Pander to the pronoun police? Check.

Enforce diversity, equity and inclusion justice? You betcha.

Suspend a requirement for an essential skills test in math, reading and writing to graduate from high school through the 2022-2023 school year? You got it.

Accept that nearly one of every five Oregon high school students don’t graduate in four years? Uh huh.

Increase the number of teachers employed in Oregon’s public schools to an all-time high even as the number of enrolled students drops precipitously to its lowest level in nearly two decades? Yup.

Ensure math and reading proficiency? Not so much.

Oregon’s public schools are turning too many students into functional illiterates and math morons.

Results from the recently administered National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveal that a depressingly small percentage of Oregon students in grades 4 and 8 tested at a proficient level or higher in mathematics and reading in 2022. 

The mathematics and reading comprehension assessments are given every two years to students at grades 4 and 8. The tests break results into four categories: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced. Students performing at or above the NAEP Proficient level on NAEP assessments demonstrate solid academic performance and competency over challenging subject matter.

  Mathematics

Grade 4

The percentage of students in Oregon who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level: 29%

The percentage of students in Oregon who performed below the NAEP Basic level: 34%

Grade 8 

The percentage of students in Oregon who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level: 22%

The percentage of students in Oregon who performed below the NAEP Basic level: 43%

 Reading

Grade 4

The percentage of students in Oregon who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level: 28%

The percentage of students in Oregon who performed below the NAEP Basic level: 44% 

Grade 8

The percentage of students in Oregon who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level: 28%

The percentage of students in Oregon who performed below the NAEP Basic level: 33% 

Where is the shock and anger?