Grants Pass students make significant gains on state tests

We are excited to celebrate some great news from this year's Oregon Statewide Assessments (OSAS)!

Districtwide, ELA proficiency increased 4.3 percentage points, from 46.6% last year to 50.9% this year. Math increased 4.2 percentage points, from 31.9% to 36.1%.

We saw especially strong growth in grades 3, 5, and 7:

In all six grade-level subject areas highlighted above, Grants Pass students outperformed the statewide proficiency rate. The district was 8.9 percentage points above the state in third-grade ELA, 10.0 points above in fifth-grade ELA, and 8.1 points above in seventh-grade ELA. In math, Grants Pass was 8.0 points above the state in third grade, 5.1 points above in fifth grade, and 10.8 points above in seventh grade.

These results reflect years of work by our teachers and staff. Our district has made a long-term investment in literacy, including science of reading training, a new K-5 reading and writing curriculum, interim and benchmark assessments, and regular collaboration around student data.

“We are excited to see the progress our students are making,” said Tim Sweeney, Superintendent of Grants Pass School District 7. “This is the result of teachers and staff working together over time, using student data to guide instruction and continuing to strengthen what happens in our classrooms.”

It's also important to know that the OSAS ELA assessment measures much more than whether a student can read. It assesses grade-level reading comprehension, writing, research, listening, and vocabulary.

“We know that when students can read, write, and comprehend at higher levels, those skills support their success across all subject areas,” said Susan Zottola, Director of Elementary Education in Grants Pass School District 7. “We are excited to see this progress reflected in our students' results.”

Strong literacy skills support learning across all subject areas, and we are encouraged to see that work alongside our students' strong growth in math. This year, we are building on that progress with an increased focus on math instruction.

We are celebrating these gains, but we are not stopping here. Our teachers and staff will continue using student data to strengthen instruction, address areas where students need support, and help every student keep growing.

We are grateful to our students, teachers, staff, and families for the work behind these results.

We Are GP!

Oregon students in grades 3-8 and 11 take statewide summative assessments in ELA and math each year. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 also take a statewide science assessment.