Research Education Records
The Utah State Archives is the repository for many permanent government records relating to education, including records from the State Office of Education and the Board of Regents. Education records date back to the establishment of the territory.
These records document changes in Utah's public educational system over time for both K-12 and higher education. Although their informational content varies widely, education records can be an important source for studies of education history, law, legislation, finances and fiscal operations, education staff, salaries, certification, curriculum, enrollment, school buildings, and school districts.
Annual Reports
The annual reports are an overall outline of the state's public and higher educational systems. Designed to provide a public account of the school system, they include a general evaluation of activities and programs. Each report reviews the accomplishments of the previous year, recommending areas for new emphasis or improvement and also contains information pertaining to funding, productivity, development, quality, tax levies, district enrollments, attendance rates, academic affairs, budgets, finances, planning, and facilities.
| Board of Regents | |
| Annual Reports, 1969-[ongoing] | Series 19531 |
| Coordinating Council of Higher Education | |
| Annual Reports, 1959-1969 | Series 20046 |
| Schools for the Deaf and the Blind | |
| Annual Reports, 1896-[ongoing] | Series 9167 |
| Secretary of State | |
| Compiled Digest of Administrative Reports, 1957-1966 | Series 3530 |
| Public Documents Serial Set, 1896-1956 | Series 240 |
| State Office of Education | |
| Annual Reports, 1864-[ongoing] | Series 84427 |
Law and Legislation
The School Laws contain not only specific laws for education itself but also the laws pertaining to teachers and administration, taxation, and funding. The Legislative Program Manuals outline proposals presented to the legislature that pertain to the minimum school program, budget, educational reform and legislation.
| State Board of Education | |
| Utah School Laws, 1880-1978 | Series 84855 |
| Legislative Program Manuals, 1967-[ongoing] | Series 84436 |
Financial Reports
These series contain budget requests to the State Legislature for funding and finance reference manuals which assist in understanding how public schools are funded.
| Board of Regents | |
| Operating Budget Requests, 1970-[ongoing] | Series 19535 |
| Coordinating Council of Higher Education | |
| Budget Reports, 1960-1969 | Series 20047 |
| State Board of Education | |
| Budget and Appropriation Requests, 1967-[ongoing] | Series 3269 |
| State Office of Education | |
| School Finance Reference Manuals, 1979-[ongoing] | Series 10816 |
Educators Reports
The following reports are annual directories of state and local administrative personnel and offices, school districts and educational organizations.
- State Office of Education. Directories, 1967-[ongoing] (Series 10641)
- State Office of Education. School Directories, 1914-[ongoing] (Series 10819)
The next reports contain information pertaining to the salary schedules for Utah's school districts and educators' salaries. The reports include comparative data on teacher salaries, a district-by-district compilation of the salary schedules, salary surveys, administrative salary information, comparative studies, inflation affects on salary, and salary schedules by district.
- State Office of Education. Salary Reports, 1941-[ongoing] (Series 4595)
- State Office of Education. Salary Schedule Information Reports, 1966-[ongoing] (Series 10820)
The last of the educators reports include periodic evaluations of university and college teacher education programs. The studies include a standards analysis for each teaching major and minor offered that leads to certification. The teacher personnel reports contain information pertaining to the number of personnel, ethnic and racial background, certification and training, experience, age and sex distribution, teacher turnover and enrollment. The certification standard manuals outline the requirements for initial and continued teacher certification.
- State Office of Education. Certification and Personnel Development. Certification Standards Manuals, 1951-[ongoing] (Series 84800)
- State Office of Education. Status of Teacher Personnel Reports, 1951-[ongoing] (Series 1831)
- State Office of Education. Universities Teacher Education Program Reports, 1971-[ongoing] (Series 84401)
Curriculum
The curriculum guides and materials are provided to assist teachers in their individual subjects and to introduce new concepts while reinforcing prior instruction. The curriculum reports contain information relating to evaluations, studies and analyses of curriculum.
The textbook list reports consist of periodic volumes and annual supplements that list all adopted text materials approved for use in the state's schools. Each volume provides the title, publisher and author as well as the text approval expiration date.
- Coordinating Council of Higher Education. Curriculum Reports, 1962-1966 (Series 20070)
- Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Curriculum Guides, 1924-[ongoing] (Series 10689)
- State Board of Education. Core Curriculum Standards Reports, 1987-[ongoing] (Series 10728)
- State Board of Education. Division of Curriculum and Instruction. Curriculum Guides and Teaching Supplements, 1928-[ongoing] (Series 84843)
- State Board of Education. Division of Primary Education. Primary Grades Outlines, 1921-1931 (Series 84614)
- State Board of Education. Textbook Commission. Official List of School Textbooks, 1918-[ongoing] (Series 84853)
- State Board for Vocational Educations. Curriculum Guides, 1934-[ongoing] (Series 1401)
- State Office of Education. Course of Study Manuals, 1894-1936 (Series 84857)
- State Office of Education. Curriculum Reports, 1949-[ongoing] (Series 4969)
- State Office of Education. Instructional Technology Section. Utah Network for Instructional Television Curriculum Guides, 1964-[ongoing] (Series 84858)
Enrollment
The enrollment reports comprise information relating to enrollment comparisons by grade level, fall enrollment totals, total number enrolled, male and female enrollment, elementary and secondary school enrollment, out-of-state enrollment, public and private school enrollment and enrollment in each class.
- Board of Regents. Enrollment Analysis Reports, 1959-[ongoing] (Series 19990)
- State Board of Education. Fall School Enrollment Reports, 1964-[ongoing] (Series 83272)
School Buildings
The building records contain information pertaining to safety standards, minimum standards for school building construction, cost and statistical studies, building appraisals, renovation needs, planning, cost comparison, state building aid, policies and procedures, and rules and regulations.
- School Building Survey Commission. School Buildings Evaluation Study Reports, 1951-1953 (Series 1876)
- State Office of Education. School Buildings in Utah and Supplements, 1975-[ongoing] (Series 84439)
- State Office of Education. School Building Reports, 1955-[ongoing] (Series 1844)
- State Office of Education. School Building Plans and Specifications, 1911-1984 (Series 1328) online index
School Districts
These reports consist of information concerning statistical information from the forty school districts in the state. The reports contain information pertaining to enrollment, dropouts, attendance, personnel and staff, handicapped programs, advanced placement program, adult education, transportation, tax rate, geographic size, assessed valuation, budget, teacher salary schedules, and number of students, teachers, and staff.
- State Office of Education. Annual School District Statistical Reports, 1934-1988 (Series 10817)
- State Office of Education. School District Evaluation Reports, 1915-[ongoing] (Series 84629)
- State Office of Education. School District Information Guides, 1965-[ongoing] (Series 84391)
Student Records
For student records from elementary or secondary schools, the researcher should first contact the appropriate school and district offices. In most cases, student records follow the student to whatever school in which they terminate their education. For example, if the student graduated high school, the grade school records would be found at the high school from which the student graduated. The records stay at the final school permanently; if the school closes, the records are transferred to the district office. In rare cases, such as records from South High School, the records of the closed school have been transferred to the Archives. University and college records are never transferred to the Archives, but stay with the college. Student records are private and only available to the subject of the records.
Universities and Colleges
For additional information about colleges and universities, researchers will need to contact the specific college or university.
Page Last Updated June 14, 2002.