Independence High School reports steady graduation gains, flags attendance and behavior as ongoing challenges

Independence High School Principal Jacob Griffin presented the school’s annual update Tuesday to the Provo City School District Board of Education, reporting an upward trend in graduation rates and outlining instructional strategies aimed at growth for students with substantial academic gaps. Griffin said Independence serves “250 plus students” with roughly 24 certified staff and about 20 support professionals. He highlighted several program expansions and instructional initiatives, including a multilingual program expanded to higher-level classes, a STEM cohort using grant-funded field trips, expanded instructional coaching cycles, and a growing co-teaching model. On challenges, Griffin told the board his “big three” are grades, attendance and behavior. He said chronic absenteeism at Independence is “significantly higher than most schools in the district” and that attendance correlates closely with low grades. Current achievement levels the principal cited were low in state measures: English language arts proficiency reported at about 12 percent, math at about 2 percent and science at about 17.8 percent. Griffin said the school emphasizes growth metrics — specifically, raising its AspirePlus (growth) percentile targets — with the goal to “increase and maintain the AspirePlus growth percentile for ELA, math and science to 55% or greater.” Griffin highlighted practical interventions being used: repeated three-times-a-year NWEA assessments to monitor growth, targeted tutoring and “f-plus” opportunities that allow students who score near the passing threshold to recover credit without retaking an entire course, and schoolwide literacy and numeracy strategies intended to be used consistently across classrooms. He also praised the growing co-teaching efforts between general and special-education staff as a significant instructional gain. Board member comments: Several board members praised the school’s graduation ceremonies and staff commitment. Board members asked about how students come to attend Independence; Griffin said most enroll after a counselor or parent referral and that the school interviews families to determine fit. Status and next steps: The school will continue data-driven improvement cycles and partner with district teams on attendance campaigns and intervention strategies. The board heard the report but took no formal action.