3families don't yet know how their students scored on the 2025-26 state assessments, even as Utah posted record science results statewide.

Science proficiency reached 49.8% across the state, topping pre-pandemic levels for the first time, according to data released Friday, Sept. 11. English Language Arts (ELA) hit 45.4%, and math climbed to 42.5%, as ABC4 reported. Cydnee McCarty, director of assessment and accountability for the Utah State Board of Education, said single-year growth ranged from 1.2 to 2.6 percentage points across core subjects.

The ELA rate is 2.3 points above the 2021 pandemic low and sits within 1.4 points of pre-pandemic performance. Math proficiency rose 1.2 points year over year and stands 3.5 points above its 2021 mark.

On the RISE assessment for grades three through eight, science led at 52.3% proficiency. Sixth graders posted the state's highest single-grade rate at 58.2%.

What Granite families should know

Granite, the state's third-largest district with about 58,000 students as of the most recent state count in 2023, has built its strategic plan around a goal of raising proficiency 1% each year, according to board documents from September 2025. The district received $15.3 million in Title I federal funding for the 2025-26 school year, board records show.

At the Aug. 4 board meeting, Superintendent Ben Horsley offered an upbeat assessment. "Congratulations to our district, students made a 70% gain in proficiency," Horsley told board members led by President Nicole McDermott. The meeting minutes did not specify which subject, grade level, or time period that figure covered. It is unclear whether the remark relates to the statewide data released five weeks later.

Skyline High School, ranked No. 2 among Utah public high schools in the 2026-27 U.S. News & World Report rankings released Aug. 18, is one of the Granite schools whose individual results will become clearer once the Utah State Board of Education publishes district- and school-level breakdowns.

Families can check schools.utah.gov/assessment for district data and graniteschools.org for the next board meeting date.