White River School District students are showing improvement in their math and reading scores after subject proficiency levels tanked across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But while the Enumclaw School District is showing improvement in math, reading scores continued to decline through last year.

This data comes from the third annual report published by Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University and The Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University.

According to ERS, Washington state is 34th among states in math proficiency recovery and 26th in reading between 2019 and 2024.

Additionally, the report notes on a national average, students in grades 3 through 8 are at just under a half a grade behind in these subjects.

Pictured are White River School District’s reading and math proficiencies from 2019 to 2024. Note that the Education Recovery Scorecard considers the 2019 national average score to be 0.0. Additionally, keep in mind that the national average score is now half a grade lower than what it was in 2019. Data courtesy Education Recovery Scorecard

WHITE RIVER RECOVERY

The ERS data isn’t just showing that White River School District students in grades 3 through 8 are improving their math and reading scores, but that compared to the national average, Hornets are scoring at least a grade higher in these subjects.

In 2019, WRHS students were already more than half a grade level ahead of the national average in math. Like most schools across the nation, Hornet math proficiency declined between 2019 and 2022, but only slightly, and stayed ahead of the national average.

Last year, national student math proficiency was half a grade lower compared to 2019 levels — but White River’s math proficiency increased, putting these students at nearly a whole grade above the national average.

The school’s improvement in reading scores may be even more impressive.

While national reading scores dropped during the pandemic, WRHS’ reading proficiency actually improved, and scores have held steady between 2022 and 2024 while the national average declined. It’s estimated that White River is about a grade and a half further along in reading skills than the national average at this point.

Superintendent Scott Harrison credited the district’s success during the pandemic to the fact that they “pivoted instantly.”

“When we closed schools on March 13th of 2020, we had devices in backpacks when students went home. Instruction began on Monday morning and we focused on the essential standards,” he said in an email interview. “We were also one of the first school districts in the Puget Sound to return to in-person learning for all students. Our educators did a lot of heavy lifting in 2020 and 2021 and the results show it.”

One of the reasons why national math and reading scores are dropping is because of rising chronic absenteeism, which is when a student is absent for more than 10% of the school year; Washington requires schools to be in session for 180 days, so this pans out to 18 absences.

But White River bucked this trend, despite the fact that chronic absenteeism in the district rose from 12% in 2019 to 27% in 2023.

WRHS students are also performing better than the average of similar districts like Sumner-Bonney Lake, Lakewood, and Mead, as well as Washington state in general.

“A huge part of this story is the support we receive from the White River community,” Harrison continued. “… The parent and community partnership is an undeniable factor. We also have an incredibly supportive Board of Directors. Many Boards lost sight of student learning during [the pandemic], but our Board kept the focus on the ensuring students were receiving the best education we could offer.”

Pictured are Enumclaw School District’s reading and math proficiencies from 2019 to 2024. With the 2019 national average score being 0.0 on the graph, you can see Enumclaw’s math scores dropped below the 2019 national average in 2022 and 2023, but are still above the 2024 national average score.

ENUMCLAW’S LAG

The Enumclaw School District’s performance isn’t as sunny as its sister’s across the White River.

Math scores are where ESD is doing well. Before the pandemic, the district was testing above the state average in math, but between 2019 and 2021, math proficiency dropped a grade level and dipped below the 2019 national average.

But as the national average continued to decline between 2021 and 2024, Enumclaw’s math scores improved, and ERS estimates Enumclaw students are now scoring half a grade level above the 2024 national average.

Reading scores are another story.

ESD started out in 2019 a full grade level ahead of the national average at that time, but student performance tanked by three-fourths of a grade between 2019 and 2021, and it continues to decline, though students are more than half a grade ahead of the 2024 national average scores.

Chronic absenteeism grew in the district from 15% in 2019 to 30% in 2022, but it dropped slightly in 2023.

While ESD’s math and reading proficiency scores are a mixed bag of good news and bad, the district is performing better than the state average and the average of similar districts like Monroe, Lakewood, and Arlington by about three-quarters of a grade.

The Enumclaw School District requested more time to respond to questions regarding the report.