PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released the results of its annual Oregon Statewide Assessment System test on Thursday. The test is taken each spring and given to students in third through eighth grade, and those in 11th in every school district in the state.
While scores have somewhat improved over last year, students are far below the pre-pandemic test scores of 2019. The biggest deficiency overall was found in English language arts where students scored 10% lower this year versus in 2019.
Students took the assessment test at the end of last year, and the results are a snapshot of that time. Participation levels were above the 80% threshold the state uses to get a good sample size to compare results. For all grades, participation was up about 3% higher than last year.
"When more students participate, the confidence in the results increases," ODE said in a news release.
"We need to maintain high expectations and provide high levels of support that will lead to academic excellence for all of our students, whether it’s making sure each and every child from birth through 5th grade is set up for success in learning to read and reading to learn or providing opportunities for high school students to find their path to their dream career," said Dr. Charlene Williams, the interim director for the ODE. "We know that staff and students work hard throughout the school year in so many areas that aren't reflected in this assessment data. The results from a single test do not tell the whole story of education in Oregon, however they are important indicators that require our attention and more work ahead."
The tests are federally mandated and the results help districts look at strengths and weaknesses where they show room for improvement with what students are learning. The tests also look at whether or not students overall are at the level they should be and if they are ready for college or a career. The results are graded by proficiency, and students are considered proficient if they score at a level three or four on the three different areas of English language arts (ELA), math and science.
ELA results from the 2023 test results showed a decrease in proficiency amongst all grades tested, with scores dropping overall 0.6% compared to last year. The biggest drops were among students in the seventh and eighth grade with at least a 2% drop in proficiency.
In math, scores improved 0.2% over last year and in science, scores were up 0.1%.
The results are also broken down based on a wide variety of factors including race, learning abilities and by those that are learning English.
Oregon’s English Language Proficiency Assessments (ELPA) evaluate reading, writing, listening, and speaking for students who are multilingual learners. Students who demonstrate proficiency are no longer eligible for English language development services, as they are able to access grade level content that is being provided in English.
Students at Portland Public Schools (PPS) tested above state averages by over 10% at all ELA and mathematics grade levels and showed year-over-year growth.
“PPS’ performance in English language arts and mathematics is double digits higher than the state of Oregon as a whole,” said Dr. Renard Adams, PPS' chief of research and assessment.
The district said they are happy with their results, but also see room for improvement.
"We realize that not all schools are meeting with the same levels of success and what we're trying to do is really focus on schools where traditionally they haven't met with success and they are now meeting with success and trying to find out what those leadership moves are, so that we can try to replicate that," said Dr. Renard Adams, who leads the Office of Research, Assessment and Accountability for the district.
PPS said they will meet with the principals at the schools that performed well to determine what worked and why they saw success. Then they will see how those results can be transferred to the schools that scored lower.
One principal said additional staffing was important in the improved test scores.