The top reported proficiency rate is 71% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Sellwood Middle School
Sellwood Middle School, part of Portland Public Schools, serves students in sixth through eighth grade in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The student body is predominantly white, with a modest share of students who identify as two or more races and a smaller share of Hispanic students. Asian and Black students each make up a very small portion of the enrollment. The school serves a comparatively low share of students from low-income households relative to many Portland public schools; the rate of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch is well below the district average. Information on the share of students receiving special education services or identified as English learners was not provided in the data, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs and supports.
On state assessments from the most recent school year, Sellwood Middle School posted strong results in both English language arts and mathematics. Proficiency rates in ELA ranged from roughly two-thirds of eighth graders to about three-quarters of sixth graders meeting the state standard. Math results followed a similar pattern, with a little over two-thirds of seventh graders proficient and about six in ten eighth graders reaching that mark. Compared with other schools in Multnomah County, Sellwood’s combined performance across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quarter of the county. This is a notably stronger academic profile than most public middle schools in Portland. The school’s science results were lower; about two in five eighth graders scored proficient on the state science assessment. That gap between ELA and math on the one hand and science on the other is worth a parent’s attention, particularly for a student headed toward high school science coursework.
Because Sellwood Middle School serves only grades six through eight, there is no high school graduation rate to report here. The data also did not include information on chronic absenteeism, school discipline rates, course offerings, or staffing ratios, so a family looking for a full picture of school climate and program access would need to gather that from the school directly.
Sellwood Middle School is located on SE 15th Avenue in Portland’s Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, a residential area on the east side of the Willamette River with a walkable commercial strip along Milwaukie Avenue. Portland itself is Oregon’s largest city and a major metropolitan center, with an economy anchored by healthcare, technology, athletic and outdoor brands, shipping, and craft industries. The city has a strong identity around sustainability and urban planning, and it manages development through a state-mandated urban growth boundary that concentrates growth inward rather than outward. Housing in the Sellwood area reflects the city’s elevated market; home values are well above the statewide median, and rents are substantial. The neighborhood is predominantly composed of single-family homes with a mix of older multi-unit buildings, and it offers good access to parks, the Willamette River waterfront, and the Springwater Corridor trail. The area is served by TriMet bus lines and is not far from the MAX Orange Line, making it feasible for a middle schooler to reach the school without a car, though the walkability of the immediate route depends on where a family lives within the attendance boundary.
Portland Public Schools has been undergoing significant change. The district placed a large capital construction bond on the November 2024 ballot to fund facility improvements, seismic retrofits, and safety upgrades across the district, the outcome of which affects school buildings and property taxes. At the same time, the district has experienced a notable enrollment decline since before the pandemic, which has led to a school consolidation process involving proposed closures and mergers. This district-level dynamic means that attendance boundaries and school assignments for middle school may shift in the coming years, and a family considering Sellwood should be aware that the district’s long-range facility planning is ongoing.
For a family that values strong academic performance in the core subjects of reading and math, and who is looking for a middle school where the student body has a relatively low share of poverty, Sellwood Middle School stands out among its Multnomah County peers. The science results are an area to probe further, and the lack of available data on special education and English learner services means those conversations should happen directly with the school. The surrounding Sellwood neighborhood offers a stable, amenity-rich urban environment with strong housing demand, but the cost of entry is high. The school fits a family that can afford Portland’s elevated housing market and wants a middle school with a strong academic track record within a large, urban district that is actively managing enrollment decline and facility needs.
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