Seattle Schools Score Well in State's Highest Honor

From OSPI:

A total of 413 schools are 2013 Washington Achievement Award winners. Winners were notified Monday via email from State Superintendent Randy Dorn and State Board of Education Chair Dr. Kristina Mayer. 

The Washington Achievement Award is sponsored by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education. Award winners are selected using the state’s Accountability Index and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver. 

“It is important that we use the revised Achievement Index to not only provide feedback to schools and districts on their progress, but also to identify schools with exemplary student performance,” said Mayer. “These awards shine the light on what is working well in schools across Washington.”
Schools are recognized as top performers in one of six categories:
  • Overall Excellence
  • High Progress
  • Reading Growth
  • Math Growth
  • Extended Graduation Rate (awarded to high and comprehensive schools only)
  • English Language Acquisition
Seattle Schools did well - there were 29 cited:

  • Aki Kurose Middle  - High Progress
  • BF Day Elementary - Math Growth
  • Bailey-Gatzert Elementary - English Language Acquisition
  • Ballard High - High Progress
  • Beacon Hill Elementary - High Progress/Math Growth
  • Chief Sealth Int'l High - High Progress
  • Denny Int'l Middle - Math Growth
  • Dearborn Park - Math Growth
  • Dunlap Elementary - High Progress
  • Greenwood Elementary - High Progress
  • Hamilton Int'l Middle - High Progress
  • Ingraham High - High Progress
  • Jane Addams K-8 - High Progress
  • John Hay Elmentary - Math Growth
  • John Stanford Int'l Elementary - High Progress
  • Lawton Elementary - Reading and Math Growth
  • Maple Elementary - High Progress and Math Growth
  • Mercer Middle - Overall Excellence/Reading and Math Growth
  • North Beach - Overall Excellence
  • Olympic Hills - Reading Growth
  • Rainier View Elementary - English Language Acquisition
  • The Center School - Overall Excellence and Reading Growth
  • Thurgood Marshall Elementary - High Progress
  • Viewlands Elementary - English Language Acquisition
  • Washington Middle - English Language Acquisition
  • Wedgwood Elementary - Overall Excellence and Reading Growth
  • West Seattle High - High Progress
  • West Woodland Elementary - High Progress
  • Whittier Elementary - Overall Excellence
How are award winners selected?
The Washington Achievement Award is based on statewide assessment data for the three previous years. This data is analyzed using the Accountability Index and criteria from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Waiver. Award winners are selected using an  award methodology.

How are award winners recognized?
Award winners receive a banner and acrylic award to proudly display in their buildings. OSPI and SBE host an annual award ceremony in the spring at an award winning school.

 
Overall Excellence Awarded to the top five percent of all Washington elementary, middle, high, and comprehensive schools (based on three years of data) and participating schools that meet the highest performing designation according to the ESEA Flexibility Waiver.

Special Recognition Awards - High-performing schools in the following areas receive recognition (based on data from up to three years):
  • High Progress
  • Reading Growth 
  • Math Growth 
  • Extended Graduation Rate 
  • English Language Acquisition

Comments

Benjamin Leis said…
If you're like me and curious about what was used to create the indices/ranking.

goto:

https://eds.ospi.k12.wa.us/WAI/IndexReport/dropdown

4/16/14, 4:00 PM
Joe Wolf said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
4/16/14, 6:43 PM
Joe Wolf said…
A bit off-topic: I posted the Fairmount Park tour photos in yesterday's open thread; and here at the following link.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/joebehr/sets/72157644077045813/
4/16/14, 6:44 PM
Charlie Mas said…
Seattle Public Schools has, for several years now, had higher pass rates on the state tests than the state average. These tests, for all their flaws, are the only data we have for comparing the academic achievement of students across the state. Given the high correlation between household affluence and test scores, the data should probably be adjusted to account for variations in poverty.

Nevertheless, we hear all the time about how our schools are failing - nationally, statewide, and in Seattle. The people who make these claims have no data to support them. None. Please, any time you hear people say that the schools are failing, ask them to provide any data or evidence to support that conclusion.

High school graduation rates are at an all-time high in Seattle and in the state.

High school graduation requirements are at an all-time high in Seattle and in the state.

Washington state has the highest average SAT scores among states with our level of participation in the test.

And, yes, Seattle Public Schools beats the state average on pass rates for the state proficiency tests in nearly every grade and subject.

Where is the evidence of failure? Nowhere.
4/17/14, 7:44 AM
Melissa Westbrook said…
Charlie, you may have missed my post, but TFA Washington is using old test score stats on RBHS and Cleveland to show how badly students at these schools are doing. The scores are not stellar but nor are they as lower as TFA is saying.
4/17/14, 8:09 AM
Anonymous said…
I am SHOCKED to find out TFA is using incorrect data to further their cause of bringing unqualified 5 week trainees in to serve as "teachers" for 1-2 yrs before they move on to their Goldman-Sachs internship, law school, or to the charter school they now feel qualified to start up once they've finished 2 years of "teaching".

What TFA says when it talks to itself...
http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/tag/teach-for-america

CT
4/17/14, 10:24 PM
Anonymous said…
Holy cripes, CT. Is that link ever eye-opening -- and disheartening! No wonder these folks (a) don't stay in teaching, and (b) don't teach well for the time our kids have to suffer them.

Braessae
4/17/14, 11:49 PM
Anonymous said…
I know. The utter disgust some of those corp members have for public education and traditionally trained public school teachers makes me completely unsympathetic to all of the calls to "be nice" to TFA, support new CMs. They are arrogant little $&@*# who think their education makes them better than real teachers. Then you have politicians like Howard Dean* praising TFA because it has "revolutionized" public education on national relevision....

CT

*his son and daughter (or daughter-in-law) both did TFA. Son now runs a charter, the other did her 2 years and went to......wait for it.....law school.
4/18/14, 7:18 AM
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