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Battle Ground staff present assessment and graduation data; officials say state test is highly rigorous
Summary
District assessment leaders reported kindergarten readiness, Smarter Balanced, graduation rates and graduation-pathway data. Officials said Washington's Smarter Balanced assessments are rigorous and district results largely track state performance.
Battle Ground School District officials presented annual assessment results and graduation-pathway data to the board on Oct. 27, saying the district's performance largely mirrors statewide trends while highlighting areas for focused improvement.
The presentation focused on three measurable objectives in the district strategic plan tied to high-quality instruction: kindergarten readiness, Smarter Balanced results (grades 3-8 and 10), and graduation rates and pathways. "WA Kids is an observational assessment teachers give in the first 12 weeks of kindergarten," said Lacey Marcelic, the district assessment coordinator. The district reported 62.8% of incoming kindergartners met the readiness benchmark in 2025, a metric the presenters linked to later performance on state tests.
District leaders said public reporting changes at the state level now classify levels 2, 3 and 4 as "proficient" for dashboard viewing; district staff presented both the state's level-2-or-above figures and the traditional level-3-or-above results. Presenters cited district-level aggregates of 71.1% for ELA, 64.4% for math and 66.4% for science under the state's broader proficiency definition (level 2+), and noted that the longer-standing level 3+ percentages rose slightly year over year for ELA, math and science.
"Smarter Balanced is no joke. It's a really hard test. It's incredibly rigorous," said David, the district's executive director of school improvement. He and colleagues emphasized that Washington ranks near the top of Smarter Balanced states and that district scores are within a few percentage points of state averages.
Presenters also reported 46 test incidents and 18 invalidations during spring 2025 assessments, down from 137 incidents and 19 invalidations the prior year. On graduation, preliminary figures for 2024-25 showed a four-year graduation rate of 78.4%; presenters said final state data could adjust that number later in the fall. The staff also noted growth in alternative graduation pathways, including career and technical education (CTE) sequences, Running Start, Advanced Placement and world-language testing; 692 students met a CTE graduation pathway in 2024-25, and 70 students used AP to meet a pathway in recent years.
Board members asked for help interpreting which slides best show progress toward each strategic goal. Staff replied that some goals require review across multiple assessments and cohorts, and they flagged that district curriculum and PLC (professional learning community) work may take additional years to show results on one-time state assessments.
Ending: The board said it would review school improvement plans (SIPs) in December; staff said SIPs will include prior-year goals and results to make progress easier to track.
