In 2017, Highline 6th graders tested academically above the State average. However, in the past seven years, 6th and 10th grade gaps have drastically increased and 4th is still struggling.
by Stuart Jenner
Washington state school test results for the spring 2024 testing are now available. The Highline School District Strategic Plan has a Dashboard, but test results are not included. (See screenshot below)
This story presents some of the data that district decision-makers may wish to review; what parents should know about as they consider where to enroll their children; and what their children’s options are after high school.
As reported recently, Highline does very poorly compared to overall state averages. In this story, I break down some of the numbers for three specific grades: 4th, 6th and 10th. The latter year is the last year of the state testing. A low number at the 10th grade level indicates the district “graduates” most likely will need remedial work after high school before they are ready for college-level classes.
Why not compare 3rd grade scores?
I originally wanted to look at third grade scores, not fourth. There are studies asserting that if students have not achieved a foundation in reading by the end of third grade, they are going to have a very hard time in future years. However, due to Covid shutdowns, there was no testing conducted of third grade students for the 2021 year. This made it harder to see trends. So, I am using fourth instead.
Key takeaways about the 2024 test results:
1. For 2024, Highline students are far below state levels. Looking at three grades, with two subjects per grade:
- The narrowest gap is in 10th-grade math. State wide, 29.9% of students are meeting standard. Highline’s figure is 17.1%. So that’s a gap of 12.8%.
- Can you believe that less than 30% of state students are meeting math standards? Given the importance of STEM to our state’s economy, this is appalling. But even worse is that only one in six Highline students are meeting standard.
- The widest gap: 6th-grade math. State: 37.3%. Highline: 14.4%. that’s a gap of 22.9%
- The other gaps as shown in the tables below are 4th-grade Math and ELA of 15.0% and 15.4%, 6th-grade ELA 21.9% (almost as wide as the 22.9% for 6th math mentioned already), and 10th ELA of 13.15% (a little worse than the gap of 12.8% for 10th math mentioned already).
2. Scores for Highline students in 6th and 10th on ELA and Math are lower in 2024 than in 2023.
- 4th ELA: the difference is quite small, at 0.3%. (24.8% dropped to 24.5%)
- 10th ELA had a drop of 6.7%, from 53.7% to 47.0%
- 10th math dropped from 20.7% to 17.1%, a drop of 3.6%.
3. For 6th and 10th, the 2024 gap between state and Highline is the widest it has been in the seven testing years of 2017 to present.
- 6th ELA: gap was 21.9% (24.5% vs 46.4%). In 2017, Highline was actually above state averages, with 47.1% meeting standard, vs the state average of 46.4%)
- 6th math: Highline was also above state average, at 39.3%, vs 37.3% for the state. Highline is now at 14.4%, vs state average 37.3%. This is a gap of 22.9%!
4. Only two Highline scores increased from 2023. 33.5% of 4th grade students met standard on ELA, up from 32.0% the previous year. And 32.4% met standard on math, up by 0.9%. But this was still about one in three students, where state wide the numbers for both are about 1 in 2.
Summary
All in all, these numbers for grades six and ten are very discouraging. For grade four, the slight uptick compared to the state’s drop in both Math and ELA is relatively good news, but still Highline is so far behind it would take 10 years of the same rate of improvement in Highline ELA, and 15 in Math, with no improvement at the state level, for Highline to be equal to state averages.
Data Tables for 4th, 6th, 10th Grades
Here are the data tables, all sourced from the state report card for the Highline School District.
4th Grade ELA and Math Scores
6th Grade ELA and Math Scores
10th Grade ELA and Math Scores
Screenshot of Highline’s Strategic Dashboard
Highline states that its new “Strategic Plan dashboard helps us monitor our progress toward our Strategic Plan goals. The measures focus on key results in seven areas.” Note: State Metrics are not part of this Dashboard.
LINK to interactive Strategic Plan Dashboard where you can review the district’s Measuring and Reporting progress towards their strategic plan goals.
