The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Summary:

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science is a public charter elementary school serving grades K-8 in Portland, Oregon. It is part of the Oregon Department of Education district, which is ranked 14 out of 140 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating. The Cottonwood School has seen its statewide ranking fluctuate over the years, ranging from 121 to 383 out of around 700 Oregon elementary schools, with a current ranking of 134 and a 4-star rating.

The Cottonwood School consistently outperforms the state and Portland School District 1J averages in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, 5th-grade ELA proficiency was 82.6% compared to 66.4% for the district and 46.9% for the state. The school also excels in serving special education and low socioeconomic status (SES) students, ranking 10th and 119th out of hundreds of Oregon elementary schools in these categories, respectively. Additionally, the Cottonwood School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 17.5 to 19.8 over the past three school years.

While the Cottonwood School's academic performance, particularly in ELA and science, is generally stronger than the nearby public schools in the Portland School District 1J, such as Rieke Elementary, Ainsworth Elementary, and Grout Elementary, the nearby public schools have higher overall statewide rankings and 5-star ratings, indicating strong performance across a broader range of metrics. This suggests that the Cottonwood School's unique characteristics, such as its small size, K-8 grade span, and socioeconomically advantaged student population, contribute to its distinctive educational approach and outcomes.


Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

 640 S Bancroft St
       Portland, OR  97239-8520


(503) 244-1697

District: Oregon Department of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
134th of 710 Oregon Elementary Schools


Student/teacher ratio:  17.5 Help
Number of students:  205

Racial breakdown:

White:
64.9%
Hispanic:
12.7%
Two or more races:
11.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  7.8% Help


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 Compare The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science ranks better than 81.1% of elementary schools in Oregon. It also ranks 2nd among 3 ranked elementary schools in the Oregon Department of Education School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 77.02. (See more...)
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Compare Details The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science ranks better than 85.7% of middle schools in Oregon. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.59. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (64.9%), Hispanic (12.7%), two or more races (11.2%). (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science is 17.5, which is the lowest among 3 elementary schools in the Oregon Department of Education School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science employs 11.6 full-time teachers.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science:

SchoolDigger ranks The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science 134th of 710 Oregon public elementary schools. (See The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Female students:
Male students:
White students:

SchoolDigger ranks The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science 53rd of 371 Oregon public middle schools. (See The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Male students:
White students:


Oregon Department of Education:

SchoolDigger ranks Oregon Department of Education 14th of 140 Oregon school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science?

Rank History for The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

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Rank History for all elementary school students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 52.33 358th 674 46.9%
2011 49.45 371st 695 46.6%
2012 61.72 258th 730 64.7%
2013 47.93 383rd 707 45.8%
2014 69.19 200th 695 71.2%
2015 56.39 271st 706 61.6%
2016 69.59 188th 697 73.0%
2017 74.49 156th 701 77.7%
2018 74.09 147th 709 79.3%
2019 56.37 279th 705 60.4%
2022 78.93 121st 706 82.9%
2023 69.16 178th 706 74.8%
2024 77.02 134th 710 81.1%
See the entire list of Oregon Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 94.35 10th 299 96.7%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 67.99 147th 640 77.0%
2022 79.29 119th 703 83.1%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.71 145th 681 78.7%
2019 64.81 194th 621 68.8%
2024 79.17 108th 658 83.6%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.79 150th 680 77.9%
2019 61.34 212th 623 66.0%
2022 72.70 144th 654 78.0%
2023 64.01 202nd 665 69.6%
2024 63.74 190th 662 71.3%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.24 153rd 683 77.6%
2019 52.08 307th 662 53.6%
2022 76.08 127th 666 80.9%
2023 67.90 184th 656 72.0%
2024 70.07 173rd 670 74.2%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Oregon Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

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Rank History for all middle school students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2011 54.18 167th 357 53.2%
2012 55.69 180th 395 54.4%
2013 70.29 97th 377 74.3%
2014 84.17 39th 382 89.8%
2015 80.77 46th 381 87.9%
2016 56.72 150th 383 60.8%
2017 83.88 40th 382 89.5%
2018 63.99 119th 384 69.0%
2019 67.15 100th 379 73.6%
2022 81.72 47th 367 87.2%
2023 72.06 68th 380 82.1%
2024 81.59 53rd 371 85.7%
See the entire list of Oregon Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.45 137th 325 57.8%
2022 82.09 46th 364 87.4%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.60 166th 342 51.5%
2019 67.71 78th 277 71.8%
2023 73.98 60th 323 81.4%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 72.39 73rd 341 78.6%
2022 83.90 34th 312 89.1%
2023 75.98 52nd 318 83.6%
2024 80.60 46th 323 85.8%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools OR State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 60.66 126th 357 64.7%
2019 70.12 87th 344 74.7%
2022 90.22 18th 355 94.9%
2023 75.91 58th 360 83.9%
2024 69.64 83rd 349 76.2%
See the entire list of Best Oregon Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Oregon Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 








Data source: Oregon Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

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by a parent
Saturday, February 12, 2022

Open Quote There are a lot of options offered by Portland Public Schools including language immersion, neighborhood public, and charter schools. We did research on all of them and are so grateful we were able to choose Cottonwood. We love the place based and environmentally conscious programs and our kindergartener loves the adventure playground and frequent trips to Cottonwood Bay. The teachers and administrators are wonderful. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, January 17, 2020

Open Quote This school is a treasure. Not too many people are aware of how amazing place-based education is, but it should be implemented in all schools. My children have hands-on, interactive, meaningful experiences that are so valuable to their learning. They often go out in the field to and connect with the world around them. The teachers and staff are so supportive and caring. The school leadership does a phenomenal job at doing more with less since this is a tuition-free public charter school and they get only a little more than half of the funding per student typical public schools get. The staff is a fantastic group of expert educators who work together well and work very hard towards constant improvement, growth and equity for the students and the community. Close Quote



Enrollment information for The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2008 30 2 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 34
2009 44 3 0 4 3 n/a n/a 4 58
2010 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 119 119
2011 118 3 0 5 0 1 11 0 138
2012 150 1 3 11 0 1 13 0 179
2013 166 4 2 13 0 1 11 0 197
2014 159 2 2 14 1 1 9 0 188
2015 152 1 3 14 3 1 14 0 188
2016 161 1 5 16 2 0 14 0 199
2017 153 0 7 16 2 0 14 0 192
2018 156 3 10 13 0 0 18 0 200
2019 159 3 6 15 0 0 20 0 203
2020 159 4 7 19 0 0 17 1 207
2021 158 5 7 20 0 0 17 1 208
2022 132 6 10 20 0 0 19 2 189
2023 133 10 9 26 0 0 23 4 205

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 34 3.0 11.3 0
2009 58 4.2 13.6 0
2010 119 n/a n/a n/a
2011 138 9.0 15.3 0
2012 179 9.0 19.8 7.8
2013 197 9.5 20.7 n/a
2014 188 9.0 20.8 n/a
2015 188 8.0 23.5 n/a
2016 199 11.0 18.0 n/a
2017 192 10.0 19.2 n/a
2018 200 10.0 20.0 n/a
2019 203 10.2 19.8 n/a
2020 207 9.0 23.0 n/a
2021 208 10.5 19.8 n/a
2022 189 9.8 19.1 n/a
2023 205 11.6 17.5 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2008 34 3.0 11.3 0
2009 58 4.2 13.6 0
2010 119 n/a n/a n/a
2011 138 9.0 15.3 0
2012 179 9.0 19.8 7.8
2013 197 9.5 20.7 n/a
2014 188 9.0 20.8 n/a
2015 188 8.0 23.5 n/a
2016 199 11.0 18.0 n/a
2017 192 10.0 19.2 n/a
2018 200 10.0 20.0 n/a
2019 203 10.2 19.8 n/a
2020 207 9.0 23.0 n/a
2021 208 10.5 19.8 n/a
2022 189 9.8 19.1 n/a
2023 205 11.6 17.5 n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 279th of 705 Elementary schoolsRanks 178th of 706 Elementary schools
 14.4%
Ranks 100th of 379 Middle schoolsRanks 68th of 380 Middle schools
 8.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)5057.1
 7.1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Oregon Department of Education)48.649
 0.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Oregon)46.539.4
 7.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)29.233.3
 4.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Oregon Department of Education)4435.3
 8.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Oregon)46.439.7
 6.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)58.365
 6.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon Department of Education)44.756.1
 11.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon)49.242.3
 6.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)58.350
 8.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Oregon Department of Education)37.941.1
 3.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Oregon)43.237.6
 5.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)60.978.3
 17.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon Department of Education)57.462.9
 5.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon)5447.1
 6.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)21.734.8
 13.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Oregon Department of Education)36.730.5
 6.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Oregon)37.830.7
 7.1%
5th Grade Science (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)43.534.8
 8.7%
   5th Grade Science (Oregon Department of Education)4435.2
 8.8%
   5th Grade Science (Oregon)34.730.3
 4.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)62.552.4
 10.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon Department of Education)6151.3
 9.7%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon)51.541
 10.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)39.133.3
 5.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Oregon Department of Education)28.427.3
 1.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Oregon)37.128.1
 9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)81.863.6
 18.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon Department of Education)62.353.7
 8.6%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon)54.943.8
 11.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)63.640.9
 22.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Oregon Department of Education)40.632.9
 7.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Oregon)40.129.6
 10.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)52.477.3
 24.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon Department of Education)53.262.2
 9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Oregon)53.241.9
 11.3%
8th Grade Mathematics (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)2527.3
 2.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Oregon Department of Education)32.827.8
 5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Oregon)38.325.5
 12.8%
8th Grade Science (The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science)5036.4
 13.6%
   8th Grade Science (Oregon Department of Education)40.737
 3.7%
   8th Grade Science (Oregon)37.526
 11.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students203205
 1%
African American310
 233.3%
American Indian00
Asian69
 50%
Hispanic1526
 73.3%
Pacific Islander00
White159133
 16.4%
Two or More Races2023
 15%


Schools Near The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science









Frequently Asked Questions about The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science

Students at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science are 65% White, 13% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 5% African American, 4% Asian, 2% Not Specified.

In the 2022-23 school year, 205 students attended The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science.

The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science ranks 134th of 710 Oregon elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Oregon Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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