Success and Challenges in Federal Way School District

What does Success look like What does Success look like in Federal Way School in Federal Way School District? District? The Superintendent has told us that we have an Abundance of Progress.

First, we need to look at how Washington is First, we need to look at how Washington is rated nationally! rated nationally!

45thour of 50! In 2018, Washington had the fifth worst rate of immediate college enrollment in the nation, ahead of only Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Alaska. Washington has not been above the national average since 1994, when 57.4% of high school graduates immediately went on to college. Federal Way Mirror August 27, 2021

Lets look at where we are at this point Let s look at where we are at this point There are several organizations that Rate schools. OSPI has the School Report Card. ERDC has measurements of graduate's outcomes School Data Project does a wonderful job of comparing Poverty to achievement School Digger has some very candid observations about schools nationwide USNews ranks most major high schools by state and nation (I have not included their ratings as they are similar to School Digger s.)

Lets exam the School Report Card from OSPI

Washington State School Report Card for Federal Way District

Washington School Report Card for Federal Washington School Report Card for Federal Way School District Way School District 33.4% of our students are Proficient in Mathematics. 88% of our students Graduate in 4 years but only 33.4% are Proficient? 82.7% of our students regularly attend school but 88% graduate? Math Proficiency declines from 43.9% of 3rdgraders to 23.1% in the 10thgrade! Source-Washington State School Report Card for Federal Way School District

What percent of our students met standards in each grade?

Progress? Progress? As you can see math proficiency declines the longer you are in the District! It s over 50% lower in the 10th grade than it was in the 3rd Grade! Since many juniors and seniors do not even take a math course the proficiency of 12th graders is likely to be below 20%. You may have read of Valedictorians not being admitted to college? This is why College Admissions folks Grade high schools.

How many kids are on track to Graduate? How many kids are on track to Graduate? According to the Report Card 60.9% of Freshman are on track to Graduate. Caution, This state does not have any hard and fast requirements for Graduation. Approximately 20% of minority students are Proficient.

What percentage of our students met standards, over time by student demographics Asian White Two or more races American Indian/Alaskan Hispanic/Latino Black/African American Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

Education Research and Data Center Reports Education Research and Data Center Reports this about Federal Way Schools this about Federal Way Schools Please look at the trend lines here. Does anyone recall any discussion or concern by our School Board about these figures or trend? This is Progress?

What is this telling us? Less than 50% of Graduates are finishing college. 2/3 s of those attending a community college do not graduate. This number is increasing! An abundance of progress is not shown in the graphs. About 35% of graduates finish college! As far as I know we do not have any Living Wage Employer endorsed vocational programs and yet less than 50% of our kids are finishing college! The number of kids not even attempting college is increasing! The future for an unprepared Graduate of our schools is not positive.

The number of kids taking pre-college courses in high school does not show any Progress!

What does Greatschools.com think of our high What does Greatschools.com think of our high schools? schools? Test Scores Below Average Below Average Below Average Below Average College Readiness Below Average Below Average Below Average Below Average Equity Below Average Below Average Below Average Below Average Decatur Federal Way Thomas Jefferson Todd Beamer

Greatschools.com Greatschools.com is the reference used by is the reference used by the Real Estate industry to answer the the Real Estate industry to answer the question, How good are the schools? question, How good are the schools? What is this doing to your house s values?

Lets look at the School Data Projects Presentaton. Each of the gray circles is a school in Washington. The Federal Way schools are highlighted. Clearly, even using Poverty, a favorite excuse for low achievement, most of our schools are not even up to the average by this measurement. Note that there are several school on this chart, not in Federal Way, that well exceed the average and yet I don t believe that this district is looking at the reasons for their excellence.

Note that in the 4th Grade some of our schools are above average! Watch what happens by the 8th grade!

Our middle schools are all below average!

Could this be attributed to the chaos that seems to be tolerated in both elementary and middle schools?

Now lets look at our high schools! Now lets look at our high schools!

Our high schools are all below the Average! Our high schools are all below the Average! Where are the Scholars? Inadequate preparation in middle schools has to be a factor in the rankings of our high schools!

Wheres the abundance of Progress? School Digger is a national rating system that uses data supplied by OSPI and similar organizations to compare schools nationwide. The next few slides are verbiage from School Digger about our schools.

Our High Schools! Decatur High School ranks worse than 91.4% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks last among 5 ranked high schools in the Federal Way School District. Federal Way High School ranks worse than 86.4% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks 3rdamong 5 ranked high schools in the Federal Way School District Todd Beamer High School ranks worse than 87.1% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks 4thamong 5 ranked high schools in the Federal Way School District Thomas Jefferson High School ranks worse than 71.5% of high schools in Washington. It also ranks 2ndamong 5 ranked high schools in the Federal Way School District

Our Middle Schools Totem Middle School ranks worse than 96% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks last among 7 ranked middle schools in the Federal Way School District. Sacajawea Middle School ranks worse than 80.7% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 5thamong 7 ranked middle schools in the Federal Way School District. Kilo Middle School ranks worse than 75.1% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 3rdamong 7 ranked middle schools in the Federal Way School District. Lakota Middle School ranks worse than 64.5% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 2ndamong 7 ranked middle schools in the Federal Way School District. Sequoyah Middle School ranks worse than 86.5% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 6thamong 7 ranked middle schools in the Federal Way School District. Illahee Middle School ranks worse than 80.5% of middle schools in Washington. It also ranks 4thamong 7 ranked middle schools in the Federal Way School District. TAFA at Saghalie ranks worse than 87.7% of middle schools in Washington.

Who is responsible for the condition of Federal Who is responsible for the condition of Federal Way s schools? Way s schools? RCW 28A.150.230 District school directors' responsibilities. (1) It is the intent and purpose of this section to guarantee that each common school district board of directors, whether or not acting through its respective administrative staff, be held accountable for the proper operation of their district to the local community and its electorate. In accordance with the provisions of Title 28A RCW, as now or hereafter amended, each common school district board of directors shall be vested with the final responsibility for the setting of policies ensuring quality in the content and extent of its educational program and that such program provide students with the opportunity to achieve those skills which are generally recognized as requisite to learning. (2) In conformance with the provisions of Title 28A RCW, as now or hereafter amended, it shall be the responsibility of each common school district board of directors to adopt policies to: (a) Establish performance criteria and an evaluation process for its superintendent, classified staff, certificated personnel, including administrative staff, and for all programs constituting a part of such district's curriculum. Each district shall report annually to the superintendent of public instruction the following for each employee group listed in this subsection (2)(a): (i) Evaluation criteria and rubrics; (ii) a description of each rating; and (iii) the number of staff in each rating; (b) Determine the final assignment of staff, certificated or classified, according to board enumerated classroom and program needs and data, based upon a plan to ensure that the assignment policy: (i) Supports the learning needs of all the students in the district; and (ii) gives specific attention to high-need schools and classrooms;

Who is responsible for the condition of Federal Way schools? RCW 28A.150.230 District school directors' responsibilities. (c) Provide information to the local community and its electorate describing the school district's policies concerning hiring, assigning, terminating, and evaluating staff, including the criteria for evaluating teachers and principals; (d) Determine the amount of instructional hours necessary for any student to acquire a quality education in such district, in not less than an amount otherwise required in RCW 28A.150.220, or rules of the state board of education; (e) Determine the allocation of staff time, whether certificated or classified; (f) Establish final curriculum standards consistent with law and rules of the superintendent of public instruction, relevant to the particular needs of district students or the unusual characteristics of the district, and ensuring a quality education for each student in the district; and (g) Evaluate teaching materials, including text books, teaching aids, handouts, or other printed material, in public hearing upon complaint by parents, guardians or custodians of students who consider dissemination of such material to students objectionable.

Notice! Notice! There is no mention of any responsibilities of the Superintendent in the RCW!

So, What might be ways to get some Abundance of Progress? A different promotion policy. We can t blame high schools for their results if the middle schools are sending unprepared students to them. According to OSPI we are graduating more kids than are attending! This has to be due to unlimited promotions. A different relationship policy with parents. I have grandchildren in Massachusetts schools. Massachusetts has the same population as Washington. They are far more deeply involved with parents than we are here. Communication between parents and schools is not very optional. We need to get much more involved in Career Planning! Kids that don t have a vision for their future find school irrelevant.

A quick summary of all of this data is a A quick summary of all of this data is a statement by a recent graduate of our schools. statement by a recent graduate of our schools. When I went to college, I quickly learned that I was unprepared for college. I also learned that other students from other districts were better prepared.