The Highline School District has made progress in its measures of success but the trajectory needs to increase faster to meet the 2013 targets, board members were told Oct. 28.

However, the data highlights significant achievement gaps between white students and students of color, Alan Spicciati, chief accountability officer, noted.

The district is above the 2008 baseline in 19 areas and below in three others.

The areas below baseline are number of seniors taking SAT and ACT tests, writing WASL scores and the math achievement gap.

The district is on pace to meet six targets, but off the pace in 11 other areas.

However, progress in the percentage of students passing algebra by eighth grade is cause for celebration, according to Spicciati.

In 2008, 18 percent of students passed algebra by eighth grade. The district set a goal of 50 percent by 2013.

Spicciati reported that 30 percent of students passed algebra by eighth grade, led by Pacific Middle in Des Moines with over 35 percent of its students achieving the goal.

Spicciati noted that Superintendent John Welch's senior leadership team is particularly focusing on five of the areas.

The areas are number of suspensions and expulsions, percentage of second-graders reading at benchmark, percentage that are proficient on the sixth grade math WASL and MAP, number of students passing the advanced placement/international baccalaureate exam, and meeting college entrance requirements.

District staffers would like to get the number of suspensions and expulsions reduced to 2,000 by 2013. The number dropped from 3,193 in 2008 to 2,926 in 2009, he reported.

However, although black students make up 14.8 percent of total enrollment, 28.4 percent of students suspended or expelled were black, Spicciati noted.

The percentage of second graders reading at benchmark rose from 61 to 62 percent with a goal of 80 percent by 2013. The district goal for sixth graders being proficient in the math WASL is 62 percent with 38 percent reaching that goal in 2009.

By 2013, district staffers want 376 students to pass an AP or IB exam. In 2008, 188 students did, jumping up to 191 in 2009.

Fifty percent of Highline graduates met four-year college entrance requirements in 2009, up one percent from 2008. The district 2013 goal is 80 percent.

Spicciati noted that the state college entrance average is 49 percent.