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Board says Results 1 shows reasonable progress; staff highlights graduation trends and ninth-grade credit risks
Summary
District staff presented the Results 1 monitoring report on March 24, showing a 93.3% on-time graduation rate for the class of 2024 and identifying ninth-grade credit attainment, transfers and subgroup impacts as focus areas; the board approved the monitoring report as presented.
The Lake Washington School District presented its Results 1 monitoring report (mission-level outcomes on graduation and postsecondary readiness) on March 24 and the board approved the report with the chair declaring "reasonable progress with noted exceptions."
Dale Cody, presenting the report, said the district's on-time (four-year) graduation rate for 2024 was 93.3 percent and ranked fifth among ten benchmarking districts. Cody highlighted subgroup performance (Asian students at 97.0 percent and students of two or more races at 96.4 percent) and noted positive trends for students from low-income households.
Cody also emphasized the effect of transfers and unknown exit codes on the graduation rate. He said that if the 2024 counts of "unknown" and "transfer unconfirmed" were the same as 2023, the district's on-time rate would have been higher (he cited illustrative figures that would raise the rate to about 95.2-95.6 percent). District staff noted that transfer tracking and registrar work affect reported rates.
The report identified ninth-grade credit attainment as a significant predictor of on-time graduation: 86.9 percent of ninth graders earned full credit in 2024, and students who enrolled after the start of ninth grade graduated at a lower rate (75.6 percent) than those who began ninth grade in the district (95.1 percent). Staff pointed to Algebra 1, Health/PE, World History, Biology, English Language Arts and Art as classes where some ninth graders did not earn full credit in 2023-24.
Board discussion centered on subgroup movement, extended graduation rates, and what metrics the board should emphasize in evaluating district performance. Several directors asked staff for follow-up materials, including a brief on interpreting extended-graduation metrics and more detail on how subgroup shifts contribute to aggregate rate changes.
The board then approved the monitoring report (motion moved and seconded); the chair called the voice vote and announced the motion carried.
Why it matters: Graduation rates and ninth-grade credit attainment are leading indicators of student success and guide district strategies for instruction, targeted supports and transition practices.
Next steps: Staff will provide additional briefings on extended graduation metrics and subgroup trends and will continue efforts to reduce transfer-data unknowns and to support ninth-grade credit attainment through targeted interventions and co-teaching models.
