School achievement benchmarks released

On September 10, the state released the OAKS (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) achievement test results, broken down by district and school, and further detailed by performance in math, reading, science and writing.

A second set of benchmarks, the individual school "report cards," will be made public and mailed to all parents on October 9. The report cards go far beyond the OAKS data and include detailed performance data including the ranking against the state Academic Achievement (accountability) rating system. Growth, test participation and a number of other weighted factors also go into the rating.

More than 80 percent of Sisters High School students passed the state OAKS math test. This was an improvement of more than 11 percent over 2013, and was more than six percent higher than the next highest district, Bend-La Pine, and a full 10 percent over the state average.

In reading, Sisters posted just over a one-percent gain with 95 percent of the students passing the state exam. This was more than five percent over next highest district, Bend-La Pine, and 11 percent above the state average.

In science, Sisters actually dropped just over five percent, but was still 10 percent higher than Bend-La Pine, and almost 15 percent higher than the state average.

In writing, Sisters dropped almost 14 percent, but was almost three percent higher than Bend-La Pine and more than eight percent above the state average.

There are two key factors that can be plucked from the OAKS test data: The overall performance of Sisters students against state performance testing standards; and the overall growth in student performance.

However, an average of the detailed results shows 90 percent of Sisters' elementary students meeting or exceeding standards, which is 24 percent higher than the state average of 66 percent.

Sisters Middle School students posted on average 80 percent meeting or exceeding which is 15 percent above the state average of 65 percent.

And Sisters High School students also performed at an average of 80 percent meeting or exceeding, a full 11 percent over the state average of 69 percent.

State Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Rob Saxton noted in his formal statement that, "We are in a time of significant and exciting educational change. As a state, we are working to transform education from early childhood through career to better prepare our students for their futures. We know that system change takes time, and in the years to come our state's focus on education will result in better outcomes for our students and increased prosperity for our state."

Saxton pointed to his department's strategic focus on early literacy as a key to that change.

For Sisters, there are much loftier goals to be reached.

For one, in many of the sub-categories, Sisters schools are bumping up against the "greater than 95 percent" limit. Being at the upper limit makes it very difficult to set and measure meaningful goals.

In addition, the results of an Education Week analysis of the nation's schools published in January 2014 ranks Oregon 40th among the 50 states in reading and math scores.

At his swearing-in this month, new school board member Steven King took this situation into account when he laid down a challenge to the board. He suggested that the board rewrite their goals and mission statement, and consider setting an overall goal of being one of the top 100 high schools in the nation.

As lofty and challenging as that goal seems, even this expectation should be tempered by the results of an international survey released in December 2013. The global exam, which was given to 15-year-olds around the world, is considered the worldwide benchmark for education ranking by country. The test measures standards in subjects like math, science and reading across Europe, North and South America, Australia, Asia and parts of the Middle East. This year, Tunisia in Africa also participated.

In 2013 the U.S. ranked 36th out of the top 65 nations in the world. This still leaves plenty of growing room for Sisters schools.