The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Meadows Elementary
Meadows Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Portland’s Centennial School District. It sits in the southeast portion of the city, in a part of Portland that is more residential than the dense downtown core. The school is one of the smaller elementary schools in the district, with an enrollment that is moderate for a KG-through-05 building.
The student body is notably diverse. Families looking at Meadows will find a school where the largest single ethnic group is Hispanic, representing the plurality of students. White students make up roughly the next largest share, followed by Asian students, and then smaller populations of students who are multiracial, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker that the school serves many families with lower household incomes. Data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs and English learner status were not available in the source materials, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its special education and language support offerings.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show that academic proficiency rates at Meadows fell below the midpoint for schools across Multnomah County. In English language arts, across grades three through five, the proficiency rate was in a range that a parent would likely want to discuss with the school, with the highest rate in third grade and the lowest in fifth. In mathematics, the rates were lower, with a clear downward trend as grade levels rose, and the fifth-grade math proficiency rate was markedly lower than the third-grade rate. Science, which is tested only in fifth grade, showed a very low proficiency rate. Compared to other districts in Multnomah County, Meadows’ overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed in the bottom quartile of the county-wide range when looking at the nine districts in the county. There is only one year of assessment data available in this set from the state’s testing system, so a trend over time cannot be drawn.
Because Meadows is an elementary school, it does not have a graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism data were not available in the source materials for this profile.
The school’s parent district, Centennial SD 28J, was searched for recent changes or strategic priorities, but little was publicly reported that would be of lasting impact to a parent evaluating the school.
Portland itself is Oregon’s largest city, a major metropolitan center that straddles the Willamette River. It has a well-known identity around urban planning, sustainability, and a strong civic culture. The city’s economy is driven by technology, athletic and outdoor brands, shipping, healthcare, and craft industries. The city has seen a slight population decline since the 2020 census, though the broader metro area continues to grow. For a family considering Meadows, the school is located in a part of Portland that is more suburban in feel than the inner east-side neighborhoods, with single-family homes and commercial corridors typical of southeast Portland’s outer areas. The housing market in this zip code is somewhat more affordable than the Portland citywide median, but still represents a meaningful investment, with home values and rents that are elevated relative to the national average. The area is accessible by car, and while Portland’s public transit system is extensive, the southeast portion of the city is less densely served by light rail than the central corridors.
For a family weighing this school, the academic proficiency picture is a central consideration. The school serves a diverse and economically mixed student population, and a parent would want to explore what academic interventions and supports are in place, particularly in math and science, where the results are considerably below the county median. A parent may also want to visit and see how classroom instruction, enrichment, and school culture feel in person, since the test data alone gives only a narrow view of the school’s daily life.
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