PTS trending up in latest assessments

PHOENIX – Students in the Phoenix-Talent School District showed year-over-year improvements in each of the core subjects measured, including a solid 3.9 percentage-point increase in English language arts proficiency, according to 2025-26 state assessment data released today by the Oregon Department of Education.

Each year, Oregon students in grades 3-8 and 11 take summative tests in English language arts and math, and students in grades 5, 8, and 11 also take science tests. The resulting data provide a valuable snapshot into student performance and help pinpoint where each district’s education system is succeeding and falling short. 

The 2025-26 Oregon statewide assessment results, which include students enrolled on May 1, 2026, are available on the ODE website. 

Oregon places student scores into one of four performance levels, with higher levels reflecting an increasing range of depth and complexity of skills. Students who test at levels 2, 3, and 4 all demonstrate grade-level skills; for federal accountability standards, however, proficiency is defined as levels 3 and 4.

Phoenix-Talent School District improved its proficiency percentage – the percentage of students who tested at levels 3 or 4 – over the previous year in all three subjects, as the district was one of five districts singled out Tuesday during the ODE’s test results media webinar. PTS highlights included: 

• Talent Elementary, Grade 5 ELA: 37.9% to 62.3% proficient, up 24.4 percentage points. Talent Elementary’s ELA rate across all tested grades also rose from 42.1% to 51.5%.
• Orchard Hill Elementary, Grade 4 ELA: 35.8% to 56.1%, up 20.3 points.
• Phoenix Elementary, Grade 5 ELA: 20.5% to 38.3%, up 17.8 points.

PTS Superintendent Brent Barry said the assessment results are encouraging.

“Our entire staff, from the administration to the teachers and the support staff, work hard every day to ensure our students continue to rebound from the pandemic,” he said, “so the fact that these results confirm just that is a great sign. Though we still have a long way to go, we also have data-backed systems in place, excellent curriculum, and a strategic plan that has our students headed in the right direction. And most importantly, we have an incredible staff that puts students first, so I’m confident we’ll continue to see these gains.” 

During the ODE’s test results webinar Tuesday, Director of Literacy Angelica Cruz noted that PTS has seen impressive gains in its ELA scores over the past three years, thanks in part to a multi-tiered approach.

“In the Phoenix-Talent School District, students have demonstrated consistent gains in overall ELA achievement over the past three years,” Cruz said. “This district has invested in creating more alignment in how they approach literacy across the school district. There are clear expectations around strong core instruction, timely intervention, and the use of data to identify students who need additional support. They have also invested in ensuring students who need it receive additional time, whether through online tutoring or extended learning. Finally, they’ve invested in engaging families as partners in their children’s literacy success.”