North Wasco County SD 21 board session focuses on student belonging after YouthTruth survey flags reading and attendance gaps

At a recent North Wasco County SD 21 board session, district staff and school principals reviewed results from the district’s first recent YouthTruth student survey and discussed how student experience data relate to academic outcomes and the district’s performance growth targets.

Dr. Arvey, who led the data session, told the board that “students with a strong sense of belonging are more likely to engage in school,” and that the district should read perception and performance data together to find levers for improvement. The YouthTruth administration in 2025 drew 2,082 student respondents in grades 3–12 and produced district‑level snapshots of belonging, engagement, relationships, school culture and academic challenge.

Why it matters: board members and principals said perception data appeared to connect to outcomes the district tracks as common metrics — regular attendance, third‑grade reading proficiency, ninth‑grade on‑track, four‑year graduation and five‑year completion — and that understanding the reasons behind the numbers will shape interventions. Several principals argued that improving belonging and teacher‑student relationships could support attendance and later academic gains.

What the data showed and how the board discussed it - District staff explained that survey results are reported as percent‑positive. Presenters noted wide grade‑band differences: engagement was reported as roughly 85 percent positive in elementary, about 33 percent in middle school and about 48 percent in high school. Presenters said only about one‑third of students overall reported a clear sense of belonging. - Board members and staff focused on third‑grade reading and elementary attendance. Principals and staff said attendance patterns in North Wasco are atypical: elementary attendance rates are lower than older grades, reversing the more common pattern of declining attendance by age. Several board members and principals linked lower elementary attendance and kindergarten readiness concerns to the district’s low third‑grade reading proficiency. - School leaders and special‑education staff told the board they are seeing higher numbers of students entering kindergarten on IEPs and noted that language‑status (dual‑language immersion or multilingual learners) could affect assessment outcomes; they recommended disaggregating data by program, cohort and attendance level to test those hypotheses.

School plans and actions described by principals - Chenoweth Elementary (principal AJ) reported regular attenders near 73.8 percent and said local data showed roughly 24 percent of third‑grade students at proficiency. AJ listed strategies including responsive classroom practices, restorative circles, a weekly “Genius Hour” student‑voice block, a dedicated attendance team, proactive family outreach and twice‑monthly reviews of I‑Ready diagnostic data to inform small‑group literacy instruction. - Colonel Wright (middle school) outlined goals to increase students’ access to a trusted adult, expand intentional attendance interventions and support teachers’ instructional practice. The principal said teams will monitor attendance and implement outreach tied to root‑cause analysis. - Joy Hollow Elementary described a Curiosity Quest weekly block, a goal to lower chronic absenteeism from about 37 percent to 28 percent by June 2026, a Walk‑to‑Learn model for targeted math instruction during intervention time, and two professional‑learning sessions plus ongoing coaching for teachers using I‑Ready tools. - Dallas Middle and Dallas High principals emphasized culture and transition work: the middle school described an 80 percent attendance incentive policy and success/intervention meetings; the high school discussed a ninth‑grade transition program under development and ongoing efforts to coordinate with the middle school and Innovations/virtual programs to support at‑risk cohorts. - Innovations (virtual) highlighted restorative practices, project‑based learning and individualized graduation planning for off‑track students, and noted partnerships that support students with significant barriers.

Board questions and next steps Board members pressed staff to compare district targets to peer districts and to explain the current target‑setting pause associated with recent state rule changes (referenced as SB 141). Staff said the state is updating guidance and comparable peer data will be added over time. The board asked for more disaggregated reporting by school, grade, student group, attendance cohort and program (including dual‑language and special education) and for tracking of interim diagnostic measures that can inform mid‑year adjustments.

District staff closed the session by scheduling a series of monthly "data drips" that will dive deeper into specific metrics: December (regular attendance), January (third‑grade reading), February (eighth‑grade math), March (ninth‑grade on‑track), and April (graduation metrics). Staff asked board members to return anonymous self‑assessments of their data literacy so future sessions can be tailored.

The session produced no formal motions or votes; it was a work session focused on building the board’s data‑interpretation skills and on identifying school‑level interventions to address attendance and early‑grade reading.