Metrics Guide
A plain-English index of every metric used on the maps and explorer, organized by school level, from baseline "meets standard" rates to the growth, peer, and program signals that separate strong schools. Includes calculation formulas, sample SBAC questions, color bands, and the main interpretation traps to avoid.
SBAC = Smarter Balanced Assessment, Washington's statewide ELA + Math test (grades 3-8 and 10). The simplest comparable score across schools.
% meeting standard = share of expected test-takers scoring at or above grade level. Level 4 = the top achievement band; more discriminating where most students already meet standard.
3-year averages are used by default to smooth small-cohort year-to-year noise.
Demographics (low income, English learner, highly capable) are context for interpreting raw scores, not a quality judgment.
Name glossary
The site uses plain-English metric names. This table maps each one back to the official assessment or dataset name so every number stays auditable against the source.
| Shown on the site as | Official name | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting grade-level standard | SBAC ELA + Math combined, met standard (Levels 3-4) | Share of tested students meeting Washington's grade-level standard in English and math, combined. |
| Reading & writing (ELA) | SBAC English Language Arts, met standard | Share meeting standard on the English Language Arts test alone. |
| Math | SBAC Mathematics, met standard | Share meeting standard on the math test alone. |
| Exceeding standard (top band) | SBAC Level 4 | Share scoring in the top of four bands, a depth signal ordinary pass rates miss. |
| Science standard | WCAS (Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science), met standard | Share meeting standard on the state science assessment (grades 5, 8, 11). |
| Science top band | WCAS Level 4 | Share in the top science score band. |
| Kindergarten readiness | WaKIDS, ready in all 6 domains | Share of entering kindergartners ready in all six developmental domains. |
| Growth vs academic peers | Median Student Growth Percentile (SGP) | How much students improved year-over-year vs statewide peers who started at the same score. 50 = typical. |
| Regular attendance | SQSS regular attendance (≥ 90% of days) | Share of students missing fewer than two days a month. |
| 9th graders on track to graduate | Ninth Grade On Track | Share of 9th graders earning every credit they attempted, a strong graduation predictor. |
| College-level coursework | Dual credit participation (AP / IB / Running Start / College in HS / CTE) | Share taking any course that can earn college credit. |
| Graduating in 4 years | 4-year adjusted cohort graduation rate | Share of the entering 9th-grade cohort graduating within four years. |
| Enrolled in college after high school | ERDC postsecondary enrollment, first year after graduation | Share of graduates enrolled in any 2- or 4-year college within a year. |
| Students from low-income homes | Free/reduced-price lunch eligible share | Share of enrolled students from low-income households. |
| English language learners | English learner (transitional bilingual) enrollment share | Share of students receiving English-learner services. |
| Highly Capable enrollment | Highly Capable program enrollment share | Share enrolled in the state-mandated Highly Capable (gifted) program. |
| Kids per block (neighborhood) | Census ACS 5-year, children per block group (our per-block estimate) | How many children live in the surrounding Census block group, per typical block. |
| Vs demographically similar schools | Peer percentile within our matched peer set (FRL/ELL ±10pp) | Percentile among schools serving similar populations, answers 'is it good for who it serves'. Pass-gated. |
| 3-year trend | OLS slope of met-standard rate, 2022-23 → 2024-25 (our derivation) | Whether scores are improving, flat, or declining. Pass-gated. |
| Teacher experience | OSPI Report Card Teacher Demographics, average years | Average years of teacher experience; the 3-year trend is a coarse retention proxy. |
Elementary metrics
Grades K-5Testing only starts in 3rd grade. Early-elementary quality is inferred from later test scores plus context.
SBAC ELA + Math (3yr combined)
The default elementary headline. Average of the school's 3-year ELA meeting-standard percentage and 3-year math meeting-standard percentage across grades 3-5.
SBAC ELA + Math (2024-25)
Same idea but only the most recent year. More current, but a single year can swing more at small schools.
ELA / Math (3yr each)
Subject-specific 3-year SBAC meeting-standard rates for grades 3-5. Helpful when a school has a strong imbalance between reading/writing and math.
WaKIDS readiness, all 6 domains
Share of kindergartners ready in all six WaKIDS domains: social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy, and math. Observational, not a test.
Middle metrics
Grades 6-8Adds advanced (Level 4) achievement, science, growth, and attendance.
SBAC ELA + Math (3yr meeting std)
Same metric as elementary but using grades 6-8.
Level 4 advanced (3yr)
Share of students in the top achievement band. More discriminating than meeting-standard at strong schools where most students already meet standard.
WCAS Science meeting std (grade 8)
Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science. Levels 3 + 4 combined are "meeting standard."
WCAS Science Level 4 (grade 8)
Top WCAS performance band; OSPI scale score 765+ at grade 8.
Median student growth percentile (SGP)
Growth between consecutive years compared with academically similar students statewide. 50 = typical statewide growth. Higher = faster growth. Independent of starting score.
Regular attendance
Share of students attending ≥ 90% of school days during 2024-25 (OSPI SQSS). Covers all grades present at the school.
High metrics
Grades 9-12The richest data set, academic, engagement, graduation, and postsecondary outcomes.
SBAC ELA + Math (3yr)
Grade 10 only at the high-school level.
Level 4 advanced (3yr)
Grade 10 top achievement band.
WCAS Science (grade 11)
Meeting standard plus Level 4 (top band, scale score 791+).
9th grade on track
Share of 9th graders who earned at least one credit in each core area. Strong predictor of on-time graduation.
Dual credit (any)
Share of high-school students earning dual credit (AP, IB, College in the High School, Cambridge, CTE, or Running Start). Subtotals are reported separately.
Graduation rate (4 / 5 / 6 / 7-year)
Cohort graduation rates: percent of an entering 9th-grade cohort that graduated within N years. 5-year is more stable than 4-year for some cohorts.
First-year college enrollment
Percent of high-school graduates enrolled in any 2-year or 4-year postsecondary program in their first year out. From OSPI's High School Graduate Outcomes datasets.
Persistence to year 2 (4-year)
Share of 4-year college enrollees still enrolled in their second year. A signal of college readiness, not just access.
Cross-level metrics
All levelsLow-income enrollment
Share of enrolled students identified as low income in OSPI enrollment data. Context for interpreting raw scores, schools serving more low-income students tend to have lower raw SBAC rates without that meaning the school is worse.
English learner enrollment
Share of enrolled students identified as English language learners. Like low-income share, this is interpretation context.
Highly capable enrollment
Share enrolled in highly-capable programming. Schools above ~50% are flagged with a program note because they aren't directly comparable to ordinary neighborhood schools.
Students with disabilities
Share of enrolled students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan, where reported.
Color bands
Map & explorerMost meeting-standard metrics use these bands. Metrics with naturally lower distributions (Level 4, growth SGP, postsecondary) use adjusted bands shown in each map's legend.
For demographic context (low income, English learner) the direction is inverted, lower percentages render green. That's only a reminder that raw test-score comparisons need context, not a value judgment about students.
Sample SBAC questions
What's actually on the test?Live operational items are secure, but Smarter Balanced publishes practice tests, scoring guides, and sample items.
Literary passage with evidence (Grade 3 ELA)
Recycling contest data table (Grade 3 Math)
Clay pottery planning (Grade 5 Math)
Practice tests & sample items
Practice tests run end-to-end like the real exam. Sample items let you filter by grade, subject, and item type without taking a full test.
How meeting-standard is calculated
For 2022-23 and 2023-24 the numerator is OSPI's Count Consistent Grade Level Knowledge And Above; for 2024-25 it's the equivalent Count Consistent Grade Level. Denominator is Count of Students Expected to Test. 3-year combined means the average of (3-year ELA) and (3-year Math). Weighted variants combine by tested-student denominator.
Important caveats
Testing starts in grade 3
There is no SBAC for K-2, so early-elementary instructional quality is inferred indirectly through 3rd grade results.
Raw scores track demographics
Income, language, disability status, and parent education shape raw proficiency. Use scores with context, not in isolation.
Small cohorts are noisy
A small grade can move a school's percentage substantially from year to year. 3-year averages help.
Suppression and missing data
OSPI may suppress or omit data for privacy or quality reasons. Empty fields are not zero.
Highly-capable program concentration
Schools with very high HC enrollment are flagged because they aren't directly comparable to neighborhood schools.
WaKIDS is observational
An entering-K readiness measure based on teacher observation, not a 3rd-5th grade academic assessment.
Sources
- OSPI State Testing Timelines & Calendar
- OSPI Scale Scores & Achievement Levels
- Data.WA Report Card: Assessment 2024-25 · 2023-24 · 2022-23
- Data.WA Report Card: Enrollment 2024-25 · WaKids 2025-26
- Data.WA Report Card: Growth 2024-25 · SQSS 2024-25 · Graduation 2024-25
- HS Graduate Outcomes: First-year enrollment · Persistence · Completion · Remedial
- Smarter Balanced: Practice tests · Sample items · Content Explorer