Why consistent academic reporting matters | Commentary
Published 2:00 pm Monday, January 26, 2026
At the Jan.15 school board meeting, each Mercer Island elementary school presented a School Improvement Plan (SIP) outlining student performance, growth, and improvement priorities. These plans are meant to help the board provide oversight and help families and the community understand how our students are doing academically.
After reading the 2025–26 SIPs for West Mercer, Island Park, Lakeridge and Northwood, I walked away with one main takeaway: each school is using the same tool (i-Ready), but reporting different measures from that tool. All four SIPs use i-Ready Diagnostic to calculate annual typical growth, but the SIPs don’t explain how that growth is calculated or how it connects to state benchmarks like the Smarter Balanced assessment. That makes it hard for parents to interpret the data, and nearly impossible to compare results across schools.
What the four SIPs show
West Mercer Elementary provided the most complete academic report, including both math and literacy growth and achievement. Overall, 68% of K–5 students met annual typical growth in math, and 74% met annual typical growth in literacy. For spring 2025 achievement (at/above grade level), math was: K 82%, Grade 1 90%, Grade 2 67%, Grade 3 69%, Grade 4 81%, Grade 5 72%. Literacy was: K 91%, Grade 1 93%, Grade 2 69%, Grade 3 81%, Grade 4 67%, Grade 5 65%. The SIP highlights Grades 2, 3, and 5 as the areas with the lowest scores. In math, Grade 2 growth was 49%, Grade 3 was 58%, and Grade 5 was 68% meeting typical growth.
Island Park Elementary reported math growth and achievement, but did not include literacy. Its SIP shows the highest math achievement (at/above grade level) among the elementary schools, but much lower typical growth. In 2024–25, math achievement was: K 92%, Grade 1 95%, Grade 2 92%, Grade 3 86%, Grade 4 93%, Grade 5 92%. Math growth was: K 66%, Grade 1 51%, Grade 2 64%, Grade 3 64%, Grade 4 72%, Grade 5 65% meeting typical growth. The SIP also shows an end-of-year growth breakdown for Grades 1–5 (113 students): 10 students at 0–25% typical growth, 21 at 26–50%, 44 at 51–75%, and 38 at 76–99%.
Lakeridge Elementary reported math growth and improved placement, but did not report math or reading achievement. In 2024–25, the percent meeting typical growth in math was: K 81%, Grade 1 65%, Grade 2 82%, Grade 3 61%, Grade 4 65%, Grade 5 80%. Improved placement ranged from 76% to 91%. The SIP also breaks down math growth by where students started, showing that students who began further behind had lower growth.
Northwood Elementary reported math growth and student engagement, but also did not report math or reading achievement. In 2024–25, math growth was: K 84%, Grade 1 72%, Grade 2 68%, Grade 3 42%, Grade 4 58%, Grade 5 67%. Northwood also shared engagement results: 55% of students said they have chances to choose more challenging work, 60% said they work with other students in class, and 58% said the work is useful and interesting.
My takeaway
These SIPs reflect real work by educators who care about students. The district’s elementary presentation also outlines shared goals and strategies, highlighting that schools are working from a common framework. However, because each school reports different measures, the public and the board can’t easily compare results or track progress across the district. A consistent SIP format, with shared metrics, clear definitions, and basic alignment to state benchmarks, would strengthen transparency and accountability.
Disclosure: This article summarizes SIP information presented in a public meeting. It is intended to inform the community, not to advocate for any specific policy or outcome.
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Linnea Augustine is a Mercer Island resident, a member of the Rotary Club of Mercer Island, a supporter of the Mercer Island Schools Foundation, and a guest columnist for the Mercer Island Reporter.
