Roughly 30 percent of Oregon’s high school seniors last year earned a certificate of initial mastery by meeting additional academic standards beyond those required to graduate, the state Department of Education reported Monday.

In Jackson County, slightly fewer — just 27 percent — bothered with the extra requirements.

The certificate, known as CIM, requires students to meet state benchmarks on standardized testing in math, language arts and science and complete nine work samples, classroom assignments that are scored to specific state guidelines in those subjects.

It was instituted in 2000 as a cornerstone of educational reforms, but it’s not required for graduation and usually doesn’t boost a graduate’s job prospects or chance at college acceptance.

"There’s not much incentive," Eagle Point Superintendent Bill Feusahrens said. "But our high school staff is working to emphasize that it is an honor. It’s intrinsically important as a personal achievement."

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Last year, only 15 percent of Eagle Point High School grads completed CIM requirements. This year the district is offering added incentive — half a credit toward graduation requirements, said Tiffany O’Donnell, an assistant principal at the school.

Officials also are working to make sure kids meet benchmarks, especially in reading, and want to increase planning so students can produce work samples that meet standards, O’Donnell said.

"This certificate is based on best practices, so we need to reconstruct the system to support project-based learning," she said. "That’s what makes kids and schools successful."

At Phoenix High School, just 16.9 percent of last year’s seniors earned a CIM. Lots more were close, missing just a few work samples, said Tim Mobley, the district’s director of instructional services.

This year, the school is tracking juniors and seniors and encouraging them to finish all the pieces and get a certificate.

"This is a way for the state to put standards across all the core subjects," Mobley said, adding that such standards enable school districts to compare their students with those in other districts.

Ashland schools Superintendent Juli Di Chiro also has spoken out in favor of the state’s standards, which help Oregon comply with federal No Child Left Behind rules.

Ashland High School had the county’s highest CIM-achievement rate with 44.9 percent of seniors earning the certificate.

The Medford school district has worked systemwide to push students toward the certificate, Curriculum Director Phil Long said. It saw good results last year with 33.8 percent of North Medford High School seniors and 32.6 percent of South Medford High School seniors earning one. By narrowing the field to just those seniors who graduated, the district’s CIM-achievement rate rose to 36.8 percent.

"That’s the result of hard work by kids, teachers and support staff," he said.

Schools don’t face consequences if students don’t complete CIM requirements. Indeed, legislators this year and in a previous session have called for dumping the program and focusing on federal accountability standards set out in the No Child Left Behind law.

The House Audits Committee reported the state Department of Education spent an estimated $38.3 million last biennium on activities related to CIM and the next-level certificate of advanced mastery, which is just beginning.

By extrapolating data from an Oregon School Boards Association survey, the Audit Committee estimated school districts throughout the state spent another $19 million.

Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail aburke@mailtribune.com.