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High-school leaders report rising course pass rates, persistent gaps and plans to pilot equitable grading
Summary
High-school administrators told the board first-semester pass-rate gains across core subjects, rising sense-of-belonging measures at some schools and an ongoing achievement gap for multilingual learners; they said equitable-grading work will be piloted and a fuller annual data package will be presented in June.
High-school administrators detailed spring highlights, presenting first-semester course pass rates, student-engagement programs and next steps aimed at narrowing achievement gaps.
Nut graf: The four high schools reported aggregate semester pass rates near 90% in core subjects and described initiatives to boost belonging and credit attainment. However, administrators emphasized persistent gaps for multilingual learners and other subgroups and recommended a multi-year approach to implementing equitable-grading practices at the high-school level.
The presentation, led by Hal Hurd, executive director of high school education, and principals from the high schools, summarized activities — unified programs, student voice initiatives and attendance incentives — that officials said are tied to academic gains. Principal Greg Egeland said the district’s aggregated passing rates “are typically in the 90% range” for first-semester marks and noted improvements in credit attainment across grades.
Administrators also presented disaggregated trends showing that pass-rate gaps for Black students, economically disadvantaged students and students with IEPs have narrowed over several years but remain. Multilingual learners (MLLs) were singled out: the MLL pass-rate gap had widened since 2021–22 and administrators said they will bring a targeted update to the SPA (Student Performance and Achievement) committee and the board on proposed shifts to middle- and high-school multilingual programming.
On student climate, presenters said roughly 1,500 high-school students responded to the Panorama sense-of-belonging survey — about 51% reported positive belonging, a figure the presenters said places the district near the 90th national percentile but left most administrators unsatisfied and planning more outreach to boost participation and belonging. Board and student leaders discussed tactics to increase response rates, including student incentives, peer outreach and greater use of social media or in-person empathy interviews.
On grading, administrators said the district completed a two-year inquiry into equitable grading and is planning pilot steps at the high-school level. The board was told the high-school change will require substantial community engagement and could take one to several years; presenters cautioned that changes to grading can affect scholarships, college admissions and GPA calculations and stressed the need for careful communication.
Ending: The administration said a comprehensive, end-of-year district data presentation will be delivered in June; SPA will receive a targeted update on multilingual-learner programming sooner.
