Posted by League of Education Voters on December 21, 2012
We all know that what gets measured is what counts.
Last week, the Road Map Project released the 2012 Results Report, its first annual report card, which includes data on 30 indicators of student academic success in South King County. The goal of the report is to “motivate action and drive change” in South King County.
Report indicators and highlights include:
1) Healthy and Ready for Kindergarten
Looks at the percentage of children ready to succeed in school by Kindergarten. Contributing indicators include, among others, the percentage of children born underweight and the percentage of eligible children enrolled in programs like HeadStart and ECEAP.
While the number of students attending full day K increased one percentage point overall (from 72 percent to 73 percent), the number increased dramatically in the Highline School District, where they went from 51 percent of students enrolled in full day K during the 2009-2010 school year to 61 percent during 2011-2012.
2) Supported and Successful in School
Looks at the percentage of students proficient in 3rd grade reading, 4th grade math, 5th grade science, 6th grade reading, 7th grade math, 8th grade science, the number of absences, and suspensions and expulsions. Contributing indicators include the percentage of students taking algebra by 8th grade and the percentage of parents who actively support their child’s education and believe a college degree is important.
While third grade reading scores are down from 70 percent in the 2010-2011 school year to 64 percent in 2011-2012, sixth grade reading improved, going up from 67 percent in the 2010-2011 school year to 69 percent in 2011-2012.
3) Graduate from High School College and Career-Ready
Looks at the percentage of students who graduate high school on time, the percentage of students meeting minimum requirements to apply to a Washington State 4-year college, and the percentage of students at community and technical colleges enrolling in pre-college work. Contributing indicators include, among others, the percentage of high school students who graduate high school by age 21 and the number of graduating College Bound students who have completed the FAFSA.
Seventy-two percent of high school students are graduating on time in the Road Map region. The percentage of students taking the minimum requirements to apply to a Washington four year college dropped to 50 percent during the 2011-2012 school year, down two percentage points from the previous academic year.
4) Earn a College Degree or Credential
Looks at the percent of students who enroll in post-secondary education by age 24, the percent of students continuing past the first year of post-secondary, and the percent of students who earn a post-secondary credential by age 24. Contributing indicators include the percent of students who did not complete high school on time who achieve a post-secondary credential and the percent of students employed within one and five years of completing or leaving post-secondary education, including a measure of their earned wage.
College enrollment and college persistence rates in the Road Map region have remained fairly flat at 59 percent and 52 percent respectively over the course of the last three school years. There is a large double digit gap between white and Asian high school graduates persisting in college and Black, Native American/Alaskan Native and Hispanic high school graduates.
The Road Map Project goal is to double the number of students in South King County and South Seattle who are on track to graduate from college or earn a career credential by 2020.
Read the full report here.
