District says middle‑school reading intervention is showing midyear gains; staff cites expanded coaching and collaboration

Nebo School District staff on April 17 outlined progress in a districtwide middle‑school reading intervention that the district said is reaching hundreds of secondary students and producing measurable midyear gains.

At a work‑session presentation district presenters said the program screened 863 students this school year using Acadience assessments and teacher referrals and that roughly 854 students received intervention (district figures provided during the presentation). The program uses two coaching tiers: a Tier 3 foundation skills model and a Tier 2 comprehension‑focused intervention. Staff said schools expanded the number of intervention class sections compared with the program's launch two years ago.

Why it matters

Presenters told the board that many of the students reached by the program are those who previously received little or no targeted reading instruction in secondary grades. Early, midyear growth on a nationally normed test showed several hundred students meeting or exceeding their expected end‑of‑year growth rate, presenters said, which administrators described as 'promising' evidence the interventions are working.

Key details from the presentation

- Screening and scale: The district screened 863 middle‑school students this year and reported serving about 854 students in intervention sections across its middle schools.

- Growth metrics: Staff described the nationally normed assessment's expected end‑of‑year growth as 7.4 scale points. At midyear the cohort's average growth was about 5.0 scale points. Presenters said more than half of students were on target to meet typical year growth by year end; they reported 314 students had already met their end‑of‑year target by midyear and that a subset were showing growth above a year's progress.

- Instructional model and coaching: Staff emphasized that intervention success relied on combined special‑education and general‑education collaboration, targeted materials aligned to standards, and weekly coaching sessions for teachers. The week‑to‑week coaching reduced in frequency in year two as teachers gained skill but remained in place to maintain fidelity.

- School examples and anecdotal evidence: A Valley View principal (Dave Knudson referenced in the presentation) described students beginning to check out books who previously had not engaged in reading. Presenters also showed student survey responses stating the initiative had made school kinder and more engaging for some students.

Board reaction and next steps

Trustees praised the results and asked clarifying questions about subgroup performance and how counts overlap across midyear categories. Administrators said they will continue to scale Tier‑2 sections, refine coach support and return future data updates; they noted professional development during the program's start required substitute coverage and that district staff planned training for remaining staff this spring and next year.

Speakers referenced in this report (first reference includes role/title): District staff member (reading intervention presenter); Wendy (district staff); Dave Knudson (Valley View principal, referenced in presentation); Board member Scott Wilson; Board member Shauna Wernick.