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Good morning, Northwest.

Oregon students’ proficiency in math, English and science improved slightly last year, according to standardized test results released today. But there’s still a long way to go to meet the state’s goals.

OPB education reporter Elizabeth Miller and JPR’s Jane Vaughan break down the latest round of test scores (with maps and charts) to start today’s newsletter.

Also this morning, an Indigenous climber leads expeditions on Mount Tahoma to rebuild Native Americans’ connections to the tallest mountain in the Cascades.

Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

Top story

Latest state test results show slow progress for Oregon students

Proficiency rates for Oregon students are slowly improving on state standardized tests, according to new data from the Oregon Department of Education.

Statewide, results from last school year show that slightly more students tested proficient on the three main tests taken by students in grades 3-8 and high school.

ODE director Charlene Williams called the results “encouraging.”

Oregon students made incremental progress in both math and English. But the results are nowhere near the targets the state expects to reach during the 2029-30 school year. (Elizabeth Miller and Jane Vaughan)

3 things to know

• Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny Knight, have committed $1 billion to the University of Oregon to establish a new engineering college. (Natalie Pate)
• A federal judge in Seattle on Tuesday tossed the Trump administration’s lawsuit against Washington seeking the state’s voter rolls, in line with many rulings across the country. (Jake Goldstein-Street, Washington State Standard)
• State regulators have backed off pursuing sizable fee increases on Oregon’s psilocybin businesses after dire warnings from the industry that it would buckle under the added costs. (Jake Thomas, Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Northwest headlines

• Connecting food systems at Portland inaugural Indigenous Food Summit (Nika Bartoo-Smith and Lyric Aquino, Underscore Native News, ICT and Report for America)
• Oregon narrows LGBTQ+ foster youth protections after losing federal appeals case (Shaanth Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle)
• Port Orford-Langlois School District rejects curriculum over religious content (Theo Greenly, JPR)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• An interview with George Saunders at Portland’s McDaniel High School

One more look

An Indigenous journey up Mount Tahoma, the tallest mountain in the Cascades

Known worldwide as Mount Rainier, Mount Tahoma stands at 14,410 feet in Washington, making it the highest mountain in the Pacific Northwest.

It’s often a stepping stone for mountaineers who wish to summit bigger global peaks like Denali or Kilimanjaro.

Having climbed Tahoma almost 10 times, Rachel Heaton, a Muckleshoot tribal member and outdoor educator, aims to inspire the younger generation to connect with the mountain as she and their ancestors did. (Jessie Sears)

Learn More

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/09/24/standardized-test-scores-oregon-first-look/