ROCK SPRINGS — Sweetwater County School District No. 1 is celebrating improvements in its schools and student achievement following the release of the Wyoming Department of Education’s WY-TOPP assessment results and school performance ratings.
“We are incredibly proud of the steady progress our district continues to make in improving student achievement. These accomplishments reflect the dedication and hard work of our teachers, staff, students, and school leaders,” Paul Grube, Interim Superintendent of Sweetwater County School District No. 1 said. “While we have much to celebrate, we also recognize there is important work ahead. We remain committed to building on this momentum, strengthening instructional practices, and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
Northpark, Pilot Butte, Stagecoach, and Sage Elementary Schools advanced two performance levels measured by the WDE, moving from Not Meeting Expectations to Meeting Expectations. The district was invited to share and celebrate the district’s successes during an event hosted by the WDE Friday. The state recognized the growth seen in the elementary schools, with Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Deganfelder also highlighting increases seen at Desert View Elementary.
“We are grateful for the WDE recognition of the tremendous work our teachers, student achievement teachers, administrators, and district leaders have accomplished over the past several years,” Jodie Garner, the district’s chief academic officer, said. “By focusing collectively on strengthening Tier 1 instruction, aligning instruction to state standards, improving strategic interventions, and using data to drive collaborative planning, we have remained committed to improving student achievement. We are incredibly proud of our entire district for its unwavering dedication to keeping students and their learning needs at the heart of everything we do.”
SCSD No. 1 Board of Trustees Chairman Cole Wright said the performance ratings prove consistency, support, the correct tools and strategies when combined with hard work from students, families, teachers and district staff result in success.
“This is evidence that wise decisions have been made, such as the programs supporting our earliest learners, as well as putting assistance in place to provide quality instruction for all learners, though these take time to yield results,” Wright said. “I could not be more proud of our administration and staff in supporting all learners to this level of success.”
Additionally, the WY-TOPP results revealed encouraging gains in elementary math, with grades three through six all seeing increases in math proficiency compared to the 2025-2026 school year. Math proficiency increased 57.64% in the third grade, up from 56.48%, with 30.25% performing at an advanced level.
The fourth grade increased from 38.44% to 48.47%, a gain of 10.03 percentage points, while fifth grade proficiency increased from 35.77% to 42.86%, a gain of 7.09 percentage points. Sixth grade proficiency increased from 30.05% to 44.44%, a gain of 14.39 percentage points.
The district saw increases in English language arts proficiency as well. The third grade proficiency increased from 50.87% to 53.21%, which the district says continues positive results. Fifth grade proficiency rose from 40.40% to 47.77%. The 10th grade saw an increase from 40.06% to 44.03%.
