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Morningside Elementary principal highlights rising proficiency and dual-language program
Summary
Morningside Elementary Principal Kristen Gagan presented rising RISE and EOI proficiency, described the school's three-program model (ALC, French dual-language immersion, traditional), family center efforts to prevent summer slide and efforts to strengthen the traditional program with a STEM emphasis.
Kristen Gagan, principal of Morningside Elementary (Granite School District), presented the school's proficiency gains and program structure to the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee, saying data drives instruction and describing initiatives that she credits with improving and maintaining student proficiency.
Gagan told the panel that RISE and end-of-instruction reading proficiency rose from the 2022—23 to the 2023—24 school year and that the 2024—25 end-of-year proficiency became the 2025 beginning-of-year proficiency, which she described as evidence of retained learning over the summer. She described Morningside's three-program model: an Advanced Learning Classroom (ALC) magnet with 142 students, a French Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program with 275 students and a traditional program. The DLI model pairs a French-speaking and English-speaking teacher and provides half-day instruction in French for some subjects, with a goal of building French proficiency through content instruction.
Gagan credited strong in-school coaching (literacy and technology coaches), community arts partnerships (Beverly Taylor Sorensen and Tanner Dance) and a new family center that distributes learning packets and runs parent events as factors in reducing summer slide. "Data tells a story," she said, describing frequent assessment and instructional adjustments. She also described special education collaboration focused on bringing students to reading proficiency by fifth grade.
Committee members praised Morningside and asked technical questions. Representative Ochs said he had firsthand experience with the school and thanked staff for the dual-language and gifted offerings. Representative Moss asked about balancing three programs amid enrollment fluctuations; Gagan replied that ALC and DLI enrollment are stable while the traditional strand shows variance (she cited examples of classes with 4 and 36 students) and said the school is adding a STEM emphasis to attract and stabilize the traditional program.
The chair thanked Gagan and the committee moved on to subsequent agenda items.
