The top reported proficiency rate is 58% in English language arts. The lowest is 55% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Multi-sensory Instruction Teaching Children Hands-on (mitch)
Multi-sensory Instruction Teaching Children Hands-On, known as MITCH, is a charter elementary school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the Tigard-Tualatin School District. As a charter school, it operates with a distinct curriculum and philosophy while remaining under the district’s oversight. The school’s name signals an instructional approach built around multi-sensory, hands-on learning, which may appeal to families seeking an alternative to traditional classroom methods. MITCH is a regular public school in structure, meaning it follows state academic standards but delivers instruction in a self-defined style.
On the most recent state assessments, MITCH’s results paint a mixed but broadly strong picture. Third graders performed well in both reading and math, with a strong majority meeting state standards in each subject. As Grade 4 and Grade 5 are tested, the proficiency rates tend to be lower. Fourth-grade reading and math both saw fewer students meeting the bar, a pattern that may reflect a shift in academic demand or simply the typical variability of a small school. Fifth graders fared better in reading, with a majority proficient, while math and science each saw about half of students meeting state standards. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades ranks among the highest in Washington County when compared to other districts. That top-quartile position is a clear strength, though it is based on a single year of data, so parents may want to ask about consistency over time.
Enrollment is modest. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable share identifying as two or more races. Smaller groups include Hispanic, Asian, and Black students. Data on free or reduced-price meal eligibility is not reported, which means a family cannot gauge the school’s economic diversity from this information. Similarly, information on special education and English learner populations is absent. That could be because the school is small and does not have large enough numbers to report in some categories, or the data may simply not have been collected for public display. A parent interested in support services for specific needs would want to ask the school directly.
Tualatin, where MITCH is located, is a southern suburb of Portland with an auto-oriented layout. The city has no traditional downtown; civic and commercial life is spread among retail lifestyle centers such as Bridgeport Village and along major highways. The housing market is expensive relative to state and national averages, and home values have recently seen a slight decline. Rents are also above typical levels. Tualatin has been one of Oregon’s faster-growing cities over recent decades, though that growth has slowed in the current period. Major employers include semiconductor manufacturing, a hospital, and distribution and wholesale trade. The city offers ample parks and trails, public transit via TriMet buses and commuter rail, and annual community events. For families, this is a suburban environment where driving is necessary for most errands and school drop-offs, though the school itself sits in a residential area.
The district brief for Tigard-Tualatin 23J turned up no recent changes of lasting impact to report. The district comprises multiple elementary, middle, and high schools within Tualatin and neighboring Tigard.
MITCH will fit families who value an explicit pedagogical approach, in this case one centered on hands-on, multi-sensory learning in the elementary years. The academic record suggests that, at least in the most recent testing year, students performed well against county peers, though with some variability by grade. The school’s small size means close-knit relationships but also limited course and activity breadth compared to larger elementary schools. Families should be aware that the economic, special education, and English learner profiles are not publicly available from the data here, and that the local housing market is pricey. For those already living in or moving to Tualatin, MITCH offers a charter option within the district, with a focused instructional identity and a solid initial gauge of academic performance.
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