Beverly Cleary School, Portland OR

Original Research by School Decision on Beverly Cleary School

Beverly Cleary School is a regular public school in Portland, Oregon, serving kindergarten through eighth grade in a single K-8 configuration. Named for the beloved children’s author who grew up in the city, the school is part of Portland Public Schools, the largest district in the state. It is located in the Northeast neighborhood of Portland, an area of the city that has experienced the kind of demographic and economic change that comes with a growing urban center.

The most notable strength of Beverly Cleary School is its academic performance. On the Oregon state assessments for the most recent school year, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects placed it in the top quartile when measured against all other districts in Multnomah County. A look at the grade-level results shows a pattern of strong performance, particularly in English language arts. In nearly every grade level, a solid majority of students met or exceeded the state standard, with eighth graders posting especially high marks. Math proficiency was also strong in the lower and middle grades, though a dip appears in fifth grade, where the share of students scoring proficient was lower than in the grades immediately before and after. Science results were more mixed. While eighth graders turned in a strong performance, the fifth-grade science scores were well behind those in other subjects. A parent may want to ask the school about its science curriculum and support for that grade level.

The student body is not large for a K-8 school that covers nine grade levels. It serves roughly that size of enrollment, with the largest grade groups at the upper end. Racially, the student population is predominantly white, with a smaller but notable share of students who identify as two or more races. The remaining students are mostly Hispanic, Asian, Black, and Native American or Native Hawaiian, each making up a small fraction of the total. The share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch is low relative to the district and the county, which is a piece of the broader economic context of the neighborhood. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the source data, so it is not possible to speak to the school’s special education or language support programs from this record.

The housing market in the area around Beverly Cleary School is expensive. Home values in the ZIP code that includes the school are well above the national typical value and also above the typical value for Oregon as a whole. Rents follow a similar pattern. The cost of both buying and renting is high, meaning the neighborhood draws households with significant financial resources. The broader Portland metro area has seen a slight population decline since the 2020 census, but the city remains Oregon’s largest and most economically dynamic urban center, with a strong presence of technology, healthcare, and athletic-apparel employers and a well-developed public transit and bike network. The neighborhood around the school is residential but sits within the city’s walkable grid and is close to commercial corridors.

Portland Public Schools is in a period of significant change. The district has experienced a notable decline in enrollment since before the pandemic, which has prompted a Long-Range Facility Plan and a process of school consolidation, including proposed closures or mergers. A large capital construction bond was placed on the ballot in late 2024, and whether it passed would affect the condition of school facilities and property taxes for years to come. These district-level developments may influence school assignment patterns and the long-term stability of any given neighborhood school, including Beverly Cleary.

Beverly Cleary School fits a family seeking a high-performing K-8 option in a pricey urban neighborhood. The academic results are strong overall, especially in literacy, and the school’s size and grade span mean that children can remain in the same building from kindergarten through eighth grade. The economic and demographic profile of the student body leans affluent and largely white, which is a characteristic of the immediate neighborhood more than a reflection of the city at large. Families considering this school should weigh the cost of the housing market and the ongoing district-level consolidation planning, both of which have practical implications for where a child will attend school and the financial tradeoffs involved.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 375%

School 75% · District 56% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 489%

School 89% · District 56% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 54 pts above state median · ▲ 54 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 49% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 46% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 777%

School 77% · District 50% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · District 46% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 377%

School 77% · District 55% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 485%

School 85% · District 59% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 60% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 55% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 782%

School 82% · District 59% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 890%

School 90% · District 57% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Science

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 45% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 866%

School 66% · District 41% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

This schoolPortland SD 1J, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.