Release Date:
OLYMPIA, Wash. – On May 14, 2015, the Washington State Board of Education voted to release three school districts from Required Action Status. Morton School District, Onalaska School District, and Renton School District were in the first cohort of schools established in 2011, and are the first schools in Washington to be released from Required Action Status.
According to Board Chair Isabel Muñoz-Colón, "These schools received extra support from the state to close gaps in serving their students and have made remarkable progress.” The State Board of Education receives a recommendation to release a district from required action status from the Superintendent of Public Instruction when a district has:
In addition to meeting the minimum requirement, OSPI reports that each school has made special achievements.
While Onalaska Middle School was in Required Action Status, proficiency on state assessments in reading and math combined for all students at Onalaska Middle School increased by approximately 30 percentage points, and the school had higher than average student growth. Onalaska Superintendent Jeff Davis said, "Onalaska School District has seen tremendous growth in our teaching staff. Their research-based instructional practices and willingness to embrace new ideas and practices have greatly contributed to the turnaround of our middle school and improved student outcomes. These classroom practices have truly made a difference in the lives of our students."
During Morton School District’s years in required action, proficiency on state assessments in reading and math combined for all students at Morton Junior-Senior High School increased by over 15 percentage points. According to Morton School District Superintendent and Morton Junior/Senior High School president John Hannah, "The staff of Morton School District have worked extremely hard over the last several years to put systems in place to support our students and all of their future endeavors. The RAD process, along with support from ESD 113, helped us know what systems to implement and how to do them for the benefit of our students.” Morton Junior-Senior High school won an award for High Progress at the Washington Achievement Awards on April 28th, 2015.
At Renton School District’s Lakeridge Elementary School, all students’ proficiency on state assessments in reading and math combined at increased by over 30 percentage points ̶ to surpass the Washington state average. Students at Lakeridge displayed higher than average growth in reading and excellent growth in math.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has recommended the Board release these school districts based on these criteria, and the board voted to do so at its May meeting.
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Contact: Stefanie Randolph, SBE Communications Manager, (360) 725-6501
About the State Board of Education: The State Board of Education provides advocacy and strategic oversight of public education. The board comprised 16 members: five are elected by school board directors, seven are appointed by the Governor, two serve as student representatives, and one serves as a private school representative. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is also a member.