Tooele board approves 2025–26 early learning plan with K–3 literacy and targeted math goals

The Tooele County School District Board of Education voted to approve the district’s 2025–26 Early Learning Plan during its May 2025 meeting, adopting targets aimed at sustaining kindergarten gains and accelerating growth in first grade and targeted grades in math.

District staff said the decision to focus K–3 work on specific grade bands follows several years of concentrated kindergarten work and recent strong gains there. “We've been focusing on kinder for a couple of years, and we've had basically two years of really significant growth,” a district staff member said during the presentation. The staff member added the district is now “really digging into first grade in preparation to do something that we hope is meaningful.”

Board members heard data showing mixed results across measures. Staff reported that third-grade math proficiency moved from 45% (2021–22) to 49% (2022–23), dipped to 46% (2023–24) and rose to 54% in the most recent year, a figure staff described as “14 points of growth from beginning the year to end of year.” The presentation noted the district made notable progress moving students close to proficiency but had “difficulties moving students that were in the red category” who have more persistent learning needs.

On literacy, staff said the district’s working theory for smaller than-expected growth in first grade this past year is that students entered first grade at higher readiness levels than in prior years; that reduced the measured year-over-year growth that typically occurs in first grade. The presentation said that hypothesis is supported by looking at beginning-, middle- and end-of-year assessment patterns but described it as a working theory rather than a definitive causal finding.

The plan pairs curriculum adoption with teacher practices. “We believe strongly that a curriculum is a foundational kind of component,” a district staff member said, while stressing research and local judgment that teacher strategies and implementation matter most. Staff described classroom strategies used in kindergarten—citing distributed practice (referred to in the presentation as a “letter a day” approach)—and said similar approaches are being adapted for first grade. The district also described an intervention model intended to diagnose and target specific skill gaps in second and third grade math while continuing third-grade supports started last year.

Board discussion emphasized implementation supports and teacher morale. Board members asked about the resources required and whether changes would become easier for classroom teachers over time; staff replied most costs were time and training rather than major material purchases and that supports would continue. One board member proposed pairing outcome goals with measures of teacher morale to track both student outcomes and staff wellbeing.

A motion to approve the 2025–26 Early Learning Plan was moved by Board Member Emily and seconded by Board Member Valerie. The board voted in favor; the meeting record shows the chair announced, “Motion passes.”

The board also discussed how the plan ties to district- and state-level literacy goals and said more detailed implementation maps would be shared with board members. Staff said beginning-, middle- and end-of-year benchmark data (including district interim assessments) will be used to monitor progress and to provide early warning if midyear patterns deviate from expectations.

Board members asked staff to bring back succinct, quickly interpretable visuals and to report staffing and class-size data after October 1, the standard enrollment snapshot date used for state reporting.

The board approved the plan and directed staff to proceed with the actions described in the plan and to report progress under the standing academic agenda item scheduled for future meetings.