Britney Foster presented the district assessment plan and accompanying reading data on Oct. 2, outlining required assessments, training and trends in early literacy.

Foster reviewed testing windows and instruments the district administers: Acadience (universal early literacy screener), RISE (grades 3–8), Aspire Plus (grades 9–10), ACT and alternate assessments (DLM) for students with significant cognitive disabilities. She said the district will provide professional development on administering assessments, testing ethics and on using assessment data. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) was described as a random school selection; the district receives notification when selected schools must participate.

Foster and colleagues also presented Acadience reading results. They explained two related measures: the district typically reports students at benchmark or above as “on grade level,” while the Utah state reporting metric counts only students “above benchmark.” Foster noted the district’s goal for third grade is all students at or above grade level and that state goals for above‑benchmark proficiency are set at 70% by 2027.

The board reviewed multi‑year Acadience patterns showing that district students generally improve from beginning to end of year and that by the end of fifth grade approximately 80% of students are at or above benchmark. Foster said third‑grade reading‑on‑grade‑level percentages have decreased over the last three years even as state measures moved differently, prompting district staff to discuss outreach and early‑learning strategies.

Board members and staff discussed possible drivers and responses: increased kindergarten and pre‑K supports such as the Upstart online preschool program (staff said the state covers its cost for participants), all‑day kindergarten expansion and parent engagement (reading at home). A board member offered a volunteer literacy bookmark project for new parents; Foster said she would share it with the literacy team for consideration.

No formal policy action was taken during the Oct. 2 meeting; the assessment plan and reading data were presented for board review and to inform future instructional plans.