Yakima-are​a schools struggle in Achievemen​t Index

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2013 Contact: Chris Cargill (509) 570-2384 SPOKANE — Using an idea endorsed by leaders of both political parties, Washington Policy Center has published letter grades for Washington state public schools. The grades, based on the State Board of Education’s annual “Achievement Index,” reveal disappointing results for schools in the major school districts in and around Yakima. “Parents in the Yakima area want to know and have a right to know how their child’s school is performing, and this resource gives them an easy way to do that,” explained WPC Eastern Washington director Chris Cargill. According to the annual index, just four of the 50 schools in the Yakima area rank “exemplary” — the top ranking given by State Board of Education officials. The index rates schools as Exemplary, Very Good, Good, Fair or Struggling. State leaders – including Washington Governor Jay Inslee – have called for an A-F grading scale for public schools. If the Achievement Index used such a scale, “exemplary” would be the equivalent of an “A” while “struggling” would be considered an “F.” Even though the idea of assigning letter grades has wide appeal, state government has yet to adopt the change. Overall, 56 percent of schools in the Yakima area are in the bottom two categories of the index — “fair” or “struggling” — and 30 percent of schools finished in the middle — a rating of “good.” If the Index used a grading scale of A–F, 86 percent of Yakima-area schools would receive a “C” grade or lower. Category Letter Grade Number of Schools Percentage of Yakima Schools Exemplary A 4 8% Very Good B 3 6% Good C 15 30% Fair D 23 46% Struggling F 5 10% The best and worst scoring schools from each Yakima area district are listed below. Yakima School District: Best: Eisenhower High School – Exemplary (A) Worst: Yakima Satellite Alternative – Struggling (F) East Valley School District: Best: Moxee Elementary – Exemplary (A) Worst: East Valley Central – Fair (D) West Valley School District: Best: Wide Hollow Elementary – Exemplary (A) Worst: Apple Valley Elementary – Struggling (F) Sunnyside School District: Best: Pioneer Elementary – Very Good (B) Worst: Sunnyside High School – Fair (D) Selah School District: Best: Selah High School – Good (C) Worst: Selah Academy – Struggling (F) The annual Achievement Index is a ranking of 2,189 public schools in Washington state based on data compiled by the State Board of Education for the 2011-12 school year. It is conducted to determine whether school officials are fulfilling their paramount duty under the state constitution to provide a quality education for every child. The full Achievement Index covers the 2011-12 school year and is available online here. Local schools are listed alphabetically, by district, or by score. WPC’s two-page Policy Note explaining the Achievement Index is available here. Key Findings: · Only 8 percent of public schools in the Yakima area are considered exemplary · 34 percent of Washington public schools are considered fair or struggling · Public schools in Washington state receive $10,237 per student, per year in operating funds · Since 1980 education spending, adjusted for inflation, has more than doubled, while the number of students, due to smaller families, has increased by only one-third Former Governor Gregoire said, “I put a lot more money into K–12. But then you sit there and say, ‘Why have I not been able to get the result I set out to achieve?’” Policy changes that would improve learning for children are described in Washington Policy Center’s education reform plan, Eight Practical Ways to Improve Public Schools. One potential policy change is adjusting the Achievement Index by using an A–F grading scale. Such a change would make it easier for parents to understand how their child’s school is performing. Legislation has already been introduced in the 2013 Washington Legislative Session that would accomplish that goal. ### Washington Policy Center Improving lives through market solutions Seattle · Olympia · Spokane · Tri-Citieswww.washingtonpolicy.org | www.WashingtonVotes.org www.washingtonpolicyblog.org | www.OlympiaPolicyWatch.org