Class Of 2025: Follow Students From 1St Grade To Graduation

OPB’s Class of 2025 project explores a key question facing educators: can supportive teachers, engaging activities and high expectations overcome big barriers to graduation?

More than a decade ago, Oregon leaders established a goal that starting with the Class of 2025, 100% of students would complete high school successfully. Students in that class just started 11th grade.

John Kitzhaber, the governor who first announced that goal at his inaugural speech in January 2011, resigned from office in February 2015. Oregon’s new governor, Tina Kotek, announced a different graduation rate goal when she was running for office: to improve Oregon’s graduation rate to “90% for all student groups by 2027.” That’s 10% lower, two years later.

Since 2012, OPB has been on a journey — following the education of a group of students that all started at the same southeast Portland elementary school. They are the Class of 2025.

When it comes to middle school, male students tend to have a harder time than female students. Why?

The last year hasn’t been easy for anyone - and that certainly includes people charged with running public schools.

The latest episode of "Class Of 2025" is all about the teachers.

Now more than ever, staying connected to friends means staying online.

The newest season of the ‘Class Of 2025’ podcast takes you to middle school.

The first episode of the newest season of 'Class Of 2025' starts in spring 2020 - when COVID-19 shut down school buildings.