Charles Argyle

When he took the position of principal at Santaquin Elementary nine years ago, Chad R. Argyle had six years of principalship under his belt. He wasted no time diving into the challenges faced at his new school, which was then the fourth highest-poverty Title 1 school in the district. Argyle knew that motivating teachers to nurture their professional development would be key to improving classroom outcomes, and to that end, he has supported over sixty teachers and staff members in attending professional training each year, resulting in a dramatic shift in school culture and test results to match. Students’ end-of-level test scores have increased 12 percentage points in math, 10 in language arts, and 18 in science since 2014. Argyle also introduced a holistic and efficient intervention system to enhance student literacy achievement, where all staff collaborate to identify and meet student needs. This endeavor has resulted in an increase in grade level reading from 47% to 77% over a three-year period. Teachers and staff appreciate Argyle’s commitment to high standards, with one teacher noting, “when the bar is set high, he is great at encouraging those around him to reach for it and to not ever give up.” Argyle holds an A.S. from Utah Valley State College, a B.A. from Weber State University, and an M.Ed. from Brigham Young University.