Oregon school performance ratings released

(Update: Gov. Brown orders release of school ratings; local high school graduation rates)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Gov. Kate Brown has ordered the public release of annual school performance ratings after The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported that the results would be delayed until after the high-stakes Nov. 6 gubernatorial election.

State Education Chief Colt Gill, a Brown appointee, said Wednesday that the delay had nothing to do with the election.

He said he decided to delay the release because materials to help struggling school districts were not ready yet and because changes in federal law unfairly skewed results for schools where many students opted out of standardized testing.

Brown is in a tight race with GOP challenger Rep. Knute Buehler, who has made statewide education reform a top campaign issue.

Oregon schools statewide rank third-worst in graduation rates and absenteeism is rife.

The academic reports have been in the school districts’ hands since Oct. 4 and were originally to be released this week.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the statistical rankings have been in school districts’ hands since Oct. 4 in preparation for the originally scheduled Oct. 25 release of the ratings to the public.

There are a raft of 2017-18 school year statistics for parents and others to review, including graduation rates (four- and five-year completion).

The statewide average four-year graduation rate is 77 percent, but several schools on the High Desert fared much better.

Bend Senior High School had a 90 percent graduation rate, up 4 percent from the previous year. Summit High also was up 4 percent, to 91 percent, while Mountain View slipped 2 percent to 83 percent.

La Pine High’s four-year graduation rate fell 6 percent, to 70 percent, while Redmond High School’s fell 4 percent, to 75 percent. Ridgeview High’s rate rose 3 percent, to 85 percent.

Sisters High School saw 87 percent of students graduate in four years, a 1 percent rise. There was no change at Marshall High, Bend’s alternative high school, saw its rate unchanged at 33 percent.

Crook County High’s 90 percent graduation rate showed no change from the previous year, while there was major improvement at Madras High, whose graduation rate jumped 19 percent to 79 percent.

You can check any school or district reports at this link:

https://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx?id=1294