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South Whidbey Board hears test-score gains, staff flags differences between i-Ready diagnostics and SBAC
Summary
District leaders reported year-over-year gains on internal i-Ready diagnostics and strong high-school SBAC results (ELA 81%, math 57%), but said discrepancies between i-Ready and SBAC scores will require cohort analysis and further review.
South Whidbey School District leaders presented year-end assessment data at a June workshop, describing notable gains on both local diagnostics and state tests while urging deeper analysis of measurement differences.
Dr. Clifford opened the presentation and said district teams would prioritize cohort and trend analysis rather than single-year comparisons. Principal Richards highlighted elementary and secondary classroom work, peer-led SEL programming and the district’s progress on i-Ready diagnostics, which showed a rise in the share of students at “tier one” across grades.
The board heard specific SBAC comparisons for the high school cohort: sophomores passed ELA at 81% compared with a Washington state average of 65%, and the district reported 57% passing in math versus a 35% state average. District staff attributed some of the gains to multi-year cohort strength and said some cohorts have historically scored above state averages.
Dr. Clifford emphasized limits to the presentation: “We present the high-level data because we need to preserve and protect the information of students,” and said building teams work with grade-level and department leads to track which students are on pace or need intervention. He and principals said staff will use cohort trend tools to reconcile why i-Ready diagnostic growth and SBAC outcomes do not always track identically.
Board members and parents asked whether testing format and stakes could influence results; presenters acknowledged that state tests (SBAC) and the district’s i-Ready diagnostics are different instruments and pledged further study of format-based discrepancies. Staff also flagged performance gaps for students with IEPs or 504 plans and said hiring a dedicated director of special education is intended to strengthen supports.
The workshop concluded with a plan to continue investigating differences between assessments and to present more disaggregated cohort data at a future business meeting.
