Regional and District Trends in Oregon’s Post-Pandemic School Enrollment and Achievement

Oregon has been highlighted as a state with large student enrollment changes after the pandemic, as well as persistent learning loss. Unlike many other states in the nation, this learning loss has persisted. This paper goes beyond the statewide trends to examine regional and district level patterns in both enrollment changes and learning outcomes. One major finding is that while districts in all regions experienced enrollment changes, Large Urban and Suburban districts had notable enrollment declines. These declines were driven by a decrease in White students. Meanwhile, Suburban districts had increases in Asian, Black, and Multiracial students. Another finding is that while student proficiency rates in ELA and Math declined across the states, some large Urban districts, such as Portland Public Schools, were able to mitigate pandemic challenges while other Suburban districts struggled to do so. Finally, the growth of enrollment in Virtual Schools is also described.