About 1,000 more students graduated in 2024 than in 2023, according to the latest state data. (Photo by Getty Images)
Students in Oregon’s class of 2024, who started high school online in the midst of a global pandemic, surpassed expectations and graduated at a rate slightly higher than their peers in 2023 and significantly higher than predicted four years ago.
At the start of the pandemic, less than 74% of these students were on track to graduate in four years. But last year, nearly 82% graduated on time, the second highest in state history, according to data released Thursday by the Oregon Department of Education.
“Students and staff overcame all the obstacles that COVID-19 threw in their path,” Oregon Department of Education Director Charlene Williams said in a news release. “We are seeing results, but we know much more needs to be done so that every child is set up for success, not only to find their path to graduation, but to thrive in their educational experience.”
The class of 2024 included about 38,700 students — about 1,000 more graduates than the class of 2023, which boasted about an 81% graduation rate. The rate has not budged much or only made small gains since the pandemic, and it is still below that of the pre-pandemic class of 2019. In that class, 85% of students graduated on time, marking a high for Oregon.
The 2024 graduation rate ticked up despite state and national assessment tests showing Oregon students are struggling to make progress in key subjects and rebound from achievement losses from the pandemic. That class also had some of the worst attendance rates in the state’s recent history. About one-third of Oregon students missed at least 16 days out of 160 or more days during the 2023-24 school year and were considered “chronically absent.” Before the pandemic, about 20% of students were considered chronically absent.
More to the picture
Williams said assessment tests and attendance data tell only part of the picture.
Over the last decade, the state has seen a growing number of students across all racial and ethnic categories enroll in Advanced Placement, or AP, courses, with more of those students earning high and college credit-worthy scores on AP exams. There has also been an increase in the number of students enrolled in Career and Technical Education, or CTE, classes. Those students tend to have the highest graduation rate in the state — around 98% of them graduated on time in 2024.
English-language learners, special education students and students in foster care also achieved some of the biggest gains in graduation rates in 2024.
Students for whom English is not a first language graduated at higher rates — nearly 88% — when they completed an English-language learner program before entering high school, the data found.
And students in foster care graduated at a record rate of 51% in 2024, and nearly 69% of special education students graduated, also a state record. Ten years ago, just over 50% of students with disabilities graduated in four years in Oregon, according to Oregon Department of Education data.
Overall, the state’s graduation rate in 2024 was nearly 10 percentage points higher than it was in 2014. Alaska Native and English Language learners graduated in 2024 at rates about 20 percentage points higher than they did 10 years ago, and Black and Latino students graduated at rates about 15 percentage points higher in 2024 than in 2014.
“This news is about resilience and dedication,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in a news release. “I’m proud of the class of 2024 and the educators and parents who didn’t give up on students.”
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