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Student Demographics<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Budget and Spending\u00a0<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n Testing and Accountability<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charter Schools and School Choice<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n Teachers\u00a0<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n Analysis of Data and Inequities<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n The main inequity is that of racial inequity. There are racial disparities present in funding and graduation rates. Regardless of poverty rates, predominantly non-White school districts typically have less in funds than predominantly White school districts. On average, high poverty, non-White districts have $11,200 per student; low-poverty, non-White school districts have $12,417 per student; high-poverty, White school districts have $19,422 per student; and low-poverty, White school districts have $12,912 per student (\u201c23 Billion\u201d). Additionally, the graduation rate in Washington is 80.9% and Native American\/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black students fall below this average. The graduation rate fo Native American\/Alaska Native students falls as low as 60.4%, 20% lower than the state average (\u201cGraduation and Dropout Statistics 2019\u201d).<\/p>\n Because predominantly White areas are typically more affluent, racial and socioeconomic equities often go hand-in-hand. More affluent areas are usually able to afford better quality education as the property values are more likely to be higher. This, however, is not always the case as even districts that are low-poverty and predominantly non-White typically have less in funding. The graduation rate disparity can be attributed to the lack of diversity in the teaching profession and education as a whole. The teaching profession is an overwhelmingly White one and Black students often do better academically when they have at least one Black teacher. 87.7% of Washington\u2019s teachers are White, whereas only 51.1% of Washington\u2019s students are White (Smith). Becoming a Teacher follows Laquisha Hall who is a Black teacher in a school with a predominantly Black student body. In the case of Hall and her colleagues, they tailored the curriculum to the interests and needs of their students in order for them to be better motivated and engaged (Anderson).<\/p>\n Where Washington addresses inequities is in its commitment to common schools. Charter schools were only allowed in Washington in 2016 and make up not even a percent of students statewide. Additionally, Washington does not have a statewide school voucher program for students to opt out of their public schools for a private option. Charter schools in Washington were created for the purpose of being an alternative option \u201cto allow flexibility to innovate in areas such as scheduling, personnel, funding, and educational programs to improve student outcomes and academic achievement of \u201cat-risk\u201d student population\u201d (\u201cCHARTER SCHOOLS ANNUAL REPORT December 2019\u201d). Alternative education pathways are definitely needed for many students, but charter schools and the idea of school choice is a divisive one for historically closing predominantly Black and low-income common schools and their ability to deny some students\u2019 enrollment.<\/p>\n Additionally, Washington stands out compared to other states in paying their public school teachers on average well above the national average. The average pay for teachers nationwide in 2020-2021 was $65,090 whereas the Washington average was $79,529 (\u201cEstimated Average Annual Salary of Teachers in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, by State: Selected Years, 1969\u201370 through 2020\u201321″). In paying teachers a higher salary, they are less likely to leave the profession shortly after starting which in turn creates a better, consistent experience for students.<\/p>\n Current Event in Washington State Education <\/u><\/b><\/p>\n In response to students reading below grade level on standardized tests, Wenatchee and other cities in Washington state have responded by adopting a new method of teaching reading and literacy called structured literacy. Traditionally, children were taught how to read using a method called whole language which taught students how to read and write through exposure to books and context clues. Structure Literacy consists of \u201cphonological awareness, the ability to notice and distinguish different sounds in a word; phonics, the ability to match sounds to letters; orthography, the ability to write sounds down and spell words; and morphology, the knowledge of word roots, prefixes and suffixes,\u201d a much more brain science leading approach to literacy. This method of instruction is said to prevent dyslexia, which affects one-fifth of the population. A new state law that mandates students in grades K-2 be screened for dyslexia. Works Cited<\/u><\/b><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/courses.bowdoin.edu\/education-1101-spring-2022\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/544\/2022\/05\/Student-Racial-Demographics-2020-1-300x225.png\")
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\nIn 2019, only 35 percent of Washington fourth graders were proficient in reading according to the National Assessment of Education Progress. With structured literacy instruction, the goal is to get 95 percent of students at grade level in third grade. A quarter of one class met standards (a rise from 16 percent) and 61 percent met standards in phonics (up from 33 percent). Additionally, many in Wenatchee are from a working class background where English is not the primary language at home so phonics instruction is especially important (Bazzaz).
\nThe case of Wenatchee adopting new instructional methods is an example of a school district using their test scores in order to better assess instruction and make changes accordingly. It is also an example of addressing inequities present in their schools. While standardized testing has historically been used as a determining factor in funding (and still is in the case of Washington when 95% of students in a school do not participate in testing) the Wenatchee schools have utilized their testing data well. The standardized tests that the state administers \u201cassists districts and schools in improving instructional practices and curriculum and gives families valuable information about how well their student is doing and where additional help might be needed\u201d (\u201cState Testing Frequently Asked Questions | OSPI”). Because many students in Wenatchee do not primarily speak English at home, it is critical that they address the issue rather than punish the students and the school by closing them. 11.8 percent of Washington students are English Language Learners (\u201cCOE – English Language Learners in Public Schools\u201d). So, this new approach to literacy is crucial to getting them on the path to success with the challenges of going through school while learning a new language.<\/p>\n