The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in Math. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Waverly Elementary School
Waverly Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in Albany, Oregon, part of the Greater Albany Public SD 8J. It is a neighborhood elementary school with a modest enrollment for its grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic presence and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or American Indian or Alaska Native. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that families often consider when looking at the support environment a school provides.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year are available and paint a challenging picture. Across math, English language arts, and science, proficiency rates are low, and they decline noticeably from third to fifth grade. In third grade, roughly a third of students met math benchmarks, but by fourth and fifth grade, the share dropped sharply. English language arts follows a similar pattern, with fifth-grade results particularly low. Science results for fifth graders also fall well below a majority-proficient level. Compared to other districts in Linn County, Waverly’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile. Only one year of data is available, so no trend can be established; a parent may want to ask the school how scores have changed over time and what supports are in place for students who are behind.
The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate applies. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported. A parent may want to follow up directly with the school about the share of students receiving special education or language support, as those services can strongly shape a child’s experience and the resources a school dedicates.
Albany is a city with a mixed economic base that includes manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and agriculture. Its downtown is a National Historic District with antique shops, restaurants, and cultural venues like the Albany Regional Museum and the Albany Historic Carousel and Museum. The city has worked to revitalize the downtown shopping area, and the local economy has seen some shifts away from timber and traditional manufacturing toward specialty metals and green technology. Housing values in the area are roughly in line with the state median, and rents are modest compared to national averages. For a family considering moving into the attendance area, the housing market is typical of a mid-sized Oregon city.
The district itself did not have recent high-profile changes reported in publicly available sources, so a parent may want to check with the school or district office about any current initiatives or upcoming boundary shifts.
Waverly Elementary is a school where the majority of students come from low-income households and where state test results show a clear need for academic intervention. For a family whose child is already performing at or above grade level, the peer environment may not provide the same academic push as a school with stronger overall proficiency. For a family whose child needs extra support, the school likely receives Title I funding (though that status was not confirmed in the data) and may have targeted programs, but the depth of those supports is not publicly detailed here. A visit and a conversation with the principal about how the school addresses foundational skill gaps would be a practical next step.
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