The Provo School District is a school district in Provo, Utah which has boundaries that coincide with those of the city. The school district is run by a school board elected by city residents. The districts for electing the school board members are drawn by the Provo City Council. There are currently 13,602 students enrolled. Randall J. Merrill is the superintendent.
Provo School District has two high schools, Provo High School and Timpview High School. It has an alternative high school named Independence High School. It also has two middle schools and 14 elementary schools, including a magnet school for gifted and talented students in grades four through six.
The Provo School District has set up dual-immersion programs in four elementary schools. Timpanogos and Canyon Crest Elementaries offer a Spanish/English experience, while Wasatch Elementary provides classes with Mandarin Chinese/English immersion, and Edgemont Elementary teaches students French while they learn current core materials.
Contents |
Students who qualify are invited to attend the Center for Accelerated Studies (CAS) for students in grades four through six. This special school caters to the needs of the profoundly gifted. The Gifted Magnet Program at Provo High School is for students in grades seven through eight and provides services to profoundly gifted students by giving them access to high school-level material while remaining with their middle school-aged peers.
Each school is designed to give accelerated learners the opportunity to be pushed to the highest learning potential and explore all avenues of academic interest.
Students who wish to stay in their neighborhood elementary school and qualify for gifted and talented instruction can have additional lessons created specifically for them. Lesson plans coordinating with what is already being taught in the original classroom gives these students a chance to explore further into lesson topics with enough work to keep their minds focused and learning constantly.
This program gives students at all learning levels the chance to be challenged and work to their full potential.
You can find a Technology Immersion Program at Spring Creek, Sunset View and Franklin Elementary Schools. Students will utilize various technologies, like iPads and video cameras, and programs, like GarageBand and iMovie, as part of an integrated curriculum. Students will also create innovative projects and explore technology tools that will introduce teaching topics and lessons in engaging and interactive aways.
The Dual Language Immersion program gives elementary students the opportunity to become fluent in an additional language by the time he or she exits the sixth grade.
More than 40 years of research consistently documents the power of immersion programs to help students attain high levels of second language proficiency. No other type of instruction, short of living in a second-language environment, is as successful. Young children especially thrive in this type of instructional environment. Happily, language immersion is also the least expensive way to deliver second language instruction. Below are the proven benefits associated with this program.
Schools with Dual Language Immersion Programs:
Provo and Timpview High Schools have the challenging programs that will prepare students for the rigors of college-level courses. Each school has a wide range of core and elective classes, extra-curricular activities and successful athletic programs.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme at Provo High School is a comprehensive and challenging pre-university course that is the only one of its kind in Utah Valley. Demanding the best from both motivated students and teachers, this sophisticated two-year curriculum covers a wide range of academic subjects. The IB Diploma Programme has stood the test of time for more than a half million students in 119 countries since 1968. Top ranking universities, including the Ivy League schools, recognize IB Diploma Programme students as consistently having outstanding qualities and being some of the most qualified students found in the applicant pool.
With classes ranging from European History to Physics to Spanish, there is an Advanced Placement class for any student looking to earn college credit in nearly any academic area. Both high schools offer nearly 20 different Advanced Placement subjects with exceptional passing rates. Advanced Placement courses are designed to place a student in college-level atmosphere with a small classroom design, giving students the best practice they can get to succeed at any university.
Provo School District allows high school students to enroll at both Timpview and Provo High, allowing students to access the best of both worlds through Dual Enrollment. If you see programs that interest you at different schools, talk to your counseling office to make taking them all a possibility. This opportunity enrolls more and more students each year as students and parents see they can access the best qualities of both high schools.
Provo School District recognizes the benefit and value visual and performing arts can add to a student's education and learning ability. To enrich classroom learning, certified music teachers can be found in every elementary, middle and high school staff. In addition, schools are working actively with the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Grant from Brigham Young University to enhance visual art experiences in elementary classrooms.
These programs strengthen the social, emotional and intellectual well-being of students by catering to their multiple intelligences.
What do you see Provo School District being like in the year 2020? A special team of parents, teachers and principals asked the same question and created a plan that will pave the way to help ensure our current and future students have all of the resources necessary to learn, grow and be successful in an ever-changing and evolving workforce. The Recommendations for Action you see below are the result of the Guiding Principles and Strategic Imperatives formed by the 20/20 Committee. These are the concrete decisions that you will see taking effect in each of our schools. For details about the 20/20 Initiative, as well as the Guiding Principles, Strategic Imperatives and the 20/20 Committee, please visit www.provo.edu/202. Opportunities to leave feedback about this Initiative are also available at the same site.
1. Confirm highly effective principals and teachers through enhanced employment, training and evaluation procedures.
2. From clear expectations for all staff at every level of the organization, reward exemplary performance.
3. Transform communication, customer service and relationship expectations with parents and community.
4. Establish district-wide educational performance standards to ensure basic floor of opportunity for all students.
5. Provide for continuous improvement in current proven programs.
6. Encourage programs and activities that encourage authentic learning experiences and critical thinking.
7. Improve general district operations.
Provo School DIstrict teachers know that students learn best in a bright, clean, safe and technologically-advanced environment. During the past decade, Provo School District has constructed four new schools (Timpanogos Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, Provo Peaks Elementary and Spring Creek Elementary) and has significantly remodeled many others. Included in the building projects are remodeling of Provo High School, and auditorium addition to Centennial Middle School, a facelift for Wasatch Elementary, new classrooms at Provost Elementary and a new office and library for Sunset View Elementary.
The Provo School District Foundation facilitates charitable giving that fund programs and services not provided by the state or federal government, including after-school activities. The Foundation passes resources from contributors to the schools, classrooms and programs that need the most assistance, or can be designated to the entity the donor sees most fit. Below are listed way in which people can contribute.
ProvoREADS is a Provo School District and Provo City LIbrary sponsored program that encourages every city resident to promote literacy and community by reading and sharing a common book or author. This year's two books of choice are A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle and When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Adults will remember A Wrinkle in Time as a classic book with a classic good verse evil plot and a time travel twist. When You Reach Me explores a New York City girl's beliefs about time travel and how to work through relationship with her family and friends. These books are great companion reads and will resonate with families as the major themes in both stories include independence, redemption and friendship. Each book has received the Newbery Award, the highest recognition for children's literature, and will prove excellent for children, adults and families.
Previous ProvoREADS picks are the collected works of Katherine Paterson, A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck, The Tale of Despereaux by Katie DiCamillo and Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. Please visit www.provo.edu/provoreads for more information.