Over the past decade, Washington students’ SAT scores have exhibited the seventh highest growth rate in the nation.
Source: Washington…By the Numbers, OSPI 2005. (http://www.k12.wa.us/Communications/NewsInformation/Washingtoneducationbythenumbers2005.doc)

In mathematics, the percent of Washington fourth graders meeting standard has nearly tripled from 1997 to 2005.
Source: Student Success for the 21st Century, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, August 2006, Slide 4

Washington kids were among the top three scorers nationwide on the 2005 ACT—and have been for the last nine years).
Source: Student Success 2005, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, August 2006, Slide 4

The number of Washington students passing Advanced Placement exams has nearly doubled in the last five years.
Source: Washington…By the Numbers, OSPI 2005 (http://www.k12.wa.us/Communications/NewsInformation/Washingtoneducationbythenumbers2005.doc)

Washington ranks fourth in increased percentage of students demonstrating college-level mastery of AP courses.
Source: Washington…By the Numbers, OSPI 2005 (http://www.k12.wa.us/Communications/NewsInformation/Washingtoneducationbythenumbers2005.doc)

Tenth grade WASL writing scores more than doubled in the last five years.
Source: Compiled WASL data

Washington topped average SAT test scores four years in a row—among states where at least half the students took the test.
Source: Washington…By the Numbers, OSPI 2005 and recent College Board results. http://www.k12.wa.us/Communications/NewsInformation/Washingtoneducationbythenumbers2005.doc

Fourth grade reading scores have more than doubled over the last eight years for most groups; the achievement gap is narrowing.
Source: Student Success for the 21st Century, Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, August 2006, Slide 5

More kids are graduating than ever before.
1920s: 20%; 1950s: 50%; 2004 Washington: 74%
Source: The Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate for Public High Schools From the Common Core of Data: School Years 2002–03 and 2003-04 (http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2006/2006606rev.pdf);  www.jamievollmercom

More students are going to college in all racial and ethnic groups.
Source: Mortenson Research Seminar on Public Policy Analysis of Postsecondary Education. AASA’S What Great About Public Education Communication Toolkit, August 2005