Dear PTA members and School Patrons:

Utah PTA is committed to improving accountability and communication with the public on school performance. We as parents are invested in our traditional public and charter schools. We want them to succeed. The school grades that will be released September 3, 2013 will be both concerning and confusing to many parents.

Parents will want to know:

  1. how will these grades effect their student’s ability to get into college, and
  2. how will it effect their property values especially if their school is a C, D, or F school, and
  3. what are the consequences for their school receiving a C, D, or F and what resources will be available to assist in school improvement, and
  4. are there benefits to receiving an A or B grade other than accolades?

Parents’ are invested in their schools and many sit on School Community Councils. The Utah Legislature put into law that School Community Councils must annually prepare a School Improvement Plan that addresses the most pressing academic need of the school. The best accountability system at the local level is the School Improvement Plan.These plans are by far, the best assessment of a school’s needs as determined by the parents and school personnel.

The grading system determined by the Utah Legislature heavily weights students who are proficient, potentially ignoring the many students who may not yet reach proficiency but who are nonetheless showing strong growth toward that goal. The system is a one-sized-fits-all that labels schools serving special populations of students with disabilities or in alternative settings the same as schools that serve wealthy communities. Indeed, the grading system is roughly aligned with wealth and poverty; higher grades typify wealthy areas while lower grades are often seen in areas of poverty. Utah PTA is ready and willing to do all we can to educate PTA members and school patrons on the flawed school grading system that was determined by the Utah Legislature.

Utah PTA encourages parents to learn about the School Grade system and if you have concerns or feel that the system is flawed and invalid, call the Governor’s office, your legislative Representative and Senator and share your concerns. We further urge you to contact Senate President Niederhauser at and Rep Greg Hughes at to let them know that you support your local school and believe that an improvement plan is far superior to a flawed grade.

Sincerely,

Liz Zentner

Utah PTA President

Note: The School Grades can be found on the Utah State Office of Education website main page.