Deputy Superintendent Jill Burnes shared with the Board of Directors that the School Improvement Plans (SIP) are required as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a federal law enacted in 2015 to set expectations for public schools to ensure all students receive a high-quality education.  In 2018, OSPI and the State Board of Education introduced the Washington State Improvement Framework (WSIF).  This gives schools a 1 - 10 score based on a mix of indicators that are academic and non-academic. This score determines which "tier" of support a school receives, which influences resources, monitoring, and improvement expectations. 

Each public school is required by law to have a School Improvement Plan that addresses their WSIF status and improvement initiatives. These plans are reviewed by the district's school board and approved annually.  Each school is required to have a SIP that is data driven, promotes a positive impact on student learning and includes a continuous improvement process. 

Ms. Burnes shared that in each school plan the Board should see through lines that align with the district's Theory of Action, Mission and the Five Commitments.  She also shared ways the Elementary and Secondary schools utilize data to identify strengths and areas of focus for their plans. 

The meeting moved from the presentation into a "table talk" time with Board members dialoguing with building principals concerning their specific School Improvement Plans.  A variety of topics were discussed that included student belonging, attendance, interventions for struggling students, parent engagement, secondary course offerings, academic data results, clubs, athletics, cell phone policy, teaching strategies, MLL program, standardized testing, and school leadership teams. 

Ms. Burnes reminded the Board of Directors that the School Improvement Plans will be on the December 15, 2025 agenda for additional questions and their vote.