Seattle schools report mixed ninth‑ and tenth‑grade credit‑earning trends; district outlines next steps

Seattle Public Schools academic leaders told the board on March 12 that interim measures for ninth‑ and tenth‑grade credit earning show partial post‑pandemic recovery but falling short of original targets in some measures — particularly for African American male students.

Superintendent Jones and the Office of Academics presented data for the class of 2025 and interim indicators for the classes of 2027 and 2028. The district said ninth‑grade Semester 1 “on‑track” rates have improved relative to pandemic lows but showed small declines year‑over‑year: the 2024–25 Semester 1 on‑track rate for ninth‑grade African American students was 76.4 percent, down 2.7 percentage points from the prior year. For students identified as “students of color furthest from educational justice” the rate was 80.6 percent, down 1.9 points.

The district reported steeper concerns at tenth grade. The 2024–25 Semester 1 on‑track rate for tenth‑grade African American male students was reported as 51.9 percent (the district noted a small numeric change from the prior year in the presentation). For students of color furthest from educational justice, the tenth‑grade rate was 65.3 percent, a decline of 2.6 percentage points. A separate slide showed the share of tenth‑grade African American male students off track after September 1 rose from 24 percent last year to 39 percent this year for one measure the presentation highlighted.

In their analysis, district staff emphasized that interim indicators can mask later recovery: while only 61 percent of African American male students were on track after the first semester of tenth grade in the data presented, the district noted that ultimately 80 percent of that cohort ultimately graduated on time in a prior year. Staff said Multi‑Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) teams and consistent credit‑attainment reports for school leaders and counselors are leveraged to support eleventh‑ and twelfth‑grade catch‑up.

District leaders described specific next steps to improve credit earning and advanced coursework access. They said they will expand reporting to include data from curriculum‑embedded assessments in the district’s Atlas reporting tools; provide clearer grading‑for‑equity guidance and thresholds for retakes; develop professional development for Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers to strengthen Career and Technical Education pathways as components of school improvement plans; and transition to a state‑sponsored high school and beyond planning tool (SchoolLinks) in 2025–26 to better align personalized plans and course taking.

During the presentation, staff described their theory of action: improved Tier‑1 instruction, removing systemic barriers and leveraging district assets will increase African American boys’ access to advanced coursework and graduation pathways. Board members asked clarifying questions about which interim indicators would drive board monitoring, how embedded curriculum assessments would be folded into the reporting, and whether elementary and middle school math acceleration would be tied more closely to later credit pathways.

Board members and staff agreed to continue refining interim metrics used for monitoring the newly adopted district goals. The district coaches and staff also told the board they will add expanded MAP and DIBELS reporting to clarify early literacy and grade‑level progression links to later credit attainment.