Details on the Washington County school district and St. George, Utah public schools. How do Washington County school students measure up in national achievement testing? Find student testing statistics and history of education in southern Utah.

Washington County schools are located within a 2,435 square mile radius of St. George and the surrounding area. The Washington County area offers a variety of education opportunities including public schools, private schools, charter schools, and trade schools. 

The Washington County School District provides public education for kindergarten through 12th grade, managing a total of 42 schools. Within the Washington County School District you will find 4 preschool locations, 24 elementary schools, 6 intermediate schools, 5 middle schools, and 7 high schools.  All schools within the district follow the same school year calendar, with the exception of Enterprise and Millcreek.  Within these schools there two specialty schools; Dixie Sun is a bilingual school offering immersion in both English and Spanish, and Mill Creek High School specializes in students who are struggling to finish high school.   The school district's mission is to “improve student achievement,” they provide a quality education that is consistent with state guidelines.

There are currently 4 charter school options in Washington County -  Vista at Entrada is a school of performing arts and technology, George Washington Academy and SUCCESS Academy at Dixie State College focus on academic excellence.  Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts focuses on music, dance, and theatre.  Enrollment in Washington County charter schools is limited but free to students who live in the area. 

There are about 10 schools listed as "private schools" with the southern Utah area, most of which are privately owned schools that specialize in troubled youth. 

At the college, university, or trade school level there are a number of options including Dixie State College, Dixie Applied Technology - DXATC, Mohave Community College North Mohave Campus, Sensory Development Institute, Utah State University (on the campus of Dixie State College),  American Institue of Medical/Dental Technology, Flight School of Southern Utah and numberous trade schools specializing in massage, esthetics, hair and nail technical schools, and more.

Overall, Washington County public school student test results show achievement levels at, or above those of the state of Utah and the nation. The following test results indicate how Southern Utah schools compare on state and national levels:

ACT
The ACT is a standardized test used by most technical training programs, colleges, and universities, to measure college readiness in English, Math, Reading, and Science. The results of these tests are combined to form a composite score between 0 and 36.

In 2009, the average ACT score for Washington County 12th graders who took the exam was 21.5. This is fairly consistent with the state average of 21.8, and higher than the national average of 21.1.

IOWA
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills is a nationally standardized exam, given to 3rd, 5th, and 8th graders to assess achievements in Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Scores are based on a percentile for comparison purposes. The national percentile is 50.

According to 2009 test results, at the 5th grade level, the Washington County total score was 56%. This would indicate that Washington County 5th graders performed as well or better than 56% of the students that took that same test.

CRT
The Criteria Reference Test CRT is given to grades 1-12 to measure proficiency in Language Arts, Math, and Science. The following scores reflect an average proficiency of primary and secondary schools combined.

The 2010 CRT results show that on average Washington County students scored with 81.7% proficiency in Language Arts (state average was 82%), 73.8% proficiency in Math (state average was 69.5%), and 74.6% proficiency in Science. (state average was 69.7%)

UBSCT
The Utah Basic Skills Competency Test is a collection of subtests that assess skill levels in Reading, Math, and Writing. According to Utah state legislature, students must be able to pass the UBSCT in order to receive a high school diploma. The test is first issued to students at the 10th grade level.

The 2010 UBSCT results showed that 90% of 10th graders passed Reading (state average 85.7%), 73% passed Math (state average 67.9%), and 68.3% passed Writing (state average 72.2%) on their first attempt.

Overall, the quality of education provided by Washington County appears to be above average when compared to the rest of the state. In addition, a 2009-2010 parent survey demonstrated that 80% of respondents in Washington Country agree that their child is receiving a quality education in a Washington County school.

More Southern Utah Education Resources:

Utah public schools by city - Schools by City in Utah

Utah Private Schools - EducationBug Directory of Washington County Public Schools