Graduation Rates in Corvallis Schools Surpass State Average… Again

The Oregon Department of Education released graduation data on Thursday for the 2023-24 school year. Once again, the Corvallis School District continued outperforming the state in four-year graduation rates. The district’s overall graduation rate for 2024 was 87 percent, 6 points higher than the state rate. The district’s 2023 graduation rate was 88 percent. In raw numbers, that’s 472 students out of 545 graduating with their 4-year cohort in 2024, compared to 482 out of 548 in 2023.

“Our district continues to maintain strong graduation rates, consistently nearing 90 percent,” said Superintendent Ryan Noss. “This year, graduation rates for our Latino students increased by 1.7 percent, and rates for students with disabilities rose by 2 percent. We remain committed to providing focused support for these students as we help them navigate their path to graduation and future opportunities.”

Superintendent Noss added, “It is important to note that the class of 2024 is a group of students who began their high school career in distance learning and continued to persevere along their journey to graduation, showcasing remarkable resilience. More than ever, our multi-tiered systems of support are an important framework to help schools identify and address the needs of our students.”

The full report can be found on the Oregon Department of Education website.

The state made gains too

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 only made small gains since the pandemic.

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.”

Local coverage by Advocate staff. State coverage by Alex Baumhardt of news partner Oregon Capital Chronicle.

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