District report shows steady postsecondary enrollment, higher 4‑year share for Class of 2023

District staff presented the annual postsecondary enrollment patterns report Oct. 14, showing that Everett Public Schools’ postsecondary enrollment rate has remained in the low‑ to mid‑60s and that the class of 2023 shifted toward four‑year institutions compared with prior years.

Doctor Willard, who presented the report, told the board the district’s first‑year postsecondary enrollment rate for recent years is about 62%, higher than a statewide first‑year enrollment rate the presenter cited at about 55%. For the Class of 2023, district data show 58% of students who enrolled in postsecondary education chose a four‑year institution while 42% enrolled in community and technical (two‑year) programs — a roughly 3% increase in the four‑year share compared with the prior year and a 6% swing over two years.

The presentation relied on state Education Research and Data Center (ERDC) data, the National Student Clearinghouse and self‑reported student information from Naviance. Willard also described the district’s FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) tracking. He said FAFSA completion had experienced national and technical challenges in prior years but that the FAFSA launch for the most recent cycle occurred before Oct. 1 and was reported by staff as easier to use than prior years; district staff track FAFSA data weekly.

Willard described a set of local practices the district credits for higher four‑year enrollment, including guaranteed‑admission agreements with several Washington public universities and separate agreements with Pacific Lutheran University (3.3 GPA baseline) and Saint Martin’s University. Under the district’s guaranteed‑admission processes, staff identify students who meet course and GPA criteria and submit them to partner universities so students receive early admission notices; Willard said the aim is to remove uncertainty as a barrier to application and enrollment decisions.

The report also disaggregated enrollment patterns by race, program and gender. Willard noted growth in four‑year enrollment rates for Asian, Black and white students and a 4‑percentage‑point increase in the four‑year rate for multilingual learner students in the Class of 2023. The district’s data showed 28 students self‑reported military enlistment for the Class of 2023.

Willard outlined district supports: the required senior college and career readiness seminar (CCRS), FAFSA events and partnerships with Everett Community College, the College Success Foundation and the Limitless Learning Network (a Gates Foundation‑supported district network). He said the district will transition its high‑school planning platform from Naviance to the state’s SchoolLinks system in the coming year and that staff will continue outreach, FAFSA assistance and college visits.

Board members and student representatives asked questions about data sources, whether the ERDC breaks out workforce outcomes for students who do not enroll in postsecondary education, which University of Washington campus the data referenced (UW Seattle), and how the district can narrow gender gaps in four‑year enrollment. Willard said ERDC has workforce trend reports, that the UW data shown were for UW Seattle, and that the district continues work on engagement strategies and career‑technical education that might align with students’ employment interests.

Student representatives and seniors attending CCRS said the class is useful for financial‑literacy and postsecondary planning; one student called the class “informative” and said it helped them complete planning tasks during the school day.

No formal board action was taken; the report was provided for strategic progress monitoring.