Aspen Elementary teachers and staff were recognized August 14 for earning the PLC Promising Practices designation, according to a September 4 statement. The recognition follows years of work to strengthen how educators collaborate and respond to student learning.
The designation recognizes schools that demonstrate a commitment to the PLC at Work process and provide evidence that these practices improve student learning. Only a select few Utah schools have earned this designation.
Schoolwide student achievement data showed growth during the 2024-25 school year, increasing from 68.6% at the beginning of the year to 73.9% at the end. Additionally, the percentage of multilingual learners making adequate progress increased from 25% to 66.7%.
Principal Julie van Dijk stated that the school has worked for four years to become a stronger Professional Learning Community. She noted that collaboration at the school focuses on analyzing data to plan support for students who have not mastered essential standards as well as for those who have already mastered skills.
Aspen has implemented several changes to support its professional learning journey. In the 2023-24 school year, the school introduced Eagle Time, which provides dedicated intervention and extension time with support from four trained aides.
Last school year, the school added a master schedule including 120 minutes of literacy instruction. This includes protected time for core classroom instruction and targeted support for students. During that year, 40% of students with IEPs made typical or increased growth.
Hillary Cooper, Solution Tree director of educational partnerships for the West Region, joined faculty members to celebrate the achievement. Cooper stated the designation reflects the work required to build student achievement and a collaborative school culture.
