Claim: Less than 50% of students can read at grade level – False!

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Truth:

Our state uses the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) to assess reading/writing and mathematics. It is not a pass-fail test, and it is not a grade-level measurement on whether students are on track to graduate from high school. It is a measure of whether a student (as early as third grade) is on track to attend a selective college or university without needing to take remedial courses. SBA uses a 1-4 system (1 being the lowest, and 4 being the highest performance). Across Washington state, 75% of students score a 2 or higher demonstrating actual basic grade-level performance or higher in English/Language Arts. 67% of students score a 2 or higher in math. In fact, 78% of students who get a 4 on the math exam attend college within a year of high school graduation, and 90% persist into their second year of college. 64% who get a 3 attend college within a year of high school graduation, and 82% of them persist. 47% of students who get a 2 attend college within a year of high school graduation, and 74% of them persist. Even 28% of students who get a 1 on the 10th grade SBA math attend college a year later, and 65% of them persist into the second year of college. There is no doubt that the better a student performs on the SBA the higher their college-going rate, but the SBA should NOT be used in statements that claim what percentage of students are “passing”, or that only students who get a 3 or a 4 are at “grade level”. And the test should NEVER be used to presume who will attend college (Source: OSPI & Washington State Education Research and Data Center).

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Claim: Only 82% of students graduate from high school, and it’s getting worse – False!

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Truth:

Washington’s graduation rate has risen to a record high level of 83.6% in four years, and 86% for students who need a fifth year to complete. There is no reliable comparison of states on high school graduation rates because each state has different graduation requirements. Washington has a rigorous diploma with 24 high school credits expected with more mandates than most states outside of math, science, and ELA, and thus fewer electives. Students are taking more math and science than ever before, and therefore college remediation rates continue to decline! In short, our graduation rates are at record highs, students face a rigorous diploma in Washington state, and they are more prepared than ever for college-level courses (Source: Washington State Report Card).

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Claim: Fewer students are attending college because they aren’t prepared – False!

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Truth:

Traditional college entrance (within one year after high school) continues to fall for the entire nation and Washington is no exception. With a booming labor market, most of this decline is in the two-year college sector (which typically struggles when unemployment is low). However, Washington state has a record number of students who take college-level courses while in high school, a record number of students who earn AA degrees while in high school, and a growing number of students who enter apprenticeships, military service, or straight to work after high school. Additionally, according to data taken in September of 2022 by the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, youth unemployment at that time was at the lowest level since the data started being recorded in 2012 (Source: Washington Workforce Board). So, students are starting college transcripts at exceedingly high levels, but due mostly to the cost of housing and food (not tuition and fees), more students are deferring direct college entrance within the first year of graduating from high school, with labor market participation rising for young adults. When they do attend colleges and universities, they are more prepared than ever as evidenced by the consistent decline in college remediation rates. In short, fewer students across the nation are attending traditional college immediately after high school, but in Washington state more students are starting college transcripts in high school, graduating with more college credit from high school, and needing less remediation once they attend a traditional college or university (Source: Education Research & Data Center).

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Claim: Federal relief funds were mismanaged – False!

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Truth:

When funds are mismanaged or spent on activities or objects that are not allowed, it is documented. No State or Federal examination of our ESSER funds or COVID relief funds were ever flagged for mismanagement, no claim has ever been made that the funds were not spent on allowable activities and objects, and no finding has ever been issued related to how funds were managed. A federal audit did find that a few school districts didn't post their federal relief funds budget plans fast enough. The U.S. Department of Education flagged it, we got districts to correct it, and the federal audit even noted, “Washington was responsive to the issues we identified and initiated corrective action to ensure that Federal requirements and guidance were met.” 90% of ESSER funds went to school districts by federal formula and there were fourteen allowable uses, the last one being any expenditure necessary to maintain district operations or retain staff. School districts did remarkable work during the pandemic and they needed all of the flexibility they were afforded. In short, the claim of mismanagement intentionally destroys the confidence of the public, when in fact our districts did everything in their power to sustain learning remotely, to return students safely, and to focus on learning recovery. Click here for a copy of the audit.

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Claim: Student mental health is not being addressed in Washington state – False!

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Truth:

It is true that we are in a youth mental health crisis globally, and Washington state is no exception to this truth. However, the claim that Washington leaders are doing nothing about this crisis is far from the truth. In partnership with OSPI, the state legislature funded additional physical, social, and emotional support staff. Those staff include counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, family engagement coordinators, etc. With these funds, the legislature has funded over 600 physical, social, and emotional support staff. We have also created regional school safety centers in each of the nine educational service districts. Part of their work, through Behavioral Health System Navigators, is to coordinate behavioral health systems, delivery, and suicide prevention training and awareness for school staff. Federally, OSPI was awarded a grant, Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness & Resiliency in Education), that creates the pathways for collaboration between schools, tribes, community partners, educational service districts, and mental and behavioral health services – with the goal being to increase access to mental and behavioral health services and reduce barriers to those services. Using federal emergency relief funds, we invested in partnerships in multiple communities to teach Hope Science Education, an evidence-based model to teach students how to retain and build hope and confidence in themselves, which teaches them the skills to push past barriers and overcome adversity. This is not an all-encompassing list of all we have done to support Washington students’ mental health, and the data shows this! Washington ranks number 11 when it comes to access to mental health care (Source: Mental Health America)!

What’s even more important is that these investments are working. According to the 2023 Healthy Youth Survey, student suicidal thoughts and ideation are declining in Washington state – 15% of students said that they had considered suicide, the lowest rate in Washington in 13-17 years (depending in the grade surveyed). Additionally, 27-32% of students felt so sad or hopeless that they stopped doing some regular activities, a decrease of 8-13 percentage points since 2021 (depending on the grade surveyed) (Source: Washington State Healthy Youth Survey). And suicide rates for youth under age 20 have declined over the last five years in Washington state (Source: Department of Health).
 

There is more work to do! Our OSPI team is working to get on the front end of the mental health crisis and are currently rewriting our learning standards to substantially engage and educate students in media/digital/information literacy and digital media’s effect on mental health. We need to redesign the way we deliver instruction and supports in the modern age to address the growing anxiety students are bombarded with via social media and other platforms. We must address mental health before students are in crisis. We must teach kids about the tools they are using (the strengths, risks, and harms). Our team is building specific learning standards and support materials for educators and parents to support students before they are dominated by the negative effects of social media and other stressors.

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Claim: Teacher turnover is at 20% – False!

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Truth:

The actual rate of teacher turnover from the most recent year of data is 9.2%. Of that 9.2%, one half is due to retirements. Thus, the true rate of certificated instructional staff leaving the profession last year was between 4% and 5%. In an effort to reduce this number, we initiated a first-in-the nation teacher residency program, and we’ve invested in beginning educator mentorships. Additionally, we’ve funded more support staff and professional development opportunities, so educators feel more supported throughout their career. The bottom line is Washington does have some teacher shortage areas and subjects, but we are not experiencing the teacher shortage crisis that other parts of the nation are facing. Those who mislead people claiming 20% turnover, are trying to mislead by capturing all of the turnover of hourly, temporary, and contract employees. The actual percent of teachers leaving the profession before retirement is approximately 4-5% per year. (Source: OSPI E-Certification Database).

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Claim: Student attendance is declining – False!

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Truth:

School attendance across the nation is down following the pandemic. However, it has improved in Washington state each of the last three years. The truth is, the average student is missing an additional 2% of school days (3-4 more absences over a school year) since the pandemic. Over 90% of the new absences are excused by the parent. Students are missing more time because they are staying home when they are sick. In short, attendance across the U.S. is down since before the pandemic, but attendance rates are rising once again in Washington state, and the additional days missed appear to be because students are staying home more often when they are not feeling well (Source: OSPI Comprehensive Education Data and Research System).

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Claim: Education outcomes have gotten worse – False!

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Truth:

Below are several key achievements since Chris Reykdal was elected Superintendent. All of them took partnerships (especially the Legislature), and the real work of educators in our 295 local districts:

• Our graduation rates are at an all-time high, with the fastest gains coming from native youth, students with disabilities, and low-income students;

• We brought back civics as a graduation requirement;

• College remediation rates are at an all-time low in both the 2-year and 4-year institutions;

• Two-thirds of our high school students take at least one college course while in high school and a record number of our students are graduating high school with an Associates Degree;

• We’ve ensured free school meals to over 300,000 additional students (700,000+ total);

• We are at an all-time high in the percent of kids who are kindergarten-ready;

• We built regional mental health networks for students, and youth anxiety and suicide is declining in Washington state;

• We now have Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduation pathways and 52% of our graduates have taken two or more CTE courses;

• We have doubled the number of our students in acceleration programs;

• We are a top 15 state in the nation when it comes to the National Assessment of Education Progress;

• We are diversifying our educator workforce at the fastest pace in our state’s history and are introducing teacher residencies and teacher apprenticeships;

• We raised average educator salaries by 39%;

• We advanced a first-in-the-nation living wage for paraeducators to the Legislature (secured first $72 million in 2024);

• We secured $300 million on an annual basis for additional physical, social and emotional health staff statewide;

• We expanded healthcare to tens of thousands of school employees;

• We increased K-12 investments by over $5 billion per year or $4,500+ per student;

• A record high 50,000+ students are engaged in dual language learning as early as kindergarten, including tribal languages;

• We have increased funding to support students with disabilities to a record high (from $1.1 billion per year to $2.2 billion), and we have the highest number of students with disabilities learning in general education classrooms;

• We provided learning devices to more than 300,000 students in need;

• We delinked high-stakes testing from graduation;

• We developed a new school accountability system;

• We ensured that local timber revenue stays with local school districts; and

• We grew our school construction funds for small and rural districts to its highest level ever.