Hillfield Elementary credits quick-assessment, restorative circles for sharp gains among military-connected students

Hillfield Elementary principals told the Davis School District board that focused social supports and fast, targeted academic assessments helped produce unusually strong student gains this year.

Principal Sarah Burke said the school — identified as a Purple Star school — serves a student body that is about 94% military-connected and has a 42% annual mobility rate. "We assess students the first day and by the second day they are in targeted groups," Burke said, describing a rapid-response approach combined with professional learning communities (PLCs) to track progress and adjust instruction.

The school credited daily class meet-ups and restorative conversations with improving classroom behavior and social skills. "These circles provide a time for community building and connecting with each other," Burke said. She added that restorative conversations can take an extra minute but have a longer-lasting impact than quick disciplinary responses.

In presentation slides and remarks, Hillfield staff reported that the percentage of students meeting typical or higher reading-growth measures rose 16 percentage points between the end of the 2022 and 2023 school years (the district average cited on the slide was 3%). They reported math growth this year of about 15 points versus a district average of about 8 points, and said office referrals were down roughly 33% this year.

Board members asked where the data came from and how much of the work depended on district vs. school initiatives. Burke said the results reflected a combination of quick assessments, PLC-driven interventions and support from the Davis School District military support team, which can supply educational therapists and additional services on request.

The school also described family-connection efforts — summer home visits, community events and a student leadership program called Anchored for Life — and invited board members to a 'Purple Up' family event scheduled for the coming Friday. The board thanked Hillfield’s staff and students for the presentation and said it would hear more from the school later in the meeting.

The board did not take action on the presentation; presenters and board members said resources and practices highlighted during the talk will inform districtwide discussions about serving mobile and military-connected students.