In the past year, students across the Gladstone School District made incredible progress in math, science and English language arts, according to statewide testing data publicly released on Sept. 21.
Oregon Department of Education reports show that Gladstone School District students between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years improved 9% in math and 5.6% in English language arts. Gladstone students scored over 2.1% above the state average in math and over 4% above the state average in English language arts.
“Our team has done outstanding work to make progress in all learning areas assessed by the state,” said Gladstone Superintendent Bob Stewart. “We intend to keep the momentum going through our ongoing attendance initiatives.”
In particular, John Wetten Elementary students have made tremendous gains in math over the past year. Wetten third graders scored over 22% above the state average in math and over 10% above the state average in English language arts.
Wetten has become a model school for Response to Intervention (RTI), a strategy for early identification and support of students’ learning. After universal screening, struggling learners are provided with interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning.
The school’s Culture of Care approach trains staff to use calming strategies that make classrooms a productive learning environment. The trauma-informed approach has payoffs not just in improved health and reduced stress, but also in academic achievement.
“Classroom success begins with making sure that students have everything they need to thrive,” Stewart said. “That’s why our Culture of Care is such an important part of academic success throughout Gladstone. With fewer distractions and targeted support, students can work to their highest potential.”
With scores up significantly from the previous year, Gladstone students in the 11th grade exceeded the state average in English language arts by 11.5%.