Peruvian Park Elementary School - Sandy, UT

Peruvian Park Elementary is nestled among the Wasatch Mountains in Sandy, Utah. Our school community is proud of our highly varied population of 545 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Although Peruvian Park houses two distinct learning programs within our school, general education and gifted/talented, students and staff support a "one school – one mission" philosophy. We empower students to build their own success through character, confidence, and academics. All students in the school identify individual learning goals, track progress, and celebrate their strengths and progress as a united school community.

For many years, the general education population was statistically "hidden" behind the high achievement data of the students in the gifted/talented program. Four years ago, an energized student population, a dedicated staff, and an involved community accepted the challenge to disaggregate data by learning program. We analyzed individual needs and implemented data analysis through public practice. The staff designed appropriate and challenging curriculum for both programs based on a multi-tiered system of supports framework grounded in high quality academic-behavioral instruction and intervention.

With high expectations and perseverance, the general education classes doubled the percentage of students achieving proficiency on state exams. Students in the SALTA gifted program steadily increased the number of students achieving highly proficient rates on state exams. We continue to build students as individuals, to learn as professionals, to stay committed to strong relationships with parents, and to implement high-yielding practices that best meet the needs of the unique learners at our school.