Oregon's Graduation Rate for Students with Disabilities Nearly Doubled: 41.8% to 72.2%

Fri, 01 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

No student subgroup in Oregon gained more ground than students with disabilities. The four-year graduation rate for this group climbed from 41.8% to 72.2% between 2010 and 2025, a 30.5-point improvement that nearly doubled the rate and outpaced every other demographic group in the state.

The 7,163 students with disabilities in the Class of 2025 made up about 14.7% of the cohort. Their gains reshaped what Oregon's graduation data looks like.

The Scale of the Shift

The improvement has been steady rather than sudden. Oregon's graduation rate for students with disabilities climbed roughly 2 to 3 points per year through the 2010s, paused during the COVID reporting gap (2019-2022), and then resumed climbing.

Year	SpEd Rate	All Students	Gap
2010	41.8%	66.4%	24.6
2014	51.1%	72.0%	20.8
2018	60.6%	78.7%	18.1
2023	68.6%	81.3%	12.7
2025	72.2%	83.0%	10.8

The gap between students with disabilities and the state average has been cut by more than half, from 24.6 percentage points to 10.8.

What Changed

Oregon's improvement in graduation outcomes for students with disabilities did not happen by accident. The state expanded its diploma options over this period, adding a modified diploma (which requires fewer credits and no proficiency demonstration in some areas) and an extended diploma (12 credits minimum, no essential skills requirement). These alternative pathways allow students with significant disabilities to earn a recognized credential.

The state also suspended its essential skills assessment requirement for all students, not just those with disabilities, through the 2027-28 school year. Before the suspension, students had to demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, and math to graduate. Removing that barrier lifted graduation rates across the board, but likely had an outsized effect on students with learning disabilities.

The Obvious Question

A 30.5-point improvement is either a triumph of inclusion or an artifact of lowered expectations. It is probably both.

Students with IEPs who complete four years of high school with real academic engagement deserve to have that achievement recognized. Oregon's expanded diploma pathways did that. But a modified diploma with reduced credit requirements and no proficiency testing is not the same credential as a standard diploma, even if both count in the graduation rate.

The data cannot distinguish between a student who earned a standard diploma with accommodations and one who received a modified diploma with substantially reduced requirements. Both appear as graduates.

Districts Leading the Way

Several Oregon districts posted gains for students with disabilities well above the state trend. Lebanon Community SD 9 improved from 14.3% to 75.0%, a 60.7-point gain. Redmond SD 2J rose from 25.6% to 79.3%. Jefferson County SD 509J, home to the Warm Springs Reservation, saw its rate for students with disabilities climb from 42.4% to 92.9%, a 50.5-point improvement.

Among all student subgroups, the 30.5-point gain for students with disabilities tops the list, followed by Black students (+25.6), Hispanic students (+24.7), and Native American students (+23.7). White students, starting from a higher baseline, gained 14.6 points.

Still Behind, Still Climbing

At 72.2%, Oregon's graduation rate for students with disabilities still leaves more than one in four without a diploma four years after entering high school. That is a sharp improvement, but it remains the second-lowest rate among major subgroups, above only students currently classified as English learners (69.8%).

The next test comes when Oregon reinstates its essential skills requirement. If graduation rates for students with disabilities drop sharply, it will suggest the gains were partly an artifact of relaxed standards. If they hold, it will confirm that something more fundamental changed in how Oregon educates students with disabilities.

Data Source

This analysis uses four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate data published by the Oregon Department of Education, covering the Classes of 2010 through 2025 (excluding 2013 and 2019-2022, years when comparable data was not published). Oregon's essential skills testing requirement has been suspended through 2027-28.

Detailed code that reproduces the analysis and figures in this article is available exclusively to EdTribune subscribers.