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Current Projects

Partnership for Middle School Success

The goals of this pilot initiative are to:

  • Equip and inform families to help their children thrive in secondary school
  • Build stronger connections between families, educators, and community partners
  • Develop successful student transitions in the middle school years
  • Build partnership capacity across the school community

Partnership for Middle School Success Information PPT

Science of Reading Community Engagement

Utah’s schools are shifting to literacy instruction rooted in the science of reading (SOR). The state has set an ambitious goal that 70% or more of Utah’s third-grade students will read on grade level by July 2027. This is an exciting time, and the state is marshaling its resources to ensure this shift is completed thoughtfully and comprehensively. Utah is taking a holistic approach to meet its literacy goals by engaging communities, families, and businesses – an important set of stakeholders in educational initiatives. 

The state is providing significant training and resources to educators at every level in support of the implementation of the science of reading. To complement these efforts, Utah seeks to provide training and support for families and the local community. Research shows that parent and family engagement is key to student educational success. Schools that are supported by their surrounding systems are better positioned to achieve their goals compared to those that lack such support. Families and local communities have critical roles to play in tandem with that of formal educators in supporting Utah’s children reading at grade level by third grade. 

To support these efforts, schools need a toolkit of engagement strategies that will lead to effective involvement of families and communities. This could include developing a well-functioning community school team, effectively organizing community partnerships to supplement existing resources for families, training tutors, staff, and volunteers in the science of reading, planning effective literacy-themed community events, and more as decided by the LEA. Overall, participants in SB 127 Community Engagement and Science of Reading will be trained to effectively engage their communities and create partnerships with families and community members that support a whole community effort to ensure students are reading on grade level.