New principal charts turnaround at Jefferson First goal is to stanch hemorrhaging of students and teachers. He has roamed these wide halls before. But twice, Larry Dashiell was forced to leave Jefferson High School as he experienced firsthand the sort of reorganization and upheaval that have afflicted the school for most of its recent history. Tribune 8/30/02

State SAT scores No. 2 nationwide Washington and Oregon again posted the highest average SAT scores among the 23 states where at least half the high school seniors take the college-admissions test. Like last year, Washington placed first, with an average of 1054, and Oregon finished 2 points behind, at 1052. Oregonian 8/28/02

Volunteers Pitch In to Clean Schoolyards Covert "yard cleanups" have been going on all across Oregon this summer. Parents, teachers and kids have hauled mowers and clippers to their local schoolyards and cut the grass, watered plants, and cleared out weeds. This past weekend we visited with a group of volunteers at Lynch Wood Elementary in Southeast Portland to find out why they came to spruce up the schoolyard. Oregon Considered 8/27/02

Low-performing high schools promise changes Three Portland high schools tagged as failing by federal educators are making multiple changes this fall to rid themselves of the poor ratings, their new principals said Monday. Oregonian 8/27/02

Trillium school ready for students Dimitri Cacouris can't wait to start fifth grade at a North Portland warehouse this fall. He and 160 other students are bound for Trillium Charter School, the largest charter conceived in Oregon since lawmakers approved the tax-funded schools three years ago. Oregonian 8/25/02

Study: Teachers lack subject expertise One in four core academic classes in Oregon's middle and high schools are taught by teachers who lack a college major or minor in the field, a new study says. In schools that serve mainly low-income students, roughly half the core classes are taught by teachers with little college training in that field -- one of the worst rates in the nation, it says. Oregonian 8/25/02

Oregon, Maine tie for highest ACT scores in nation Oregon high school students tied with their Maine counterparts for the highest average score this year on the ACT Assessment, the college entrance testing organization said today. Oregon and Maine students scored an average 22.5 on the exam out of a possible 36. Oregonian 8/25/02

School officials braced as state struggles with incomplete budget Local school officials say they would be backed into a classroom corner if Gov. John Kitzhaber vetoes two bills today, cutting state funds by $261 million a month before school starts.