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Oregon Report Cards

Each fall, Oregon releases three major reports on public schools:

  • Oregon school report cards

  • Student achievement on state tests in reading, writing, mathematics, and science

  • Federal Adequate Yearly Progress report required under No Child Left Behind

Of the three reports, the school report cards offer the most complete look at how schools are performing because they include a more thorough review of school quality. Included in Oregon’s school report cards is information on student test performance, school improvement, attendance, dropout rates, class size, SAT scores, expulsions due to weapons, and teacher education and experience.

If you would like more information about how the rating are determine, the Oregon Department of Education has two documents available to review:

Where to Find the Report Cards

The State of Oregon Department of Education has posted the report cards at their Web site.  You can select a school or district report starting with the 2000 school year at:

The Oregonian (state's largest newspaper) at their Web site has a online reference guide where visitors can search by a number of variable to obtain test scores, federal ratings, school demographics, staffing, and finances:

2008-2009 School Year Report Cards

One third of Oregon schools are "outstanding" based on their reading and math scores, but one of every four high schools is "in need of improvement" because of stubbornly low test scores or graduation rates, according to new report cards the state issued on November 10, 2009.

Most schools, including eight of every 10 middle schools, are stuck in the broad middle range, turning in a "satisfactory" performance, the report cards say.

Oregon’s 2008-2009 School Report Card Ratings

  • 34% of schools (399 out of 1171) were rated Outstanding

  • 61% of schools (711 out of 1171) were rated Satisfactory

  • 5% of schools (61 out of 1171) were rated In Need of Improvement

117 schools were not rated due to their small size or being open for less than two years.

Below are the schools in the Portland School District that received an 'outstanding' rating:

  • Elementary:  Abernethy, Ainsworth, Alameda, Buckman, Capitol Hill, Chapman, Chief Joseph, Cleary, CM2 Opal,  Duniway, Emerson, Faubion, Forest Park, Glencoe, Laurelhurst, Lewis, Llewellyn, Maplewood, Richmond, Rieke, Sabin, Sauvie Island, Skyline, Stephenson, Sunnyside, Whitman, Winterhaven, Woodstock

  • Middle:  Beaumont, da Vinci

  • High School:  Franklin, Grant, Lincoln, Metropolitan Learning Center

No Sanctions for Poor Performing Schools

The 61 schools that are rated "needs improvement" won't face sanctions from the state. A 2007 state law requires the Oregon Department of Education to impose "an accountability system of progressive interventions" for such schools, but that system is still being developed and won't roll out until next year's report cards are issued.

For now, the only consequence a school faces for a poor report card is that a copy of the report including details of why a school fell short will be sent home to parents next month. In contrast, under federal ratings, schools that serve a large percentage of low-income students must offer their students transfers or tutoring if they consistently fail to meet performance targets.

The Oregon Department of Education, which graded public schools using a single method for 10 straight years, changed its approach this year. The agency wanted to be more fair to schools and to put more emphasis on getting historically low-achieving groups of students to catch up.

Among the biggest changes: There are three rating categories, down from five; schools get credit for helping students show growth; and a school's success or failure with its low-income, minority, special education and limited English students counts twice as much as its results with traditionally higher scoring groups.

Source:  "Oregon schools rated mainly 'satisfactory' on state report card"  by Betsy Hammond. The Oregonian. Tuesday November 10, 2009.

Oregon Report Card History

Oregon law (ORS 329.105) requires that the Oregon Department of Education issue performance reports for public schools.  These performance reports shall include school ratings for:

  • Statewide Assessment Results

  • Student Attendance

  • Student Dropout Rates

Schools shall be rated as:

  • Outstanding

  • Satisfactory

  • Needs Improvement

Beginning in 2009, schools will be divided into three categories: outstanding, satisfactory, or in need of improvement.

History and Rules

Report cards are released in the fall each year for the previous school year.  Report cards are issued for each Oregon school district as well as individual schools.

Oregon school report cards were first issued in January 2000 with the rating formulas and rules remaining largely unchanged during the first three years. Extensive revisions in the formula were reflected in the report cards released in January 2003. Additional changes in displays were incorporated for January 2004 to bring the report card into compliance with requirements o f the No Child Left Behind Act.

Senate Bill 811 passed in July 2001 requires specific data elements to be displayed on school and district report cards. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandates additional data elements and displays for school and district report cards produced by states.

Changes for 2009

In 2009, the state revamped its grading system for the first time since Oregon began publishing report cards in 2000.  It now judges schools not just on how well students preformed, but on how much they improved. For example, students who showed a significant gain from the previous year even those whose testing still failed to meet state standards now boost their school's overall performance grade.  

Schools that get a grade of unacceptable face no consequences apart from having to send a copy of that report card home to every parent. That will change when the state updates its grading system next year, however.

Beginning in 2009, schools will be divided into three categories: outstanding, satisfactory or in need of improvement. Previously they used five categories.  Schools in the bottom category will face consequences from the state that will escalate every year the school rates unsatisfactory.

Federal vs. State Report Cards

The annual Oregon school report cards differ from the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) ratings.  The state judges schools on average student performances, while the federal rating scrutinize individual groups such as limited English, minority, and special education students.  If one of those groups doesn't meet performance targets, the school is downgraded.

Two Web sites for Information About NCLB

  • For further information, visit the US Department of Education's Web site at No Child Left Behind.  The site includes a "Parents Guide", newsletter subscription, etc.

  • Learning First, an non-profit education organization, has published a document that explains the law.  This document is fairly easy to read and understand.

All Lake Oswego Schools Rated Exceptional

For the first time in the Lake Oswego district’s history, all of the 13 schools in the district earned a ranking of exceptional on the State School Report Cards for the 2004-2005 school year.  In 2006, all the schools except Lake Oswego High School obtain the top rating Lake Oswego High School attained a "strong" rating.

Exceptional is the highest ranking a school can earn. Other than a few very small school districts, Lake Oswego is the only district in the state to earn what is essentially a perfect score.

Portland Monthly Magazine Guide to Schools

In their December issue each year, the Portland Monthly magazine reports on over 600 schools in the metro area and make what they referred to as a "crib sheet."  The sheet gives school rankings, test scores, and statistics that will help you evaluate the schools without the need for in-depth study.

Included in the document are Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, average number of students per grade, and Oregon Statewide Assessment (OSA), etc.  They track 11 different variables.



Susan Marthens
Principal Real Estate Broker, CRS, GRI
(503) 497-2984
Fax (503) 220-1131

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