Coos Bay SD 9 trustees hear midyear data showing mixed gains and a drop in high-school graduation rate

Coos Bay SD 9 trustees convened for a midyear data review where principals and site leaders reported improvements in early literacy and alternative-education graduation rates even as the comprehensive high school's eight-year graduation rate fell to 69 percent.

The presentation, led by high-school staff and district leaders, compiled formative assessment, attendance and discipline measures from across the district. Eli, a high-school administrator, told trustees that "the folks that are truly effective with data use it to drive instruction," and emphasized that timely, student-level diagnostic information is necessary to change classroom practice.

Districtwide context: why it matters Trustees were shown semester and benchmark data intended to guide interventions and staffing decisions. Presenters said formative measures (benchmarks, DIBELS and local diagnostics) give actionable information sooner than state assessments. The trustees and staff focused on three cross-cutting priorities: (1) increasing algebra readiness and foundational math skills, (2) improving reading fluency in the early grades, and (3) boosting attendance and credit recovery ahead of graduation.

Key findings presented - High school: Presenters reported a steep year-to-year decline in the district's comprehensive high-school graduation rate, from the low 80s in prior years to 69 percent this year. Administrators said they are still investigating causes and collecting additional data before recommending specific policy changes. - F rates and credit recovery: Semester F-rate reporting was disaggregated by grade and subject. Sophomores were called out as a cohort with elevated F rates; the senior cohort showed small numbers of credit deficiencies (presenters said six seniors were responsible for 13 core-course F grades and that 18 seniors were engaged in 37 credit-recovery courses). Presenters described increased summer-school recovery and targeted interventions for seniors. - Postsecondary readiness: PreACT and ACT snapshots showed higher English-than-math readiness: the presenter reported a mean ACT composite of 20.6 and a mean reading score near 22.5 for the juniors and seniors who took the test; math performance lagged behind. AP course offerings and participation have expanded in recent years; AP World was offered this year with sizable sophomore enrollment. - Junior high: The district rolled out the Savvas math curriculum and the associated diagnostic in junior high; staff reported declines in the proportion of students in the lowest performance band at midyear but said adoption will take multiple years to fully show impact. Administrators said they will stop allowing students to self-select below-grade diagnostic placements next year to improve consistency. - Elementary: Several elementary schools reported gains in reading accuracy and comprehension, but reading fluency remained a common weakness and heavily affected composite proficiency classifications. SuccessMaker minutes and other leveled practice were cited as supporting math gains where used consistently. - Alternative education (Destinations) and preschool: Destinations reported large year-over-year gains in graduation rates and credit attainment (see separate article). Little Pirates preschool leaders said most enrolled children meet or exceed age-appropriate social-emotional and cognitive milestones; the program serves a mix of preschool-promise and tuition slots. - Attendance and discipline: Sites reported average daily attendance in the high 80s districtwide with variability by day and grade. Several principals described incentives and daily recognition programs to boost attendance. Discipline referrals remain concentrated in lower grades and a small subset of students; vaping referrals have declined at multiple sites.

Trustee questions and next steps Board members pressed staff on causes for the graduation decline, algebra readiness and math pathways, and consistency of assessments. Staff said additional follow-up is planned with SWOC and other partners and that district teams will continue to study cohort-level and course-level data before proposing changes. Several trustees urged faster follow-up on students identified by diagnostic screens.

Votes at a glance - Motion to accept the meeting agenda: "I so move to accept the agenda for this evening." Motion seconded; outcome: accepted by acclamation (no roll-call vote recorded in the transcript).

What trustees will see next Presenters asked for time to run deeper analyses by subgroup and to return with recommended interventions and resource requests. Trustees asked staff to disaggregate by special populations (SPED, ELL, Native/Alaska Native and Hispanic students) at a future meeting.

Provenance: The districtwide data presentations and discussion run across multiple presentation blocks beginning when district leaders introduced the midyear data and concluding with the board's summary remarks urging further disaggregation and follow-up.