This Utah school enlisted parents to help their kids succeed. The result? Proficiency rates more than double the state average

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Heber City • At Timpanogos Middle School, parent volunteers patrol the hallways daily, their presence punctuated by the occasional sharp command: “¡Vaya a su clase!” (”Get to class!”) — a clear warning to lingering students as the final bells ring.

These Latino parents are part of the school’s “Padres y Madres Líderes” (”Father and Mother Leaders”) volunteer program. Timpanogos Middle, like many schools across Utah, had been struggling to support an influx of newcomer students, the majority of whom arrived from Spanish-speaking countries.

Staff were also dealing with what Principal James Judd described as “mischief” among some new students, who often hung around in the hallways after school hours.

He hoped the parent group could help round up the dawdlers — and they did.

“Now, instead of me chasing these kids after school, the moms are here,” Judd said.

The volunteer program led to another positive — albeit unintended — outcome: a boom in English-language fluency among multi-language learners.

Since its launch in 2022, the percentage of students reaching English proficiency at the school soared from 8% to 25% by the 2023-24 academic year — more than double the statewide average.

That is largely due to an after-school initiative started by the parent group called “The Golden Ticket.” It provides students with snacks, prizes and incentives to get their grades up.

More resources required to educate English learners

Educating an “English Language Learner” (ELL) costs approximately $500 more per student in elementary school and $1,200 more per student in high school compared to traditional students, according to Anthony Godfrey, the superintendent of Jordan School District.

Godfrey shared those estimations with state lawmakers last June, explaining that Jordan Schools has seen a 92.6% increase in ELLs over the past six years.

His figures didn’t include the costs needed to train teachers and additional staff, like counselors, and the extra hours spent collecting food and clothing for students in need.

Across the state, the number of ELLs has nearly doubled over the last decade, rising from roughly 30,000 in the 2013-14 school year to over 60,000 last year.

Some school districts see students speak over a hundred different languages, but Spanish is typically the most common. And while federal funding helps ease some of those additional costs, school administrators are calling on the state for more support.

The state is answering in the form of HB42, a proposed bill that would provide “emergency funding” if ELL enrollment “increases by 50% or more above the previous three-year average” at a school.

The proposal does not specify how much money schools could receive, but it notes the Utah State Board of Education — which would be tasked with distributing the funds — can’t dole out more than $5 million in “emergency funds” per fiscal year.

Schools would also be required to apply for the funds and demonstrate need, according to the latest bill draft.

A ‘Golden Ticket’ to English fluency?

On Mondays after school, Yuri Jenson makes the rounds at Timpanogos Middle, ensuring that students are where they’re supposed to be.

Jenson, the family and community engagement coordinator for the Wasatch School District, which includes Timpanogos Middle, was instrumental in launching the Padres y Madres Líderes. The program has grown from just a handful of volunteers to over 50 dedicated Latino parents over the last two years.

Mondays are “Golden Ticket” days, inspired by the classic film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” where students can earn golden tickets by participating in “consultation time.”

After school, students can meet with their teachers to retake tests, catch up on missed assignments or complete extra work to improve their grades.

Teachers then give students a golden ticket, which they can trade in for a special treat in the cafeteria. The ticket also enters them into a raffle for a larger prize. While the program is open to all students, the majority of participants — roughly 120 each week — are Hispanic, Jenson said.

“Sometimes we make food for them,” Jenson said. “Like taquitos and quesadillas … all made by parent volunteers.”

The parent group also serves as a bridge between the Spanish-speaking immigrant community and the school. About 20% of its are Hispanic, and 9% are English language learners — most of whom speak Spanish as their native language, said Judd.

“The light-bulb moment was: This group of parents didn’t come through American public education, so, they just don’t know the game,” Judd said. “So, instead of focusing a program on helping the kids do better, it was all about a program building capacity for parents.”

Judd explained that immigrant parents who don’t speak English often rely on their children to communicate what’s happening at school. School leaders believed it was important to bypass the child as the intermediary and engage with parents directly.

“We had created this excuse,” said Judd, “this mindset that Hispanic parents don’t have time to volunteer in schools because they’re working too much … or because they don’t speak the language.”

“They don’t need to speak English to volunteer,” he continued. “… Now, I’ve got a group of parents [who] know how to access counselors and food services and school nurses.”

Carola Bustillo has been part of Padres y Madres Líderes since the start of the 2023-24 school year. She said the transition from elementary to middle school was particularly hard for her daughter.

“My daughter is very quiet and is an introvert,” Bustillo told The Salt Lake Tribune in Spanish. Alfonso Flores, another parent volunteer, translated her words into English.

“It’s a way to get involved and also show her the way that she can be benefiting from all the resources,” Bustillo continued.

Bustillo said the school’s “Golden Ticket” program in particular has helped her daughter connect with others, boost her grades and become a bit more outgoing.

“It’s been very beneficial,” said Bustillo, “because it’s kind of like a chain, or a domino effect.”

Other parents said they were proud to be part of the program. And while some kids may be embarrassed to have their mom at school, Bustillo added that her daughter has embraced it.

“She’s always asking me if I’m going to be coming, and if I’m going to stay, and I think that has helped her to know that I’m here to support her,” Bustillo said.

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