Imagine getting a report card that offers plenty of feedback but no actual grade.

The Oregon Department of Education on Thursday released report cards for every public school and district in the state, with information on student demographics, outcomes and test scores.

Unlike years past, however, this year’s report cards do not include an overall rating. That’s because those are based largely on standardized test scores. This year, the state switched from using the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills to Smarter Balanced, a more rigorous assessment that aligns with the Common Core standards.

The state got permission from the U.S. Department of Education for a one-year moratorium on issuing ratings because of the new test. Officials say scores from Smarter Balanced represent a “new baseline” and can’t be easily compared to OAKS scores. Smarter Balanced results released last month showed 54 percent of Oregon students met the new English language arts standards, and 41 percent met the new math standards — better than officials had predicted based on a 2014 trial run, but worse than recent OAKS scores.

The report cards do offer more insight into Smarter Balanced results by comparing schools’ and districts’ scores with those of similar demographics. Bend-La Pine Schools, for instance, outperformed similar districts in early grades, but that trend was reversed by high school. At Bend High School, 56 percent of students met the English language arts standards compared to 75 percent of students at similar schools. Other Bend high schools outperformed similar schools.

In Sisters, a small district with relatively few economically disadvantaged students, high schoolers beat the state average in English language arts and math but were outscored by those in similar districts. Conversely, in Crook County, where nearly half of students are considered economically disadvantaged, third- through eighth-graders missed the state average in both areas but outscored students in similar districts.

Jefferson County schools scored below the state average and similar districts in most grades, while Redmond students’ scores generally matched those in similar districts.

The report cards include lots of data beyond test scores, with information on English learners, students with disabilities and median class sizes. They also show the percentage of classes taught by highly qualified teachers, per-pupil spending and suspension and expulsion rates.

“Student learning is about so much more than a single test score, and these report cards help to paint a more complete picture about the work our schools are doing to support student success,” the state’s Deputy Superintendent Salam Noor said in a news release.

On race and ethnicity, the report cards compare rates for students and staff, highlighting disparities. In the Jefferson County district, 93 percent of high school staff are white, compared to just 30 percent of students. And the report cards highlight ongoing challenges schools have with attendance, particularly as students get older. In Crook County, 58 percent of high schoolers were considered “regular attenders,” the lowest rate in Central Oregon.

— Reporter: 541-617-7837,

aspegman@bendbulletin.com