Just months ahead of the next round of the federal government’s list of school districts passing or failing its No Child Left Behind Requirements, the state of Washington has released its own report that aims to provide a more comprehensive look at schools’ performance.
The Accountability Index, a report published by the Seattle-based Washington Public Policy Center in a partnership with the state Board of Education, showed a mixed bag of results when it comes to districts in the greater Lewis County area.
The index is a number between 1 and 7 given to each school in each district across Washington state. The report tries to factor in not just reading and math scores, but a cornucopia of factors such as writing, science, extended graduation rates and demographics in the local area. Schools are then given a number with a rating of “struggling,” “fair,” “good,” “very good,” or “exemplary.”
None of the schools in the greater Lewis County area were included on the “exemplary” listing, but two of Centralia’s elementary schools — Edison and Jefferson-Lincoln — were rated “very good,” with scores above 5. The local numbers reflect statewide trends, which show only 10 percent of schools in the “very good” or “exemplary” categories.
By contrast, 60 percent of schools across the state received a “fair” or “struggling” label. Four local schools (see table) received the “struggling” designation, where 22 schools were labeled as “fair.”
Local educators gave a mixed reaction to the index’s ratings, with some saying they appreciated the system but didn’t know exactly what it accomplished.
For example, Adna Elementary School scored below a 2 on the index and was labeled as “struggling” — yet Adna Middle/High School fell just a tenth of a point shy of the “very good” category. Superintendent Jim Forrest said he recognized value in the index’s ratings, but said the numbers don’t reflect any measured progress like the federal Adequate Yearly Progress list does.
“It’s beneficial for us to see a snapshot, but I’m not sure that snapshot is entirely fair,” Forrest said. “If you see our AYP results, you’ll see we’ve met that even at the elementary level. The system can show us areas we need improvement in, but they’re areas we’ve started to take those steps in.”
Kim Fry, superintendent of Rochester schools, said she welcomed the index’s ratings as they provided a more comprehensive look from a state level. Of her district’s four schools in the report, three achieved a “good” rating, with only Grand Mound Elementary receiving the “fair” designation.
“We’re thrilled our state is being proactive in taking a broader view of the educational situation, especially in light of AYP requirements becoming more stringent year by year,” Fry told The Chronicle by phone Tuesday. “I think it gives the public a much more reflective view of what’s happening, simply because it factors in more of what we’re trying to learn day by day rather than three subjects.”
Fry said despite the state’s Accountability Index and the yearly progress reports given by the federal government, one thing still provides the best snapshot of student progress.
“Nothing surpasses me going into each classroom and seeing for myself what is being learned and how each student is doing,” Fry said. “That’s the ultimate true account for the quality of education, in my view.”
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Christopher Brewer: (360) 807-8235
