Northshore School District reports modest gains in reading and math, flags widening gaps by grade and subgroup

Northshore School District leaders reported modest districtwide improvements in reading and math during a study session on the district’s Strategic Plan Goal 3, which focuses on “growth for every student and eliminating opportunity and outcome gaps.” Superintendent Tully and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Obadiah Dunham led a review of I‑Ready and Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) results and said the data show small gains overall but persistent disparities by grade level and student group.

District staff said the district’s I‑Ready (K–8) and SBA (grades 3–10) data are consistent: some overall increases in the most recent year but widening differences that often originate in kindergarten and grow by middle school. Dr. Craig Foster, director of research and evaluation, noted that comparisons between I‑Ready and SBA show different trajectories — I‑Ready results can be more volatile because the tool is integrated with instruction, while SBA trends are flatter — but both show the same subgroup gaps.

Why it matters: staff said early disparities tend to widen as students age, especially at the elementary-to‑middle transition when…