2026

This report presents findings from the Utah Education Policy Center’s (UEPC) external evaluation of the STEM Action Center’s (STEM AC) Math Mentors (MM) program for the 2025-2026 school year (Year 4). In the program, trained mentors provide in-school math tutoring to students individually or in small groups, paired with math learning software (MLS). Using participation logs, surveys, focus groups, and student achievement data, the evaluation looked at program implementation, mentors’ training and support, changes in students’ math attitudes, and how participation related to math achievement. The program served more than 3,100 students across 20 schools in nine Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Tutoring dosage rose substantially from the prior year, though most students received less than the amount recommended by the National Student Support Accelerator. Preliminary analyses in three selected LEAs found positive associations between participation and math achievement in two of the three. A full analysis across all nine participating LEAs will follow when statewide data become available. The report closes with recommendations to support continued program improvement.

This report shares findings from the Utah Education Policy Center's 2025–2026 evaluation of Volunteer for Good, a four-year pilot program (2024–2028) developed by the Utah Commission on Service and Volunteerism (UServeUtah). The program promotes volunteerism and seeks to strengthen high school students' well-being, civic engagement, and academic and social success. Operating in five Local Education Agencies (Garfield County, Granite, Nebo, and Sevier School Districts, and Mountain Heights Academy), the Year 2 evaluation summarizes key implementation metrics; highlights facilitators and barriers to implementation; describes how students, educators, and families experienced the program; and examines how participation relates to students' academic, social, mental well-being, and civic outcomes.

As part of a multiyear evaluation of the technical assistance and capacity-building services provided by the Western Education Equity Assistance Center (WEEAC), the Utah Education Policy Center has collaborated with WEEAC to develop this impact story. The report highlights the center's sustained technical assistance provided to Nevada's Office of Indian Education, culminating in the development of a 5-year improvement plan to address persistent gaps in educational outcomes among Nevada's American Indian and Alaska Native students.

This report presents findings from the Utah Education Policy Center’s (UEPC) external evaluation of the Utah STEM Action Center’s K-12 Math Personalized Learning Software Grant Program for the 2025-2026 school year. Using a teacher survey, math learning software (MLS) usage data, and statewide administrative data, the evaluation examined MLS implementation, teacher perceptions of its value, and the relationship between MLS usage and math achievement. Most teachers endorsed the value of setting mastery-based goals and using MLS data to inform instruction, though fewer than one-third implemented either practice to a large extent. Using 2024-2025 statewide assessment data, the evaluation found positive, statistically significant associations between MLS usage and math achievement for eight of the nine vendors analyzed and estimated that MLS usage helped approximately 10,000 students reach math proficiency who would not otherwise have done so. Several groups that benefited most, including students from low-income backgrounds and chronically absent students, used MLS less than their peers. The report closes with recommendations for continued program improvement.

This study, which was conducted as part of a research practice partnership with the USBE, compares the retention and end-of-year standardized assessment results of newly licensed teachers from the Alternate Pathway to Professional Educator License - Special Education (APPEL-SpEd) pathway to those of newly licensed teachers from traditional university special education programs. Our results indicate no evidence of differences between teachers coming from these two pathways.