Closing the Achievement Gap in Washington State: Holding Schools Accountable for Equity.

Abstract

This report examines data from the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), focusing on the achievement gap in Washington state public schools. It uses scale scores rather than simply percentage meeting standard; analyzes data on both individual and building levels; and displays data in many different ways designed to clarify the nature and direction of achievement gaps and relationship to known demographic characteristics of students and schools. All 4th, 7th, and 10th grade students tested in reading and mathematics between 1998-2001 were included in the study. topics include the following:(1) Introduction; (2) The Achievement in Washington State (e.g., differences in distributions and indications of change); (3) Explaining the Achievement Gap (home, school, and societal factors); (4) Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap (e.g.; invest in capacity, target low-performing students and schools, expand access to preschool, and fund schools equitably); and (5) Holding Schools Accountable for Equity: Implications for Policy (e.g., measure improvement and growth over time, measure gaps in achievement as well as overall achievement, and help educators improve instruction). Four appendixes include overview of WASL scores, indicators of significant change, distribution of students across schools, and building-level achievement gaps. (Contains 75 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

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