EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
The 2005 Data Profile contains a wealth of information about the
Seattle Public Schools and the performance of our students. Here
are some highlights:
Demographics
• The District's enrollment,
based on the October 1, 2005 count, is 46,200, down 216 students
from last year. White students comprise 41.1 percent of the student
population and minorities 58.9 percent. The majority of our
students, or 61.4 percent, live with both parents. Based on the
income level of their parents, 39.8 percent of students are
eligible for free or reduced lunch. In June 2005, 9,968 students,
or 21.4 percent of the total enrollment, have non-English speaking
backgrounds. Of these, 6,091, or 13.1 percent of total enrollment,
were receiving bilingual services. 13.2 percent of all students
received special education services in June 2005.
Student
Performance
In general, Seattle Public Schools'
students continue to make gains on a variety of assessments that
measure academic achievement in Reading, Mathematics, Language
Arts, Writing, and Science.
• Average scores for elementary
and middle school students on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS)
and for high school students on the Iowa Test of Educational
Development (ITED) are above the national average in Reading,
Language and Mathematics.
• Performance on the Washington
Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), a challenging performance
assessment mandated by the State Legislature in Reading,
Mathematics and Writing for all students in grades 4, 7 and 10,
continues to climb. Science is assessed at grades 5, 8, and 10.
In 2005, fourth and seventh
grade scores improved in the three subject areas tested (Reading,
Mathematics, and Writing) from 2004, and tenth grade showed gains
in three of four tested subject areas (Reading, Mathematics, and
Science). The percentages of seventh graders in writing and
seventh and tenth graders in reading who are meeting standard have
increased every year since 2001.
• District SAT scores for high
school students were above both Washington State and national
averages in the Verbal section of the test, and above national
averages in the Math section of the test, in 2005. Seattle's 2005
Math and Verbal SAT scores are 12 and 26 points, respectively,
above the national average.
Attendance and
Discipline
• Average daily attendance for
all students was 91.6 percent in 2004-2005.
• The number and rate of
short-term suspensions rose in 2004-2005 from 2003-2004 levels at
high schools and elementary schools and were relatively unchanged
at middle schools.
• Long-term suspension rates
fell at high schools while rising at middle and elementary schools
in 2004-2005.
• High school and middle school
expulsion rates in 2004-2005 were the lowest in twenty years.
• The percentage of students at
elementary schools considered truant in 2004-2005 fell to the
lowest rate since the statewide truancy law was enacted in
1995-1996.
Student Educational
Status
• Annual dropout rates for high
school rose from 14.2 percent in 2003-2004 to 14.9 percent in
2004-2005. Most of this increase is attributable to dropouts from
three high school alternative programs specifically designed to get
dropouts from prior years back on track toward graduation. The
middle school annual dropout rate fell slightly to 5.5 percent in
2004-2005 from 5.6 percent in 2003-2004.
• For the class of 2005, 59.6%
of those who entered the class in the last four years graduated on
time, while 21.8% dropped out during the four year period.
