Weber Innovation High School -

Hello families,

My name is Nicki Slaugh, and I’m honored to serve as the Director of Personalized Competency-Based Learning (PCBL) for Weber School District and as the proud principal of Innovation High.

I’ve been in education for 23 years, and I’ve truly loved every minute of it. Teaching isn’t just what I do—it’s who I am. I knew from an early age that education was my calling. I was the kid who lined up her sisters to play school, complete with activities, recess breaks and occasional dance class. 

I graduated from Fremont High School, cheered for Weber State University, and earned my degree in Early Childhood Education. Soon after, I was hired by Weber School District to teach 1st grade, and that’s where the spark for personalized learning truly began.

From the very first week in my classroom, I realized no two students were the same, some were still learning letter sounds, while others were flying through chapter books. That was the moment my “light bulb” went off: students don’t need one-size-fits-all teaching, they need learning that’s made just for them. That belief has guided every step of my career.

Over the years, I taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades, was named Teacher of the Year, and later became an Instructional Technology Coach. In that role, I helped teachers use technology not just as a tool, but as a way to shift instruction so students had more one-on-one time, immediate feedback, and meaningful ways to create and explore.

Driven to make a broader impact, I wanted to try secondary education. I earned my Master’s in Educational Leadership and my administrative endorsement. I took on the challenge of leading Quest Academy, a 6–9 charter school that needed support with enrollment, student engagement, technology integration, STEM, teacher retention, and improvement of test scores. And together, we did all that and so much more. We became the first full PCBL school in the state. 

At Quest, we built something truly special. Our school culture flourished, students loved coming to school, and teachers rediscovered their passion. We were recognized and featured on KSL, awarded the Model School designation, known as one of only seven schools in the nation. For the past three years, we’ve hosted educators from across the state and country to learn “The Quest Way.”  I received Innovative Leader of the Year for Utah last year.  Innovative practices are truly my passion, I love trying new things. 

Inspired by this journey, I co-authored a book on PCBL with one of my educational idols, and I’ve since had the privilege of speaking at state, national, and international conferences on topics like student engagement, school culture, personalization, leadership, and proficiency scales.