The Utah State Board of Education this week released 2023-24 “School Report Cards,” an online tool that allows parents to see how well their child’s school is performing, based on multiple factors.
“The school report card offers valuable insights into a school’s strengths and areas for development,” said State Superintendent Sydnee Dickson in a Monday news release. “We recommend using this interactive platform, created to promote transparency and highlight opportunities for improvement.”
How to use the dashboard
To get started, parents can search for a specific school (including charters) or school district by visiting reportcard.schools.utah.gov/.
There are various “performance indicators” within the dashboard depending on school level. Each indicator is accompanied by a metered graphic that represents the number of possible points a school has earned for that specific indicator.
If the gauge needle is in the red, it indicates a low score. Yellow means a “typical” or “commendable” score, while green represents “exemplary.”
Elementary and middle school performance measures include: proficiency; growth; growth of the lowest-performing 25% of students; and English-learner progress.
High school performance measures include: proficiency; growth; growth of the lowest-performing 25% of students; English-learner progress; ACT results; high school graduation rates; and advanced coursework.
The measures are comparable across all public schools in Utah and are designed to show each school’s strengths, highlighting areas where improvement is needed. The dashboard provides report cards dating back to the last three school years.
Achievement/proficiency indicator
This measures single-year academic proficiency, or the percentage of all students at the school who score proficient or above on a statewide assessment. More information on student group proficiency rates, demographics and past performance can be found by clicking on the “view details” button.
Growth indicator
This is the percentage of students who closed achievement gaps in key subject areas or demonstrated academic improvement (”growth”) over time.
Growth of the lowest 25% indicator
This indicator represents the percentage of students who demonstrated academic growth among the school’s lowest-performing 25%.
English-learner progress indicator
This indicator measures the percentage of students at a school who demonstrate adequate progress toward being fluent in English or reaching English proficiency on a statewide assessment.
High school graduation indicator
This is a measure of the percentage of students at a high school who graduate within four years.
ACT results indicator
This is the percentage of 11th graders at a high school who achieved an overall composite score of 18 or higher on the ACT college entrance exam. A composite score between 17-24 is considered average.
Advanced coursework indicator
This shows the percentage of students at a high school who earn a “C” grade or better in advanced placement, concurrent enrollment and international baccalaureate courses, or who complete a career or technical education (CTE) pathway.
What about statewide data?
While statewide data isn’t available within the report card dashboard, it can be found under the Utah State Board of Education’s Data Gateway. Information on individual assessments, data for grade levels, graduation rates and other resources can be found there as well.
Overall, statewide proficiency rates in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics continue to trail pre-pandemic levels, with 44.5% of students considered proficient in ELA and 41.4% considered proficient in math for the 2023-24 school year.
In 2019, 47% of Utah students scored proficiently in ELA, while 45% scored proficiently in math.
But in science, the state is making strides. About 46.6% of students were considered proficient in that subject in 2019. The latest data shows 47% of students scored proficiently in science this past school year, exceeding pre-pandemic proficiency levels.
