Hermiston students showed growth in 15 of 23 tested areas in reading and math, according to results announced on Wednesday.
The Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) test is administered annually in the areas of mathematics, reading, writing and science. The OAKS test is administered for grades 3 through 11 in both reading and mathematics, grade 11 in writing and grades 5, 8 and 11 in science.
The report shows more Hermiston students meeting and exceeding the state benchmarks than in 2012-2013.
At the elementary level, Desert View Elementary (2.2 percent reading growth/4.5 percent math growth), Highland Hills Elementary (7 percent reading growth), and West Park Elementary (3.7 percent reading growth/12.3 percent math growth) showed the most gains. For Highland Hills this is a combined 12.5 percent growth in reading over the past two years and a total of 9 percent for West Park. West Park has also grown a total of 8 percent in mathematics over the same two-year period.
At the secondary level, gains were made at Sandstone Middle School (2.6 percent reading growth /2.4 percent math growth), Armand Larive Middle School (2.1 percent math growth) and Hermiston High School (1.8 percent reading growth and 5.2 percent math growth). In two years’ time, the high school has shown gains of 10 percent in reading and 10.2 percent in mathematics and Hermiston High School students outperformed the state average, which has been a trend for the past several years.
Assistant Superintendent Bryn Browning attributes these successes to a strategic professional development plan and school calendar.
“In 2010, we made a five year plan to commit financial and personnel resources to improve our curriculum materials, enhance technology, and to refine and improve teacher instructional practices,” she said. “We are now seeing this consistent, deep focus paying off with continued student performance from year to year. Our goal is to produce college and career ready students post high school, this means that each and every grade (K-12) must produce students ready for the next level.”
Go online to view the district’s Strategic Professional Development Plan.
Also, go online for test results by school and district.
