UPDATED: State school accountability findings and ratings released

CC:  Chip Kimball and School Board of Directors

In April 2010 the State Board of Education published its Public Schools Accountability Index. The Index grades Washington public schools on a scale of one to seven, measured by four indicators and five outcomes (1). The four indicators are:

•Achievement by non-low income students;
•Achievement by low-income students;
•Achievement compared to other schools with similar demographics;
•Improvement in student achievement.

Washington Policy Center’s Public School Accountability Index rates the quality of more than 2,000 public schools across the state including those in Lake Washington School District. The Index is based on data compiled by the State Board of Education’s 2010 Achievement Index.

Here are the findings, According to an intern from the Washington Policy Center of Educaiton:

• 597,000, or nearly 60%, of Washington children attend Fair or Struggling public schools.
• Only 93,000, less than 10%, of students attend a Very Good or Exemplary public school.
• The great majority of schools, 1,208, rank as only Fair or Struggling,
• Only 212 schools, barely 10%, rank as either Very Good or Exemplary.
• The poor academic performance is not due to lack of support from taxpayers – funding for Washington public education is at record highs.
• Public schools receive just over $10 billion a year, or $10,200 per student, in operating funds, plus an additional $1.3 billion for school construction.
• Since 1980 education spending, adjusted for inflation, has more than doubled, while the number of students, due to smaller families, has increased by only a third.
• There are fewer students today in relation to the total population than in the past, and spending per student is the highest ever.

What do you think of this?   Write your comment below the post!  Read more for school rankings!

#####

The index was scanned for LWSD showing most "Choice" schools did the best.  The following Choice schools rated "exemplary":   Futures School 7.0 (1-7 scale).  Northstar - 6.0.  Renaissance- 5.75, International "exemplary"- 5.56        Community "fair" - 3.2,  Best Sr. High "very good" - 5.44


Juanita High rated "very good" - 5.15. Eastlake High "exemplary"-5.61, Redmond High "good" - 4.89. Lake Washington High "exemplary" 5.5,     

 Kamiakin JH "fair"-3.12,  Redmond JH "very good" -5.19, Kirkland JH - "very good" -5.12,  Finn Hill JH "good" 4.62,  Rose Hill Junior "good" - 4.12, Evergreen JH "good"- 4.81, Kirkland JH "fair" - 3.12, Stella Rosa, "very good" -5 

The following 10 elementeary schools rated "fair" were:  Carson "fair" - 3.2, Twain "fair"- 3.31, Bell "fair"- 3.81, Rose Hill El "fair"- 3.94, Redmond El "fair"-3.06, Dickenson "fair" - 3.67, John Muir "fair" - 3.38, Sandberg "fair"- 3.13, Thoreau "fair" - 3.38, Einstein "fair" - 3.94

 Audubon "good" - 4.8, Alcott "good" -4.71, Rockwell, "very good"- 5.07, Horace Mann "good"-4.86

Those schools not listed here were all rated "good".  B.Y.

The following 10 schools will receive awards:  Lakeview, Mann, Mead, Rockwell, Rosa Parks, Kirkland JH, Eastlake, Juanita High, RHS, International. (2)

[In Bellevue, the International School received the highest score of 6.44 (1-7 scale). Robinswood Middle and High Schools scored 3.67 and was the lowest scoring Bellevue school.] 

To find how a school in your area is performing, please visit: http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/research/education/public-school-accountability-index 

 School AccountabilityIndex


To read the policy note, please visit: http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/notes/washington-policy-center-public-school-accountability-index

Washington Policy Center for Education conducts objective research and makes practical policy recommendations to improve Washington State's ability to carry out its paramount duty to educate every child within its borders.

(1)  Outcomes:  Overall Excellence, Language Arts, Math, Science, Extended Graduation Rate, Improvement and Closing Achievement Gaps

(2) LWSD Press Release - http://redmondcity.blogspot.com/2011/02/lake-washington-schools-excel-in.html