Provo school board reviews CAS gifted program data, parents favor neighborhood acceleration

The Provo City School Board on Sept. 19 heard an update on the district's CAS accelerated elementary program and draft options for improving access, curriculum and teacher supports. Judy Rose, the presenter on the program evaluation, summarized parent survey results, described two draft program models and outlined estimated costs and staffing implications.

The evaluation found that the average acceptance rate of students invited to CAS from 2020 to 2024 was 39 percent and that, based on RISE math growth measures, "students in CAS are not outperforming students who decline CAS in RISE math," Rose said. She also reported that, of the students who qualify for CAS, about "20% are in CAS, 20% are in DLI, and 60 percent are in neighborhood schools but not in DLI." Rose said 50 percent of current CAS teachers hold a gifted endorsement and half of teachers who teach accelerated seventh-grade math hold a level 2 math endorsement.

Rose summarized responses to a parent survey sent to fourth- through sixth-grade families: 72 fourth-grade, 74 fifth-grade and 74 sixth-grade parents responded. Of those respondents, 29% had declined a CAS invitation, 41% had never been invited, and 30% were…