Teaching & Learning

Schools and districts in Oregon are called upon to engage in continuous improvement work to improve outcomes for students. Continuous Improvement Plans (CIPs) are a requirement of OAR 581-022-2250 and all Oregon districts must submit a CIP to the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) every three years.

By studying the best levers for systems change and impact, the continuous improvement process provides a powerful mechanism for promoting shifts in educator behaviors through fostering engagement in collaboration, data analysis, professional learning and reflection—all attributes of high functioning learning organizations. Deep engagement with this process will lead to improved experiences and outcomes for students.

Goals

• Establishes ongoing opportunities to engage education and community partners 
• Leverages multiple perspectives and equity-centered data analysis to identify strengths and areas for improvement as well as to make timely adjustments to improve experiences and outcomes for students 
• Uses effective practices to develop and implement a multi-year improvement plan

Allowable Fund Use

• Continuous improvement planning does not come with direct dedicated resources

High School Success is a fund initiated by ballot Measure 98 in November 2016. Research suggests that having the system structures HSS requires aids in increasing graduation rates and ensures high school graduates are ready for their next step into college or career. The last several years of High School Success grant funding tells a story of collective commitment -- one where local schools and communities partner together -- working to create a more equitable, well-rounded and engaging education system.

Goals

• Improve student progress toward graduation beginning with grade 9
• Increase high school graduation rates
• Increase equitable access to advanced coursework
• Improve high school graduates’ readiness for college and career

Allowable Fund Uses

• Dropout Prevention 
• Career & Technical Education
• College-Level Education Opportunities
• Up to 15% of allocation is allowable for 8th grade graduation

Federal funds are given to states for the purpose of improving access and participation in education and training programs that prepare learners for high-wage, high-skill, in-demand careers. This federal funding focuses on strategic investments for improved partnerships and for services to historically underrepresented students. Oregon created a four-year strategic plan to increase career exploration, awareness, preparation, and training. The Oregon CTE State Plan was adopted by the State Board at their meeting on March 19, 2020. In Oregon, CTE is built around approved CTE Programs of Study which must be developed in partnership with high schools and community colleges, based on business and industry needs, and meet the quality criteria and data reporting requirements outlined in the CTE State Plan. CTE Regional Coordinators are local experts in the criteria for CTE.

Goals

• Expand transparency and the voices contributing to our career preparation system
• Increase equitable access and inclusion in high-quality CTE and career connected learning activities
• Integrate Career Connected Learning more centrally in Oregon’s schools

Allowable Fund Use

• Develop, coordinate, implement, or improve CTE Programs of Study to meet the needs identified in the comprehensive needs assessment
• Provide career exploration and career development activities through an organized, systematic framework, particularly linked to expanding access to CTE Programs of Study
• Provide ongoing sustained professional learning for teachers, faculty, school leaders, administrators, specialized instructional support personnel, career guidance, and academic counselors, or paraprofessionals
• Provide within career and technical education the skills necessary to pursue careers in high-skill, high-wage, or indemand industry sectors or occupations
• Support integration of academic skills into career and technical education programs and Programs of Study
• Plan and carry out elements that support the implementation of career and technical education programs and Programs of Study and that result in increasing student achievement of the local levels of performance
• Develop and implement evaluations of the activities carried out with funds

The Student Success Act of 2019 marked a historic turning point in funding for Oregon education, with an anticipated additional $2 billion investment per biennium going to schools. At least fifty percent of these new investments go into the Student Investment Account, which provides non-competitive grant money to all Oregon school districts, eligible charter schools, and starting in 2021-23, YCEPs and JDEPs.

Goals

• Meet students’ mental health or behavioral needs
• Reduce academic disparities and increase academic achievement for the following focal groups:
  • Students of color and tribal/ Indigenous students 
  • Students who experience disabilities  
  • Emerging bilingual students 
  • Students navigating poverty, homelessness, and foster care  
  • Other student groups that have historically experienced academic disparities

Allowable Fund Use

• Increasing instructional time
• Addressing students’ health or safety needs
• Expanding availability of and student participation in well-rounded learning experiences
• Reducing class size
• Ongoing community engagement

Every Day Matters

This a statewide initiative that recognized that students with regular school attendance are more likely to succeed, thus the phrase every day matters for every child.  

The 2015 Oregon Legislature enacted House Bill (HB) 4002 which directed the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Chief Education Office (CEdO) to develop a joint statewide education plan to address chronic absences of students. HB 4002 also specified elements of the plan and directed the two agencies to collaborate with representatives of the Department of Human Services, Oregon Health Authority, Early Learning Division and community and education stakeholders. 

In the 2015-16 school year, nearly 102,000 students in Oregon - more than one in six children - were chronically absent from school. Nationally, Oregon’s chronic absenteeism rate consistently ranks within the bottom 20 percent of states. Chronic absenteeism in Oregon has a disproportionate impact on specific populations: Oregon’s American Indian and Alaska Native students, students with disabilities, students of color, students experiencing economic disadvantage and students who have received at least one out-of-school suspension. 

Chronic absenteeism is a concern for students in every grade, with higher rates in kindergarten and 1st grade and then again across all high school grades. These high absenteeism rates lead to devastating outcomes such as students dropping out, low graduation rates and even juvenile justice contacts. Chronic absenteeism is a complex issue that requires a thoughtful and complex response. Schools and students cannot fix this problem alone. 

Cross-sector partnerships with local and state health agencies, community based organizations, community and business members and families must be leveraged to provide essential wraparound support to address the root causes of chronic absenteeism for all students. Creating these partnerships and welcoming school environments can impact absenteeism rates, high school graduation rates, school discipline and academic performance. Best and promising practices are most successful when they are systematically applied with knowledge of the local context.

An Early Indicator and Intervention System is a coherent network or group of educators within a school (or ideally across levels of a district) who gather, review, and analyze predictive data at a student level. EIIS teams identify strengths, assets, and areas to support individual students early in their school careers, as well throughout the grades, and to engage the student and their family in partnership to coordinate systems of care while supporting students towards successful, on-time graduation and transitions into post-high school education and careers. Developing and nurturing a high-quality EIIS can be a high leverage move to forward equitable engagement and outcomes for all students. An EIIS is essential to the success of other program goals, including HSS 9th Grade on-track16 and addressing Chronic Absenteeism.

Goals

• Active staff teams at school and district level
• Robust framework of supports and interventions
• Program innovation and improvement
• Student, family, and community engagement
• System for indicator data collection and analysis, use of predictive analytics to identify support for students, and areas for improvement
• Integrated elements, connections across grade levels and schools, and alignment with other ODE initiatives, including the Student Investment Account, Continuous Improvement Plan, High School Success, and Every Day Matters

Allowable Fund Use

• System software purchases and subscriptions
• Staffing to maintain the system and facilitate corrective action
• Training for staff to maintain and use the system with fidelity
• Data analysis and research 
• Tribal government consultation
• Student, family, staff, and community engagement