Note: Recordings and documents for agenda items can be accessed via BoardDocs by clicking on the corresponding agenda items.

CSD’s Proposed Life Skills

The aims of the proposed life skills curriculum for CSD schools is to proactively teach students how to face challenges, help build a positive school climate, complement lessons being taught at home by parents, and support students in striving for excellence, said Dr. Brian McGill, Canyons’ Student Services Director. The proposed curriculum, Dr. McGill said, aligns with the newly adopted strategic plan and addresses needs identified by Utah’s Portrait of a Graduate, life-skills development research, and CSD data trends. CSD’s proposed lessons seek to guide students in learning how to respectfully resolve conflicts, maintain a positive attitude, build healthy friendships, cooperate with others, establish personal boundaries, actively listen and communicate, work as a team, and be a leader, among other traits, skills, and characteristics. Dr. McGill told the Board of Education that the CSD Administration proposes to form an Advisory Review Council to conduct an internal review the content of the grade-level lessons. Parents from all five CSD high school feeder areas will be asked to participate in the evaluation, he said. A field test is proposed for September 2022. Fine-tuned curriculum will be proposed to the Board in spring 2023 with a projected implementation in fall 2023.

Early Learning Program

As part of a state-required plan, Canyons has established goals and strategies to boost literacy and numeracy skills among the District’s youngest students in the coming school year. Instructional Supports Director Dr. Amber Roderick-Landward told Canyons Board of Education the plan targets the learning trajectory of students in kindergarten through the third-grades. Overall, in 2022-2021, Canyons students in those grades exceeded by 7 percent the state’s goal of 60 percent of all K-3 students achieving typical or better growth according to Acadience Reading Pathways of Progress. However, she noted, kindergarten and first grade students did not progress in reading as hoped. In the coming year, Dr. Roderick-Landward said, Canyons aims to increase the percentage of kindergarten students who are scoring at or above benchmark on “correct letter sounds” by 2 percent from the middle of the year to the end of the year. Additionally, she said, CSD seeks to increase the percentage of first-grade students who are scoring at or above benchmark on “whole words read” by 22 percent from beginning of year to end of year. Roderick-Landward said the District has implemented new evidence-based curriculum for explicit phonemic awareness and phonics instruction. Teachers also were provided LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training. In the first year that districts have been required to submit a plan to bolster mathematics skills in the lowest grades, CSD wants to increase the percentage of first-grade students who are scoring at or above benchmark on advanced quantity discrimination by 5 percent from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

Middle School World and U.S. History Textbooks

Canyons parents can access digital materials, such as CSD’s middle school world and U.S. history textbooks, through their student’s login, as a Canvas observer, or by using a demo account, said Dr. Roderick-Landward. A purchase order was approved July 12 for a six-year contract for the licenses for world history and U.S. history digital curricula. Included in the purchase of the licenses are new print copies of the textbooks since the print textbooks adopted in 2013 are no longer in print. Both the print and digital materials were reviewed to confirm that the textbook and supplemental resources were the same curriculum that was previously adopted, and the digital resources are in compliance with the criteria outlined in Canyons policy. Dr. Roderick-Landward said the approved purchase ensures that all teachers are using the same high-quality, District-approved instructional materials; provides a digital resource that integrates fully with Canvas so that students are not taken to external websites; gives equitable access to all materials for all students for the next six years; and streamlines teacher collaboration, professional learning, and coaching.

Patron Comment

The following patrons addressed the Board during Patron Comment. Recordings of their remarks can be accessed on BoardDocs.

• Stacie Petersen
• Jessica Smith
• Jessica Anderson
• Steve Van Maren

Consent Agenda

The Board of Education approved the Consent Agenda, which includes the minutes for the July 12, 2022 meeting of the Board of Education; hire and termination reports; purchasing bids; and student overnight travel requests.

Recognitions

Canyons District is celebrating the start of the school year with the Aug. 3 New Teacher Family BBQ, the Aug. 6 Canyons District Night at Rio Tinto Stadium, the first-day-of-school red-carpet welcome events at all CSD schools, Kindergarten College-Ready Day, and the ribbon-cutting parties for the new Glacier Hills Elementary and the new home of Diamond Ridge and Entrada Adult high schools.

Superintendent, Business Administrator Report

Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins lauded Canyons’ principals and their administrative teams, who returned Monday for the Critical Policies Training, and noted that 19 school library books are currently being evaluated under the Board’s policy, which was revised last year. He said that a book that one parent had named as available in CSD schools during Patron Comment is not available in Canyons District libraries.

Business Administrator Leon Wilcox said some 20,000 students have registered for the 2022-2023 school yearl through the Back-to-School Online Registration portal. The new Glacier Hills Elementary will be ready for the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 15, he said.

Board of Education Reports

 Mrs. Holly Neibaur expressed appreciation for CSD educators who are working hard to be prepared for the first day of school.  She said Canyons provides great opportunities and experiences for students

Mr. Steve Wrigley is looking forward to meeting new teachers at the New Teacher Family BBQ at Alta High on Wednesday. He noted Canyons teachers’ great efforts to stave off the academic and behavioral “COVID-19” slide faced by schools across the country.

Mrs. Amanda Oaks noted the recent CSD survey that indicated a majority of principals believe a restriction or prohibition of cell phones at school would reduce bullying, discrimination, or harassment among students. She asked the Board to consider discussing this issue in the future. She encouraged schools to teach civility and an appreciation for civic duties, including public and military service.

Mrs. Clareen Arnold expressed thanks to the CSD community for preparing for the upcoming school year.

Mr. Mont Millerberg noted his participation in the “Great Smokeoff,” a back-to-school BBQ held by the Transportation Department. He commented on the work done by the Emergency Management Team to conduct the districtwide safety and security audit.

President Nancy Tingey said she celebrates “the first day” as if it were a holiday.  She recognized the work of the District, be it in the creation of a new life skills curriculum or a security audit. She looks forward to the coming school year.