New Investment to Strengthen High School Performance for Portland Students

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland Public Schools (PPS) Superintendent Vicki Phillips today announced a $2.6 million investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to strengthen the district’s efforts to improve high schools and increase graduation and college readiness rates. The two-year grant will help Portland Public Schools offer wider and more rigorous educational options for students, improve the way information is shared about their progress, and help them and their families chart individual academic goals and plans.

“This grant will be a catalyst that allows us to involve our students, families and broader community as we bring a laser focus to creating and promoting the high school education our students want, and need, for the 21st Century,” said Superintendent Phillips. “For far too long we have been a system with pockets of excellence, and to be honest, some areas of seemingly intractable failure. Our students and our community deserve better, and Portland Public Schools must deliver.”

Portland Public Schools secondary reform efforts are already well underway and showing signs of success, but the need for continued improvement is clear. While nearly 85 percent of fifth graders meet state benchmarks in reading and math, performance drops dramatically in eighth grade, and by 10th grade, only 50 percent of PPS students meet state academic standards. Graduation rates remain troublingly low, and only 62 percent of students who graduate have taken the courses required for entrance to the Oregon University System.

This grant will build upon previous district investments in three key areas:

Ensure that all students are provided high-quality high school options
Portland Public Schools is comprised of six comprehensive high schools and eight small schools, as well as PPS alternative schools, charter high schools, treatment centers, night programs and 22 community-based alternative high schools. A more unified approach will provide all high school students with a strong core curriculum and the chance to explore new avenues of interest and growth through specialized course offerings and programs system-wide. A new Office of High Schools will lead this work in the short term and then fold into the Office of Schools by July 2008.

Support accountability and analysis in district decision-making
The Office of High Schools will collaborate with the Bridgespan Group, a Boston nonprofit organization that provides management consulting and research services, to foster social change, analyze and benchmark data on student progress, and involve staff and the community in decisions. Portland Public Schools and Bridgespan have collaborated on previous central office reform efforts and accountability projects.

Support students with Individualized Graduation Plans to help them achieve their academic goals
Each student will receive personalized data and guidance to help inform and motivate them to achieve their academic goals, including student performance data, areas for improvement and challenge and reminders for students and their families about what is required for college and the workplace. This personalized information will help students craft an Individual Graduation Plan that outlines the course of their education and can be  modified as student needs and interests change. Portland Public Schools will contract with The Grow Network for this project.

The Gates foundation and Meyer Memorial Trust have invested $25 million to date to support high school improvement work throughout Oregon. Included in this is funding for the Oregon Small Schools Initiative, which has provided approximately $2 million to create small high schools on three Portland campuses: Madison, Marshall and Roosevelt. In 2005, the foundations also awarded Portland Public Schools and the Portland Schools Foundation $9 million over three years to improve the curriculum and professional development opportunities for middle school and high school teachers, with additional support for the Jefferson High School cluster.

“Portland Public Schools continues to move ahead with a clear and unified mission, ensuring that all young people receive the high-quality education needed for college and work,” said Steve Seleznow, program director for education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “This new investment is going to help the district and its families take the next step forward in organization and information, potentially serving as a model for others across the state and the nation.”

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is focused on improving the nation’s low high school graduation rates and expanding educational opportunities for all high school students. To date, the foundation has invested more than $1 billion to support the creation of more than 1,800 high-quality high schools in 42 states and the District of Columbia. 

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At Portland Public Schools, this is our goal: By the end of elementary, middle, and high school, every student by name will meet or exceed academic standards and will be fully prepared to make productive life decisions. For more information on Portland Public Schools, call 503.916.3304 or visit www.pps.k12.or.us. Portland Public Schools is an equal opportunity educator and employer.