Oregon’s school attendance inches up as more ninth-graders are on track to graduate on time, new data reveals
Bend-La Pine reports attendance jump 2x statewide figure
By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Following steep declines in school attendance in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, Oregon students are slowly beginning to show up more regularly to class, and a growing number of ninth-graders are on track to graduate on time.
The number of Oregon kids regularly attending classes is not back to pre-pandemic levels yet, but new data released Thursday by the Oregon Department of Education shows that during the 2023-24 school year, regular attendance increased by nearly 4 percentage points from the previous year. For elementary school students, regular attendance increased by almost 7 percentage points.
About 76% of the 197 school districts in Oregon saw higher attendance last year from the previous year, according to the data.
Marginal gains have also been made in the rate of ninth graders who are on track to graduate within four years. Nearly 85% of last year’s ninth graders are on track to graduate by 2027, about 1 point above pre-pandemic rates and the second highest rate ever recorded in the state. That represents about 500 more freshmen this year who are on track to graduate.
Charlene Williams, director of the Oregon Department of Education, said the data is a good sign but that more improvements are needed. “We must continue our focus on maintaining high expectations, providing opportunities for our students to succeed, and supporting our schools and educators,” Williams said in a statement.
More than 550,000 students attend kindergarten through 12th grade in Oregon. Overall, about 66% of Oregon students had at least a 90% attendance rate during the 2023-24 school year while an average of about one-third missed at least 16 days out of 160 or more days. During the 2018-19 pre-pandemic school year, about 80% of students attended class at least 90% of the year. Students who attend at least 90% of the time are considered to have regular attendance.
The data was released as part of the Oregon Department of Education’s At-A-Glance Profiles of districts, which combine state assessment test scores with other district and school health measures, such as the number of experienced teachers, school mental health staff and librarians in buildings.
The latest results from statewide assessment tests in English language arts, math and science show that across subjects, grades and districts, students are still about 10 percentage points behind pre-pandemic achievement levels. In the state’s 10 largest districts – responsible for educating about 40% of Oregon’s K-12 student body – students have slipped further behind in English language arts and science, partly because of missed classes.
Absenteeism rates in Oregon are highest in kindergarten, early elementary grades and among high school seniors, according to the state data and school districts. Education experts say absences in the younger grades can have the most impact, and research shows students who are chronically absent in preschool, kindergarten and first grade are much less likely to read at grade level by third grade, making them four times more likely to drop out of high school than proficient readers.
The gains in attendance last year follow a concerted effort by schools and the state to get students back into classrooms full time. Some districts have conducted public information campaigns over the last year, rewarding students for getting to class with gift cards and meals, collecting better data on absenteeism and deploying school staff to visit students and their families at home to make the point that school attendance should be taken seriously, according to state education officials.
During the 2023 legislative session, an 18-member task force was created to submit ideas for boosting student attendance that would not require legal enforcement, and Gov. Tina Kotek declared that September was “Attendance Awareness Month.”
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Statement from Bend-La Pine Schools spokesman Scott Maben:
A few items we’d like to highlight in the 2023-24 At-A-Glance District reports shared by ODE:
- Bend-La Pine Schools saw a large increase in regular student attendance (up 7 percentage points year over year). Our average rate of students attending more than 90% of their enrolled days was 67% last school year, up from 60% the prior year. Our rate of improvement was about double that of the statewide rate of improvement.
- Our district is above the state average on all key performance indictors identified for these At-A-Glance reports.
- The percent of our students meeting grade-level expectations on 8th grade math assessments has increased three years in a row. Our rate increased by 4 points over the prior year.
- The on-time graduation rate is from data the state released last January, so it’s two years old. Our 2024 graduation rates will be out this January.
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News release from the Oregon Department of Education:
Oregon Department of Education Releases
2023-24 At-A-Glance School and District Profiles
The At-A-Glance School and District Profiles show more students on track to graduate and an uptick in student attendance.
(Salem, OR) – The Oregon Department of Education today released the At-A-Glance School and District Profiles for the 2023-24 school year.
Highlights from the 2023-24 school year data included:
- The percentage of 9th Graders On-Track to graduate from high school increased to 84.8%. This is 1.2% higher than the 2022-23 school year and the second highest rate ever recorded.
- The percentage of students who were regular attenders increased to 65.7%, which is 3.8% higher than 2022-23. This jump included a 6.7% increase for elementary school (K-5) students.
"From talking with families across the state, I know that dedicated, focused educators can change students' lives and keep them on track to graduate. Our job at the state is to learn from them about what works on the ground and support their efforts," Governor Tina Kotek said. "At-A-Glance School and District Profiles help us do that by giving us a window into how our schools and districts are doing, and how the best performers get the best outcomes. Together, we can build towards an Oregon where every student can thrive."
“A rise in 9th Grade On-Track and regular attendance are good signs, but we still have a long way to go to meet the needs of Oregon’s scholars. We must continue our focus on maintaining high expectations, providing opportunities for our students to succeed, and supporting our schools and educators,” 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.”
The At-A-Glance School and District Profiles contain previously released assessment data for last school year, previously released graduation data for the class of 2023 and some new data for the 2023-24 school year, including a revised definition of students experiencing poverty, class sizes, a small adjustment to college-going rates, school and district staffing information, and individual school and district goals and programs. The profiles are designed to provide school-and district-level information about how schools are serving students, in a straightforward and comprehensive way.
ODE consulted school districts where student focal groups experienced substantial growth in the 9th Grade On-Track and attendance metrics. ODE uses this qualitative data to inform decision making and drive progress across the entire state, building from strengths and best practices within schools and districts. School districts shared several factors that may explain their success:
- Creating warm, welcoming environments for all students where they feel seen, heard, and that they belong; supporting student agency by leveraging opportunities to ask students about their needs and changing systems to meet those needs.
- Establishing educator teams who regularly review student performance and attendance data and support individual students and families in real time. These teams include administrators, counselors, and certified and classified staff.
- Leveraging attendance monitors and family liaisons to check in on students in their homes, provide one-on-one support, and build more trusting, communicative relationships with families.
- Celebrating and incentivizing success with students and families for improved attendance and credits earned, as well as discussing these data with school boards more frequently (e.g., on a monthly basis).
- Expanding opportunities to learn, like after-school and summer programs and tutoring.
- Providing a variety of programs that are relevant to every student’s life. The effect is especially strong when schools provide robust Career and Technical Education programs and project based learning.
- Setting students up for success as early learners in Elementary and Middle School.
ODE will continue programs designed to improve attendance, such as Every Day Matters and the Tribal Attendance Promising Practices, and continue supporting high school students and educators with programs like High School Success, to support improved student performance, including continued and increased investment in early literacy, support for summer and afterschool learning, refining data and policy practices and developing an accountability framework.
