Oregon statewide student assessment scores show progress, but ‘more work ahead’ to return to pre-pandemic levels

(Update: Adding Crook County Redmond school district releases, plans)

Bend-La Pine Schools proficiency rates still top state averages

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Department of Education  released results Thursday from the Oregon Statewide Assessment System’s spring 2024 summative tests, which they said "highlight there is more work ahead to reach pre-pandemic academic performance levels."

 The results included key areas of progress statewide, with six out of seven grade levels showing improved math scores, while recovery in literacy scores has been slower and more uneven across the state.  School district and school-level assessment results are available here.

Along with the data release, ODE has identified key areas for targeted action to support improved student performance, including continued and increased investment in K-12 literacy, support for summer and afterschool learning, refining data and policy practices and developing an accountability framework.

“While it’s encouraging to see the signs of improvement in mathematics, we need to continue our focus on maintaining high expectations, providing opportunities for our students to succeed, and supporting our schools and educators in the hard work ahead,” ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams said.

“Several targeted efforts are underway to support students including the statewide investment and commitment to early literacy best practices. As funding and supports from the Early Literacy Success Initiative  become embedded in schools, we will begin to see a significant payoff for Oregon’s scholars.”

“Every child deserves a high-quality, culturally responsive public education to be set up for success. I’m not satisfied with this year’s numbers,” Governor Tina Kotek said. “We must double down on our commitment and collaboration to fix the gaps in our system that are failing students. I am focused on working with education partners across the whole system to identify evidence-based solutions, increase high-quality learning opportunities, and strengthen student wellbeing.”

Progress in Mathematics

Although Oregon has significant room to grow, one of the encouraging aspects of the recent data is the gains made in mathematics. There are clear signs of improvement across various grade levels, with particularly notable improvements in grades 5, 7, and 8. Districts who have shown improvement are pointing to several factors that have contributed to this progress, including teacher collaboration time, an emphasis on connecting the math lesson to other school subjects such as science and social science, and a focus on conceptual understanding.

Programs Underway To Solve Challenges in
English Language Arts (ELA)

The data reveal ELA as a critical area of concern as students are not consistently demonstrating grade-level knowledge and skills. Across nearly all grade levels, ELA proficiency rates remain below pre-pandemic levels and equity gaps remain. These gaps highlight the ongoing need to identify and provide specific resources to improve best practices that leverage high-quality, culturally-relevant instructional materials.

How Oregon Can Accelerate Learning

ODE has identified the following key areas for targeted action:

• Continued and Increased Investment in Literacy K-12: ODE was recently awarded $11.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to deepen and expand literacy efforts across the K-12 continuum. This grant is the initial installment of a potential total of $57 million, with funds flowing as soon as the 2025-26 school year to high need districts through competitive subgrants. This new grant builds on the momentum generated by the Early Literacy Success Initiative, the 2023 legislation (HB 3198) that invested more than $90 million in state funding to close opportunity gaps for historically underserved students, including multilingual learners and those experiencing disabilities from birth to 12th grade.
• Summer and Afterschool Learning: The state legislature has tasked a workgroup to address critical areas such as equitable access to summer and afterschool programs, sustainable funding, streamlined grant administration, program quality and oversight, and incentivizing partnerships. 
• Data-Informed Practices and Policy: Ongoing examination of achievement data must guide decision making in order to direct resources where they are most needed. ODE is elevating a system of assessments that includes more than state summative test scores. This year, by combining the state test results with other data, such as the Student Educational Equity Development (SEED) Survey, we’ll be able to highlight that students who had more frequent opportunities to learn (e.g. write about what they read, use different ways to show math thinking, etc.) were also more likely to be proficient on the state summative tests.
• Accountability: ODE is developing an accountability framework in partnership with education and community partners that represents the diversity of our state in terms of race/ethnicity, region, gender, and role. This workgroup is synthesizing the guiding principles and student success categories that will drive the identification of indicators that can be used to shine a light on Oregon’s K-12 education system in places that might need additional attention.

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Statement from Bend-La Pine Schools:

Summative assessments provide a snapshot of student proficiency in seven grades levels in language arts and math, and in three grades in science.

Proficiency rates for Bend-La Pine students assessed last year remain above state averages:

• Language arts: 51.7% (9.2 percentage points above average)
• Math: 42.1% (11.1 points above average)
• Science: 32.8% (3.5 points above average)

“Proficiency is a measure of student mastery of challenging grade level content standards,” said Dave VanLoo, Director of School Improvement for Bend-La Pine Schools. “A student may be assessed as not proficient in language arts, but that does not mean the student is unable to read.”

District passage rates in math and science changed little between 2023 and 2024, while in language arts the passage rate dropped about 1 percentage point from the previous year. All of our assessment passage rates, however, remain below our objectives and expectations.

Bend-La Pine Schools is working to improve outcomes for students through a variety of strategies:

• Enhancing student engagement in their learning
• Improving how we manage disruptions to learning environments
• Reducing chronic absenteeism
• Nurturing school communities that emphasize a sense of belonging for all
• Ensuring teachers receive ongoing support in the use of high-quality instructional practices
• Greater emphasis on foundational reading skills for young students
• Early literacy initiatives such as one-on-one tutoring
• Advocating for adequate state funding of K-12 education, most importantly to support sufficient school staffing

The District adopted a new curriculum for foundational reading skills (how to read) in the 2022-23 school year and is offering continuing staff training to implement the curriculum. This school year the District added a new language arts reading program to be taught in addition to foundational skills. It is designed to target the comprehension components of reading: knowing what you read. There is ongoing staff training on this new program as well. 

Families are permitted to opt out students from state assessments, which do not factor into grades or graduation requirements. Our student participation rates for grades 3-8 are below the federal standard of 95% but high enough to yield reasonable confidence in the data. In high school (grade 11), student participation statewide and in our district are below the 80% threshold needed to have reasonable confidence in the data.

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Crook County School District Announces New Literacy Interventions to Address Reading Challenges and Ensure Student Growth

While math scores improve in some grade levels, new strategies look to strengthen literacy and provide additional, targeted support for students

(Prineville, OR) - Recent student assessment data from Crook County School District reveals encouraging gains in math performance, alongside clear challenges in other areas such as reading proficiency and high school participation. While math scores have improved in several grades, district leaders acknowledge the need for focused intervention in literacy and other key areas to ensure consistent progress across all subjects.

“While we’re encouraged by the growth in math across multiple grade levels, we are fully aware that there is still a lot of work to be done, particularly in reading,” said Dr. Melissa Skinner, Superintendent of Crook County School District. “Our commitment to our students is unwavering, and we are taking decisive action to address these gaps.”

Recent assessment data shows stronger math performance, with 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th grades outperforming state averages. This progress results from ongoing efforts to refine instructional practices and emphasize conceptual understanding in math. However, literacy remains a concern, with some students needing help with reading proficiency. Additionally, low test participation rates at the high school level have skewed the data, making it harder to get an accurate picture of student achievement.

CCSD is rolling out a comprehensive strategy to revamp literacy instruction across the district to address these challenges. The district has introduced iReady assessments for kindergarten through 9th-grade students, which provide critical data on student needs and guide targeted interventions. 

“We recognize the importance of providing a consistent and effective approach to literacy instruction,” Dr. Skinner explained. “We’ve introduced new literacy intervention models designed to meet students where they are and help them progress. Our long-term goal is to help our students become strategic, independent readers.” 

These new practices will initially be focused through our Title Intervention program, where students who require additional support can receive individualized help. Dr. Skinner emphasized that while this is just one summative assessment, the district will continue to assess student progress throughout the school year with fall, winter, and spring benchmarks. This approach will allow teachers and administrators to make informed adjustments and ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

“Our mission is to ensure that all our scholars have the resources and support they need to excel. We will continue to push for improvement, with a special focus on literacy, while celebrating our gains in other areas like math,” explained Dr. Skinner.

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Redmond School District news release:

OSAS 2023-24 Data 

Participation Rates: In order to conduct a meaningful comparative analysis of the OSAS data, test participation rates should be above 80%.

• Our participation rates last year were strongest at the elementary level, with most schools’ rates above 90%. 
• We had significant increases in participation rates at the HS level, but the rates are still well below the 80% threshold.
• We honor parent/guardian legal rights to opt their students out of the state assessment and that has an impact on our overall participation rates.

Achievement Highlights

• Our district elementary performance overall was above the state average in grades 3-5 in all tested subject areas.
• Our district 5th graders showed strong gains from last year in all subjects (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science).
• Our 6th graders showed moderate improvement in ELA and Math scores compared to last year.

Key Areas for Targeted Action

• Continued investment in early literacy to build strong foundational skills in reading and writing for all students.  With the strong implementation of new instructional materials and practices grounded in the Science of Reading in English Language Arts at the K-5 level, we anticipate continued improvement in both individual growth and proficiency rates.
• Continued investment in data-informed practices includes a balanced examination of various kinds of achievement data to guide decision making in order to inform instructional focus and to direct resources where they are most needed.
• Continued investment in creating learning environments where all students experience a sense of belonging and active engagement in their own learning trajectories.

"As a district, we are proud to report that on average our elementary students in grades 3-5 performed above the state average in all tested subject areas. Specifically, our 5th graders demonstrated strong gains in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science compared to last year, reflecting their hard work and the dedication of our educators. Our 6th graders also showed moderate improvement in both ELA and Math. While we are still digging out of the impacts of the pandemic, these results highlight the resilience of our students and staff, and we are encouraged by the steady progress we’re seeing” said

Linda Seeberg, Assistant Superintendent, Teaching & Learning.