Board Meeting Report - October 18, 2022

The Salt Lake City Board of Education (the Board) held a public study session on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, that focused on an in-depth review of student data and a report on the district’s current enrollment. The study session can be viewed on the district’s YouTube channel. 

Student Data Review

The first study topic was an in-depth discussion on student data, including current school report cards from the Utah State Board of Education, a review of the Salt Lake City Board of Education’s literacy goal, graduation data, and more.

• School Report cards were recently released by the State Board of Education. These report cards assign each school a letter grade based on several data points, including student test scores on state assessments, graduation rates, and student academic growth. The report cards are available on the State Board’s website.
• The Board was shown examples of internal student data reports that are made available to all schools and teachers in the district. The data in these reports can help pinpoint areas of strength and weakness in each classroom and at each school and help guide the important work happening at each school. 
• One of the Board’s goals is to improve literacy skills for all students. Our current literacy data show scores for students are rebounding after taking a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is great news! There have also been significant increases in reading scores for students in grades 4-8 and grades 9-12. 
• The district has developed pathway indicators, steps that show a student is on a successful path from kindergarten to graduation. The Board of Education reviewed the latest student data compared to these steps. Some areas show good progress and some areas show improvement is needed. Reviews like this help district leaders and teachers identify areas where changes can help put students back on the path to graduation. 
• The Board also reviewed the results of the latest school climate surveys. These surveys provide students an opportunity to tell the district how they feel about their schools and their teachers. Principals use this data along with testing data to help identify issues that may be slowing or stopping academic progress. 

Fall Enrollment

The district’s Chief Information Officer presented the latest enrollment information for the district. Official enrollment counts are taken on October 1 every year. These counts are used to develop demographic reports for the district. The reports show a continuing decline in overall enrollment, but the decline is not as pronounced as it was during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• Enrollment is down about 2% this year when compared to last year.
• 27% of district students are multi-language or English learners.
• 52% of district students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
• 58% of district students come from minority racial/ethnic backgrounds.
• 80 languages are spoken by district students and their families.