Based on test results released today by the Oregon Department of Education, Molalla and Colton schools may want to bottle their water and peddle it as a performance-boosting tonic.

Students in the two rural communities showed solid improvement almost across the board in meeting state benchmarks in core subjects such as reading and math. The tests are given annually to third-, fifth-, eighth- and 10th-graders statewide.

At Molalla River School District's tiny Maple Grove Elementary, 100 percent of third- and fifth-graders met the standards in reading and math, the only school in Oregon to earn that distinction. Across the district at Clarkes Elementary, 100 percent of third-graders and 87 percent of fifth-graders met the reading benchmark.

Colton schools also showed strong progress in most categories. The district posted the highest percentage of 10th-graders meeting reading, math and writing standards among Clackamas County schools east of the Willamette River in The Oregonian's MetroSouth coverage area.

The state tests usually are administered in the spring. Younger students get marked in reading and math. Tenth-graders are judged in those subjects plus writing, problem-solving and science. The science scores have not been released.

In the past, the scores were important because the state used the results in formulating annual report cards for schools. But with the signing of the federal No Child Left Behind law last year, the scores became more crucial because they'll be used to gauge whether schools are making adequate yearly progress.

Failure to reach standards could bring sanctions to schools receiving federal money. They may have to offer students free bus rides and transfer rights to better performing schools, or close down.

By the year 2014, 100 percent of students -- including disabled, low-income, minority students and students who speak English as a second language -- must meet state benchmarks, according to federal law. This is the first year special education and English language learners are included in the test results.

Among the area's other school districts, the test scores were mixed, causing administrators to question whether the results revealed one-time anomalies or true trends.

Sandra Pellens, Molalla's director of instruction, said there's no special juice in Molalla's water. The improved marks reflect hard work on the part of teachers and administrators.

Pellens said the district's use of online testing, knows as Technology Enhanced Student Assessment, or TESA, also helped improve scores. The system allows students to take tests several times through the year. It also returns results instantly.

"Anytime we can give our student immediate feedback on their performance, two things happen," she said. "They become self-motivated, just like an athlete, to best their own best. And secondly, teachers have information that helps them change what they do and focus on areas of need."

North Clackamas schools strong On average, North Clackamas schools continued to exceed state averages in every subject area, with Sunnyside and Campbell elementary schools posting large gains in most categories.

The percentage of Milwaukie High School's 10th-graders meeting state benchmarks in math rose from 27 percent last year -- the worst in the area -- to 51 percent this year. Students at all three district high schools also greatly improved their problem-solving skills.

Other North Clackamas schools, such as Lot Whitcomb Elementary and Rowe Middle School, didn't fare as well. Whitcomb posted declines in all categories, including a 20-point falloff in fifth-graders hitting the reading standard. Rowe saw double-digit plunges in reading and math scores, to below state averages.

Superintendent Ron Naso said that in general he was pleased with district results, particularly with the jump in problem-solving skills at the high schools.

The troubles at Whitcomb and Rowe he chalked up to poverty and to the significant numbers of students for whom English is a second language -- in Whitcomb's case, about half the school's population.

Naso said that based on family income, four of every five students at Whitcomb qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. Four of the six elementary schools that feed Rowe are categorized Title I, meaning they draw federal dollars because of high poverty rates, he said.

"Pushing 40 years in this business, I think poverty has an impact, and people just don't fully comprehend as to how it plays itself out on a day-to-day basis," he said.

Naso said no easy solution exists to improving social conditions, but that it's important to create stability and a routine where children feel safe and able to learn.

In the Oregon City School District, the bright spots were schools such as King Elementary, where the percentage of fifth-graders meeting the standard in reading rose to 91 percent this year compared with 67 percent last year.

The high school posted declines in reading and problem solving and dropped below state averages in all testing categories.

Roberta Herndon, the district's director of curriculum and instruction, said the high school's failure to meet state averages is a big concern. She said that new textbooks and the switch to trimesters in the fall should improve math and problem-solving scores. On the old schedule, students attended math classes every other day, which hurt their retention of subject matter, she said.

In Canby, Ackerman Middle school showed gains in both reading and math, but the high school slipped in three out of the four categories. Sixty-seven percent of 10th-graders met writing standards, compared to 49 percent last year.

Results in Estacada also were mixed. The junior high posted big gains in reading and math. Yet performance at the high school fell off dramatically, with students below the state averages in all categories. Only 28 percent of 10th-graders met the benchmark in problem-solving, the lowest rate of any high school in the area.

In Gladstone, the news was mostly good. Both the high school and John Wetten Elementary posted gains in all categories, and easily outpaced state averages. But Kraxberger Middle School posted the area's steepest decline among 8th-grade reading scores, dipping below the state average. Tom Quinn: 503-294-5918; thomasquinn@news.oregonian.com