As educators mull strategies to help students catch up from the pandemic, school districts in Malheur County are seeing improvement in some areas.
The Oregon Department of Education recently released its annual state report card, covering each district and each school in Oregon.
The data primarily came from the 2023-24 school year, while graduation rates are from 2023. The information compares school performance to previous years.
That includes on-time graduation rates (students who earn a diploma within four years), math and reading scores and attendance rates.
The state Education Department included the previously unreported statistic for the number of students who have completed one-fourth of their graduation requirements by the end of their freshman year.
Mark Redmond, superintendent of the Malheur Education Service District, said abundant research has shown that students who finish their freshman year having completed their requirements are much more likely to complete high school in four years.
The state prepares at-a-glance profiles showing six measures – regular attenders, third grade English, eighth grade math, on track to graduate, on-time graduation and five-year completion.
ONTARIO
Ontario School District, the county’s largest school district, with 2,158 students enrolled in the 2023-24 school year, graduated 82%, down from 8% the prior year but still above the state average of 81%
In 2023, 18 students dropped out of school, while two were enrolled in classes to complete their required courses and graduate, and two others earned an adult high school diploma, an extended diploma, or a general equivalency degree.
In the 2023-24 school year, the district saw 83% on track to graduate, up 5% from the previous year.
Hispanic students at Ontario High School graduated at a rate of 88%, a 5% drop from last year. The state average was 79%.
In Ontario, 84% of Hispanic students are on track to graduate, up 8% from the previous year.
Ontario’s students regularly attended school at a rate of 81%, up 4% from the previous year and well above the state’s average of 66%. Hispanic students also attended school at 81%, a 4% increase from the prior year.
In third grade English, the district saw a 2% drop in student performance, with 27% reading at grade level compared to the state average of 40%
Taryn Smith, the district’s public relations manager, didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.
Overall: Ontario improved in four categories, declined in two, and out-performed the state average in three of six categories.
NYSSA
Nyssa, the county’s second-largest district, logged a 92% graduation rate, a 12% increase over the prior year. Nyssa was the only district in the county to see a significant jump.
The district posted an 88% on-track to graduate rate, a 4% jump from the previous year and edging above the state average of 85%.
The district posted a 7% drop in the reading proficiency of third graders, with 31% hitting that mark.
The district’s Hispanic students, which make up 65% of the population, had a rate of 92%, up from 76% the previous year, the report said.
Ryan Hawkins, the district’s superintendent, didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.
Overall: Nyssa improved in three of six categories, declined in three, and out-performed the state average four of six categories.
VALE
The report noted that 90% of Vale’s students earned a diploma, down 7% from the previous year but well above the state’s average of 81%.
Superintendent Alisha McBride said the district’s 75% regular attender rate – students who attended school more than 90% of the school year – improved by 3%. She said the school’s attendance is above the state’s average of 66%.
McBride noted that the successes the district is seeing are not reflected in the state report card. She said the district has several priorities she and the board have been focusing on in recent years.
One is providing students with a “well-rounded educational experience that prepares them for college or career after high school.
She said the district has thriving career and technical education programs that allow students to earn certifications in nearly 100 fields. McBride said these are for high-paying, in-demand jobs.
She said the district also covers the cost for students to earn college credit at Treasure Valley Community College. Last year at Vale High School students earned over 800 college credits.
She said the district is investing to improve its overall performance. McBride said a new math teacher was hired at the middle school to thin out the size of classes. She said in turn, the additional teacher should lead to improved test scores.
Overall: Vale improved in five of six categories, declined in one and out-performed the state average in five of six categories.
ADRIAN
In Adrian, third graders topped the state in reading among all third grade students tested in Oregon. Adrian’s third grade students read 81% proficiency – 14% above the state average. The district also showed a 10% gain in daily attendance over the previous year, according to Superintendent Nick Ketterling.
He said math scores are showing a steady increase. The district’s eighth graders were at 37% proficiency in 2023-24, a 4% jump from the previous year.
“We are moving in a great direction,” Ketterling said. “We plan to continue strengthening our math throughout the district and push attendance as a priority.”
Another data point the district is staying mindful of is enrollment.
He said the district saw a jump of between 15 to 20 more students enrolled over the previous year. Ketterling said while that does not sound like a big number, it is in a small, rural district like Adrian. Ketterling said most of the increase in students is at the elementary school, where the district cannot split classes like they can at the middle and high school.
Ketterling said the district caps class sizes at 25 students. Ketterling said that means Adrian won’t accept out-of-district transfers.
He said the idea is to keep class sizes as small as possible.
Ketterling said the uptick in enrollment is due to more families moving into the area and out-of-district transfers. The school’s academic success and small class sizes are both enticing to parents.
“More families are looking at smaller class sizes, smaller districts so that their kids are not just seen as a number,” he said, “and more as a person.”
Ketterling said the district is well-known for the relationships and connections families have with the schools and people want their children to be a part of that.
“There’s a lot of connections in our community,” Ketterling said.
Overall: Adrian improved in three of six categories, stayed the same in two, declined in one and out-performed the state average in all six categories.
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