Relisted
Portland, OR 97225

I have two girls at Ridgewood and the teachers and staff are incredible. We love the PYP program and families are super involved which results in a wonderful sense of community. We moved into the community to attend Ridgewood and are completely happy with our decision.

My kid just finished his 7th grade year. His experience hasn't been fantastic, but it's also one of the best possible in Beaverton. The school has had an excellent phone policy in place for years, long before other middle schools in the district, and they also don't allow backpacks in the classroom, which helps eliminate nonsense like giant bags of chips in the classroom. Unfortunately, and despite having some very solid teachers, the school hasn't found the magic formula to motivate less engaged students, and often, in order to keep behavior in line, they end up with a LOT of teacher-in-front time, guided teaching, and teaching to the lowest standard. That means that high achieving kids are bored out of their minds, and honestly, the low achieving kids are also bored. That said, behavior-wise, this school has things on track, far better than the average Beaverton middle school. Their band teacher is amazing, and their media lab teacher is also fantastic. THEY HAVE GREAT TEACHERS, but are limited a lot by the Beaverton curriculum and "common middle school experience". Their eighth grade teaching team is on point, and their AVID teachers are great. But, they haven't found the magic sauce that gets middle schoolers engaged, especially when working with a significant population of students whose families are facing food and housing insecurities. Would I recommend Cedar Park? Yes, compared to ANY other Beaverton middle school they are one of the least chaotic. But, if your kid can magically skip three years and go directly into ninth grade, that's absolutely the best way to go about things.

My daughter transferred to this school from a local charter school. I was a bit concerned, at first, because of the great school rating, but the move has been very positive. The teachers are organized, supportive and kind. The school makes a big effort to be inclusive and supportive. There are many advanced learning opportunities, including a healthcare program for job ready students upon graduation. If you are looking at this school, look past the grade given here. It is a wonderful school.