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Davis County schools report modest gains in early math and literacy, set new targets
Summary
District officials told the board the early learning plan produced gains in key early-math and literacy measures (notably a 3% increase in next-number fluency and a 24% kindergarten improvement locally) and outlined targets and supports for the coming year.
TJ Strain, the district's early-learning presenter, told the Davis County School District board at a workshop that the district met several year-end targets and set new goals for the coming year. "We did meet this goal. We did maintain, and we improved by 3% in that area," he said of next-number fluency, a foundational early-math skill.
The presentation laid out specific results: the district reported a 3% gain in next-number fluency; kindergarten through third-grade benchmark performance measured 58.44% (short of a stated 60% state target), and grades 1'3 were at 57% on comparable measures. On early literacy, the district reached 67% of K'6 students at or above typical growth (against a 72% local target). Strain emphasized notable local wins: "We put a lofty goal of 16%. We actually made 24%" for kindergarten year-to-year growth.
Board members asked what explained the kindergarten gains. When asked whether all-day kindergarten contributed, Strain said, "I think that definitely has a part to play in it," and added that uniform scheduling, explicit instruction and teacher practices also likely helped. He also said the state had reported the district was "the only school district in the state that didn't have a decrease and or go dip below the state average while implementing a new curriculum." That statement was presented as the district's interpretation of state feedback; board members did not provide independent data in the meeting to confirm the claim.
Looking ahead, the district set measurable targets for the next year: increase next-number fluency by 4%, aim for 60% of students in grades 1'3 to make typical-or-above progress in the cited math measure, and raise first-grade performance on advanced quantity discrimination. On literacy, goals included lifting overall K'6 proficiency toward a 72% benchmark and increasing oral-language accuracy from 70% to 75% among grades 2'6. Administrators said they will pursue those goals through equity-based practices, more embedded coaching, professional learning for teachers and rollout of a supplemental math curriculum (described in the presentation as Bridges) and targeted interventions (tier 2 and SIPs for higher-intensity support).
District officials emphasized supports available to schools: an instructional coach in every elementary school (some full-time, others part-time), recorded curriculum-in-action sessions teachers can access, and monthly coaching cycles. The district said teachers can request embedded coaching from math coaches and that these measures are intended to prevent long-term dips when new curricula are implemented.
The presentation closed with board praise for the instructional teams and several brief questions about literacy interventions and the supplemental curriculum pilot. Administrators said they will continue to monitor the metrics and return to the board with materials that meet the district's accountability and accessibility practices.
