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Silver Falls board reviews graduation data as members debate whether policy changes explain higher rates
Summary
Superintendent presented district graduation and completer rates above state averages; board members and staff debated whether policy changes and testing participation affect the rise in rates and discussed supports to keep ninth-graders on track.
The Silver Falls School District board on Feb. 10 reviewed the district's latest graduation data, and trustees and staff debated whether higher graduation rates reflect improved student outcomes or changes to statewide policy and testing participation.
The superintendent said the district's 2023–24 four‑year graduation rate was 90.4% and the four‑year completer rate was 96.1%, with a dropout rate of 1.6%. "Our 4 year completer rate which is a really astounding statistic was 96.1 percent," the superintendent told the board. She highlighted a 92‑percent plus ninth‑grade on‑track rate as a key indicator of future success.
Board members and staff placed those figures in context. One board member raised Senate Bill 744 and questioned whether the state's changed requirements — coupled with opt‑outs and lower participation — could have inflated graduation figures without corresponding gains on academic assessments. "My gist ... is just like, although we had a big jump in graduation rates, policy changes and lower academic expectations are probably the reason for the improvement rather than student achievement," the board member said.
Superintendent and staff pushed back that the district remains above statewide averages across multiple measures and noted the district retained its local graduation practices. The superintendent said districts in Oregon still face substantial graduation requirements and that the district uses multiple pathways to credibly document student completion, including credit‑by‑proficiency and partnerships for GED completion. "I would also, say that Oregon has the most ... for the most difficult graduation requirements in the nation," she said.
Teachers and staff who spoke during the public‑comment period urged the board to preserve programs that support on‑track ninth graders. Kirsten Barnes, a high school teacher, told the board that when the school offered a required freshman seminar and an incoming‑freshman orientation (Fox Camp 9), students benefited and staff could intervene earlier. "Without having that program, we didn't really get to see a baseline where kids were coming in at the beginning of the year," Barnes said, adding that the district should consider summer school or other interventions if supports are reduced.
Board members and staff also discussed the relationship between different assessments (for example, STAR and OSAS) and testing participation, noting some families opt students out of statewide testing and that participation rates affect the apparent performance on those tests.
The board did not take formal action on graduation policy at the meeting. Trustees directed staff to continue tracking participation rates, testing‑participation data and the district’s ninth‑grade interventions as the budget and program priorities are considered.
The discussion will inform upcoming budget and program decisions this spring and the board’s work on aligning interventions to the highest‑need students.
