3A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2018
Tests: ‘No student should be defined by a one-time test’
Continued from Page 1A
Test results for Clatsop County schools, 2017-18
districts, according to data
from the state Department of
Education.
In math, just over 18 per-
cent of Knappa students were
on track, compared to between
30 and 40 percent statewide
and in other county school
districts. Between 57 and 63
percent of Astoria, Seaside
and Warrenton-Hammond stu-
dents were on track in science,
compared to less than 40 per-
cent in Knappa.
Paulette Johnson, the
school superintendent in
Knappa, said the tests are only
a moment in time that does not
define the school district.
“I am more concerned
that our students are growing
and learning,” she said. “We
assess growth in our students
three times a year, and those
numbers are in the 80s and
90s.
“No student should be
defined by a one-time test. We
also need to stop comparing
our district to other districts.
There are many differences,
opportunities and uniqueness
Percentage of students meeting or exceeding the state standard aptitude test, by subject.
Up from 2016-17
School district
English
language arts
Astoria
52.6% -0.5%
Warrenton-Hammond
Down from 2016-17
Math
Science
38.8
3.9
57
1.2
50
6.2
39.7
5.8
62.6
7.3
Seaside
50.6
1.5
32.3
4.2
58.8
6.9
Knappa
34.1
-3.6
18.2
-4.9
39.3
-5.4
‘I AM MORE CONCERNED
THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE
GROWING AND LEARNING.
WE ASSESS GROWTH IN
OUR STUDENTS THREE
TIMES A YEAR, AND THOSE
NUMBERS ARE IN
THE 80S AND 90S.’
Paulette Johnson | superintendent of the Knappa School District
Jewell
State of Oregon
47
-5.6
26.5
5.4
46.5
-3.5
54.9
1.3
40.5
-0.3
60.2
-1.2
Source: Oregon Dept. of Education
that define each district in
the county and state. If peo-
ple believe that Knappa or any
other district is this test then
they don’t know Knappa or
their own district very well.”
Behind the test, Knappa
struggles with student apa-
thy, changing state and federal
mandates and assessments,
Edward Stratton and Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group
and having the necessary
money to hire, retain and
send teachers for professional
development, Johnson said.
“Every district struggles
with math,” she said. “We
have been working on cur-
riculum in every grade level,
but when we don’t have the
finances to purchase all of the
needed curriculum at once, it
is hard to implement.”
Seaside and Warrenton
students improved last year
across the board in English
language arts, math and sci-
ence. Warrenton students out-
performed state averages in
science, the only such instance
of county students besting
their peers statewide.
Oregon has struggled since
switching several years ago
from the multiple-choice Ore-
gon Assessment of Knowl-
edge and Skills to the Smarter
Balanced assessment, a more
rigorous aptitude test aligned
with national Common Core
State Standards. Overall test
scores have stagnated and
remained behind many other
states. While students state-
wide improved their perfor-
mance in English language
arts last year, performance
dropped in science and math.
“Annual tests give us a
snapshot of student learning,
but there is more we should
be doing to give teachers the
tools to target complex think-
ing in students,” Colt Gill,
director of the state Depart-
ment of Education, said in a
news release. “Shorter, more
focused testing throughout the
year can give teachers insights
into activities than can help
students think and work out
problems. That is how we get
better results.”
Bike trails: They could bring
in additional tourism dollars
Continued from Page 1A
of the forest last year when
he encountered a man rid-
ing a bike and carrying a bow
for elk hunting. As they were
chatting, the man, Tyler Bartel,
spoke about the lack of moun-
tain bike trails in the county.
The conversation sparked
an idea for Dougherty. Bartel
gave him contact information
for members of the alliance.
After reaching the agreement,
the alliance presented its plans
to Clatsop County commis-
sioners earlier this year. Visi-
tation at Klootchy Creek has
dropped since a Sitka spruce,
the largest tree in Oregon at the
time at 200 feet tall, was heav-
ily damaged during the Great
Coastal Gale of 2007.
“It just seems like a good
fit for the trail area because
the main logging road comes
right through the park,” Steve
Meshke, the county’s natural
resources manager, told com-
missioners. “Since the spruce
tree fell in 2007, you know,
that park has just gone down-
hill, downhill. But I think this
would be a good addition to the
park.”
The storms shortened the
tree and left it vulnerable to
toppling before the county cut
40 more feet from it in 2011.
Half of the park’s parking lot
was closed due to the potential
danger of the rotting tree.
Now, depending on how
popular the mountain bik-
ing becomes, the lot may be
expanded again. Since the
closed portion of the lot still
has gravel on it, the task would
not be difficult, Meshke said.
“We’re just, kind of, replant-
ing what was already there,”
Meshke said. “It’s a matter of
moving some boulders and
painting some white lines.”
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Mountain bikers head out into the woods near Klootchy
Creek County Park.
when mountain bikers of dif-
ferent skill levels, hikers and
others have tried to use the
same trails. The fact that the
downhill, single-track trails
will start at the top of a large
hill with clear signage will
likely keep other users away,
Quackenbush said.
“You can have 100 people
out here and they won’t see
each other,” Quackenbush said.
Riders will need to obtain
a free recreational permit but
will not be charged any fees,
Dougherty said. The trails
could rope in new visitors to
the timberlands. Greenwood
Resources owns 140,000 acres
of land in the county for tim-
ber harvesting, but it has been
looking to make use of the land
in other ways.
“As the largest forest land
manager in the county, there’s
not a lot of recreation that hap-
pens on these forest lands, so
this is an excellent opportunity
to bring an extra user base that
hasn’t always been present in
this county,” Dougherty said.
Grant money
Tourism dollars
In addition to building a
place to ride, the alliance also
points to additional tourism
dollars as a potential benefit.
Riders often cite a 2014
University of Oregon report
about the 350 miles of moun-
tain bike trails near Oakridge.
The small town in Lane County
struggled for decades after a
large lumber mill closed. The
report found that mountain bik-
ing brought an average of $3.2
million annually, accounting
for 5 percent of the economy
and helping to revitalize the
city. The report also found that
up to 15,900 trips to Oakridge
each year were a result of the
trails.
The alliance also designed
and created the Cartwright
Park Pump Track, a BMX
trail in Seaside that opened in
2016. Quackenbush likened
the mountain biking trails to
Short Sand at Oswald West
State Park, a popular surfing
destination.
“This is just an option that
can really help brighten their
trip when they’re out here,”
Quackenbush said.
Issues have popped up at
Oakridge and other places
The Oregon Coast Visitors
Association gave the alliance
a $25,000 grant for the proj-
ect. In addition, Greenwood
has agreed to chip in $7,000
to clear some of the heaviest
brush.
Most of the grant money
will go toward a project mas-
ter plan, which could be final-
ized by October. After clear-
ing some light vegetation last
week, alliance volunteers plan
to start building the trails in
November.
After finishing the first cou-
ple of miles, alliance mem-
bers will begin riding as they
continue to build. Trails will
likely be rideable by Novem-
ber, Quackenbush said.
“We just want to get out
there so we’re having some fun
while we’re building the rest,”
Quackenbush said.
Quackenbush said he’s
heard interest from mountain
bikers throughout the region
in riding and even helping to
build the trails. Dougherty,
who has biked in the past, even
joined the alliance six months
ago and helped them get started
last week.
“It’s definitely a lot of fun
and something I’m going to
get back into,” Dougherty said.
“I’ll be out there with them.”
I’d like you to join me in welcoming Eric J. Anderson, who is a new addition to our
community. Eric is no stranger to the area or to the Hughes-Ransom Mortuaries, and
has on occasion temporarily filled in to help at both the Seaside and Astoria Mortuaries.
Some may recall that Eric was one of the funeral directors involved in the 2016 funeral
services for fallen Seaside Police Officer, Jason Goodding, when he was tragically killed
in the line of duty. When a full time vacancy became available at Hughes-Ransom, Eric
moved back to Oregon from Park Rapids, MN to manage both Hughes-Ransom locations.
Eric was born and raised in Fosston, Minnesota the youngest of seven children. Being
100% Norwegian, Eric is very familiar with our local Scandinavian heritage. Eric attended
Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota before graduating from the University of
Minnesota with a Bachelor’s Science Degree in Mortuary Science. Soon after graduating
from college, Eric moved to Eugene, OR and worked in the funeral business 18 years.
Eric is the proud father of three children, a son Drew who is in the Marines, currently
stationed in Twenty Nine Palms, Ca and two daughters, Isabella is a freshman in college
in Wyoming and Olivia is a Jr. in High School in Minnesota. Eric enjoys the outdoors,
golfing, fishing, hunting and camping. Eric’s experience with mid-western traditions and
west coast experience is a great addition to the community.
~ The Hughes Ransom Family
THEY’VE
MADE ME
HAPPY AS
A CLAM
AT HIGH
TIDE.
Mike Pettis | Captain & Owner | The Patriot
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