The top reported proficiency rate is 20% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Highland Elementary School
Highland Elementary School is a regular public elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Gresham, Oregon, within the Gresham-Barlow School District. It is one of many schools in a city whose schools are spread across three separate districts — Centennial, Gresham-Barlow, and Reynolds — each with campuses distributed through different neighborhoods rather than clustered near the historic downtown core around Main City Park. The school draws from a residential area near the eastern edge of the Portland metro region.
The student body of Highland Elementary is relatively large for an elementary school within its grade band. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The majority of students identify as Hispanic, with the remainder a mix of White students and smaller groups of students who identify as Asian, Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaska Native, or two or more races. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported in the available records.
State testing results for the most recent school year place Highland Elementary in a difficult position relative to other schools across Multnomah County. On a combined proficiency index across tested subjects and grades, the school fell into the bottom quarter among the county’s districts. In math, proficiency rates were low across grades three, four, and five, with the fifth grade showing a slightly higher level than the third grade, but still well below what is typical for the state. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: proficiency was low across all tested grades, though the fifth grade performed somewhat better than the third. Science scores for fifth graders were reported in a very narrow range near zero, effectively indicating that almost no students met the bar for proficiency. Because this is the only year of data available, there is no way to see whether these levels represent a decline, a stable pattern, or a baseline from which improvement might be measured. A parent looking at these results would want to investigate what academic supports and intervention programs the school offers and how the school is working to lift student outcomes.
Highland Elementary is a regular public school with no charter or magnet status reported, and its Title I status was not included in the data. No information about specialized programs, course access, or extracurricular offerings was available, so it is unclear what enrichment or targeted academic pathways exist beyond the standard elementary curriculum. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent structural changes or initiatives, so parents may need to ask the school directly about current priorities.
The housing market in the zip code area around Highland Elementary reflects the broader East Portland suburbs. Home values are moderate compared to the state benchmark, but have slipped slightly over the past year. Rents are high relative to the typical household income nationally, and the gap between renting and owning a home with a mortgage is substantial, making homeownership a stretch for many families in the area. The unemployment and mortgage rate context is consistent with national conditions.
For a family weighing this school, the central fact is the academic performance picture. Proficiency rates are low across the board, and the school sits well behind many of its neighbors in the county. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged, which can mean additional layers of support are needed. Without evidence of strong test scores or a known program focus, a parent considering Highland Elementary would want to talk to the school about its approach to instruction, intervention, and family engagement, and perhaps look at other options within Gresham-Barlow or across the city’s three districts.
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