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District reports third-grade reading at 74% as lawmakers consider higher benchmark
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Trevor Powell told the board South Sanpete ranked eighth in the state for third-grade reading and that district figures show 74% on grade level under the current measure; statewide legislation under discussion may raise the benchmark to 80%.
Assistant Superintendent Trevor Powell presented district literacy results and external rankings at the Feb. 11 board meeting, telling trustees South Sanpete ranked eighth in the state for third-grade reading and that the district was at 74% on grade level in the most recent end-of-year data.
Powell noted that statewide policymakers are considering a higher benchmark for third-grade literacy and explained how the district’s internal categorization (greens/blues on the 1–4 scale) affects reported percentages. "We're at 74% on grade level," Powell said, and added that some legislative proposals would count higher bands differently and could push the target to 80%.
Board members questioned trends and device use in classrooms. One member asked whether the move to devices such as iPads had correlated with statewide literacy shifts; Powell said the district is "trending up" overall but that changing tests and formats complicate comparisons. He also highlighted that the district’s per-pupil spending remains low relative to the top-10 states, noting the district gets "the most bang for our buck."
