a) directs the instructional process and manages the delivery of the Core Standards: and

(b) provides direct feedback and assessment of student mastery.

R277-717-3. Grade Replacement.

(1)(a) A student may, to improve a course grade received by the student:

(i) repeat the course one or more times; or

(ii) enroll in and complete a comparable course.

(b) A grade for an additional unit of a recurring course does not change a student's original course grade for purposes of this section.

(2) If a student repeats a course, the student's LEA:

(a) shall adjust, if necessary, the student's course grade and grade point average to reflect the student's highest grade and exclude a lower grade;

(b) shall exclude from the student's permanent record the course grade that is not the highest grade; and

(3)(a) If a student enrolls in a comparable course, the student shall, at the time of enrolling in the comparable course, inform the student's LEA of the student's intent to enroll in the course for improving a course grade.

(b) If a student enrolls in a comparable course, the student's LEA:

(i) shall confirm, when the student enrolls in the comparable course, that the comparable course fulfills the same credit requirements as the course that the student intends to replace with the comparable course grade;

(ii) shall update the student's current record and grade point average to reflect the highest grade between the course and the comparable course and exclude the lower grade and corresponding course; and

(iii) may not otherwise show the course or comparable course for which the student did not receive the highest grade on the student's record.

(c) An LEA may not approve a course for grade replacement if the replacement course is in a different subject area or instructional discipline than the original course, regardless or whether both courses satisfy elective credit requirements.

(d) For the purposes of this rule, a course is only "comparable" if it is housed within the same department or CTE cluster as the original course.

(4) An LEA may not use the packet method, or classify a packet as original credit, to improve a previous course grade of a high school student as described in Subsection R277-705-3(9).

(5) An LEA shall allow a student to repeat an individual course component to improve a grade for that specific period, provided the course structure allows for such separation.

(a) If a student repeats an individual course component:

(i) the LEA shall replace the original grade earned for that component with the higher grade; and

(ii) the LEA shall; recalculate the final grade of the course to reflect improvement.

(6) An LEA may not require a student to repeat portions of a course in which the student has already demonstrated mastery, as evidenced by earning a passing grade, as a condition for grade replacement of a failed term or component.

R277-717-4. Citizenship Grading Standards.

(1) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, a teacher assigning citizenship grades independent of an LEA-adopted citizenship grading

policy, in accordance with Section 53E-4-208, shall ensure that citizenship grades:

(a) are based on clearly defined and observable behaviors;

(b) use consistent criteria;

(d) remain separate from measures of academic content mastery; and

(e) comply with state and federal nondiscrimination and disability accommodation requirements.

(2) Citizenship grading standards under Subsection R277-717-4(1) shall include criteria related to durable skills, including:

(a) attendance;

(b) meeting deadlines;

(d) effective communication including proactively communicating with the teacher regarding missed classroom time due to parent-excused

or school-excused absences.

(3) A teacher may not assign or reduce a citizenship grade based on:

(a) a student's disability or documented accommodation need;

(b) a valid excused absence as defined in Section 53G-6-201; and

(4) An LEA that adopts citizenship grading policies in accordance with Section 53E-4-208 shall:

(a) establish LEA-wide citizenship grading standards consistent with Subsections R277-717-4(1) through (3);

(b) annually notify parents and students regarding:

(i) the citizenship grading policy;

(ii) the criteria used to determine citizenship grades; and

(iii) the parent's right to opt a student out of citizenship grading in accordance with Subsection 53E-4-208(6);

(d) ensure that a student who opts out receives grades based solely on academic content mastery.

KEY: students, grades, credits

Date of Last Change: [April 7, ]2026

Notice of Continuation: January 13, 2022

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: Art X Sec 3; 53E-3-401(4), 53E-4-208

!--dar--