New report shows Oregon students still struggling post-pandemic
By Joe Hathaway on Friday, October 27th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
SALEM — After more than three years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon schools are still struggling to get back on track.
The recently unveiled 2022-23 At-A-Glance school and district profiles highlight concerning trends as Oregon saw more ninth graders on track to graduate, fewer high school graduates going to college and lower attendance rates,
The At-A-Glance report cards, released annually by the Oregon Department of Education, provide key information to local communities and are meant to inform families and educators about what is working and what isn’t within their public school districts.
ODE Director Charlene Williams acknowledged the state’s current shortcomings and emphasized the reports’ role in guiding necessary changes. “I’m in no way satisfied with where these results are,” Williams said. “I took this role to make a difference. We need to see what the data are telling us and be responsive to that.”
On Track to Graduate
Oregon’s on-track rate nudged up last year by just shy of 1% and is close to matching pre-pandemic levels. Students are considered on track if they earn at least one-quarter of their required graduation credits by the end of ninth grade.
Nearly 84% of all ninth-graders were on track to graduate, according to the latest data.
Local school districts saw varying results. 75% of ninth graders are on track to graduate from the Baker 5J School District, a decrease of 6% from last year, while in the La Grande School District, 85% of ninth-grade students are on track, a 24% increase from last year.
Regular Attendance
The statewide regular attendance rate dropped by 2% in the last year, down to about 61.9% across Oregon.
Regular attendance is defined by the state as students who attend 90% or more of the days they are enrolled. The length of the school year varies by district, but officials said, generally speaking, students who are chronically absent are missing about 16 or 17 days of school per year.
The Baker School District saw about 81% of its students attending regularly, while La Grande Schools saw just 66% of students attending regularly.
Going to college
The rate of Oregon students going to two or four year college within 16 months of graduation declined nearly a full percentage point to 55.6% for the Class of 2021.
Female students are enrolling in college at substantially higher levels — 62% across Oregon, the latest data shows, compared to about 49% of male students.
La Grande High School reports 48% of recent high school graduates are enrolled in a two or four year university, while Baker High School shows 42%.
The report says that more schools are focusing more on career preparation and less focus on college enrollment.
School Districts Assessments
When asked about this latest report, Erin Lair, the superintendent of Baker 5J, provided Elkhorn Media Group with this statement:
“We are seeing a good picture of our students settling back into normal routines and instruction after multiple years of interruption. This past year will be a baseline for us moving forward to continue to address student learning gaps. Attendance and having students consistently in classrooms is a focus. Additionally, we are in the second year of a literacy effort that is showing incredible results. We look forward to seeing where this building of solid instructional practices takes us in the upcoming years.”
Elkhorn Media Group also reached out to the La Grande School District, but has yet to hear back.
You can view your school or district’s profiles at ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.
