Beverly Cleary School vs Markham Elementary School

Beverly Cleary School and Markham Elementary School sit 7.6 miles apart in Portland, Oregon, yet occupy meaningfully different positions in the state rankings. Markham Elementary School ranks #29 of 1,226 Oregon schools, placing it in the top 2.4% statewide, while Beverly Cleary School ranks #57 of 1,226 — still a strong top-5% finish but 28 spots behind. Markham's 9.3/10 overall rating edges Beverly Cleary's 9.0/10 by 0.3 points, a gap that reflects diverging strengths rather than one school simply outperforming the other across the board.

The academic and growth scores tell a split story. Beverly Cleary School leads in raw academic proficiency with a 9.8/10 academic score versus Markham Elementary School's 9.4/10 — a meaningful 0.4-point advantage indicating that Beverly Cleary students are scoring at exceptionally high levels on state assessments. Markham flips that gap on growth: its 9.4/10 growth score versus Beverly Cleary's 8.9/10 means Markham students are advancing relative to academic peers at a faster rate, a signal that the school is adding measurable value independent of where students start.

The demographic and resource picture differs sharply between the two schools. Beverly Cleary School enrolls 558 students at a 20.7:1 student-teacher ratio with 12% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Markham Elementary School serves 402 students at a 16.1:1 ratio — 4.6 fewer students per teacher on average — and 64% of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. That 52-percentage-point FRL gap reflects very different family income profiles. Markham's stronger growth score alongside a high-poverty population is especially notable; schools serving high-FRL populations that still post top-30 statewide rankings are demonstrating exceptional instructional effectiveness.

Beverly Cleary School serves grades KG through 8, keeping students in a single building through middle school, while Markham Elementary School serves grades KG through 5, requiring a transition to a separate middle school after fifth grade. Beverly Cleary's extended grade span offers continuity and eliminates one school transition for families, a structural advantage for parents who value stability through early adolescence. Markham's tighter grade band means a more focused elementary environment, and its smaller enrollment and lower student-teacher ratio make it the more intimate campus of the two.