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Jefferson SD 14J board hears troubling literacy and completion data, readies special‑education files for state review
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Summary
Superintendent and program leads told trustees that third‑grade ELA proficiency fell well short of targets and five‑year completion dropped sharply; the district will submit 14 files to the Oregon Department of Education’s cyclical monitoring process and highlighted costly out‑of‑district placements as a contingency.
The Jefferson School District 14J board received two reports that administrators said will shape district priorities for the coming year: an integrated‑program annual report showing weak early‑grade literacy and a special‑education monitoring preview from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).
Superintendent (presenting) told trustees the district’s emergency response manual is complete and will be distributed to staff, then turned to performance data from the integrated‑program review. The district set five longitudinal performance growth targets with local partners; administrators reported third‑grade ELA proficiency at 7 percent versus a 24 percent baseline target and a 25‑point drop from the previous year. The 5‑year cohort completion rate fell to 69 percent (target: greater than 95 percent), while the 4‑year graduation rate rose slightly to 78 percent.
"We only have 58 percent of our kids that are coming to school on a regular basis," the superintendent said during discussion of how attendance and literacy interact, calling attendance a district priority and describing work to align curriculum and deepen teacher training in foundational reading instruction.
Katrina, the district’s special‑education lead, walked the board through ODE’s compressed cyclical‑monitoring timeline. She said ODE will expect 14 files and supporting documentation—initial evaluations, secondary‑transition materials, discipline and manifestation records, IEP evidence and service logs—by an accelerated deadline running through Dec. 19. "Basically, you are either are or you're not compliant," Katrina said, adding that where deficiencies are found ODE will issue findings and require corrections.
Katrina also described alternatives the district may use for students whose needs cannot be met locally: she cited a single‑student slot at an intensive provider (OASIS) at about $105,000 annually and a Paddock placement at about $55,000. Trustees pressed for clarity about counts: Katrina confirmed the district currently lists about 127 students on IEPs and separate Section 504 counts that are not included in that IEP total, and noted federal special‑education funding covers a small portion of actual costs ("about 11 percent," she said).
Board members responded by directing administration to prioritize attendance work and early‑literacy alignment and to assemble the required special‑education files for ODE. The report concluded with administrators outlining investments in teacher training (for example, LETRS) and coursework alignment intended to improve early literacy over multiple years.
The board did not take additional action on the monitoring report at the meeting; trustees said they will track implementation of attendance and literacy strategies in future board reports.
