Donald Kimball of the Washington Policy Center believes that allowing a program like Education Savings Accounts would free families from being stuck in a system they mistrust and help their students succeed
Donald Kimball
Washington Policy Center
The 2023-2024 K-12 Report Card has been released by OSPI, and the results continue the pattern of the past few years.
Based on Smarter Balanced standardized testing, only 50.3% of students were considered on track in English, 39.7% in Math, and 43.5% in Science. Last year, the scores were 50.7% in English, 39.1% in Math, and 42.9% in Science.
These scores indicate there hasn’t been any serious improvement for public school students since the learning loss from school closures during the pandemic.
Superintendent Reykdahl has been critical of Smarter Balanced assessment and standardized testing broadly, arguing the numbers don’t tell the whole story of a student’s development. Even still, with the public school system a few years past the COVID closures and spending over $18,000 per student, it would be expected that these numbers, even if imperfect, would improve.
Rather than continuing to believe that spending more money on the current system will suddenly improve student learning, parents should be allowed to take the money and direct it in the most effective way possible. This would allow parents who are happy with these scores to keep their children in the public schools, but allow other parents to choose options they feel better suit the needs of their child.
If their student is excelling in their public school, the system already caters to their needs. If, however, these new results cause alarm, allowing a program like Education Savings Accounts would free families from being stuck in a system they mistrust and help their students succeed.
Donald Kimball is the communications manager and text exchange editor at the Washington Policy Center.
Also read:
- Opinion: 50.3% of Washington public school students at grade level in English, 39.7% in MathDonald Kimball from Washington Policy Center argues that Education Savings Accounts could help students succeed, amid low public school test scores in Washington.
- Opinion: Is government greed fueling the drive to defeat citizen-led ballot initiatives?Paul Guppy of the Washington Policy Center discusses how government greed may be fueling opposition to citizen-led ballot initiatives aimed at reducing new taxes in Washington state.
- Opinion: WA Cares commission weighs in on how future recipients will be allowed to spend moneyElizabeth New (Hovde) from the Washington Policy Center discusses the ongoing challenges with WA Cares, highlighting solvency concerns and the impact of Initiative 2124 on the program’s future.
- POLL: If Tri-Mountain Golf Course were sold, how would you feel about it being developed into something else?Poll: How do you feel about the potential sale and development of Tri-Mountain Golf Course? Share your thoughts on this community issue!
- Opinion: Fact check – Will repealing Washington’s CO2 tax harm ‘roads and bridges?’Todd Myers of the Washington Policy Center says legislators and activists understand that residents want to improve the safety and efficiency of our transportation system Todd MyersWashington Policy Center One of the primary arguments made by supporters of Washington’s tax on CO2 emissions, called the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), is that if the state loses …