The top reported proficiency rate is 24% in English language arts. The lowest is 11% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on North Gresham Elementary School
North Gresham Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Gresham, a city where schools are spread across three separate districts rather than clustered in a single downtown area. This school is part of the Gresham-Barlow district, and its location on SE 217th Avenue places it in a residential stretch of the city. Gresham itself offers a historic downtown core and a branch library, but the school campuses here are distributed across neighborhoods.
The student body is diverse. More than a third of students are Hispanic, roughly three out of ten are white, and the rest are Black, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, multiracial, or American Indian or Alaska Native. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that this is a school serving many families with lower household income.
On the 2024-2025 Oregon state assessments, the school’s proficiency rates were low across all tested subjects. In English language arts, the share of students meeting the state standard ranged from a modest figure in third grade to a somewhat higher one in fourth grade. In math, the proficiency rates were lower than in English language arts at every grade level tested. In fifth-grade science, the rate was the lowest of any subject. When combined into an overall proficiency index, North Gresham fell in the bottom quartile among schools in Multnomah County. Only a single year of testing data was available for comparison, so there is no trend to judge whether scores are heading up or down.
These results are a clear soft spot. A parent looking at this school should understand that the majority of students are not reaching grade-level benchmarks on state assessments, and that the school faces a significant academic challenge. It would be worth asking the school what strategies it is using to raise achievement, especially in math and science, and how it supports students who are behind.
The school environment data, including chronic absenteeism rates and staffing details, were not reported, so that picture is incomplete. Likewise, no data on special education or English learner populations was available, which is a notable gap given that the school serves a high-needs population. A parent may want to request this information directly from the school or district.
North Gresham is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. The Gresham-Barlow district has no publicly noted recent changes or strategic initiatives that might signal a shift in direction, based on what was found.
For a family considering this school, the central fact is that academic proficiency is low, and the school serves a community with significant economic need. The peer environment is one of high diversity and high poverty. The housing market in the area, based on the zip code data, shows home values that are somewhat below the state median, and rents that are moderate relative to incomes, making this part of Gresham more affordable than many Portland-area neighborhoods. A parent who values a school with strong test scores or a track record of academic growth will need to look closely at whether the school’s supports are meeting the challenge. A parent who prioritizes a diverse school community and is comfortable working with the school to supplement academic gaps may find this a fit worth exploring.
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