Oregon school districts have received the results of the Smarter Balanced assessments taken by students in grades three through eight, plus high school. Overall, the scores generally show fewer students proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) and math.
“We have an important opportunity, through the Oregon Plan under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, to focus on providing a culturally relevant, well-rounded education for every student,” Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Salam Noor said. “We are confident that as we work with school and district leaders to implement the Oregon Plan, we will see more students attending school regularly, more students graduating and more scoring in the proficient category on these assessments.”
Noor also highlighted the state’s investments in a variety of programs designed to support increased student achievement, including ongoing implementation of the American Indian/Alaska Native State Plan, the English Learner Outcome Improvement Plan, the African American/Black Student Success State Plan and new investments to improve student attendance. Additionally, Oregon is taking strides to increase culturally responsive programs and practices, including new efforts to expand ethnic studies programs and tribal curriculum. The state is also engaged in broader efforts to improve teacher quality and the effectiveness of school principals.
The Smarter Balanced Assessment participation rates were down from the prior year, which impacts the accuracy of the overall student performance measure. “Continued concentration on participation rates is critical, so our statewide assessment of school performance can more accurately reflect overall student performance,” Deputy Superintendent Noor said. “The Smarter Balanced Assessment is one of the few reliable instruments we have to look at overall student performance. I look forward to working with school districts to ensure we boost student participation in subsequent years.”
The results for the state and individual districts can be found on the ODE website. Students in 11th grade were the only student group statewide to show improvement in both ELA and math, while 6th graders increased their math score. Among student groups, English Learners showed improvement over last year, scoring 2.0 points higher in ELA and 1.9 points higher in math.
Source: Oregon Department of Education