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Statewide I-BEST program serves 6,000 learners and shows higher completion, presenters say
Summary
Nicole Daughtry told the council I-BEST serves roughly 6,000 students annually with a 14% higher completion rate than traditional models and reported wage gains for completers.
Nicole Daughtry, who manages I-BEST at the state board, presented program metrics and outcomes. "This program serves 6,000 students annually," she said, adding that I-BEST offered 255 programs in 2022-23 with 46% students of color and 39% of participants having dependents. Daughtry reported a 14% higher completion rate compared with traditional models.
She also cited economic gains tied to completion: certificate completers saw an average 26% increase in wages while degree completers saw a 39% increase. Washington has I-BEST programming in 31 colleges and has trained 29 states and U.S. territories on the model. Council members praised I-BEST as an equity lever and discussed scaling and funding implications for 2025 legislative priorities.
Daughtry recommended continued focus on contextualized instruction, team teaching, navigational supports and equity-focused scaling. Council members identified connecting with named contacts (Dr. Michael Brown; Marcus and Antonio Gunn) for implementation coordination.
