Five key steps would ensure that education spending translates into real academic gains for Oregon students, three education experts say. (Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Two years ago, we optimistically laid out four student-centered, evidence-based policies that then-new Gov. Tina Kotek and her education team could prioritize to improve academic outcomes for Oregon students. Today, that optimism is much harder to find.
The latest national assessment, commonly referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, confirms that Oregon schools are still struggling to recover from academic losses. In fact, a recent analysis — adjusted for state demographics — ranks Oregon dead last in fourth-grade reading and math. Eighth graders aren’t faring much better, ranking 47th in math and 49th in reading.
Meanwhile, the racial and economic achievement gaps that persist nationwide are widening in Oregon. Students from low-income families score between 25 to 31 points lower than their more financially stable peers — a gap significant enough to determine whether a student remains below basic, reaches basic proficiency or excels.
Unfortunately, these data points aren’t outliers. With few exceptions, the overall health of Oregon’s public schools continues to decline — despite record levels of K-12 spending.
While pinpointing the exact cause requires deeper analysis, one takeaway is clear: Increasing education funding without a strategic focus on how the money is spent — and without accountability for measurable student outcomes — is holding back Oregon’s over 500,000 public school students from reaching their full potential.
The good news? The path forward is clear. It won’t be easy, but it’s achievable. Five key steps would ensure that education spending translated into real academic gains for students:
Investment in programs that work
Too often, education dollars are spread across well-intentioned but unproven initiatives. The states that have rebounded fastest from pandemic learning loss consistently partnered with schools to focus on a core set of evidence-based strategies: For example, Washington, D.C.’s successful high-impact tutoring initiative, Connecticut’s statewide campaign against chronic absenteeism and Maryland’s investment in high-quality math instructional materials.
By “evidence-based,” we mean programs that have rigorous proof of success for students and communities like ours in Oregon. There is no one-size-fits-all fix; local context and needs matter. But they shouldn’t be an excuse to ignore research showing what works best for academic, social and emotional growth.
Quality implementation
It’s not just which programs get funded — it’s about how those programs are designed and implemented. Take summer learning: Since 2022, Oregon lawmakers have invested $180 million in summer learning programming — an investment that could have been transformative for students and families statewide. Yet, inconsistent design and rollout have led to mixed results for student learning. The research is clear — summer learning can work, but only if aligned with key evidence-based characteristics. As legislators consider another major investment in summer learning, they must ensure funding is tied to proven best practices.
Data-driven continuous school improvement
The solution to declining academic achievement isn’t less data and testing — it’s using data meaningfully to allocate resources more effectively, and teachers agree. Oregon is making strides in improving data infrastructure and transparency, but transparency alone isn’t enough. Lawmakers should consider data when making future investments and designing supports. Setting aside even 1% of program funding for evaluation would transform efforts to understand the impact of our investments, and allow us to strengthen implementation when we fall short.
High expectations and accountability
It’s not enough to track whether plans were followed — we also need to measure whether they actually improved student learning and well-being. Strong public education systems align investments with ambitious statewide goals and hold everyone accountable for results. It’s not just policymakers who want accountability — teachers recognize the value of testing in this effort. The newly proposed accountability bill by the governor is a step in the right direction; notably, it puts into place spending guardrails for school districts that fail to meet performance metrics and requires them to participate in intensive state-led coaching. Focusing attention on the passage and implementation of this new accountability system will be critical.
Honesty about student progress
Perpetuating the “honesty gap” is harming students. High school graduates enter college unprepared and land in costly, noncredit-bearing remedial courses, our public schools have failed them. Families deserve clear, actionable information about their child’s progress so gaps can be closed before it’s too late.
More good news: We have bright spots in Oregon that we can learn from and expand. Bethel School District went all in on the science of reading and is seeing significant improvement in the literacy achievement of its youngest learners. Oregon’s investment in Career and Technical Education is boosting graduation rates for participants by nearly 14 percentage points above the statewide average.
We appreciate Oregon’s education advocates, governor and Legislature for prioritizing education funding. But the education plays we’ve been relying on aren’t consistently delivering the results students deserve. It’s time to update our playbook — directing both existing and new investments toward policies and programs proven to drive success. Oregon students deserve nothing less.
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