Salem-Keizer third-graders reading at grade level jumped to 29.7% in 2026, up from 25.3% in 2025, marking the district's biggest literacy gains since the pandemic.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released statewide test results Thursday, Sept. 24, showing Oregon's second-largest district outpaced the state's growth in both English and math. The third-grade improvement quadruples the growth Salem-Keizer saw in 2025, Salem Reporter reported.

Every school in the district posted a gain in English Language Arts (ELA) or math, according to Superintendent Andrea Castañeda. Math improved in every tested grade. Across all grades, 34.5% of Salem-Keizer students tested proficient in ELA. About a quarter were proficient in math.

"If you see a Salem-Keizer student or a staff member this week, give them a high five," Castañeda told reporters the week of Sept. 24, when the results were released.

The gains come after the district invested in early literacy as part of its $1.12 billion 2026-27 budget, adopted by the school board on June 9. That budget prioritized separating many kindergarten and first-grade classrooms into single-grade settings and continuing investment in curriculum and professional development, according to district budget documents.

The third-graders who took the 2026 tests were in first grade when the first round of more than $90 million in state Early Literacy Success Initiative dollars reached schools. ODE Director of Literacy Angelica Cruz said those students benefited from at least two years of literacy-focused support.

Still, most Salem-Keizer students remain below grade level. Statewide, students are about 8 percentage points behind pre-pandemic achievement levels, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. Oregon's third-grade ELA proficiency rate sits at 41.5%, well short of the state's 52.6% target for the 2029-30 school year.

In a news release Sept. 24, Castañeda said the district is expanding on its pattern of reversing pandemic-era losses, with districtwide gains and state-leading improvement in third-grade reading. She said every school posted a gain in ELA or math, OPB reported.

The progress arrives as Salem-Keizer faces a $46 million budget reduction for 2027-28 and may close up to eight elementary schools. A list of potential closures is expected in October, with a final board vote planned for December, KGW reported.

Statewide, math proficiency rose 1.4 percentage points, ELA rose 0.8 points and science rose 0.6 points compared to the prior year. Test participation averaged about 88% across grades and subjects, down from about 95% before the pandemic. High school participation remains below 80%, making those results harder to interpret, according to state education officials.

Third-grade ELA and eighth-grade math are two of seven metrics Oregon uses under its new accountability plan, the Education Accountability Act (Senate Bill 141). The state's eighth-grade math proficiency stands at 30%, against a target of 52% by 2029-30.