1. Vancouver Public Schools - Milestone Benchmarks
Graduation – A Team Effort
June 5, 2012

2. Students Ready for Kindergarten
Children living in poverty are more at risk for language delays
61% of low-income children have no age-appropriate books in their homes
Low-income children hear, on average, 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers before the age of 4
Children from low-income families enter kindergarten with a listening vocabulary of 3,000 words – 17,000 words less than their middle-income peers
The average low-income 5-year old recognizes only 9 letters of the alphabet, compared with 22 letters for their middle-income peers
Supported by research
Few and powerful
Study results cited by Reach Out and Read ( 2

3. What are the VPS Milestone Benchmarks?
Student learning results shared across our system
Critical “check points” on the way to college, career and life ready 3

4. VPS Milestone Benchmarks
Students ready for college and career
10th graders passing the state assessment
9th graders ready for high school
7th graders ready for pre-algebra or algebra in 8th grade
6th graders ready for middle school
3rd graders reading on grade level
Students ready for kindergarten

5. 7th graders ready for pre-algebra or algebra in 8th grade
Each benchmark is connected to efforts at preceding and subsequent grade levels.
7th graders ready for pre-algebra or algebra in 8th grade
6th grade
What does it look like to be a sixth grader who will be prepared to meet the 7th grade benchmark?
What data will help us know?
How will we respond if students are not on track? 5

6. 7th graders ready for pre-algebra or algebra in 8th grade
Each benchmark is connected to efforts at preceding and subsequent grade levels.
7th graders ready for pre-algebra or algebra in 8th grade
6th grade
5th grade
4th grade
3rd grade
2nd grade
School and district action plans for mathematics intend to impact teaching and learning at every grade level.
1st grade
Kindergarten

7. VPS Milestone Benchmarks
26 measures
Milestone Benchmark
Measures, or indicators
Collaboration – Principals, district administrators and instructional support staff
Consensus model and communication to all district leadership
Adoption by VPS Board of Directors in June 2010
Most measures have a five-year (2015) target.
Example:
In 10-11, 73% of ninth graders earned at least 5.5 credits.
The target for 2015 is 80%. 7

8. Why THESE Milestone Benchmarks?
Supported by research
Few and powerful 8

9. On-Time and Extended Graduation Rates
… and 6th grade GPA is a predictor of 9th grade credit accrual.
… 9th grade credit accrual is a predictor of graduation…
Analysis of our graduation and drop-out data shows that …

10. 9th Grade Credit Accrual as a Predictor of Graduation
Credits at the End of the 9th Grade Year
Probability of Graduating
Green 6+
93%
Yellow
4-5.9
68%
Red
<4
11%

11. What do the Milestone Benchmarks Mean for Us?
Identify and quantify our shared aspirations around student learning results
Provide a more complete measure of student achievement and system performance
Support intervention based on meaningful data and analysis
Informed Action
Understanding
Results 11

12. Gauging Our Growth 12

13. Vancouver Public Schools - Milestone Benchmarks
Graduation – A Team Effort
June 5, 2012 13