The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on East Gresham Elementary School
East Gresham Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Gresham-Barlow School District. The school is located in Gresham, a city that spreads its schools across three separate districts—Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, and Reynolds—so attendance boundaries matter here. Mount Hood Community College operates on a separated campus within the city, and the Gresham Branch Library sits in the historic downtown area near Main City Park.
The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest single group, followed closely by a substantial Hispanic population, and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaska Native. More than half of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that a large share of families face economic pressure. Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so a complete picture of special populations is not possible from the reported information.
On state assessments, proficiency rates show a clear pattern of challenge. In math, the share of students meeting the standard was below a third at every tested grade. Third grade was just above one in five, fourth grade climbed to roughly a third, and fifth grade dropped to about one in seven. In English language arts, results were stronger but still low in the early grades. Third grade showed roughly one in four students proficient, fourth grade rose to a little under half, and fifth grade settled at about one in three. Fifth-grade science proficiency was near one in five. When compared with other districts in Multnomah County, East Gresham Elementary’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint, though the range among districts is wide from well below a quarter to above four-fifths, and this school’s position reflects a specific context of serving a high-poverty community.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, it has no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available. These gaps are a function of the grade band and what the state collects for this level.
The school operates as a regular public school with no charter or magnet status. The data did not include information about course offerings, staffing ratios, discipline rates, or attendance patterns, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about class sizes, specialist teachers, and the range of enrichment programs available.
Housing in the area is priced above the national median, and rents have been rising modestly. The gap between homeownership and renting is substantial: the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home is significantly higher than the median rent, which makes renting the more affordable near-term option for most families. The national unemployment rate has been stable and low, and real median household income has climbed in recent years, though these are national figures, not local ones.
The Gresham-Barlow district did not have any recent parent-relevant changes publicly reported, so the narrative around district direction is not available from this material.
East Gresham Elementary presents as a school serving a high-poverty, diverse community where academic proficiency on state tests is below where many parents would hope, especially in math. The school fits a family looking for an elementary option grounded in its neighborhood, in a city where school districts are fragmented and boundaries matter. A parent considering this school should investigate what academic interventions, after-school supports, and English learner services are available, as the data does not show those details.
See more original research from School Decision →