Strategies for
Education

KEY STRATEGIES

  • Adopt a long-range plan that is adaptable to local needs, and consistently implement proven, effective strategies to accomplish Utah’s education goals.
  • Dedicate significant and stable investments to public and postsecondary educational opportunities sufficient to implement strategies.
  • Attract and retain high-quality teachers, administrators, and counselors.
  • Ensure access to high-quality early childhood education for every child.
  • Increase involvement of parents, families, and community organizations in students’ education.
  • Assess students’ progress early and often to ensure they get the help they need to maximize their potential.
  • Ensure quality higher education and postsecondary opportunities are affordable for everyone.

This vision, created by Utahns, for Utahns, establishes a clear context, framework, and direction for policy discussions and actions to achieve the future Utahns want. Although government will play an important role, Utahns recognize that achieving the vision will also require a concerted, cooperative effort by individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations in the private sector.

Strategies

  1. Develop and finance a comprehensive, long-term, statewide education plan that is adaptable to local needs.

    1. Include a funding plan to finance the proposed strategies.
    2. Ensure that strategies are consistently pursued and funded over the long term.
    3. Facilitate collaboration among education stakeholders to create a single, unified vision of the future of education in the state.
  2. Attract and retain quality teachers, counselors, and administrators.

    1. Offer competitive compensation for teachers and staff.
    2. Expand mentorship programs for teachers.
    3. Provide opportunities for ongoing professional development.
    4. Foster strong leadership from principals.
    5. Increase the number of counselors per student.
  3. Ensure access to high-quality early childhood education for every child.

    1. Offer publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs, particularly for at-risk children.
    2. Provide voluntary all-day kindergarten.
  4. Ensure every student gets the help they need early and often by implementing rigorous standards and ongoing assessment of progress.

    1. Utilize strong data systems to track progress and provide real-time feedback to students, parents, and teachers.
    2. Use assessments to provide individual assistance to students at risk of falling behind.
    3. Use assessments to help all students progress faster as they are ready.
  5. Implement research-based, proven strategies to improve reading and math skills, with particular focus on early proficiency.

  6. Better integrate technology into the classroom through proven strategies and courseware, updated equipment, and teacher training.

    1. Provide ongoing training and support to educators.
    2. Plan for ongoing technical support and maintenance.
  7. Increase collaboration among families, schools, educators, businesses, and faith-based and community partners.

    1. Empower parents and families to actively participate in their children’s education.
    2. Use schools as community centers, where community members can go to receive other services (e.g., adult education, health services, job or language skill development, and afterschool programs).
    3. Foster partnerships with businesses to develop internships and technical training for both students and teachers.
  8. Invest resources in higher education institutions to ensure individuals can access and complete degree programs.

    1. Increase flexibility of programs by offering courses online when possible and by scheduling courses at more times of day and at more times of year, such as in summer.
    2. Provide more physical and virtual infrastructure to handle growing numbers of students.
    3. Provide more counselors, advisors, and support staff to assist more students in completing their education.
  9. Help more students enter into and complete high-quality certificate, licensure, or degree programs.

    1. Improve collaboration between postsecondary and K–12 schools to help students explore their options and better prepare for training and education beyond high school.
    2. Provide counseling and mentoring in both K–12 and postsecondary institutions to help students develop strategies to complete their training or degrees.
    3. Provide resources to nontraditional students (older students, ESL students, etc.) to help them prepare for and complete college or certificate programs.
    4. Encourage parents and families to get involved and support students as they apply for and move through training and education beyond high school.
    5. Offer flexibility in class scheduling and course platforms.
  10. Ensure affordability of quality higher education and postsecondary opportunities.

    1. Maintain affordable tuition through continued state investment.
    2. Expand financial assistance for students in need.
    3. Help students learn what financial assistance is available to them.