Watertown School District Reports Academic Gains, Highlights Improved Attendance and College Readiness
- Steve Jurrens
- Nov 11
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown School District is performing above state averages in key achievement metrics, demonstrating student progress in core subjects and high on-time graduation rates.
Assistant Superintendent Derek Barrios presented these findings during the annual achievement report at Monday night’s Watertown School Board meeting...
The presentation covered student demographics, state report card data—known as the School Performance Index (SPI)—and senior survey results, offering an optimistic look at district performance.
Data from the spring testing showed Watertown students exceeding the state averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics:
· ELA Proficiency: 57% of Watertown students scored proficient (Level 3 or 4) compared to the state average of 52%
· ELA Progress: 60%$ of students showed expected progress, exceeding the state average of 56%.
· Math Proficiency: $48% of Watertown students were proficient, surpassing the state average of 44%.
· Math Progress: 51% of students demonstrated expected progress and gains in math.
· Science Proficiency: 47% of students in the tested grades (5, 8, and 11) were proficient in Science.
High School Readiness and Completion
The report highlighted high rates of student success at the high school level, indicating that the district is effectively preparing students for life after graduation:
· On-Time Graduation: 93% of students graduated on time (within four years), compared to the state average of 86%.
· College and Career Readiness: Watertown students exceeded the state average in multiple college and career readiness indicators:
o College/Career Readiness: 58% (Above state average).
o Coursework Readiness: 86% (Above state average).
o Assessment Readiness: 61% (Above state average).
Readiness is determined by factors such as high scores on the state assessment, an ACT English subscore of 18, high scores on the Accuplacer, or achieving a Silver or higher on the NCRC (though the NCRC is expected to be phased out in favor of a capstone experience).
Attendance Trending Upward
The district provided a positive update on student attendance, noting a concerted effort through a chronic absenteeism grant. The current 2025-2026 school year is off to a strong start, with better attendance than in post-COVID years…
To sustain this momentum, the district has been awarded a supplemental grant to hire an additional family support specialist. This specialist will join the team to work directly with families whose students have consistent attendance issues, a crucial role, especially as the cold and flu season begins to ramp up.
The district also announced that an update on the MAP test results, a program used three times a year to measure student progress, will be presented after the winter testing session in January.
