Federal Way’s WASL Scores Show Mixed Results:
Math Scores for African American Students Improve, 19 Elementary Schools make AYP

Although there are bright spots in WASL scores posted by many of the district’s schools, Federal Way Public Schools’ 2009 WASL scores, overall, are mixed. The district’s students’ reading scores remain higher than the state average at all grade levels. Its math scores are at or above the state average at every grade level.

Federal Way’s 2009 WASL Scores

OSPI posted scores at 10 a.m., August 14, 2009. However, scores are preliminary and will continue to be updated on the OSPI web site: http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us.

At the high school level, 88.2 percent of the district’s 10th grade students met the state’s standard in reading, and 91 percent met the standard in writing, both slight increases from last year’s results. 49.3 percent of the 10th graders met the standard in math. These scores are likely to increase somewhat as summer WASL retake results come in.

Elementary and middle school scores are up and down, with 4th grade scores dipping, yet 3rd and 5th grade scores edging upward.  Similarly, at the middle school level, 6th and 8th graders have improved their scores somewhat, but 7th grade scores are down.

As a result, Federal Way Public Schools did not make AYP for the 2008-2009 school year. The district moves into Step 2 of Improvement this year.  Additionally, many schools are making hard-won progress and still not making AYP. *

“While we would like to announce greater achievement gains, I am gratified to see that the data shows our focus on closing the achievement gap is making inroads on this pernicious problem,” Superintendent Tom Murphy said.

By digging deeper in the data provided by the WASL, it’s clear that increasing numbers of students in the groups targeted by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) - African American, Hispanic, low-income, special education, and English Language Learners – are meeting standard. Federal Way Public Schools made AYP in 80% of the 90 cells, or categories, it was measured in. In each cell that the district did make AYP, the number of students failing to meet the state standard has been reduced by at least 10%. “There’s no doubt that we still have much work ahead of us, but each of these victories should be celebrated,” Superintendent Murphy added.

Elementary School Highlights:

Nineteen of 23 elementary schools made adequate yearly progress (AYP) under NCLB requirements, and none are designated as in improvement. All elementary schools met standard in the “All” cell (or category) in math; the Asian cell in reading and math; the black cell in reading and math; and the white cell in reading and math. Grades 3, 4 and 5 students improved in Special Education math.

Secondary School Highlights:

The district’s middle schools are showing gains in some specific student groups, however Illahee and Federal Way Public Academy are the only secondary schools to make AYP this year.  By making AYP, Illahee has accomplished a first for comprehensive middle schools in the district. Other highlights are Kilo’s gains in Special Education reading, black math, Hispanic math and low-income math; and Lakota’s gains in black math, Hispanic math, ELL math, Special Education math and low income math.

At the high school level, Decatur made significant gains in black math, reducing the number of African American students not meeting standard by nearly 12%. Decatur also had significant gains in the “All” cell in math, and in Hispanic math, Special Ed math and English Language Learners reading. Thomas Jefferson also made improvements in the following cells for math:  black, Hispanic, ELL, Special Education, and low income.

Federal Way Public Academy not only met standard in all subjects, but in all cells, regardless of the number of students in that cell. The district’s newest school, TAF Academy missed AYP in only one cell.

What’s Next?

The findings from an international report, the McKinsey Report, have been a substantial influence on this and last year’s planning. The findings can be summed up in a single statement: “The quality of a school system rests on the quality of its teachers.” As such, professional development is a key focus of the district.

Headed by former Todd Beamer principal Joshua Garcia, the Teaching for Learning Department is expanding professional development workshops for teachers to become highly proficient, and these workshops are supplemented with ongoing coaching and support. Much of the training is in differentiating instruction for students from different backgrounds and with different learning styles.

“In our work, you can’t think about just the gifted students, or just the English-speaking students, or just the parents who volunteer -- you have to think of all.  Our goal is to reach every student and we do that by reaching each student,” Superintendent Tom Murphy noted at a recent administrator’s meeting.   

In addition, programs shown to enhance student achievement are a high priority in the district, despite the continued loss of state funding:

• Rigorous academic programs are expanding to additional schools and being provided to younger students. The International Baccalaureate Program has been expanded to the middle school level at Kilo and Totem Middle Schools. The Cambridge Program is available at two middle schools and at Federal Way High School. Advanced Placement and Pre-Advanced Placement classes are offered in all secondary schools.
• The highly successful AVID program will be offered in 14 of the district’s schools this coming year, as four elementary schools are added to the secondary schools with the program.
• The Federal Way AmeriCorps program is now the largest in the country. The program’s targeted support of the secondary schools’ AVID programs helped secure an additional 20 members this year.
• The district has received notification from the state this it is one of three districts to receive Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) funding for support and training for new teachers, expanding the district’s previous new teacher support program.

Scores listed in this news release are preliminary. OSPI posted scores at 10 a.m., August 14, 2009. However, scores will continue to be updated on the OSPI web site: http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us. In addition, the district will continue to work with OSPI in making corrections to the WASL data. It’s anticipated that finalized district and school WASL scores will be available before the end of August.  Elementary and middle school WASL scores will be distributed in September.  High school scores were mailed home in June.

If you have any questions, please contact Dave Davis, Assessment Director, at 253-945-2004.

*More information about Adequate Yearly Progress:

NCLB requires that an every-increasing percentage of the students in a school and district pass the test in each of numerous categories to make adequate yearly progress. This complicated matrix includes categories representing five ethnic backgrounds, special education students, and low-income students. It also has categories dealing with drop out rates, on-time graduation and participation; 95% of all students must take the test. Schools are evaluated in up to 37 categories, and districts in up to 111 categories.  Larger, more diverse schools and districts have greater hurdles to jump.  Miss the requirement in any of the categories – test participation, for example – and the school will not make AYP.

How is AYP determined?

AYP is calculated separately for reading and mathematics.

There are two ways a school can make AYP:

• By demonstrating all students and required groupings meet or exceed the established WASL proficiency goals in both mathematics and reading.
• By meeting the “safe harbor” provision. This provision permits schools with one or more subgroups not making the goals to still make AYP if the percentage of students not making AYP in that school declined by at least 10 percent in each student category and the other indicator (graduation rate for high school or unexcused absences for elementary and middle schools) is met.

A school moves into “improvement” status if it misses its AYP goals for two consecutive years in the same subject, in any of the categories. 

A district moves into “improvement” status when it misses making AYP for two consecutive years in all three grade spans (elementary, middle, secondary) in any category in the same subject area.

For more information about the district’s AYP status and its improvement plan, go to http://www.fwps.org/info/overview/performance/. 

Posted: August 14, 2009