Edmonds School District posts modest gains on 2025 state assessments; participation improves to 95%
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Summary
The district's 2025 Smarter Balanced (ELA/math) and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science results show participation gains and grade-level improvements in several cohorts, while persistent achievement gaps remain for multilingual learners and students in targeted programs.
Edmonds School District staff presented 2025 Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) results for English language arts and math and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) results at the Oct. 14 board meeting, reporting higher participation and modest but notable gains in some grades.
District assessment lead Allison (Lisonbee) Schaubour told the board that participation rose by roughly three percentage points to approximately 95% overall, with science participation improving markedly. She said the district outperformed Washington state by about 4 percentage points in ELA and by about 3 points in math. The district saw notable year-to-year gains in grades 8 and 10: grade 8 ELA and math both rose by 7 percentage points, and grade 10 ELA rose by 5 points compared with 2024.
Schaubour explained the state's new language for performance levels (Level 1 = below grade-level knowledge; Level 2 = foundational grade-level knowledge; Level 3 = consistent grade-level knowledge; Level 4 = advanced grade-level knowledge) and said the district continues to aim for students to reach levels 3 and 4. She added that for grade 10, a student can meet a graduation-pathway requirement with a minimum score that is slightly below Level 3.
The presentation disaggregated results and noted persistent disproportionality. Multilingual learners, students receiving special education services, students eligible for free and reduced-price meals, and students experiencing homelessness scored lower on average than district averages. Schaubour reported that among students who sat the ELA test, about 57% achieved Level 3 or 4; when non-tested students are counted in district totals, that overall rate was about 55% in ELA (a roughly 2-point gap attributable to participation). Science showed a larger participation gap, with 54% of tested students meeting Level 3/4 but a roughly 7-point difference when participation is included.
Board members focused discussion on participation and supports. Several directors urged stronger, district-wide expectations for practice tests and interim assessments (IABs) so students and teachers are familiar with the platform and tools; staff said they had increased interim-assessment usage and had designated supports for multilingual learners this year. Directors also noted that participation had historically been higher when passing the SBA was a sole graduation requirement; changes to graduation pathways and varied district practices had reduced participation in some cohorts, but staff said participation is nearing pre-COVID levels.
Why this matters: Participation and performance on state assessments inform school- and district-level planning, resource allocation, and targeted supports. While the district reported gains and higher participation, staff and board members emphasized that persistent subgroup gaps require focused, sustained interventions and clearer practice-test procedures to ensure comparability across schools.