Pasco superintendent reports midyear gains; links pre‑K access to higher proficiency

Superintendent Whitney presented the district’s midyear review to the Pasco School Board on Feb. 10, reporting increases in student proficiency and outlining next steps for curriculum and intervention.

Whitney said STAR assessment results showed an almost 6% increase in third-grade proficiency in the 2024–25 school year and highlighted a 31.4% increase in kindergarten proficiency. She underscored results comparing students who attended preschool to those who did not, saying that in grade 3 there was a 23.1% difference in proficiency between the cohorts and that the difference reached 51.3% in eighth grade. Whitney framed those results as evidence that earlier access to pre‑K and coordinated transitional kindergarten partnerships are affecting later outcomes.

On mathematics, Whitney reported emerging improvement in algebra outcomes and noted a 15% increase in algebra passage rates across classes from the class of 2024 to the class of 2028. She acknowledged areas of decline in some grades and said the district will focus on professional development and fidelity of curriculum implementation, including additional supports for middle- and elementary-school math.

Whitney also reviewed the district’s approach to determining ‘‘significant improvement’’ using standard statistical tests and said additional progress-monitoring reports will be presented to the board in April, with a full Success in High School report scheduled for April 28.

The presentation was informational. Board members asked clarifying questions about how eligibility and cohort comparisons were made; Whitney committed to providing additional analysis and data in future reports.