State issues limited school ‘report cards’ after COVID-19 hit in middle of school year

Graduation rates, but no statewide assessments, class size data

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Department of Education on Thursday released the Adapted At-A-Glance School and District Profiles for the 2019-20 school year, with limited data due to the impact of COVID-19 school closures. 

The standard At-A-Glance School and District Profiles provide a quick and comprehensive approach to evaluating and measuring a school and school district’s impact on students.

This year’s profiles are adapted from the standard version and do not include statewide assessments data, class size data, 9th grade on-track, attendance data and other information as a result of the statewide transition to Distance Learning for All in March. 

“This annual data release comes roughly seven months after our students, families and educators started overcoming the toughest education challenge our state has ever faced,” said Oregon Department of Education Director Colt Gill.

“I want to take a moment to reflect on the impressive grit and determination of our students, families and educators and encourage them to keep persisting. We are with you, we support you and I know we’re all doing our best to return to in-person instruction as soon as possible.”

The Adapted At-A-Glance School and District Profiles have been streamlined to contain only the profile data that is still available for the 2019-2020 school year, including:

• Student and teacher race and ethnicity. Unlike previous years, this data for students is pulled from October 1, 2019 enrollment, rather than May 1, 2020 enrollment.
• On-Time Graduation and Five-Year Completion rates.
• Tally of Full Time Equivalent staff in a variety of roles including counselors, psychologists, librarians (district only), and other professions.

In Central Oregon, the annual reports show 81% of Bend-La Pine Schools students graduated on time in four years, just over the state average of 80%, while 91% earned a diploma or GED within five years, above the statewide average of 86%.

By comparison, 84% of Redmond students graduated on time and 87% in five years. The figures were 91% and 92% for Sisters students, 73% and 88% for Crook County students, 92% and greater than 95% for Culver students, and 78% and 81% for Jefferson County students.

Some data is presented differently this year. Key changes include:

• ODE has changed from reporting “Teacher Turnover” (the percentage of teachers that are new to a school each year) to “Teacher Retention” (the percentage of teachers that continue to teach in the same school the following year).   
• Combined the rounded Full-Time Equivalent count for Counselors and Psychologists into one data element.

The Adapted At-A-Glance School and District Profiles are available on the ODE website and school districts are required to make them available to their community.