Newberg High School
Telephone: (503) 554-4400
Email: nhsinfo@newberg.k12.or.us
Principal: Tami Erion
eriont@newberg.k12.or.us
Office Hours
8:00am - 4:00pm
Address
2400 Douglas Avenue
Newberg, OR 97132
Newberg college-bound students
The Oregonian recently reported that only 59% of Oregon’s high school students enroll in a community college or university degree program. Generally, an Oregon district’s rate of sending graduates to college appears directly tied to the number of low-income students it serves. However, a few districts (Gladstone), stand out from that pattern. Gladstone saw 74% of 2009 graduates enroll in college—a rate higher than Sherwood, Beaverton and Eugene.
Of 100 students who start high school in Oregon:
- 72 earn a high school diploma within five years.
- 43 enroll in college within 16 months.
- About 20 end up with a bachelor’s degree or community college credential.
56% of full-time freshmen in four-year Oregon colleges earn a bachelor’s degree within six years; 25% of first time community college students earn a degree or certificate within three years.
The 40-40-20 Goal
Oregon’s goal is that by the year 2025, 40% will have earned a bachelor’s degree, 40% an associate’s or comparable degree and the remaining 20% will have earned a high school diploma. The Achievement Compact will begin to place Oregon on a trajectory to achieve these goals.
Where does Newberg stand?
The following chart gives you some idea of where Newberg stands in relation to other school districts in the percentage of students enrolling in college or university within 16 months of high school graduation:
| DISTRICT | PERCENT | DISTRICT | PERCENT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Oswego | 85% | Hillsboro | 60% | |
| West Linn-wilsonville | 79% | Bend-LaPine | 69% | |
| Gladstone | 74% | Oregon Trail | 59% | |
| Corvallis | 74% | Silver Falls | 58% | |
| Tigard-Tualatin | 72% | Reynolds | 56% | |
| Sherwood | 71% | Salem-Keizer | 56% | |
| Beaverton | 69% | Parkrose | 56% | |
| North Clackamas | 67% | Hermiston | 55% | |
| Newberg | 66% | David Douglas | 54% | |
| Ashland | 66% | Forest Grove | 53% | |
| Eugene | 66% | Coos Bay | 53% | |
| Gresham-Barlow | 65% | Redmond | 51% | |
| Oregon City | 65% | McMinnville | 50% | |
| Portland | 64% | Lebanon | 50% | |
| Canby | 61% | Woodburn | 39% |
What is Newberg doing to increase enrollment in college and universities?
In 2006 our Board of Directors took a major step to increase student enrollment in colleges and universities by the Board’s adoption of new graduation requirements. Students who enrolled in Newberg High School during the 2010-11 school year (this year’s sophomores) are the first group of NHS students to be required to meet all new graduation requirements established by the Board. The intent of the new graduation requirements was to align the Newberg High School diploma requirements with entrance requirements for Oregon’s four-year colleges and universities.
In 2006 when Newberg analyzed why more NHS students were not pursuing college, educators found that students lacked one of the following: (1) the required GPA for entrance; (2) a second language; (3) Algebra II or greater.
Newberg’s current diploma requirements for sophomores include a minimum of: four credits in English/Language Arts with a minimum of one credit in written composition; 3.0 credits in Mathematics—all at Algebra 1 and above; 3.0 credits in Science and 2.0 credits in second language. Students must also pass the Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.
Creating a College-Going Culture
A team of NHS and district office staff has been working to promote a “college-going culture” at Newberg High School and address barriers that prevent students from moving forward.
One task the group took on was to analyze the success rate of NHS students passing the entrance exam for Portland Community College. The group found that NHS students performed well in reading and writing, however, mathematics was a problem. With the change in mathematics requirements math is not expected to be an issue in the future.
Middle School Graduation Project and our Counseling and Guidance Framework
The Middle School Graduation Project and the Counseling and Guidance Framework are focused on graduating students to be college and career ready. While there is more work ahead, Newberg is making progress.