Murray City School District has launched a target to increase language arts proficiency across grades 3–10 from 46% to 56% by 2030. Superintendent Jennifer Covington and the school board aim to achieve this through high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction.
The district's strategic growth plan includes lifting foundational reading proficiency for grades K–3 from 63% to 73% by 2030. This effort follows state-level goals set by Governor Spencer Cox and state lawmakers to have 80% of Utah third-graders reading at grade level.
To prepare students for graduation and ACT benchmarks, secondary schools are utilizing daily, structured vocabulary and root-word practice, such as learning Latin and Greek roots. This is intended to help students manage complex science, history, and literature texts as coursework difficulty increases.
Data shared by the district indicates that children with engaged reading routines at home score up to 15% higher in reading. Additionally, active family involvement is linked to 25% fewer missed school days.
District leadership recommends daily micro-reading habits of 15 to 20 minutes to expose students to over 1 million words per year. They suggest allowing students to choose various formats, such as graphic novels, sports news, or science blogs, and recommend that parents lead by example through physical reading.
The literacy initiative aligns with state goals described by leaders as moral infrastructure.
