Estacada class of 2026 not only beat the odds, they improved them

Estacada High School senior Cailyn Thielke gasped when she learned her district's graduation rate was 28% when she started school in 2014.

That's not the school she knows. Last year, 92% of Estacada School District students graduated and a similar number is expected to pick up a diploma Saturday, June 13. Thielke credits the teachers.

"They understand every student here," she said.

As schools around Oregon celebrate an annual rite of passage in May and June, graduation rates are generally higher than they were even a couple of years ago. But few districts have come as far as Estacada, from near the bottom to near the top.

Superintendent Ryan Carpenter said the district has soared by listening to its community, investing in its educators, paying attention to data and sticking to its vision.

The district identified goals and metrics that educators could look at throughout the year and adjust as needed, Carpenter said. Continuous improvement is the watchword, with short cycles to look at what is working and not working and to make quick changes where the data points.

Carpenter has been superintendent since 2017 and before that he was the high school principal. He said they hold themselves accountable to the community for accomplishing targets.

Estacada High School Principal Leah Riedel, an Estacada class of 1996 grad, said the graduation gains are real, backed by student testing results.

Among its reforms after 2014, Estacada dropped its old-style letter grading system to move to standards-based grading. Students across all grades must demonstrate the same proficiencies before moving on. Riedel said they have also set up systems so interventions begin before a student falls too far behind.

"We will work with students until they learn," she said.

Carpenter said the district doubled down on professional learning communities, not only to improve teachers' skills but also to make sure what they are teaching is aligned across schools and grade levels.

The district's special education improvement is another key component. In 2014, less than 11% of students with disabilities graduated. The past few years that number has been well over 90%. Estacada has roughly 18% of its students on some sort of special education plan, according to Carpenter, and about 94% of those students earn regular diplomas.

Estacada followed the West Linn-Wilsonville School District's inclusive learning model that puts all students in general education classrooms as much as possible.

Jennifer Behrman, Estacada director of teaching and learning, said supporting students with special needs has led to more adults in classrooms who are able to help all students. It also encourages teachers to differentiate learning more so that all students are met where they are at, she said.

The rigor in classrooms has increased and students are doing better on proficiency tests, Behrman said.

Behrman has been with the district since 2005, starting as a teacher. She said she has seen a districtwide culture shift, especially among leadership, to create systems that support expectations and accountability for meeting those expectations.

"We're not chasing new initiatives," she said. "If it doesn't align to the work, we don't do it. If it's not working, we stop doing it."

Behrman said the consistency and predictability promote a calm culture that allows an unwavering focus on good outcomes. It also makes for a workplace that retains good staff. The Oregonian/OregonLive has named the Estacada School District a Top Workplace every year since 2020, the only district to consistently earn the honor. It has hosted two national education conferences and been featured at others.

School board Chair Ken Riedel said a consistent and professional board has helped as well. Riedel joined the board 11 years ago because he knew the graduation rate was low and he wanted better for his children. His oldest son graduated two years ago, and his youngest son will graduate Saturday.

Riedel said the board had to be unafraid to do things differently. They asked a lot of questions to understand why and how changes would be enacted and then supported their superintendent. They learned from their mistakes without getting hung up, he said, and stayed on the same page.

"Fail fast, fail forward," he said. "It's the alignment, from the boardroom to the classroom."

Maggie Kelly, Estacada director of communications and community engagement, is another district graduate who has seen the growth in pride and expectations in the schools as well as the community.

"We are seeing the generational cycle broken right in front of us," she said.

The Estacada School District graduation rate has fluctuated a bit since it crossed 92% in 2022. Carpenter thinks that may be in part because the district is receiving more transfers who haven't grown up in Estacada's culture.

Estacada is one of the few Oregon districts that is growing. Enrollment increased about 40 students to 3,354 for 2025-26.

Jill Bennett, Estacada director of student services, said the district is seeing an influx of students with more complex needs, many of them drawn by Estacada's success with students with special needs.

She said inclusive practices create a mindset among staff that all students belong and among students that they all can succeed.

"We have worked really hard to let our students know you can do what you want to do," she said.

Senior Dakota Devine entered the district as a freshman. He was academically prepared, he said, but it still took some time to adjust. He said he and his friends always found teachers ready to help, though, and graduation was an expectation.

"If you put in any effort, the teachers will work with you and get you to the finish line if you try," he said. "You get the help you need."

Since 2020, the school district has taken an "improvement science" approach to maintaining its progress and reaching for better results.

Estacada is small enough that just a handful of students not graduating affects its four-year rate, but that's no excuse for district leadership.

"We won't rest until we get to everybody," Carpenter said.

- Jake Arnold, [email protected]