State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced that most Oregon students continued to show gains in their performance on the 2005-06 assessment tests in reading, writing, math and science. Middle school test scores showed the most improvement over last year, and elementary schools showed modest gains. High school scores showed improvement in reading and science, but scores were down slightly in writing and math.

"This is good news overall, and I'm pleased to see schools continue the progress and consolidate the gains from last year," Castillo said. "These test scores are a reflection of the hard work done everyday in classrooms across the state. Oregon's teachers have incredible commitment to their students, and the progress and elementary and middle school is continued evidence that standards-based education has taken firm hold in Oregon schools and that teachers are incorporating these standards into their classroom instruction."

"Our high schools continue to have unique challenges, and there are several reasons for their relatively flat scores," Castillo said. "In mathematics, the high school assessment covers algebra, geometry, statistics and probability, mathematics problem solving and numerical reasoning. If a student has not had courses covering this material, they are not likely to perform well on the assessment. In addition, many students have not been exposed to this math content when they take the state assessment in 10th grade. The Department and the State Board are examining whether to move the 10th grade assessment to the 11th grade, when many more students take these courses."

"In the area of literacy, many high schools have reviewed the reading and writing scores in their schools and have concluded that more targeted instruction in literacy is needed. Therefore, schools are providing teacher training that looks at literacy across all of the subject areas - for example, technical writing in mathematics and science, critical reading skills in historical texts, reading for content and appreciation of literature, and persuasive writing in social sciences. This week, we held a statewide literacy institute in Portland and more than 800 teachers attended."

Under the state's assessment system, Oregon tested students at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. Last year, the federal No Child Left Behind law required Oregon to test students in grades 4, 5, 6, and 7. As a result, Oregon now tests students at grades 3-8 and tests high school students at grade 10, providing schools and teachers with more information and better data on individual student achievement and growth.

The percentage of students meeting/exceeding Oregon state standards in reading, writing, math & science (three year trend) is shown below:

MATH Knowledge and Skills Test (multiple choice)

READING Knowledge and Skills Test (multiple choice)

WRITING Test (essay)

SCIENCE Knowledge and Skills Test (multiple choice)

Visit the Oregon Department of Education's Oregon Statewide Assessment Results for more information.

ODE's 2005-06 Test Results Page

Background on the Oregon Statewide Assessment Program