Key Performance Indicators

Northshore School District has identified six key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor our students’ performance. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are performance metrics that can be tracked, measured, and analyzed to determine if an organization is progressing towards its goals. 

Northshore’s KPIs represent the most critical student performance areas that lead to broad student achievement and success in school and beyond. The six Northshore KPIs are distributed evenly across grade bands (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12) and will be reported on annually. 

The selection of these six KPIs does not mean that the District isn’t working on other important aspects of its educational mission. On the contrary, success in achieving the KPIs is instrumental in creating student success more broadly and achievement of our District’s Strategic Plan goals. 

 

A Note About the i-Ready Assessment

Three of the six KPIs are measured by student performance on i-Ready diagnostic assessments:

Maywood Hills family reading night
  1. Reading on grade level by the end of third grade 
  2. Math on grade level by the end of third grade
  3. Reading on grade level by the end of eighth grade

i-Ready is a national educational assessment organization that partners with Northshore and many other school districts across the United States.

Northshore aligned these KPIs with i-Ready rather than Washington State’s Smarter Balanced assessment because i-Ready assesses progress as early as Kindergarten and allows multiple diagnostic assessments during the academic year. In contrast, Smarter Balanced assessment begins in third grade and occurs only once during the academic year. Student performance on i-Ready assessments is strongly correlated with student performance on Smarter Balanced assessments. It is safe to assume that increased performance on i-Ready assessments will generally correspond with increased performance on Smarter Balanced assessments. More information about i-Ready assessments can be found at https://www.curriculumassociates.com/

 

Reading on grade level by the end of Third Grade

Reading on grade level by the end of third grade is a KPI because third grade is the time when students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Enhanced reading skills will benefit students across all subject areas.

Northshore measures reading on grade level by examining student performance using third grade i-Ready reading assessments. Specifically, Northshore calculates the percentage of students who were reading at or above the i-Ready third grade reading standard using final reading assessments that occurred after Spring Break of the corresponding year (middle of April). These percentages are supplemented by comparing the median (i.e., middle) Northshore performance to national norms provided by i-Ready.

 

Math on grade level by the end of Third Grade

Math on grade level by the end of third grade is a KPI because students at this age are developing comprehension across all four major mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). Students need to master these areas to continue growing in math skills.

Northshore measures math on grade level by examining student performance using third grade i-Ready math assessments. Specifically, Northshore calculates the percentage of students who were proficient in math at or above the i-Ready third grade math standard using final math assessments that occurred after Spring Break of the corresponding year (middle of April). These percentages are supplemented by comparing the median (i.e., middle) Northshore performance to national norms provided by i-Ready.

 

Reading on grade level by the end of Eighth Grade

Reading on grade level by the end of eighth grade is a KPI because eighth grade level reading relies on comprehension of informational and literary text. Eighth grade is also the final grade before students transition to high school. Enhanced reading comprehension skills will benefit students across all subject areas.

Northshore measures reading on grade level by examining student performance using eighth grade i-Ready reading assessments. Specifically, Northshore calculates the percentage of students who were reading at or above the i-Ready eighth grade reading standard using final diagnostic reading assessments that occurred after Spring Break of the corresponding year (middle of April). These percentages are supplemented by comparing the median (i.e., middle) Northshore performance to national norms provided by i-Ready. Northshore selected the 2023-24 academic year as the baseline year because this is the first year where i-Ready assessments were fully integrated across our middle schools.

 

Successful completion of algebra by the end of Eighth Grade

Northshore’s middle school mathematics KPI is successful completion of Algebra by the end of eighth grade. Algebra is a key step in students' path to completing higher-level math before graduation. Research shows that completing algebra by eighth grade boosts confidence in math and encourages students to take more advanced courses.  For Northshore, successful completion means that the students completed Algebra and received academic credit.

An important note about this KPI is the focus on successful completion. Northshore won’t encourage students to take Algebra if they aren’t developmentally ready. The Algebra KPI helps Northshore track the percentage of students prepared for Algebra by eighth grade.

The national percentage of students successfully completing algebra by eighth grade is only somewhat clear. One national assessment suggests that somewhere between 24% and 33% of United states students complete algebra by Grade 8.

Percent of Northshore’s students successfully completing Algebra by the end of eighth grade:

  • Class of 2024 = 71.0%
  • Class of 2023 = 72.1%
  • Class of 2022 = 72.5%

 

Four years or more of mathematics in high school

Four or more years of math in high school is Northshore’s high school math KPI. Research shows that increased math exposure is related to success at the collegiate level and the opportunity to pursue STEM-related careers.

Northshore measures four or more years of math by examining the percentage of students who earned four academic credits (i.e., four academic years of credit) in math or in courses that can be considered math-equivalent.

Percent of Northshore’s students completing four years of mathematics in high school:

  • Class of 2024 = 71.0%
  • Class of 2023 = 72.1%
  • Class of 2022 = 72.5%

 

Meeting College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs)

The Washington Student Achievement Council developed College Academic Distribution Requirements (a.k.a., CADRs; “kay-ders”) to encourage minimum standards for students enrolling in a Washington State public higher education institution. CADRs include academic progression across six subject areas: English, Mathematics, Science, World Languages, Social Science, and Arts. Northshore’s CADR KPI estimates the percentage of students in a class year who met all CADR requirements.

The intent of this broad KPI is to evaluate whether Northshore students are successfully completing courses that prepare them for life and higher education.

Percent of Northshore High School students who met CADRs:

  • Class of 2024: 66.0%
  • Class of 2023: 65.2%
  • Class of 2022: 67.8%