West Hills Middle

WHMS
About West Hills Middle

West Hills Middle School provides a positive learning environment where students have every opportunity to achieve their academic potential without regard to race, sex, or religious preference. The staff is committed to meet the intellectual, social, emotional, aesthetic, and physical needs of seventh, eight, and ninth grade students. The curriculum emphasizes basic skills and exploration experiences to help students make a satisfactory transition during the years between elementary and high school. West Hills Middle faculty members consistently work to maintain the highest levels of professionalism. Their goal is to give students an education which will have a significant and lasting effect in their lives. West Hills Middle has a School Improvement Plan that is currently being implemented to move the school forward.

  • West Hills Wildcat EmblemWe desire that:
  • Students will be critical thinkers and problem solvers.
  • Students will communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
  • Students will demonstrate positive character development and responsible citizenship.
  • Students will demonstrate basic knowledge and learn individual and teaming skills that support future learning.
  • West Hills Highlights:
  • The school serves 1,206 students.
  • Students attend school on a regular nine-month, 180-day calendar with the summers off. Teachers collaborate as grade-level teams, and subject-area teams, in planning and preparing the very best curriculum, lessons, and projects possible for our students.
  • The curriculum meets, or exceeds district and state core standards and includes a wide range of required and elective courses.
  • The 56-member faculty includes a mix of veteran and new educators. All are state and federal approved and well prepared in their teaching fields. Both teachers and administrators undergo formal evaluations on a regular basis. The standards of excellence are high throughout the faculty and staff.
  • A full resource team, school psychologist, counselors, and teachers are on staff to serve students with special needs.
  • Selected 9th grade honors classes are available to students who qualify through class performance and high scores on standardized achievement tests.
  • West Hills has 6 computer-equipped labs and two mobile labs to assist students learning keyboarding, computer technology, research and writing skills.
  • Students have access to a beautiful media center that is continually updated to increase the number of materials available for research and information.
  • Students are expected to attend classes regularly and to comply with the school’s Code of Conduct. A computer tracking system helps monitor attendance. Staff members work closely with any student who has problems.
  • Character education and excellence programs encourage students to do their best by rewarding academic achievement, good citizenship, exemplary attitudes, exceptional effort, and improvement.
  • Nutritious breakfast and hot lunches are served everyday.
  • Most West Hills Middle School students live within walking distance and bus service is provided for any who live two miles or more from the school.
  • School volunteers are an important asset to the school. The Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a vital part of West Hills. Volunteerism is encouraged. The school has an active School Community Council.
  • Visitors are always welcome and asked to stop by the office for a visitor’s pass before going to classes or moving through the building.
  • Parents and students have 24-hour access to current grades and attendance with the school’s online Skyward program. We have a West Hills Middle School web site that is continually updated with information on school events, newsletters, calendars, teachers’ individual web pages, and links to faculty e-mail addresses.
  • Visitors to our school frequently comment on the high standards of courtesy and respect they encounter at West Hills Middle School.
  • It is great to be a Wildcat!
Student Achievement
Utah Aspire Plus

The Utah Aspire Plus Summative assessment is administered to students in grades 9-10 as an end-of-level assessment.  Operating under a legislative mandate, the UA+ test provides a predictive ACT score range to individual students as well as a proficiency score at the school level and for individual students in English, Math, Reading and Science as they prepare to take the ACT college entrance exam in 11th grade.  UA+ question items assess students’ capacity to think analytically, make inferences, and connect learning and concepts across subjects.  Utah Aspire Plus assessments provide information to assist in determining students’ educational progress towards being ready for college and careers upon completion of secondary school. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 school year.

Test Subject 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
Language Arts 44.6% N/A 40.4% 32.7% 34.2%
Mathematics 37.2% N/A 27.7% 37.8% 32.2%
Science 31.8% N/A 39.3% 35.5% 30.0%
RISE

RISE is a collection of computer-adaptive assessments given to Utah students beginning in grade 3 (science in grade 4) in English language arts (ELA), math and science. RISE assessments provide questions that assess students’ ability to apply higher-order thinking skills and better emulate real tasks students may encounter in education and in life.

RISE assessments were developed through a joint effort on the part of Utah teachers, parents, test development experts, and the Utah State Board of Education (USBE). The RISE assessment, together with the state’s suite of assessments in grades K-12, provide information to assist in determining students’ progress towards being prepared for college and careers upon completion of secondary school. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 school year.

Test Subject 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
Language Arts 35.5% N/A 28.2% 31.6% 29.2%
Mathematics 32.7% N/A 26.4% 31.4% 28.2%
Science 31.4% N/A 33.6% 34.6% 33.7%
School Accountability Report Cards

School Accountability Report Cards are issued for each public school once a year by the State of Utah. Elementary and middle school report cards have four main grade categories: achievement, growth, English learner progress, and growth of the lowest 25%. High schools have one additional grade category entitled postsecondary readiness. Achievement and growth was calculated from the new Readiness. Improvement. Success. Empowerment. (RISE) assessment for grades 3-8 and the Utah Aspire Plus assessment for grades 9-10. The English learner progress category score is calculated from the annual administration of the WIDA test, which assesses students’ language proficiency in English. For high schools, the postsecondary readiness score is calculated from 11th grade performance on the ACT, advanced coursework performance, and graduation rates. The state’s School Accountability Report Cards are intended to inform educators, parents, and community stakeholders about school performance as they work collaboratively to improve student outcomes. Due to the school soft closure in March 2020, scores are not available for the 2019-20 and the 2020-21 school years.

Category 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23
Achievement 19 N/A N/A 19 18
Growth 18 N/A N/A 35 32
ELL Progress 7 N/A N/A 6 3
Growth of the Lowest 25% 13 N/A N/A 16 14
Boundary Map & Safe Walking Routes