Oregon’s schools are failing American Indian students

By William MacKenzie,

Shana McConville Radford of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation has joined Gov. Tina Kotek’s administration as Oregon’s first Tribal Affairs Director.

Shana McConville Radford

I have a job for her.

Tackle the embarrassingly poor academic achievement and embarrassingly high absenteeism rates of K-12 American Indian and Alaska Native students in Oregon.^[1]

It is painfully clear that Oregon’s schools are failing these young people and that somebody needs a good kick in the shins to set things right.

We need to give kids, all kids, the tools they need to make their own way. Allowing academic failure is not the way to do that.

The numbers from tests given during the 2022-2023 school year tell the story. A predominant share of the American Indian/Alaska Native students taking the tests were American Indian.

All the academic achievement numbers come from reams of data posted online by the Oregon Department of Education showing downloadable files of state assessment results in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science. Absenteeism figures come from data posted online by the Oregon Department of Education in Annual Performance Progress Reports on Attendance and Absenteeism.

Some of the more egregious low proficiency scores were at districts that also have chronic student absenteeism, defined by the Oregon Department of Education as absent from school for more than 10% of the academic year.

The Department requires that there be no fewer than 265 consecutive calendar days between the first and last instructional day of each school year at each grade level, so missing 10% of school days would mean missing at least 26 days.

It’s a lot of numbers, but they are worth examining closely..

A review of the performance of American Indian/Alaska Native students at individual schools is also revealing.

The details below show all Oregon school districts reporting enrollment of American Indian/Alaska Native students, in all grades, 2022-2023 and the % of students proficient of those tested.

Not all districts administered the Science test. Less than 5% means fewer than 5% of students who took the test achieved Level 3 or 4 / Meets or Exceeds. Absenteeism rates for American Indian/Alaska Native students in selected districts are also noted.

Athena-Weston SD 29RJ

English language arts. 40%

Mathematics. Less than 5%

Beaverton SD 48J

English language arts. 43.3%

Mathematics. 31.8%

Science. 21.2%

Bend-LaPine Administrative SD 1

English language arts. 33.3%

Mathematics. 31.3%

Science. 36.8%

Bethel SD 52

English language arts. 25.9%

Mathematics. 20.8%

Science. 9.1%

Brookings-Harbor SD 17C

English language arts. 20%

Mathematics. Less than 5%

Science. 27.3%

Cascade SD 5

English language arts. 42.9%

Mathematics. 21.4%

Science. 20%

Centennial SD 28J

English language arts. 17.4%

Mathematics. Less than 5%

Central Point SD 6

English language arts. 32.1%

Mathematics. 17.9%

Central SD 13J

English language arts. 31.3%

Mathematics. 5.9%

Coos Bay SD 9

English language arts. 20%

Mathematics. 8.9%

Science. 25%

Corvallis SD 509J

English language arts. Less than 5%

Mathematics. 8.3%

Creswell SD 40

English language arts. 30.8%

Mathematics. 21.4%

Crook County SD

English language arts. 26.3%

Mathematics. 16.7%

Dallas SD 2

English language arts. 29.5%

Mathematics. 14.8%

Science. 12.2%

David Douglas SD 40

English language arts. 16.1%

Mathematics. 10.0%

Science. 9.1%

Dufur SD 29

English language arts. 10.5%

Mathematics. Less than 5%

Eagle Point SD 9

English language arts. 47.4%

Mathematics. 31.6%

Science. 40%

Eugene SD 4J

English language arts. 37.8%

Mathematics. 31.6%

Science. 38.5%

Forest Grove SD 15

English language arts. 25.0%

Mathematics. 16.7%

Grants Pass SD 7

English language arts. 50%

Mathematics. 7.1%

Greater Albany Public SD 8J

English language arts. 26.7%

Mathematics. 21.4%

Science. 27.3%

Gresham-Barlow SD 10J

English language arts. 35.5%

Mathematics. 17.2%

Science. 28.6%

Harney County SD 3

English language arts. 13.3%

Mathematics. 6.7%

Hillsboro SD 1J

English language arts. 32.6%

Mathematics. 23.3%

Science. 13.6%

Hood River County SD

English language arts. 29.4%

Mathematics. 5.9%

Jefferson County SD 509J

English language arts. 17.5%

Mathematics. 6.4%.

Science. 8.4%

NOTE. 49.7% of American Indian/Alaska Native students in Jefferson County SD 509J were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year.

Junction City SD 69

English language arts. 60%

Mathematics. 30%

Klamath County SD

English language arts. 27.1%

Mathematics. 14.6%

Science. 17%

NOTE: 38.5% of the American Indian/Alaska Native students in the Klamath County SD were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year..

Klamath Falls City Schools

English language arts. 20.8% proficient

Mathematics. 11.3%

Science. 9.1%

NOTE: 69.5% of American Indian/Alaska Native students in the Klamath Falls City Schools district were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year.

Lincoln County SD

English language arts. 16.5%

Mathematics. 5.9%

Science. 9.3%.

NOTE: 57.9% of the American Indian/Alaska Native students in the Lincoln County SD were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year.

McMinnville SD 40

English language arts. 45.9%

Mathematics. 40%

Science. 47.1%

Medford SD 549C

English language arts. 51.3%

Mathematics. 21.1%

Science. 29.4%

Molalla River SD 35

English language arts. 16.7%

Mathematics. 15.4%

Myrtle Point SD 41

English language arts. 30%

Mathematics. 10%

Newberg SD 29J

English language arts. Less than 5%

Mathematics. Less than 5%

North Bend SD 13

English language arts. 32%

Mathematics. 36%

Science. 33.3%

North Clackamas SD 12

English language arts. 20%

Mathematics. 17.6%

Science. 10%

North Wasco County SD 21

English language arts. 26.1%

Mathematics. 8.7%

Science. 9.1%

Oregon Trail SD 46

English language arts. 42.9%

Mathematics. 28.6%

Pendleton SD 16

English language arts. 27.8%

Mathematics. 9.1%

Science. 14%

NOTE: 51.3% of the American Indian/Alaska Native students in the Pendleton SD 16 district were chronically absent. in the 2022-23 school year.

Phoenix-Talent SD 4

English language arts. 9.1%

Mathematics. Less than 5%

Portland SD 1J

English language arts. 17.2%

Mathematics. 11.6%

Science. 15.2%

NOTE: 66.1% of the American Indian/Alaska Native students in the Portland SD 1J district were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year.

Redmond SD 2J

English language arts. 40.0%

Mathematics. 26.7%

Reynolds SD 7

English language arts. 23.3%

Mathematics. 13.3%

Science. Less than 5%

Salem-Keizer SD 24J

English language arts. 21.8%

Mathematics. 8.5%.

Science. 18.3%

NOTE: 58.2% of the American Indian/Alaska Native students in Salem-Keizer SD 24J district were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year.

Santiam Canyon SD 129J

English language arts. 20%

Mathematics. 20%

Sheridan SD 48J

English language arts. 12.9%

Mathematics. 6.7%

Science. Less than 5%

South Lane SD 45J3

English language arts. 12.5%

Mathematics. 12.5%

South Umpqua SD 19

English language arts. 20%

Mathematics. 10%

Springfield SD 19

English language arts. 31.4%

Mathematics. 13.9%

Science. 29.4%

St Helens SD 502

English language arts. 18.8%

Mathematics. 6.7%

Sutherlin SD 130

English language arts. 13.3%

Mathematics. 13.3%

Three Rivers/Josephine County SD

English language arts. 27.9%

Mathematics. 11.6%

Science. 5.3%t

Tigard-Tualatin SD 23J

English language arts. 33.3%

Mathematics. 33.3%

Umatilla SD 6R

English language arts. 20%

Mathematics. 10%

Willamina SD 30J

English language arts. 25.4%

Mathematics. 8.7%

Science. Less than 5%

Winston-Dillard SD 116

English language arts. 23.1%

Mathematics. 16.7%

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^[1] American Indian/Alaskan Native – As defined by the Oregon Department of Education, includes all students identified as having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and not Hispanic.

Shana McConville Radford

Oregon Catalyst