Jun. 17, 9:00 AM
The Education Interim Committee of the State Legislature holds a public meeting.
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Feb. 23 - Mar. 22
Comcast Newsmakers interviews Robyn Bagley about www.Utah-EducationFacts.com
watch the video>>
Mar. 12
The 2009 Legislative Session concluded on Thursday, March 12th at midnight
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This year marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark report, A Nation at Risk.
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In the 2007-08 school year, Utah spent $8,224 per public school student.
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Charter schools are independent public schools run by parents or non-profits.
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The average class size in Utah is 22.2
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High school students can graduate with an associate's degree and a scholarship worth 75% of college tuition.
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Get the Facts Test Scores
Did you know?
|  | ||
In this section... | |||
| > | How Do We Compare? | ||
| > | Tests Taken by Grade | ||
| > | Statewide Tests | ||
| > | Nationwide Tests | ||
| > | International Tests | ||
| > | Test Scores Achievement Gap | ||
| Shortcut to Tests Results: ACT, AP, CivEd, CRT, DWA, IOWA, NAEP, NCLB, PIRLS, PISA, ROGL, SAT, UALPA, UBSCT, U-PASS, TIMSS | |||
Compared to the rest of the nation, Utah usually scores around the average. But when compared to states that share similar demographics, Utah scores at the bottom.
On international tests that include a broad range of countries, the U.S. scores above average. However, when compared to other developed democracies, the U.S. scores in the middle or near the bottom.
On a 2006 international test of 15 year-olds from 30 developed democracies, the U.S. ranked 25th in math and 21st in Science.
Average Scores of Developed Democracies, 15 Year-Olds, PISA 2006
National Center for Education Statistics
| MATH | SCIENCE | ||||||
| Rank | Country | Score | Rank | Country | Score | ||
| 1 | Finland | 548 | 1 | Finland | 563 | ||
| 2 | South Korea | 547 | 2 | Canada | 534 | ||
| 3 | Netherlands | 531 | 3 | Japan | 531 | ||
| 4 | Switzerland | 530 | 4 | New Zealand | 530 | ||
| 5 | Canada | 527 | 5 | Australia | 527 | ||
| 6 | Japan | 523 | 6 | Netherlands | 525 | ||
| 7 | New Zealand | 522 | 7 | South Korea | 522 | ||
| 8 | Belgium (Flemish) | 520 | 8 | Germany | 516 | ||
| 9 | Australia | 520 | 9 | United Kingdom | 515 | ||
| 10 | Denmark | 513 | 10 | Czech Republic | 513 | ||
| 11 | Czech Republic | 510 | 11 | Switzerland | 512 | ||
| 12 | Iceland | 506 | 12 | Austria | 511 | ||
| 13 | Austria | 505 | 13 | Belgium (Flemish) | 510 | ||
| 14 | Germany | 504 | 14 | Ireland | 508 | ||
| 15 | Sweden | 502 | 15 | Hungary | 504 | ||
| 16 | Ireland | 501 | 16 | Sweden | 503 | ||
| -- | AVERAGE | 498 | -- | AVERAGE | 500 | ||
| 17 | France | 496 | 17 | Poland | 498 | ||
| 18 | United Kingdom | 495 | 18 | Denmark | 496 | ||
| 19 | Poland | 495 | 19 | France | 495 | ||
| 20 | Slovak Republic | 492 | 20 | Iceland | 491 | ||
| 21 | Hungary | 491 | 21 | United States | 489 | ||
| 22 | Luxembourg | 490 | 22 | Slovak Republic | 488 | ||
| 23 | Norway | 490 | 23 | Spain | 488 | ||
| 24 | Spain | 480 | 24 | Norway | 487 | ||
| 25 | United States | 474 | 25 | Luxembourg | 486 | ||
| 26 | Portugal | 466 | 26 | Italy | 475 | ||
| 27 | Italy | 462 | 27 | Portugal | 474 | ||
| 28 | Greece | 459 | 28 | Greece | 473 | ||
| 29 | Turkey | 424 | 29 | Turkey | 424 | ||
| 30 | Mexico | 406 | 30 | Mexico | 410 | ||
| >> | = Score is higher than the U.S. |
| = Score is not measurably different from the U.S. | |
| <> | = Score is lower than the U.S. |
The chart below shows which tests Utah students are required to take in each grade.
| Test Name | Level | Students Tested | Grades Tested | |||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |||
| Criterion Referenced Test | Statewide | All. Varies by course in grades 7 to 12 | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Direct Writing Assessment | Statewide | All | x | x | ||||||||||
| Iowa Test of Basic Skills | Nationwide | All | x | x | x | |||||||||
| National Assessment of Educational Progress | Nationwide | a few schools in the state | x | x | x | |||||||||
| Reading on Grade Level | Statewide | All | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Utah Basic Skills & Competency Test | Statewide | All | x | |||||||||||
| TOTAL TESTS TAKEN | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||
Statewide tests allow you to compare student performance between Utah schools, districts, and demographic groups. Click on a link below or scroll down to see an explanation of each statewide test, an overview of test results, and links for finding more info.
Since these tests are only statewide, they do not indicate how Utah students perform compared to other students in the U.S.
Nationwide tests allow you to compare the performance of Utah students to the rest of the nation. Click on a link below or scroll down to see an explanation of each nationwide test, an overview of test results, and links for finding more info.
IMPORTANT NOTE - The NAEP (National Assessment of Education Progress) is the gold standard in the US for measuring and comparing student performance.
| > | ACT - American College Test | |
| > | AP - Advanced Placement | |
| > | IOWA - Iowa Test of Basic Skills | |
| > | NAEP - National Assessment of Educational Progress | |
| > | SAT - Scholastic Achievement Test |
International tests allow you to compare student performance between the U.S. and the rest of the world. Use the links below to see an explanation of each test, an overview of test results, and links for finding more info.
| > | CivEd - Civic Education Survey | |
| > | PIRLS - Progress in International Reading Literacy Test | |
| > | PISA - Program for International Student Assessment | |
| > | TIMSS - Trends in International Math & Science Study |
Test scores indicate that a consistent achievement gap exists in Utah between minorities and whites, and between low income students and non-low income students.
Utah's Minority Achievement Gap, 8th Grade Math
Utah Foundation & National Assessment of Educational Progress
The minority achievement gap in 8th grade math has increased 37% since 1992.
