High school students in Oregon are allowed to graduate without proof of reading or math proficiency.

Question

Oregon governor signs new law allowing students to graduate without proving they can read, write, or do math.  

Comments

This claim is true. When I was in high school the rules were a little different so I had to do some research to verify the details of test taking. The confusion must have been from changes in the Senate office and other positions in the government, the fact of the matter is that students have to meet a standardized level of reading, writing, and math to graduate.

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This claim is very true. Although it has struck a lot of attention about having "dumber" seniors,. When COVID struck in March of 2020 standardized testing was suspended. As many colleges do not require the SAT or ACT anymore it was not as needed. People worry that the students will not be as smart and it will be a lot easier to graduate but Oregon says "it will not mean anything less to graduate" and say "You still need all 24 credits". After Bill 744 was signed it is allowing them to conduct researching about graduation rates. Although it sounds a little crazy, this claim is true.

https://app.7shifts.com/page/calendar/schedule/12266/a1674249611756d591b91786337329f8?u=2643551

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This claim is true, researching the new bill made by the Governor of Oregon was entered to rewrite the graduation requirements being able to read and write is not necessary anymore. This page goes in-depth into why lowering the expectations for children and teens is better and more advantageous. https://www.opb.org/article/2021/09/20/examining-oregon-decision-to-drop-high-school-essential-skill-requirements/

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Hello! I think your fact-check could use a little more credibility to be accurate. I appreciate that you are a first-hand source, but I think you should have included some sort of article as evidence for your claim. For example, this article from OPB includes information about the new Oregon policy that I think could have been useful in your response.

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/09/20/examining-oregon-decision-to-drop-high-school-essential-skill-requirements/

Answer 1

While this claim can sound misleading to begin, the Oregon governor indeed signed a new law allowing students to graduate without proving they can read, write, or do math. An article by OPB says “District-level assessments and state-required assessments will continue to be implemented and monitored to ensure our students grow." The removal has been cited as an effect of COVID-19, with the conversation around the topic beginning in 2020. Because all testing was shut down, COVID-19 allowed a reset.  Although these requirements are being removed students are still required to pass their classes and demonstrate better learning. Overall "the removal of the Essential Skills requirement, high school students no longer have to reach a certain score, or turn in a portfolio of work samples." Therefore, this claim is true.

https://www.opb.org/article/2021/09/20/examining-oregon-decision-to-drop-high-school-essential-skill-requirements/ 

Answer 2

Yes, this claim is true a new bill was released stating that students no longer need to be show proficiency in essential learning skills in order to graduate.  https://www.opb.org/article/2021/09/20/examining-oregon-decision-to-drop-high-school-essential-skill-requirements/. However, it stats this is only eligible for graduates of the classes, 2022 up until the 27-28. https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/10/19/oregon-students-wont-have-to-show-added-proficiency-in-basic-skills-through-2028-to-graduate/. There is more information on the the specific Bill 744 that governor had signed. The bill mandated a review of the state's graduation policies, focusing on equity, accessibility, and inclusivity.https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB744/Enrolled

Answer 3

While looking around, I stumbled upon an article from Oregon Capital Chronicle. This article stated that this was set during covid, but has stuck around. I also found that this will still be used up until 2028. They used tests like the SBAC to check for proficiency. Regardless of if they need to prove proficiency, they still need to complete all of their credits in order to officially graduate. I find this claim to be true.
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/10/19/oregon-students-wont-have-to-show-added-proficiency-in-basic-skills-through-2028-to-graduate/ 

Answer 4

When I looked into the claim that "Oregon high school students can graduate without showing proof of reading or math skills," I found that it's not exactly true. However, it is in fact just missing a lot of important context. In 2021, Oregon paused its test requirements that showed students were meeting and proficient in reading, writing, and math. But according to OPB News, this change was only made to give students who struggled during the pandemic more time and to create a fairer testing environment for all students (OPB News.) The Oregon Department of Education explains that students still must complete all required credits and pass classes in math and English to graduate (Oregon.gov.) KGW8 News also reported that Oregon policies didn't get rid of standards but only one specific test that many thought was unfair to students with different learning needs and requirements (KGW8.) Many social media stories twisted the story around to gain more publicity to sound like Oregon "lowered the bar," which made it spread fast online. I actually messaged the person who made the original post through Facebook, asking where they got their information, and they replied that they “saw it on TikTok.” That showed me how quickly misinformation spreads without people checking facts first. Overall, the claim is misleading because Oregon still expects students to meet important learning goals before they graduate.

Answer 5

Original Claim: “High school students in Oregon are allowed to graduate without proving they can read, write, or do math.” The claim is partly true but also misleading and not completely true. The original post came from The Post Millennial. I had never heard of this source before, and there wasn’t much information about whether it was reliable or not so I looked a little further and found other sources that I know have a history of providing reliable information to see if this claim was true or not. An article from The Oregonian/OregonLive explains that Oregon paused the requirement for students to take a special test that shows mastery in reading, writing, and math. The state did this because they believed the old rule was harming certain groups of students. Even though students don’t have to take the test, they still have to take the classes and earn the credits to graduate. So they still have to understand it in order to pass.  https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2023/10/oregon-again-says-students-dont-need-to-prove-mastery-of-reading-writing-or-math-to-graduate-citing-harm-to-students-of-color.html A second source, the Oregon Capital Chronicle, confirmed that the Oregon Board of Education extended the pause on this test until the year 2028. This means students don’t have to take the extra proficiency test for now which for example at my schools was like the state testing where we saw what reading level we where or Alek’s tests where we saw wahat level of math we where. https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/10/19/oregon-students-wont-have-to-show-added-proficiency-in-basic-skills-through-2028-to-graduate/ The claim is partially right. It is true that students don’t have to take the extra test. But it is misleading how the claim says they can graduate without proving they can read, write, or do math because they still have to pass their classes which again in order to do so they have to understand it. Overall, the claim is partially true. Oregon students don’t have to take the proficiency test, but they still have to complete and pass their classes to graduate from high school. The original post leaves out this important detail, which makes it misleading because it sounds like they don’t even have to pass the class.

Answer 6

1. Overall Summary of Findings

The claim is largely true under current policy, but with important context. In Oregon, the requirement for high school students to demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, and math via the “Essential Skills” requirement has been suspended through at least the 2027-28 school year. Oregon Capital Chronicle+2Snopes+2 So while students still must earn credits in math, reading/language arts, etc., they are not currently required to pass a designated proficiency test or portfolio for those Essential Skills in order to graduate.

2. Primary Sources

• Oregon Department of Education site: “The Oregon State Board of Education has suspended the assessment of the Essential Skills as a requirement for receiving a high school diploma through the 2027-28 school year.” Oregon

• Snopes fact-check: “Oregon Senate Bill 744 … allows students to graduate from high school without having to prove they can read, write, or do math.” Snopes

3. Secondary Sources

• Oregon Capital Chronicle: Article reporting the Oregon Board of Education voted unanimously to pause the Essential Skills requirement for at least five years. Oregon Capital Chronicle

• OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting): Article “A closer look at Oregon’s decision to drop high school graduation ‘essential skill’ requirements.” opb

4. Potential Biases or Interests

• The Oregon DoE page is official, but will naturally frame policy decisions formally; may not emphasise criticism.

• Snopes is a fact-checking site, aims for neutrality, but summarises policy and may simplify complex details.

• Media outlets (Capital Chronicle, OPB) may emphasise controversy or political framing (e.g., critics saying the requirement was “dumbed down”) which can influence tone.

5. Evidence Supporting the Claim

• The suspension of the Essential Skills requirement: Oregon students do not need to show proficiency in reading/writing/math via that requirement to graduate between now and 2027-28. (DoE and news sources). Oregon Capital Chronicle+2Oregon+2

• Snopes confirms the rule change allowing graduation without those proofs. Snopes

6. Evidence Undermining the Claim

• Even though proficiency proof is suspended, students still must complete required coursework: e.g., 3 credits in mathematics (must be Algebra I or higher) and 4 credits in Language Arts. Oregon+1

• Some districts (e.g., Beaverton School District) still list that students “must demonstrate proficiency in the Essential Skills of reading, writing and applying mathematics” in their graduation policy — but this may reflect outdated language or conditional district policy. Beaverton School District

• A bill (SB 919) has been introduced to require proficiency again starting Jan 1 2026. OLIS

7. Contact Attempt

I attempted to send an email to the Oregon DoE’s graduation requirements contact via their “Oregon Diploma” web page asking: “What is the exact status of the Essential Skills proficiency requirement for the class of 2025 and beyond?” No reply yet.