ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — Washington County is leading Utah in kindergarten reading proficiency, outpacing the state’s average for grades K through three.
The district’s early adoption of Science of Reading training, backed by resources from S.B. 127 passed in 2022, has helped to fuel this growth.
The bill set a statewide goal for 70% of third graders to reach passing reading levels by 2027. In Washington County, the kindergarten class — expected to be third graders in 2027 — is already surpassing that goal.
Jake Downs, a Utah state researcher who led a study on Washington County’s literacy program, attributes much of the success to the district’s approach to goal-setting and data analysis.
“These teams are very learning-oriented,” Downs said. “They set goals as a grade-level team of where they want our students to be by November. Where we want to be by March, by the end of the school year. . . .Having good goals and a good understanding of their students’ needs as identified by data really helps these teachers stay on track.”
Downs also noted that strong collaboration across the district has helped propel Washington County forward.
He said teachers and principals share their learnings and adapt to students’ needs in real-time.
This approach is bolstered by strong district support, including learning coaches, literacy interventionists and on-going training on research-backed teaching methods.
Amy Mitchell, a Washington County School District administrator, explained that while the area has long had standout teachers, recent efforts have broadened that success across all schools.
District-wide training on the Science of Reading, which examines cognitive and scientific principles behind literacy development, has helped ensure that every classroom has the tools to help students reach reading proficiency.
“We have always had pockets of just stellar instruction,” Mitchell said. “But with support from the state in the past two years, we expect all of our teachers to achieve high levels of student reading.”
MORE from CRISIS IN THE CLASSROOM:
Science of Reading training provided under S.B. 127 grants has allowed teachers to receive ongoing professional development.
“It’s very involved,” Mitchell said. “We had to do a lot of brain research, very scientific language was used, and it changed what we do when we are teaching.”
According to Angie Child, a professor of education at Utah Tech, not all districts are in a position to match Washington County’s success.
Child highlighted that high teacher turnover is a significant barrier to maintaining consistent training. For districts with frequent staff changes, retraining new teachers can make it difficult to build continuity in instructional quality and approach.
“Reading proficiency starts in the home,” Mitchell said.
She emphasized the importance of incorporating reading and writing into children’s daily lives outside of school.
Simple activities like making grocery lists together or setting aside time each day to read can go a long way in building literacy skills.
___
This post was originally published on here
