Before looking ahead, the HSD examines where it stands now. That means reviewing the results from the 2025-26 school year to make data-based decisions about this year’s teaching strategies and professional development focus. Hockinson schools utilize the Danielson Framework for Teaching, a research-based model used to inform/evaluate teaching and improve student learning.

New 2026 rankings released by SchoolDigger.com place HSD among the top 20 school districts in Washington and in the top 91% of districts statewide. SchoolDigger’s rankings draw on state assessment data and provide one outside measure of HSD’s overall academic performance.

Last fall, the HSD supported Hockinson Heights Elementary School’s redesign of its reading program to align with the latest research on the most effective ways children learn to read. The new literacy program grounded instruction in evidence-based practices spanning phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Additionally, teachers analyzed reading assessment data to better adjust instruction to meet student needs. The results were significant:

• 98% of kindergarteners met or surpassed grade-level standards in the Spring 2026 letter identification assessment, a 39% increase from Fall 2025

• 78% of first graders met or surpassed grade-level standards in the Spring 2026 decoding survey, a 38% increase from Fall 2025

• 72% of third graders met or surpassed grade-level standards in the Spring 2026 fluency assessment, a 20% increase from Fall 2025

• 51.7% of 3rd Graders met or exceeded grade-level ELA standards as measured by the Spring 2026 Smarter Balanced Assessment - an increase of nearly 2% over 2025 scores.