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Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division

Oregon Department of Education: Improved Oversight and Processes are Needed to Achieve High School Success Objectives

Objective

Assess the extent to which the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has implemented the recommendations from report #2024-34.

Scope

The audit focused on efforts made by ODE to implement our recommendations from the prior High School Success (Measure 98) audit. We also examined ODE’s processes to address identified issues, such as those from external audits. Our audit covered progress made by the agency prior to July 2026.

September 2026
Report 2026-27

Download the full report

 View the agency response

View the press release


Why this audit is important

In both 2016 and 2017, Oregon’s graduation rates were among the lowest in the country. Graduation rates were even lower for many student groups who experienced significant opportunity and participation gaps. These have been persistent trends in Oregon that reflect systemic challenges.

Oregon voters approved Measure 98 in 2016 to address chronically low graduation rates and expand opportunities that help students prepare for post-secondary education and careers. Under the voter-approved measure, the High School Success program within ODE administers grant funding and the Secretary of State is required to conduct performance and financial reviews every two years.

Measure 98 required the state to allocate $800 per student separate and distinct from the state General Fund. In the 2025 27 biennium, the Legislature allocated $338 million to the program.

What we found

ODE has made progress on some recommendations, but further work is necessary to improve the High School Success program. (pg. 3)

ODE has not fully implemented the 2024 audit recommendations. At the time of the report’s release, ODE leadership expected to implement the eight recommendations by June 2027. Based on ODE’s self-assessment and our evaluation of evidence provided by the agency we determined that one recommendation has been fully implemented, five are partially implemented, and two have not been impleme

ODE needs a documented process to address and monitor deficiencies.  (pg. 11)

ODE lacks a process to document and address issues, such as those identified in external audits. As a result, it is unclear whether ODE is reasonably on track to fully implement our 2024 recommendations by the agency’s target implementation date. A clear process and documented corrective action plan would allow the agency’s oversight body to monitor the status to ensure issues are addressed on a timely basis..

ODE needs oversight to ensure it corrects identified problems. (pg. 11)

ODE’s governing body does not provide adequate oversight for corrective actions. The agency has not explicitly assigned and documented oversight responsibility, and we found no evidence that the State Board of Education or any other oversight body reviewed or provided input for identified deficiencies from internal or external reviews.

What we recommend

To improve graduation rates and college and career readiness of high school students, ODE management should:

  1. Complete efforts to implement the outstanding recommendations from the Secretary of State’s 2024 audit.

    2. Agency response: Agree
    Target completion date: June 2027

  2. Implement the process designed to evaluate whether systems implemented in high schools to meet eligibility requirements improve students' progress.

    3. Agency response: Agree
    Target completion date: June 2027

  3. Collect and maintain sufficient data to ensure program outcomes can be evaluated to the extent required by statute, including external evaluations.

    Agency response: Agree
    Target completion date: December 2027

To ensure deficiencies in management’s processes to achieve its objectives are remediated, ODE should:

  1. Develop a policy to document corrective actions. This policy should assign responsibility for maintaining written corrective action plans.

    2. Agency response: Agree
    Target completion date: February 2027

  2. Document corrective action plans to address deficiencies. Documentation may include root cause analysis, planned actions, interim milestones, completion dates, measurable indicators to assess and validate progress of remediation efforts, and the role responsible for monitoring the status of corrective actions.

    3. Agency response: Agree
    Target completion date: February 2027

  3. Assign and document responsibility for the oversight of remediation of deficiencies identified in external audits.

    4. Agency response: Agree
    Target completion date: February 2027

  4. Once oversight is established, regularly report to the oversight function on progress toward implementing recommendations and solicit direction.

    5. Agency response: Agree
    Target completion date: June 2027


Agency Response

Oregon Department of Education agreed with all of our recommendations. The response can be found at the end of the report.