Wenatchee district presents Year 3 "Big 6" results; board hears new college and career team updates as ninth‑grade pass rates fall

The Wenatchee School District on Feb. 25 told its school board that Year 3 results for the district strategic "Big 6" indicators are mixed, and district staff outlined work by a newly formed College and Career Success Team to help more students stay on track to graduate.

District staff said the metric for ninth‑grade students passing all courses — a key short‑term indicator used to predict on‑time graduation — fell about 4.5 percentage points in the 2023–24 data the board reviewed. At the same meeting, the district described a wide program of outreach, advising and new course-pathway options intended to improve ninth‑grade outcomes and postsecondary readiness.

The update included a presentation by CTE Director Jake Buchholz and Tanya Brown of the College and Career Success Team. Buchholz described the current work to enroll and onboard students into accelerated pathways: "It's a major onboarding process," he said, noting the team had enrolled a little over 600 students…