They call it the Road Map Project, a plan to double the number of students graduating from college or earning a career credential by 2020 through a collective, regional approach.

Early findings, released in the project’s Baseline Report released last week, show the troubling state of education in South King County and South Seattle. In essence, the report urges all sectors of the community to achieve dramatic improvements in education.

The report lauded several improvement efforts – including those in the Auburn School District – but largely the results are poor, especially for children of color. The report says too few young children are receiving quality early learning, and 34 percent of students are not reading well by third grade.

“The data we show in the Road Map Baseline Report at each stage of education – from cradle to college and career – is a sobering reminder of the urgent need to dramatically improve student achievement in South King County and South Seattle,” said Mary Jean Ryan, executive director of the Community Center for Education Results, which staffs the project.

Furthermore, the report reveals that only a quarter of the region’s high school graduates is earning a college degree or career credential. And that’s alarming, considering future jobs in our region, especially in aviation and tech circles, and those nationally that require a college degree.

“Our people are our strategic advantage,” said Michael Greenwood, senior manager for Boeing Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing and Quality. “Boeing is growing and will require thousands of knowledgeable and skilled workers in the years to come. To attract and retain tomorrow’s most talented and diverse workforce, we need to start today.”

Auburn appears on the Road Map region, as do the Kent, Federal Way, Highline, Renton, South Seattle and Tukwila school districts.

The region’s student makeup? Seventy percent low income, 69 percent of King County’s English Language Learners and 58 percent of King County’s students of color.

The project has placed an immediate emphasis on improving third-grade reading. Road map members are working in Olympia for better policies to support English Language Learners. And for the first time, regional school districts, mayors and community partners are working collaboratively to increase the number of eligible students signed up for the college-bound scholarship, which covers the cost of tuition at Washington’s public colleges and universities for low-income students. A record 93 percent of eligible students signed up in the Road Map region in the first year of collaboration.

Auburn appears as a bright spot on the report.

In Auburn, the school district’s focus on early literacy resulted in significant third-grade reading score gains, from 68- to 84-percent proficient over in the last school year.

Specific examples?

Gildo Rey Elementary was one of only three schools statewide to be awarded the National Title I, Part A Academic Achievement Awards in reading and mathematics. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction recognized Gildo Rey for significantly raising student achievement in mathematics and reading. The school soared above the state average in reading and mathematics in grades 3, 4 and 5.

Additionally, Gildo Rey successfully closed the achievement gap between student groups. Its Hispanic, ELL and low-income students outperformed the state average in reading and math.

Chinook Elementary also was one of only two Puget Sound schools to be awarded the Boeing-sponsored John D. Warner Award for Educational Excellence. The school was recognized for significantly raising student achievement and involving parents and community members in improving progress in the classroom.

Auburn is proof that great progress is possible. But more difficult challenges and hard work lay ahead.