About 10 years ago, Chehalis School District leadership, along with community partners from the Chehalis Foundation, created a vision for our schools. The Student Achievement Initiative (SAI) was created to prepare all students for post-secondary education. Based on research done by the BERC Group, we learned only one in five graduates of W.F. West High School went on to complete a credential after high school. With the increasing economic need for skilled workers in our state and across the country, local school, community and business leaders knew we could find ways to better prepare our students for careers and college.
Over the last decade, the SAI has benefited from strong partnerships between the Chehalis School District, the Chehalis Foundation and Centralia College. Our administrators, teachers and staff have focused on using data to improve instructional practices, build a culture of postsecondary awareness, and work across grade levels to build students’ skills and shape confident mindsets. Without the dedication of our staff, this difficult, intentional work would not be possible. Our teachers and counselors are the heart and soul of the SAI.
Today, we are proud that nearly half (48%) of the members of the class of 2018 have already earned a post-high school credential, such as a degree, apprenticeship or certificate. That means in five years, our credential completion rate more than doubled — the result of hard work from students, families, educators and the community to support this effort.
To meet economic demand, however, there is more progress to be made: SAI’s original goal is for 60% of W.F. West graduates complete a postsecondary credential, starting with the class of 2022. We are well on the way to achieving our goal for last year’s graduates and have started to discuss raising the bar.
That’s why we were thrilled to receive a Regional Challenge Grant from the Washington Student Achievement Council. This new funding opportunity came out of an effort to find solutions to Washington state’s postsecondary enrollment crisis — in fall 2022, there were 70,000 fewer students enrolled in Washington’s public two- and four-year colleges and universities than before the pandemic started. That’s equivalent to an entire high school graduating class from across the state not pursuing a credential.
The Challenge Grants are designed to drive up postsecondary enrollment and credential attainment by supporting new and existing regional partnerships — like SAI — that can work collaboratively to implement locally relevant and impactful solutions. The Chehalis School District, with our Student Achievement Initiative, was one of eight grantees in this first round of funding. Other grantees are from Tacoma, Seattle, Yakima, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, Methow Valley and Walla Walla.
With this grant, we can deepen our efforts to reach students at an earlier point on their educational journey. Over the years we have learned, and national research supports, that for students to have high levels of achievement in high school and beyond, they must start with a strong foundation of skills acquired in their pre-school and elementary years. We plan to connect with families who have children as young as pre-K to support early learning, as well as engage parents about their own career development and support them as they navigate opportunities for adult-friendly learning and training.
While our overall metrics are moving in the right direction, Chehalis schools are committed to reducing equity gaps among Hispanic students, families with low-incomes, young people who are in foster care or who are experiencing homelessness, and students in special education. This new phase of SAI, The Cornerstone Program, was made possible by the $1 million Challenge Grant and will focus specifically on engaging these populations with focused and relevant support.
The SAI is a grassroots project, funded primarily by W.F. West alumni through the Chehalis Foundation. Receiving the Challenge Grant affirms the work our district and partners have done to date and will take our efforts to the next level of impact: achievement for all students. Our success is powerful evidence that community-driven solutions work. Challenge Grants can drive more locally-developed successes like this across the state. The state Legislature should continue funding Challenge Grants as they are a direct investment into the successful futures of our students and communities.
•••
Rick Goble is the director of student achievement for Chehalis schools.
