Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Professional Learning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District details Reach for Reading rollout, digital learning dashboard and teacher training; recognizes schools and grants
Summary
District staff updated the board on a Reach for Reading pilot (13 practice classrooms), an online curriculum/standards resource, participation in a statewide digital teaching and learning evaluation (House Bill 277), a summer "I Make" teacher training with Iron County, and several school recognitions including a $25,000 Samsung classroom grant.
District staff provided information reports on student achievement, professional learning and instructional technology during the Washington County School District Board meeting on Feb. 13.
Reach for Reading: Nadine (district staff) told the board the district has 13 practice implementation classrooms (two to three per elementary grade) testing Reach for Reading materials this year and plans full implementation next school year. She said teachers are already using digital demo logins while district materials are in procurement; the purchase order was completed the week of the meeting and staff expected materials to arrive within about a week. Nadine described the program as research-based and said it integrates writing, reading, differentiation and science. "It's going to be a really exciting year next year," she said.
Standards and curriculum resources: District staff described a project to map Utah Core standards into grade-level learning targets and to publish those resources on the district website’s professional learning page. The resource covers K–12 English language arts, math and science and is intended to support teachers, learning coaches and site visitors in planning instruction and interventions.
Digital teaching and learning and HB 277: Tony Campbell (instructional technology) presented an evaluation dashboard being used for the state digital teaching and learning grant tied to House Bill 277. The dashboard will allow the district to view statewide cohort data, access LEA profiles and receive iterative evaluator feedback rather than a single end-of-project report. Tony said Washington County is in cohort 1 and that the district hosted statewide visitors during a recent curriculum forum and onsite classroom visits.
Teacher training and the "I Make" Conference: Staff reported the Utah State Board of Education offered extra funding to support a collaborative summer training with Iron County and possibly other small districts. The event, called the I Make Conference, is a two-day, free opportunity intended to provide hands-on resources teachers can take back to classrooms; staff said the funding will be used primarily for classroom resources rather than meals.
Recognitions and school highlights: Superintendent Acacia recognized Bloomington Hills Elementary as an approved model PLC school (one of three in the district). Sunrise Ridge Intermediate received a $25,000 Samsung Innovate for Tomorrow classroom grant; the students’ project will advance to a national competition for additional funding. The transcript also included presentations by school representatives from Dixie Sun Elementary and Desert Hills Middle School highlighting dual-immersion, literacy supports, MOS certification and music and STEM accomplishments. The district noted a teacher, April Nelson, won a $15,000 award from a national brand’s contest for a classroom project involving wrapped instruments.
No formal board actions were taken on these information reports; they were presented for board review.
