ODE News

Public Notice and Comment - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:43:00 GMT

As required by federal law, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) announces its annual applications for IDEA funds are open for public review for sixty days, beginning Thursday, February 9, 2012, and ending Sunday, April 8, 2012. ODE will accept public comment on these applications beginning Friday, February 16, 2012 and ending Friday, March 16, 2012. You can find copies of these applications and directions for submitting comments here.

Assessment and Accountability Update - February 9, 2012

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:09:00 GMT

February 9, 2012

In This Issue:

Reminder: Last Chance for Reading Essential Skill Training for Local Facilitators!
Extended Assessment Test Materials
Extended Assessment Test Administrators (Qualified Trainers and Qualified Assessors)
Winter Paper Writing Return Kits Arriving in Districts February 9
SMARTER Draft Item Specifications and Guidelines Now Available
Online Tests Administered To Date
Fall Membership Report Released Wednesday ...MORE

February 2012 Social Sciences Teacher Update Posted

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:02:00 GMT

In the February 2012 Social Sciences Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the Social Science Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Love the Bus

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The Love the Bus program is an effective means to spread the message about the value of the yellow school bus to students, parents and the community.

The LTB program provides an opportunity to present the value of the yellow school bus to students, parents and the community by emphasizing the benefits of riding the bus:

Safe Transportation
Safe Vehicles
Safe Drivers
Environmental Benefits
Traffic Benefits
Academic Benefits

Attached you will find: Template Press Release for local media market use, a link that includes updated materials to assist states and local school districts participate in LTB activities. These materials are also available and downloadable. Love the Bus Tool Kit

Last Chance for Reading Essential Skill Training for Local Facilitators!

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 21:58:00 GMT

ODE has added one more session of Level 2 and Level 3 Training of Trainers for the Essential Skill of Reading – Using Work Samples on February 22 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The training session will show local facilitators how to present introductory (Level 2) training on using the Reading Scoring Guide with student work samples at the high school level. Participants will then receive all the materials needed to hold a local training that is appropriate for both English Language Arts teachers and content area teachers.

During the same training session, local facilitators will also walk through Using the Reading Scoring Guide - Level 3 In-Depth training sessions. Two workshops, one for high school ELA teachers and one for content teachers, will focus on increasing accuracy in using the reading scoring guide to certify student proficiency in the Essential Skill of Reading to earn a diploma. Most students who are seniors and all students in grades 9 – ...MORE

Winter Paper Writing Return Kits Arriving in Districts February 9

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 21:55:00 GMT

Districts who ordered paper-based Writing tests for the winter Writing test window will receive a return kit on Thursday, February 9, 2012. This return kit includes return mailing labels, a return checklist, and an overage certification form. Districts submitting non-precoded "overage" booklets for scoring must sign this form and include it with their shipment certifying that overage booklets were only used to test eligible Grade 11 students who had not previously taken and passed the High School Writing test. Districts should use the same boxes in which the test booklets originally arrived for use in returning completed Writing tests for scoring. Instructions for packaging completed tests for return shipment and scoring are included on p. G-20 of the 2011-12 Test Administration Manual and are also repeated in checklist format in the ret ...MORE

Fall Membership Report Released Wednesday, February 8

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 21:45:00 GMT

The Fall Membership report was released to the public on February 8, 2012. This report reflects submissions to the 2011-12 First Period Cumulative ADM Collection, and includes all changes made before January 30, 2012.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partner .

Staff Position 2011-12 Validations Begin Monday, February 13

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 21:19:00 GMT

The 2011-12 Staff Position Collection will reopen for validations on February 13, 2012. Collections Support Partners will distribute spreadsheets showing records flagged for validation along with detailed validation instructions. If you receive a spreadsheet, the collection will be reopened for you through Friday, February 17, 2012. Please remember to check for errors and warnings after making any changes.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partner .

Assessment Warehouse Extract Application Training on March 6, 2012

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 21:08:00 GMT

The March 6, 2012 Data Collection Committee agenda will include a 30-minute walkthrough of the Assessment Warehouse Extract Application. Please contact Brett Luelling to obtain WebEx information for this meeting (brett.luelling@state.or.us ).

For more information about this application, please refer to the following documents on the Assessment Warehouse Extract Application page on the district website:

Assessment Warehouse Extract Instructions
Fact Sheet: Formal and Inferred Registration System
Assessment Reporting File Format

If you have questions or need assistance with your student data, please contact your Regional Assessment Support Partner .

Cumulative ADM Validations Streamlined

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 21:01:00 GMT

School districts now have access to review the audit data directly online and make updates or confirm the records submitted are correct. The new audit system, which was introduced for Period 1 Cumulative ADM for 2011-12, also allows ODE to track changes to the data and better identify which districts need assistance from their regional ESD data partners. This has resulted in a higher rate of response to the audits and less time spent by school districts and ODE in validating the data. ODE staff and our regional ESD partners have received positive feedback from a number of school districts, including Central Point, Klamath County, Roseburg, Medford, Estacada, and Eugene.

In previous years, ODE checked the data quality submitted by school districts by extracting potential errors to huge spreadsheets often having over 20,000 rows and more than 100 columns. These huge spreadsheets then had to be separated into district spreadsheets by the regional ESD data partners and sent to school distric ...MORE

Oregon Receives 2011 Advanced Placement Results

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 15:15:00 GMT

Minority participation continues to lag

(Salem, Ore.) – According to information released today in the College Board’s eighth annual Advanced Placement Report to the Nation, more Oregon students are taking, and succeeding in, Advance Placement classes. However, despite recent increases in the number of minority students taking advanced coursework, Oregon’s African American, Hispanic, and Native American students are still less likely than their peers to take an AP exam.

“The fact that more of our students are taking advanced coursework is good news for our state, but we still need to see more students participating,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo. “Advanced placement and other rigorous content play an important role in preparing our students for college and career. Last year, less than a quarter of our graduates took AP exams and the participation rate for our Native American, African America ...MORE

State Releases 2011-12 Enrollment Numbers

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 11:07:00 GMT

Oregon continues to see slight decrease in student enrollment

(Salem, Ore.) – The Oregon Department of Education today announced that Oregon student enrollment decreased slightly this year. This marks five consecutive years of slight decreases in the number of students enrolling in Oregon schools. According to counts reported by school districts, Education Service Districts (ESDs), and state education agencies, Oregon has 560,946 students enrolled in K-12 public schools this year. This is down slightly from 561,328 in 2010-11, a drop of 382 students or -0.07% of overall enrollment.

“The number of kids in Oregon schools has changed very little over the years, but what has changed is the number of students needing extra support and specialized services,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo. “Our state has struggled with a persistent achievement gap for decades and this issue has only become more critical in recent years as our schools face changing ...MORE

SMARTER Draft Item Specifications and Guidelines Now Available

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 21:20:00 GMT

The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) has released draft Item Specifications and Guidelines for review and comment. These item specifications will provide item writers with specific guidance on how to translate the Common Core State Standards into actual assessment items. The following specifications are now available for review:

SBAC-04 Accessibility & Accommodations Specifications
SBAC-04 Bias & Sensitivity Specifications
SBAC ELA Specifications
SBAC Math Specifications
SBAC Performance Task Specifications
SBAC Stimulus Specifications
SBAC-04 Style Guide
SBAC-04 Technology-Enhanced Item Specifications

In addition, a set of PowerPoint slides from SBAC Showcase 2 are available to provide background on SBAC’s specifications development process and ...MORE

February 2012 Superintendent's Pipeline Now Available Online

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 22:01:00 GMT

The February 2012 Superintendent's Pipeline is now available online at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=684.

The Superintendent's Pipeline is the main source of ODE news, announcements, information, recruitments, grants and other opportunities for schools and districts. Pipeline delivers a variety of news and information from the Oregon Department of Education for administrators, teachers, and other school district staff members.

IN THIS ISSUE:
• From the Desk of Susan Castillo: January in Review
• Reminder - February CCSS Webinars
• ELA & Literacy Module 1 is Growing
• Common Assessment (SBAC) Item Specifications and Guidelines
• SMARTER Balanced Assessments and the Foundational Reading Standards
• SMARTER Assessment Resources
• Essential Skill Training Available for MS Teachers
• Are Your Teachers Ready to Score Essential Skills Wor ...MORE

TEACHER NOMINATIONS for 2012 Common Core State Standards Instructional Materials Review

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 17:21:00 GMT

The Oregon Department of Education is requesting the nomination of teachers, curriculum specialists, and others who have interest and experience with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English/Language Arts (ELA) and/or Mathematics. Nominations will be placed on a list of possible qualified candidates. Participation will involve working with a team to review instructional materials intended to support implementation of the CCSS. The review process is scheduled for July 30th to August 5th, 2012 and involves a 5 day or less commitment with meals, travel reimbursement, and a paid stipend. The group will evaluate materials aligned with the above subjects to be considered for adoption by the State Board of Education in October 2012.

Nomination Form
(To be completed by a supervisor, principal or superintendent.)

Nominee Information Form
(To be completed by nominee after ...MORE

Proposed Changes in Special Education Rules

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 21:55:00 GMT

Comments accepted through Wednesday, February 8, 2012

On September 28, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education issued new regulations for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These new regulations, now in effect, specify requirements for early intervention (EI) services for children with disabilities under the age of three years and include requirements for the transition of these children to early childhood special education services (ECSE) under IDEA Part B.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has proposed new and revised Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) to align with these IDEA changes. You are invited to submit written comments on any or all of these rules, posted here .

You may submit you ...MORE

February 2012 EII Update Released

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 16:50:00 GMT
The EII Update is a monthly newsletter highlighting information from the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation on: standards, career and technical education, title programs, professional development and other topics of interest to Oregon educators.

Articles this month include:

ESEA Flexibility Waiver Request

Adoption of Instructional Materials Criteria for Bridge Year: ELA & Math

Common Assessment Documents for Public Review

Reminder! February CCSS Webinars

Need Resources? Visit the CCSS Implementation Toolkit

2012 National Youth Science Camp

Students in Grades 6-12 Invited to Help Stop Distracted Driving

Answering SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) Questions

Assessment and Accountability Update - February 2, 2012

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 21:46:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for February 2, 2012 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Key Assessment & Accountability Dates for February 2012

New Essential Skills Resources Available

Last Chance for Reading Essential Skill Training for Local Facilitators!

Test Delivery System Offline for Maintenance February 3 at 6:30 PM PT

Extended Assessment Test Materials

Extended Assessment Test Materials

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 21:17:00 GMT

A gentle reminder to all District Test Coordinators and their Qualified Assessors that the Extended Assessment test administration window opens on February 16, 2012, but test materials will be available for download the week prior beginning on February 9, 2012.

If you have any questions, please contact Brad Lenhardt at Brad.Lenhardt@state.or.us or (503) 947-5755.

Test Delivery System Offline for Maintenance February 3 at 6:30 PM PT

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 21:13:00 GMT

The OAKS Online Test Delivery System, including both operational and practice tests for OAKS, ELPA, and Online Writing, will be offline for maintenance beginning at 6:30 p.m. PT on Friday, February 3. The system will be back online by 7:00 a.m. PT on Saturday, February 4.

Key Assessment & Accountability Dates for February 2012

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 21:04:00 GMT

February 3 – Last Day for Staff Position Collection
February 8 – Student Enrollment Report for 2011-12 released to the public
February 9 – Extended Assessment Download Launched
By February 9 – DTC Kits for OAKS Paper-based Winter Writing Assessment Delivered to Districts
February 13 – Collection Validation Window for Staff Position Opens
February 16 – Extended Assessment Test and Data Entry Transmission Windows Open
February 23 – Last Day of Paper-based OAKS Winter Writing Assessment

New Essential Skills Resources Available

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 21:02:00 GMT

On January 31, 2012, two new summaries of Essential Skills and key implementation resources were posted on the Assessment of Essential Skills Webpage.

The Essential Skill of "Apply Math" at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2042
The Essential Skill of Writing at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/diploma/essential-skill-of-writing.pdf

For further information:

CCSS for Mathematics: Mark Freed, mark.freed@state.or.us , 503-947-5610
Assessment of Essential Skills: Derek Brown, derek.brown@state.or.us http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Programs/English_Language_Learners_(ELL).html

One benefit of membership in the SCASS is for third party alignment and study of ODE’s ELPA standards with the CCSS. There are not resources currently for an ELD assessment for the general population aligned to CCSS. WIDA has a grant for an assessment aligned to CCSS, but focus is on low incidence states. ODE staff will give a 90 minute demonstration of the Oregon ELPA to the ELL SCASS in February. If federal funding is obtained, ODE will take a lead role on a proposal for an English Language Development assessment aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Currently there isn’t a specific da ...MORE

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-15 - February 2, 2012

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 20:51:00 GMT

Each week, we will address recent activities of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) of which Oregon is a governing state. Beginning in 2014-2015, SBAC will deliver the common assessment in Mathematics and English Language Arts.

Common Assessment/SBAC Webinar: On Tuesday, February 14, ODE staff will facilitate a webinar on the status of the Development of the Common Assessment from 2:30 to 3:30. This is one of a series of webinars being sponsored by Oregon Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Stewardship Team and Oregon Department of Education staff throughout the 2011-2012 school year. These webinars will provide updates and answer questions about CCSS implementation resources. Each webinar will be recorded for later viewing.

Information about joining the February webinars is posted on ODE's Events Registration web page at http:/ ...MORE

Opportunity to view and comment on Common Assessment (SBAC) - Due February 9, 2012

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 20:49:00 GMT

Opportunity to view and comment on Common Assessment (SBAC): A significant milestone in the assessment development process for the SMARTER Balanced assessment program is the development of Item Specifications and Guidelines. This is the next logical step in the process after the development of content specifications. The item specifications provide specific guidance to item writers on how to translate the Common Core Standards (as articulated through the SMARTER Balanced Content Specifications) into actual assessment items.

On Thursday, January 26, SBAC’s contractor Measured Progress and ETS held a webinar to describe the item specifications documents that require state review. This is an iterative process. SMARTER Balanced work group members and K-12 member state leads did an earlier round of review this month and the vendor is now enlarging the circle to include teachers, LEA staff, the vendor community, and others. The revised documents are available currently at

Common Assessment/SBAC Webinar - February 14, 2012

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 20:48:00 GMT

On Tuesday, February 14, ODE staff will facilitate a webinar on the status of the Development of the Common Assessment from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. This is one of a series of webinars being sponsored by Oregon Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Stewardship Team and Oregon Department of Education staff throughout the 2011-2012 school year. These webinars will provide updates and answer questions about CCSS implementation resources. Each webinar will be recorded for later viewing.

Information about joining the February webinars is posted on ODE’s Events Registration web page at http://www.ode.state.or.us/news/events/.

New Webpage for Parents/Guardians of Children with Disabilities

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 17:18:00 GMT

Oregon Department of Education has developed a new webpage for parents of children with disabilities. The webpage located here contains information related to IDEA, Parent Rights, Eligibility as well as Special Education Programs and Services.

February 2012 Arts Teacher Update Released

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 21:50:00 GMT
In the February 1, 2012 Arts Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

MEMORANDUM NO. 005-2011-12 - INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITY ORGANIZATIONS

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 18:04:00 GMT

To: Superintendents, Principals, Special Education Directors, and other District Administrators
From: Jan McComb, State Board of Education Staff
Re: Board Oversight of Interscholastic Activity Organizations

Effective January 1, 2012, the State Board of Education will no longer oversee interscholastic activities. Board activities included approving organizations and processing complaints and appeals. The 2011 Legislature repealed this requirement (ORS 339.430) through SB 800. Relevant administrative rules have also been repealed.

Local school boards and school administrators will need to continue to use their best judgment as to whether to join an interscholastic activity organization. School personnel will want to review organizations’ policies and practices to ensure they are sound and lawful. Because many of the organizations are athletic in nature, schools may also wish to consider the rules of other organizations, such as the NC ...MORE

ODE USDA Foods Distribution Bulletin Vol. 004

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:20:00 GMT
Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs
USDA Foods Distribution Bulletin Vol. 004

The purpose of this bulletin is to update sponsors on the most up-to-date information on the USDA Foods program. To view the bulletin, click here .
To view the new USDA foods ordering guide, click here .

Superintendent's Update #354

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:25:00 GMT

Superintendent Castillo's updates showcase the efforts and achievements of Oregon schools. Through these regular messages, the Superintendent hopes to increase communications regarding important initiatives for Oregon's students. Click here to access archived issues of Superintendent’s Update.

In This Issue:

Oregon Graduation Rate Up and Dropout Rate Down

Oregon Submits ESEA Flexibility Waiver

Oregon Diploma Talk

Opportunities and Financial Resources for Students and Schools

Susan’s Schedule

Oregon Graduation Rate Up an ...MORE

Oregon Graduation Rate Continues to Increase

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Oregon dropout rate hits all-time low

(Salem, Ore.) –State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced today that student graduation rates are on the rise and Oregon is seeing an all time low in the number of students dropping out of high school. The four year graduation rate for 2011 was 67%, up from 66% in 2010. All of the state’s historically underperforming subgroups saw increases in their graduation rates and in many cases their graduation rates grew faster than for the state overall, indicating a slight closing of the graduation gap.

“While these results are encouraging and show that our state is succeeding at graduating more of our students within four years, there are simply far too many kids not reaching this critical milestone,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo. “I am very pleased to see the continued gains in minority and low-income graduation rates, but despite these gains we still have close to half of our Nativ ...MORE

Revised 2010-11 District Estimates as of January 27, 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Click Revised 2010-11 District Estimates as of January 27, 2012 to view the latest estimates.

Revised 2010-11 ESD Estimates as of January 27, 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Click Revised 2010-11 ESD Estimates as of January 27, 2012 to view the revised estimates.

Assessment and Accountability Update - January 26, 2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:48:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for January 26, 2012 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Essential Skills Training Available for Middle School Teachers

Training on Essential Skills Workshops Still Available

Extended Assessment Test Administrators (Qualified Trainers and Qualified Assessors)

ELPA Practice Tests Updated

Best Practices Guide Adopted by State Board of Edu ...MORE

Revised 2010-11 District Estimates

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Click Revised 2010-11 District Estimates to review the January 25, 2012 revised estimates.

Revised 2010-11 ESD Estimates

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Click Revised 2010-11 ESD Estimates to review the January 25, 2012 revised estimates.

New School Application Training - April 16, 2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Please plan to attend our next New Applicant Workshop for an overview of the licensing process on April 16, 2012, from 9:00am - 12:00 noon in the Basement A conference room of the Public Service Building in Salem. Attendance at this meeting is required for anyone wishing to open a new school, or assume ownership of an existing school before submitting a request for licensure to our office, however you can begin working through the materials for each step prior to the meeting. You will need to print the licensing packets for all 8 steps and the Overview document to bring to the meeting with you. We also recommend that you print the rules book and read it ahead of time. To RSVP, please call Marlene Goff at 503-947-5676 or email at marlene.goff@state.or.us.

If you are assuming ownership of an existing school and need to complete the sale prior to this meeting, please call Teresa Greene at 503-947-5915.

January 2012 First Common School Payment for 2011-12 to review the disbursements.

2010-11 ADMr by County Lines

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:35:00 GMT
Click 2010-11 ADMr by County Lines to view the report.

ESEA Flexibility Waiver Request Submitted January 23

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:23:00 GMT

Oregon's ESEA Waiver Request has been submitted to the US Department of Education. If the waiver is approved, then the existing AYP reporting and associated school improvement list would no longer be produced. In its place would be a revised report card and a list of schools identified as possibly being in need of supports and/or intervention (priority and focus schools) or as being exemplary and worthy of emulation (model schools). The waiver calls for a redesigned report card starting 2012-13, which is still in the development stage. The design of this new report card will involve input from various stakeholders and technical experts. The report card for 2011-12 would be essentially the existing one with just a few changes:

It would not contain information on AYP.

High school ratings would use a target graduation rate that is two percent higher than that used for 2010-11.

It would state whether the school has been designated as a priority, focus, or model school. ...MORE

Public Release of Cohort Graduation and Dropout Reports on Friday, January 27

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:41:00 GMT

ODE will release the Cohort Graduation and Dropout Reports reflecting the 2010-2011 data at 12:01 AM on Friday, January 27. This release was previously scheduled for March 13, but the reports were determined to be ready for publication ahead of schedule. Both the Cohort Graduation and Dropout reports will be available to the public at the following links:

Cohort: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2644
Dropout: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1

If you have questions, please contact Cynthia Yee at cynthia.yee@state.or.us .

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - January 26, 2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:29:00 GMT

Each week, we will address recent activities of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) of which Oregon is a governing state. Beginning in 2014-2015, SBAC will deliver the common assessment in Mathematics and English Language Arts. At that time ODE will no longer deliver OAKS Online in mathematics and reading.

Welcome Karen Marrongelle as Oregon's Higher Education representative to SBAC. Dr. Marrongelle is with the Oregon University System Chancellor's Office staff. She works with the K-12 and community college partners and ensuring that OUS's work on learning outcomes and assessment ensure the highest quality academic programs. She is author of recent research-based recommendations: Supporting Implementation of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics--Recommendations for Professional Development. Higher education representatives from each SBAC state were recently named they represent diver ...MORE

ELPA Practice Tests Updated

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:22:00 GMT

The ELPA practice tests, found at www.oaks.k12.or.us, were updated by the American Institutes for Research on January 20. These updated versions of the ELPA practice tests now include samples of new constructed response items that are being field tested in 2011-12. These new field test items, which are interactive, could be presented to students during the first segment of the ELPA administration.

ELPA field test items
As has part of continuous improvement of the ELPA, new items and item types are being field tested during the 2011-12 assessment window. The field test items are mixed with operational items during both segments of the ELPA. This process is randomized, and students will see various item types. These field test items and their assignment to students across the state is an essential part of continuous development of the ELPA. For 2011-12, students will see an average of three field test items during the first segment ( ...MORE

Spring Paper-Pencil Writing Order Window Opens January 26, 2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:17:00 GMT

The order window for Spring Paper-Pencil Writing (grade 11 only) opens January 26, 2012. Districts will have from January 26 through March 19, 2012 to complete their orders for the spring test window.

Districts may order Paper-Pencil writing tests for their students using the Test Information Delivery Engine (TIDE) of the OAKS Online System. Either the District Security and Test Administrator (DTSA) or District Security Administrator (DSA) will need to upload a CSV file containing the SSID, DOB, teacher name, and class period for all students who will need to receive a writing test booklet. Based on the student information already loaded into TIDE and linked to the SSID, TIDE will then be able to supply all additional information for that student such as district, school, and grade. The TIDE User guide which is posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?391, includes detailed instructions on the order p ...MORE

OAKS Online Maintenance Schedule for March 2012

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:15:00 GMT

The OAKS Online TA and Student Interfaces will be offline for scheduled maintenance during the week of March 26 - 30, 2012. The OAKS Online Reporting System and TIDE will remain available during this time.

Contact(s) for this Announcement

Regional Assessment Support Partners

Second Period Cumulative ADM District Audit Review Closes February 1

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:10:00 GMT

The Second Period Cumulative ADM collection opened on January 23, 2012 and closes on February 1, 2012. During this period districts are allowed to verify and correct their data submission. For questions about the Audit Review, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partner .

Essential Skills Training Available for Middle School Teachers

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Students who first encounter a reading, writing, or math work sample under the pressure of high school graduation are less likely to be successful. Middle school teachers are eager to use these powerful instructional and formative assessments in their classrooms and students will benefit with increased skill levels and familiarity with the work sample process.

WebEx Training of Trainer sessions specifically for middle school teachers are available at the introductory level now and more in-depth trainings will be available later this spring.

Currently scheduled middle school sessions are listed below:

February 15: Writing Level 2 Intro Middle School 2:00 - 4:00
March 6: Reading Level 2 Middle School 2:00 - 4:00

For a detailed explanation of the Training of Trainers model go to http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/te ...MORE

Poster Contest for Home Schoolers

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
All Marion County Home School children in grade K-5 are eligible to participate in Marion SWCD’s Annual Elementary School Poster Contest. This year’s theme is "From Soil to Spoon". Contact Janice Calkins at Marion County and you will receive the free study materials for the contest. Register before February 15, 2012 to enter the contest. Click on the attached 2012 Teacher Introduction Letter for more information on the contest. Click here for the Soil to Spoon Poster.

CCSS Webinar on Text Complexity for ELA

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:19:00 GMT
To provide states with additional Common Core State Standards implementation support, CCSSO will host a webinar on Thursday, January 26th at 11:00 AM PST to share tools and resources to support teachers and districts on text complexity, which is the linchpin of the ELA standards.

The webinar will feature Sue Pimentel, a member of the Common Core State Standards English language arts writing committee, as well as representatives from the Kansas and Louisiana Departments of Education.

To register for the January 26 event, please visit the CCSSO webinar series home page. Recordings of webinars will also be posted to the home page aft ...MORE

Adoption of the Instructional Materials Criteria for Bridge Year: English/Language Arts (ELA) & Mathematics

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:21:00 GMT
On January 20, 2012, the State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards Criteria for the Bridge Year (Interim Adoption) in English/Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. The Interim Adoption (Bridge Year) seeks to "bridge" Oregon's existing investment in Standards and Materials to support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. For more information go to:
Adopted Criteria

Best Practices Guide Adopted by State Board of Education

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT
On January 20, 2012, the Oregon State Board of Education formally adopted the Best Practices Guide for Administering OAKS Online. ODE collaborated with its partners to develop the Best Practices Guide in response to Senate Bill 801. As directed by Senate Bill 801, the Best Practices Guide includes guidance around appropriately administering the OAKS as a summative assessment and around retesting students in grades 3 - 8 who have already met or exceeded the achievement standards. ODE has also revised the 2011-12 Test Administration Manual to restrict districts from retesting students in grades 3 - 8 who have already met or exceeded the achievement standard unless the district receives parental consent. Effective as of January 20, 2012 and for the remainder of the 2011-12 school year, districts may rely on passive consent from parents prior to retesting students. Revisions pertaining to Senate Bill 801 appear on pp. 31, 34, B-3, and G-8 of the 2011-12 Test Administration Manual. Starting in 2012-13, ODE will in ...MORE

Assessment and Accountability Update - January 19, 2012

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:09:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for January 19, 2012 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Assessment and Accountability Checklist Updated

Training on Essential Skills Workshops Still Available

Order Window for OAKS Extended Assessment Braille and Large Print Closes Friday

Extended Assessment Test Administrators (Qualified Trainers and Qualified Assessors)

ELPA Test Tak ...MORE

Training on Essential Skills Workshops Still Available

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:01:00 GMT

Opportunities for individuals to be trained to present local workshops on scoring and developing Essential Skills Work Samples will continue through the winter. Each WebEx session, held from 2:00 to 4:00 PST, provides future trainers with information and material to conduct workshops at the school or district level.

Sessions for January and February include the following:

Order Window for OAKS Extended Assessment Braille and Large Print Closes Friday, January 20, 2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:55:00 GMT

Friday, January 20, 2012 is the last day of Oregon’s Alternate Assessment (Extended Assessment) Braille and/or Large Print order window for Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Writing. To order please complete, sign, and submit the attached order form via email or fax to Bob Disher at Oregon's Textbook and Media Center (OTMC) by January 20, 2012. Incomplete or unsigned order forms will not be processed. You will receive an email confirmation once OTMC has received your Braille or Large Print test request. If you have additional questions, please contact Brad Lenhardt at Brad.Lenhardt@state.or.us

Extended Assessment Test Administrators (Qualified Trainers and Qualified Assessors)

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:47:00 GMT

A gentle reminder to all new and returning Qualified Trainers and Qualified Assessors that the test administration window opens on February 16, 2012 and that any who plan to administer the Extended Assessments for 2011-12 must (re-)qualify on Oregon’s Extended Assessment Training and Proficiency Website (http://or.k12test.com/), receive security training, and have a Test Administrator Assurance of Test Security form (available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/TestSecurity) on file at the District Office, valid for the current school year. To insure your district has the capacity necessary to assess all students who will participate in the Extended Assessment, please do what you can to complete your (re-)qualification process as soon as possible.

If you have any questions please contact Brad Lenhardt at Brad.Lenhardt@state.or.us ...MORE

ELPA Allowable Resources

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:22:00 GMT

The 2011-12 English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) window opened on Wednesday, January 11. The list below outlines the allowable resources for use during ELPA administration. This list and additional information can be found on page H-3 of Appendix H of the Test Administrator Manual at http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/admin/2011-12-tam.pdf .

Jan 18 Level 2 Intro to Reading Scoring for Middle School

Jan 19 Level 2 Intro to Math Scoring for High School

Jan 24 Level 2 Intro to Writing Scoring for Middle School

Jan 31 Level 3 Advanced Math Scoring for High School

Feb 1 Level 4 Developing Math Work Samples HS or MS

Feb 7 Level 2 Intro to Writing Scoring for High School

Allowable Resources During Administration of the ELPA

Blank scratch paper (Must be securely shredded immediately following each testing event)

Auditory amplification devices, hearing aids, noise buffers

...MORE

ELPA Test Takers Must Have LEP Flag Set

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:15:00 GMT

The 2011-12 test window for the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) opened on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 and runs through Thursday, May 12, 2011.

For 2011-12, as in 2010-11, the ELPA will only be available for students whose LEP flag is set to “Y” on the student’s SSID record. Districts can confirm that this flag is appropriately set by viewing the student details tab in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) of the OAKS Online System (the day after the SSID record was updated). If a student starts an ELPA test, and the LEP flag is changed to “N” while the test is paused, the student will not be able to continue the ELPA test until the LEP flag has been updated to “Y” in TIDE again.

For information about administering the ELPA, please see Appendix H – Requirements for ELPA Administration in the 2010-11 Test Administration Manual (http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam).

...MORE

Updated Mathematics Resources Now Available on the ODE Website

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:06:00 GMT

Downloadable Sample Tests Translated to Spanish:

http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=441

These tests are aligned to the Oregon 2007/2009 Mathematics Content Standards and are in the same format as OAKS Online assessments, with Spanish above English.

Downloadable Plain Language Student Versions of the Mathematics Problem Solving Scoring Guide are now available in English and Spanish at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=2667.

Mathematics Problem Solving Support Documents also available in the same location.

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - January 19, 2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:01:00 GMT

The Fourth Quarter Project Report from the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium is available—The quarterly project report for the period ending September 30, 2011 can be found at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/Resources.aspx. The report details the Consortium’s progress in key areas and provides updates for each work group.

Answering Open Questions
Each week SBAC addresses a question or two on the minds of Consortium members. Send your questions to sbac@wested.org .

One of our states writes: We have a few questions about the paper/pencil test that we may administer in 2015. We are receiving questions from our schools about not being ready for the online test but need some assistance in these questions before we decide one way or another.

What is the turnaround time on s ...MORE

Reminder: Staff Position 2011-12 Closes February 3, 2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:52:00 GMT

The 2011-12 Staff Position Collection will close February 3, 2012. Please remember to check for errors and warnings before the collection closes.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partner .

Assessment and Accountability Checklist Updated - January 13, 2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:47:00 GMT

The Assessment and Accountability Checklist has been updated as of January 12, 2012. It is located at http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/admin/asmtacctbltychecklist1112.pdf .

Reminder: Comment Opportunity

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:33:00 GMT

Comment on Proposed Changes in Special Education Administrative Rules

On September 28, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education issued new regulations for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These new regulations, now in effect, specify requirements for early intervention (EI) services for children with disabilities under the age of three years and include requirements for the transition of these children to early childhood special education services (ECSE) under IDEA Part B.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has proposed new and revised Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) to align with these IDEA changes. You are invited to submit written comments on any or all of these rules, posted here .

Yo ...MORE

Meeting Notice - Talented and Gifted Education Task Force, January 23, 2012

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:05:00 GMT
Monday, January 23, 2012, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

The third meeting of the Talented and Gifted Education Task Force will be held in Salem, Oregon, at the Public Service Building, 255 Capitol Street NE, in Room 251B.

The Talented and Gifted Education Task Force will hear public comments beginning at 3:45 p.m. on Monday, January 23, 2012. Written comments may be submitted for consideration to the contact information listed below no later than 24 hours prior to the meeting. Each contributor appearing in person is limited to 3 minutes.

Public comments to the TAG Education Task Force should be related to the three charges of the Task Force specific to Senate Bill 330:
(a) The resources that are needed to provide instruction to talented and gifted children;
(b) The appropriate level of funding for instruction of talented and gifted children, including potential methods for providing funding; and
c) The number of children who would benefit from ...MORE

Teen Parent/Child Development Programs Newsletter

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
New! The Child Development and Teen Parenting in Oregon January edition is now available for your reading pleasure. Watch for this newsletter each month.

2011 Tax Exemption Memo in Spanish

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:42:00 GMT

The Spanish version of the 2011 Tax Exemption Memo is now available online. The Oregon Tax Code provides an additional tax exemption for parents of certain IDEA-eligible children with disabilities.

Comment on Proposed Changes in Special Education Administrative Rules

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:07:00 GMT

On September 28, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education issued new regulations for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These new regulations, now in effect, specify requirements for early intervention (EI) services for children with disabilities under the age of three years and include requirements for the transition of these children to early childhood special education services (ECSE) under IDEA Part B.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has proposed new and revised Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) to align with these IDEA changes. You are invited to submit written comments on any or all of these rules, posted here .

You may submit your written comments, with your contact information, by e-mail, U.S. Mail, or ...MORE

Districts in 4 year Title III Improvement Status

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:28:00 GMT
This training is for districts that have not met AMAOs for four consecutive years. A webinar will be hosted by the ODE from Studio A. Registration is required. To register, click on the link below, select the session you will participate from, and complete your registration.

Register to attend

Title III Improvement Plans - Year 2, Training

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:25:00 GMT
This training is for districts that have not met AMAOs for two consecutive years (2009 - 10 and 2010 - 11) . A webinar will be hosted by the ODE from Studio A. Registration is required. To register, click on the link below, select the session you will participate from, and complete your registration.

Register to attend

January 2012 Social Sciences Teacher Update Posted

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:41:00 GMT
In the January 2012 Social Sciences Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the Social Science Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Assessment and Accountability Update - January 12, 2012

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:10:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for January 12, 2012 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

OAKS Online Test Opportunities

2011-12 Winter Writing Test Window is Open

2011-12 ELPA Test Window is Open

Print Function for ELPA Reading for 2011-12

Feedback Opportunity: ELA/Literacy Content Specifications Claims

Extended Assessment Braille and Large Print Ordering De ...MORE

OAKS Online Test Opportunities

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:51:00 GMT

On Wednesday, January 11, ODE introduced additional test items into the OAKS Online assessments. For those districts with policies allowing for students to take multiple test opportunities, this means that students may now retest. ODE supports up to three test opportunities per student for OAKS Math, Reading, and Science and up to two test opportunities for OAKS Social Sciences.

In addition, as of January 11, students will see approximately 5 additional test items per test compared to tests administered in the fall. These additional test items are field test items and will not impact student scores. Once testing for the 2011-12 school year is complete, ODE staff will analyze student responses to these field test items and determine whether to include these items operationally in future years. For more information about the role of field testing in Oregon’s test development process, please refer to ODE’s Technical Manual Volum ...MORE

2011-12 ELPA Test Window Is Open

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:43:00 GMT

The English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) window opened on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. This state assessment is required each year for all students eligible to receive NCLB Title III services. For 2011-12, students must take the ELPA if they are exited from ELD services after September 15 of the current year or if they have received ELD services in the current year (e.g., districts must not administer the ELPA to students who were exited from ELD services prior to September 15 of the current school year and have not received ELD services in the current year). For additional information about the ELPA, please refer to Appendix H of the 2011-12 Test Administration Manual and at www.ode.state.or.us/go/elpa.

Print Function for ELPA Reading for 2011-12

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:35:00 GMT

In 2011-12, reading passages on the first segment of the ELPA will have the same print functionality as other OAKS content areas. This allows students the option to print a secure ELPA reading passage. As with all printing of secure items, the TA must approve the student request, and any secure materials must be disposed of in manner compliant with the Test Administrator Manual. Here is the applicable language from the Test Administrator Manual: “Before the TA approves the student’s request to print a test item, the TA must ensure that the test item is set to print on a printer that is monitored by staff who have received test security training and signed an Assurance of Test Security form for the current school year. Printed test items must be collected and inventoried at the end of each testing event and securely shredded immediately. DO NOT keep printed test items for future testing events.” For additional information, please review the ...MORE

Extended Assessment Braille and Large Print Ordering Deadline: January 20, 2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:19:00 GMT

The window to order Oregon’s Alternate Assessment (Extended Assessment) in Braille and/or Large Print opens November 10, 2011. To order please complete, sign, and submit the attached order form via email or fax to Bob Disher at Oregon's Textbook and Media Center (OTMC) by January 20, 2012. Incomplete or unsigned order forms will not be processed. You will receive an email confirmation once OTMC has received your Braille or Large Print test request.

If you have additional questions, please contact Brad Lenhardt at Brad.Lenhardt@state.or.us .

Scientific Inquiry Student Feedback Forms Available

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:14:00 GMT

ODE has developed and posted new model Scientific Inquiry Student Feedback Forms for educators to use in order to document student scores, and to give allowable feedback for possible revision(s). The student feedback forms are similar to the math student feedback forms that were developed to assist in the scoring of problem solving local performance tasks. The forms are not required, but some districts use this type of documentation in order to keep track of student scores. Student feedback forms have been developed for the following levels: 3rd Grade, 4th/5th Grade, Middle School (6th-8th Grade), and High School (9th-12th Grade).

The student feedback forms can be found at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=2667.

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - January 12, 2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:10:00 GMT

Each week, we will address recent activities of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) of which Oregon is a governing state. Beginning in 2014-2015, SBAC will facilitate delivery of the common assessments in Mathematics and English Language Arts.

Item Specifications: The initial draft of Item Specification documents -- Accessibility Guidelines, ELA Specs, Math Specs, Technology Enhanced Item Specs and Performance Task Specs -- ODE staff will submit their review of these documents on January 19. If you have feedback on these documents please send it to Carla.martinez@state.or.us by Tuesday, January 17. A second Item Specifications Showcase is being planned for late January.

Mathematics Content Specifications: Second round of review was concluded last week.

Procurem ...MORE

Reminder: Class Size 2011-12 Opens January 19, 2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:05:00 GMT

The 2011-12 Class Size Collection will open January 19, 2012. It will close on March 2, 2012. The 2011-12 Manual has been updated and posted to the Schedule of Due Dates page.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partner .

Report Cards Must Be Distributed by January 15 (which is a Sunday this year)

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:53:00 GMT

During the last legislative session the Oregon legislature amended ORS 329.105 relating to school and district report cards. These amendments included a revision in the school and district report card distribution requirements. In response, the State Board of Education adopted at its December meeting a change to OAR 581-022-1060 that provides more options for school and district report card distribution. The new distribution rules are as follows.

By January 15 of each year, school districts shall make a copy of the state provided school and school district performance report available to the parent(s) or guardian(s) of each child enrolled in a public school in the school district by doing one or more of the following:

(a) Mailing a copy;

(b) Electronically sending a copy; or

(c) Providing a link to a state or district web site containing the reports and also making copies available in local schools, libraries, parents centers, community ...MORE

OAKS Online Reporting Will Provide Access to Out of District Scores Starting January 17

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:37:00 GMT

On Tuesday, January 17 AIR will launch a new feature in the online reporting system. On the home page of the online reporting system there will be two new buttons:

Scores for students who were mine during the selected administration

Scores for my current students

If users choose “scores for students who were mine during the selected administration,” they will see exactly what they currently see in the online reporting system. If users choose “scores for my current students” and then choose an administration year from the drop-down box that is different from the current administration year (years 07-08 through 11-12 can be chosen in the drop-down box) they will see scores for their current students from the year selected, even if a current student was in a different school or district in the selected year. This will allow users to access previous year’s test score data for students who transferred into their school or district prior to the current academic ...MORE

2012 National Youth Science Camp

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:38:00 GMT
Encourage high school seniors to apply for the 2012 National Youth Science Camp!

The National Youth Science Camp (NYSC), hosted and sponsored by the National Youth Science Foundation, is an intense all expenses paid three-week camp (June 27-July 21, 2012) that honors and challenges two graduating high school students from each state and others from selected countries around the world. Scientists who work on some of the most provocative topics in science today present lectures and hands-on science seminars and linger to interact informally with the student delegates. Delegates are challenged to explore new areas in the biological and physical sciences, art, and music with resident staff members. Opportunities are provided for delegates to present seminars covering their own areas of interest and research. The NYSC will be held at a facility located in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. A visit to Washington D.C. permits delegates to visit some of the nation's premier s ...MORE

Math Update #33 January 2012 Posted

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:59:00 GMT
The January 2012 Math Teacher Update is now posted! The Math Teacher Update is a monthly e-newsletter that provides teachers and other educators with information about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, etc. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the Mathematics Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

January 2012 District Warrants

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Click January 2012 District Warrants to view the warrants.

January 2012 ESD Warrants

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Click January 2012 ESD Warrants to view the warrants.

Oregon Sustainable Schools Awards and Green Ribbon Schools

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:55:00 GMT
Schools can apply for new Sustainable School Awards

(Salem, OR.) The Oregon Department of Education is pleased to announce the launch of the Oregon Sustainable Schools Awards. The Oregon award program identifies nominees for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools recognition program. The Sustainable Oregon Schools Initiative (SOSI), along with the Oregon Department of Education created the awards to recognize public and private K-12 schools that demonstrate progress in the following four key areas:
Environmental Impacts
Healthy, Safe School Environments and Services for Students and Staff
Education for Sustainability: Environmental and Social Literacy
Social Sustainability
Any public or private K-12 school in Oregon can apply. The Oregon awards include recognition of the school with the highest overall achievement score in all key areas, as well as recognition of the highest achieving schools in each of th ...MORE

Mentor Training Opportunities Available

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:29:00 GMT
The Oregon Department of Education in collaboration with The New Teacher Center is offering two training opportunities for Analysis of Student Work.

Trainings will be held in Salem and in Bend. Please see the flyer for registration and location details. For additional information please feel free to contact ODE staff.

Mentor Training Opportunities

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:09:00 GMT
The Oregon Department of Education in collaboration with The New Teacher Center is offering two training opportunities: Coaching in Complex Situation (February 23) and Mentoring for Equity (March 21-22).

This training is a requirement for district personnel participating in the Oregon Mentoring Project; however, all districts are encouraged to send personnel who mentor beginning educators.

Both trainings will be held in Salem. Please see the flyer for registration and location details. For additional information please feel free to contact ODE staff.

Brochure for Parents of Students Using Braille For State Testing

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 07:00:00 GMT
In December students in Dallas and Hermiston were the first to use the new Braille Interface for the OAKS Online system. The Braille interface provides students with access to the adaptive OAKS Online test with the same number of testing opportunities as general education students. Students use a combination of the supporting Braille technologies to take the OAKS assessments. There is a brochure for parents about the Braille Information; and more information is on the web at www.ode.state.or.us/go/braille.

January 2012 EII Update Released

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 17:36:00 GMT
The EII Update is a monthly newsletter highlighting information from the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation on: standards, career and technical education, title programs, professional development and other topics of interest to Oregon educators.

Articles this month include:

WRITING in Oregon!

District Leader Sees Results Using Oregon’s Framework

Guidance for Developing Alternative Education and Innovative Schools

Mark Your Calendar: February CCSS Webinars!

The CCSS Implementation Toolkit Is Here!

State Board of Education Adopts Core Teaching Standards and Educational Leadership/Administrator Standards

2011 Tax Exemption Memo

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 16:10:00 GMT

The 2011 Tax Exemption Memo is now available online. The Oregon Tax Code provides an additional tax exemption for parents of certain IDEA-eligible children with disabilities.

Bus Driver Instructor Courses

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT
The application for 2012 Bus Driver Instructor Courses is now on the Pupil Transportation web site. You can go directly to the application by clicking here.

January 2012 Health Teacher Update Released

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 22:00:00 GMT
In the January 2012 Health Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Health Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

January 2012 Physical Education Teacher Update Released

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 21:40:00 GMT
In the January 2012 Physical Education Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Physical Education Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

ESEA Flexibility Webinars - January 5 and 9 at 4 PM

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 15:19:00 GMT
Superintendent Castillo and Governor Kitzhaber’s Education Policy Advisor Ben Cannon will participate in two live webinars to discuss Oregon’s first draft of its application for an ESEA Flexibility request - providing an overview of a new accountability and reporting system for our state. During the webinar you will be able to submit questions to Superintendent Castillo or Ben Cannon which will be answered at the end of the presentation.

ESEA Flexibility Webinar I - Thursday, January 5, 2012
Time: 4:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time
Meeting Number/Access Code: 925 674 549

ESEA Flexibility Webinar II - Monday, January 9, 2012
Time: 4:00 pm, Pacific Standard Time
Meeting Number/Access Code: 923 257 134

Online Web portion at http://oregoned.webex.com

Meeting Access Codes listes above for each webinar. Note: This meeting does not require a password.

...MORE

Assessment and Accountability Update - January 5, 2012

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for January 5, 2012 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

2011-12 Winter Writing Test Window Opens

2011-12 ELPA Test Window Opens Next Week

Grade 11 Restriction for Writing Assessment to Continue through 2012-13

Best Practices Guide for Administering OAKS

Revising an OAKS Writing assessment for use as an Essential Skills local performance ...MORE

2012 Summer Food Program Training Information

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 18:43:00 GMT

Summer food trainings will be held in March 2012. All sponsors must attend a training to sponsor a summer food program.

If you are a continuing sponsor you will automatically receive registration notification.

If you would like to attend the 2012 training for new sponsors contact Kathy Duncan at kathy.r.duncan@state.or.us to request registration notification.

If you would like more information on the Summer Food Program contact Barbara Cracknell at Barbara.cracknell@state.or.us for general information about the program and how to become a sponsor.

Summer food trainings will be held in March 2012. All sponsors must attend a training to sponsor a summer food program.
< ...MORE

Cohort Graduation Reports

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 17:18:00 GMT

The final posting of Cohort Graduation Reports and NCES Dropouts and Graduation Reports has been scheduled for January 12. These refreshed reports should reflect all approved updates, resolved merged student issues, and updated Cumulative ADM records.

Our ODE Communications Office has scheduled the public release of Cohort Graduation and NCES Dropout Reports for March 13.

If you have questions or need assistance with your student data, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partner .

Fall Membership Previews and Final Report

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 17:11:00 GMT

Week of January 2nd: Second Preview sent to districts for review.

Week of January 16th: Third Preview sent to districts for review.

Week of January 30th: Final Preview sent to districts.

February 8: Fall Membership Press Release

Note that all changes must be made in first period Cumulative ADM before January 30 in order to be reflected in the Final Preview and Final Fall Membership Report.

If you have questions or need assistance with your student data, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partner .

Out of District Test Scores Available January 6 in the Assessment Warehouse Extract Application

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:52:00 GMT

An update of the Assessment Warehouse Extract application will allow users to download all historical test data for a student that they have claimed, regardless of where the test was taken. The update will take place January 5, with the data becoming viewable January 6. Access to the historical data is granted to the resident and the attending institution listed on the test record, the current SSID record or any past Cumulative ADM record. Please note there is a one day lag between claiming the student(s) in the SSID System or the current Cumulative ADM collection and the historical assessment data being available. This reporting file format can be found at: https://district.ode.state.or.us/wma/apps/cc/asmtreportingfileformat.xls .

If you have questions or need assistance with your student data, please contact you ...MORE

Second Period Cumulative ADM Closing January 13, 2012

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:44:00 GMT

The Second Period Cumulative ADM data collection is currently open and will close January 13, 2012. The collection will remain closed January 16-20, 2012 to allow ODE to review the submitted data. The collection will be reopened again to all districts January 23 - February 1, 2012 for district review of the audit report and to make corrections as needed. The collection period is from July 1, 2011 through December 30, 2011.

If you have questions or need assistance in submitting your student data, please contact your Regional Collections Support Partner .

iPad/Mobile Tablet Use on Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (OAKS) is Prohibited for Students

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:40:00 GMT

Stakeholders - including IT Managers, the Assessment Advisory Committee, and the ELPA Content Panel - provided feedback in regard to benefits and risks associated with student use of mobile devices for taking summative assessments like OAKS Online or ELPA. At this time, there is no evidence that taking OAKS Online on an iPad/Mobile Tablet would be an equivalent experience as on a desktop or laptop computer. With the spectrum of concerns regarding the validity and security of a summative assessment delivered on a mobile tablet, ODE’s Office of Assessment and Information Systems has decided that the use of iPad/Mobile Tablets during OAKS Online or ELPA is prohibited for students at this time. Potential academic dishonesty issues, equity and ergonomic (scrolling time) issues were taken into account before the final decision was made.

The use of mobile tablets by Test Administrators is allowed in order to proctor the OAKS Online or ELPA currently.

The brief on th ...MORE

Best Practices Guide for Administering OAKS Presented to the State Board

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:37:00 GMT

On December 1, 2011 ODE presented the draft Best Practices Guide to the State Board of Education for the Board’s consideration. The updated Best Practices Guide will be presented to the Board for formal adoption on January 19, 2012. In response to stakeholder feedback, ODE has updated the draft Best Practices Guide to guide districts in how to meet the challenge of providing for students who are not engaged in re-testing.

The updated draft Best Practices Guide and anticipated revision to Part VI of the Test Administration Manual are posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam. In anticipation of adoption by the State Board of Education on Thursday, January 19, 2012, ODE has also posted two sample parent letters to assist districts with their communication strategy.

January 2012 Arts Teacher Update Released

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:34:00 GMT
In the January 4, 2012 Arts Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Grade 11 Restriction for Writing Assessment to Continue through 2012-13

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:31:00 GMT

Due to budgetary restrictions, during its 2011 Session, the Oregon State Legislature determined that the Writing Performance Assessment will only be available for students enrolled in Grade 11 who have not already met or exceeded the state achievement standard on the Writing assessment. As described in ODE Numbered Memorandum # 001-2011-12 (http://www.ode.state.or.us/news/announcements/announcement.aspx?ID=7543&TypeID=4), this restriction went into effect starting in 2011-12.

Absent additional action by the Legislature, this restriction will remain in effect through 2012-13. Given that the Writing Essential Skills graduation requirement first goes into effect for the 2009-10 9th grade cohort, many of whom are anticipated to graduate in 2012-13, districts should begin planning to provide additional assessment options for those students who do not pass the Writing assessment this year as 1 ...MORE

2011-12 ELPA Test Window Opens Next Week

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:24:00 GMT

The English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) window opens on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. This state assessment is required each year for all students eligible to receive NCLB Title III services. For additional information about the ELPA, please refer to Appendix H of the 2011-12 Test Administration Manual (http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/admin/2011-12_appendix-h.pdf ).

In anticipation of the opening of the 2011-12 ELPA Window, ODE has the following reminders (from the Test Administration Manual and the ELPA Users Guide):

For 2011-12, the ELPA is a single assessment made up of two segments. The first segment of the ELPA will include the Reading, Writing and Listening items. At the end of the first segment, students are given the opportunity to review their answers prior to fi ...MORE

2011-12 Winter Writing Test Window Is Open

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 16:11:00 GMT

The Winter Writing test window opens for Grade 11 students only on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. The online writing test window lasts from January 11 - March 16. The paper-based writing test window lasts from January 11 - February 23. Districts administering the winter paper-based writing test received their shipment of secure materials between January 2 - January 4. This shipment included both English and Spanish tests. Districts that ordered Braille Writing tests will receive a separate shipment including the Braille version of the test. Districts must ensure that all secure test materials are stored in a secure area in accordance with Part IV - Test Security of the 2012-12 Test Administration Manual . Remember to keep all boxes in which your shipment arrives for use in returning completed Writing tests for sc ...MORE

LTCT Education Funding Clarification

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:06:00 GMT
The LTCT Education Funding Clarification memo is meant to provide guidance to help ensure appropriate funding and student reporting. Identified below are:
Background information, including the statutory requirements associated with LTCT education programs;
Five examples of placements made to LTCT facilities and a description of the educational responsibilities;
A table summarizing placements, responsibilities, funding sources, and sample scenarios.

This information is provided solely in reference to those programs currently served by the Department’s LTCT Education Programs. It is not meant to clarify residency or funding options for other programs. Questions can be directed to Cherisse Loop, Education Specialist, at 503-947-5776.

To see the entire LTCT Education Funding Clarification memo please click here.

Reminder: January 4 Office of Assessment and Accountability DTC WebEx

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:00:00 GMT

On Wednesday, January 4, 2012, the Office of Assessment and Accountability will host its quarterly DTC WebEx from 9:00 – 10:00 am. District Test Coordinators and other school and district staff are invited to attend this WebEx, where ODE staff will provide updates on current assessment and accountability-related issues and respond to questions.

To attend the WebEx, go to https://oregoned.webex.com/mw0306ld/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=oregoned select the DTC meeting and log in with your name and email. The password for these meetings is: education.

Note: These meetings are not recorded and notes will not be taken. All vital information will also be communicated via the Assessment and Accountability Update or the District Test Coordinator email listserv.

ESEA Flexibility Waiver Draft

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:52:00 GMT

Tuesday, December 20, State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo and Governor Kitzhaber’s Education Advisor Ben Cannon unveiled the first draft of Oregon’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver proposal. The first draft of the waiver provides key insights into the proposed direction for a new accountability and reporting system for our state. Oregon’s waiver proposal has been coordinated by the Oregon Department of Education and the Governor’s office in partnership with dedicated volunteers from around the state.

Oregon’s draft waiver proposal is the product of months of work by over 100 educators, business and community leaders, and government staff. You can download and review the executive summary and waiver document on the ODE website at:http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/nextgen.

Oregon School for the Deaf Advisory Board Meeting Notice

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
January 6, 2012
9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

At the Oregon School for the Deaf, Clerc Conference Room
999 Locust Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97301

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS WELCOME:
From 9:05 A.M. to 9:10 A.M. Public Comment will be received.

The Oregon Department of Education meetings are held in accordance with open meeting laws and accessibility requirements. The Oregon Department of Education complies with the American Disabilities Act of 1990. If you have a disability and need accommodations in connection with the OSD Advisory Board meeting, please notify the Oregon School for the Deaf, 999 Locust Street NE, Salem, Oregon 97301, telephone 503-378-3825, within 72 hours prior to the meeting so that necessary arrangements can be made.

Seeking Nominations for 2012 History Teacher of the Year

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:48:00 GMT

Do you know an outstanding history teacher? Nominate him/her for History Teacher of the Year!

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is seeking nominations for the annual $10,000 National History Teacher of the Year Award, given to the best American history teacher in the United States. The National History Teacher of the Year is chosen from outstanding history teachers in each state, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Department of Defense Schools. The award is sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY® (the History Channel), and Preserve America.

Nominations for the National History Teacher of the Year can be made by a student, parent, colleague, principal or school administrator familiar with the teacher’s work. State winners are awarded $1,000 and each winning school receives an archive of books and other resources. Each winner is honored in a ceremony in his or her home state. Elementary school teachers (K-6 ...MORE

State Board of Education Announces New Member

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:55:00 GMT

(Salem, Ore.) – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo and State Board Chair Brenda Frank are pleased to announce Serilda Summers-McGee as the latest member of the State Board of Education. Summers-McGee was confirmed by the Oregon Senate last month and will fill the term vacated by Nikki Squire.

“Serilda brings a wealth of knowledge of both higher education and business, a passion for addressing the academic achievement gap, and a firm belief in the power of education to lift students out of poverty,” said Superintendent Castillo. “I know that the breadth and depth of her experience will be a valuable addition to the State Board of Education.”

Serilda Summers-McGee currently serves as the Executive Director of Partners in Diversity, an organization dedicated to helping Portland area businesses recruit and retain professionals of color. Partners in Diversity operates under the Charitable Trust of the Portland Business Alliance.

“My interes ...MORE

December 19 Update - Draft Best Practices Guide for Administering OAKS

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:25:00 GMT

On December 1, 2011 ODE presented the draft Best Practices Guide to the State Board of Education for the Board’s consideration. ODE will bring the draft Best Practices Guide back to the Board for formal adoption on January 19, 2012. In response to stakeholder feedback, ODE has updated the draft Best Practices Guide to guide districts in how to meet the challenge of providing for students who are not engaged in re-testing.

The updated draft Best Practices Guide and proposed revision to Part VI of the Test Administration Manual are posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam. In anticipation of adoption by the State Board of Education, ODE has also posted two sample parent letters to assist districts with their communication strategy.

Classroom Classifiers: What's the Best Classifier to Represent a Concept?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:19:00 GMT

Boys Town National Research Hospital will be conducting video conference training for sign language interpreters. Specific content information can be found on this flyer . This video conference has been approved for continuing education units. Please click on the appropriate link below to register.

Intermountain ESD, 2001 SW Nye Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801

Southern Oregon ESD, 1021 NW Highland, Grants Pass, OR 97526

Willamette ESD, 2611 Pringle Rd SE, Salem, OR 97302

Assessment and Accountability Update - December 15, 2011

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:15:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for December 15, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

OAKS Online Scheduled Down Time and Deployment of Additional Opportunities

Test Item Security Reminder

Retesting of 3rd – 8th Graders restricted beginning January 2012

Revising an OAKS Writing assessment for use as an Essential Skills local performance assessment (work sample)

Superintendent's Update #353

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:56:00 GMT

Superintendent Castillo's updates showcase the efforts and achievements of Oregon schools. Through these regular messages, the Superintendent hopes to increase communications regarding important initiatives for Oregon's students. Click here to access archived issues of Superintendent’s Update.

In This Issue:

Closing the Achievement Gap: Spotlight on Weddle Elementary

Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework: Self Assessments Provide Value to Educators and Students

Oregon Diploma Talk

Opportunities and Financial Resources for Students and Schools

Susan’s Schedule

2011-12 Test Administration Manual , if a student is concerned about an item, test administrators may direct the student to enter the concern through the student comments tool of the student interface. However, test administrators must not initiate comments on test items. ODE has provided student directions that a test administrator can read aloud to a student who has a concern about a test item. These directions appear on p. B-10 of the 2011-12 Test Administration Manual.

Protectin ...MORE

Retesting of 3rd - 8th Graders Restricted Beginning January 2012

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:07:00 GMT

Senate Bill 801 - which prompted ODE to develop an Assessment Best Practices Guide - also restricts OAKS Online retesting of 3rd - 8th graders beginning in January. Students in grades 3-8 who have already met or exceeded the state achievement standard cannot be retested unless a parent provides permission.

ODE will post an updated draft Best Practices Guide as well as an update to the Test Administration Manual by Monday, December 19, 2011, to http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam. The State Board of Education is expected to adopt the Assessment Best Practices Guide in January 2012. ODE will provide sample letters that districts may use to notify parents:

Using passive language such that the parent is assumed to consent to re-testing (this can be used from January to June 2012), or

Using explicit language such that the parent must specifically consent to any re-test once their student has met or exceede ...MORE

Revising an OAKS Writing Assessment For Use as an Essential Skills Local Performance Assessment (Work Sample)

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:03:00 GMT

ODE has recently received several questions from the field regarding the potential for high school students who did not meet the standard on an OAKS Writing assessment to revise their test for use as one of the three required writing work samples to demonstrate proficiency in the Essential Skill of Writing. ODE has determined that allowing students to revise their non-meeting OAKS Writing assessment as a work sample is permissible so long as the following conditions are met:

Districts must adhere to all test security requirements and protocol, as described in Part IV of the Test Administration Manual (TAM): http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/admin/2011-12-tam.pdf

Districts are prohibited from maintaining copies of the secure writing prompts for any purpose, as described in Appendix G of the TAM (page G-11): ...MORE

Extending the ELPA Adaptive Algorithm to the Speaking Domain - Update December 15, 2011

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:59:00 GMT

As described in the November 17 Assessment and Accountability Update, ODE has been following up on stakeholder feedback concerning the application of the adaptive algorithm for the speaking segment for 2011-12. Over the past several weeks, ODE has worked with its vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR) and members of the ELPA Content Panel and the Assessment Advisory Panel, to further analyze the ELPA speaking item pool, the use of the adaptive algorithm, and overall approach to delivering ELPA Speaking items to students. This analysis was precipitated by concern stakeholders raised that for those students who may be more proficient in speaking than in the other domains; they advised ODE to look into whether the selection of speaking items on such a student’s performance in the other domains might artificially lower the difficulty of the speaking items presented to the student and therefore prevent the student from accurately demonstrating proficiency in speaking.

In 2011-2012, th ...MORE

ELPA Test Specifications and Blueprints Updated

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:57:00 GMT

During the review of the ELPA speaking items for the use with the semi-adaptive algorithm, an adjustment was made to the speaking segment at grade band 2-3. During 2011-12, students in 2nd and 3rd grade will be presented with four Elicited Imitation items, one Speaking Short Response item, and one Speaking Extended Response item. The ELPA test specifications and blueprint documents have been updated to reflect this change, and appear on the ODE website at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=496.

Expect Your Winter Writing Test Shipment January 2 to 4

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:55:00 GMT

The 2012 Winter Writing test window opens on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Districts administering the paper format of the Winter Writing test will receive their shipment of secure test materials between Monday, January 2, 2012 and Wednesday, January 4, 2012. This shipment will include both English and Spanish tests. Districts that ordered Braille Writing tests will receive a separate shipment including the Braille version of the test. Districts must ensure that all secure test materials are stored in a secure area in accordance with Part IV - Test Security of the 2012-12 Test Administration Manual . Remember to keep all boxes in which your shipment arrives for use in returning completed Writing tests for scoring.

Districts will receive a return kit in a separate shipment by Thursday, February 9, 2012. This ret ...MORE

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - December 15, 2011

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:53:00 GMT

Work is focused on procurement of services from vendors through Requests for Proposals. The RFP for the Item Authoring and Item Pool (RFP 07) application has been released to vendors - Proposals are due Wednesday, January 18. The Consortium is seeking to acquire and implement an application that can support item authoring and development activities as well as store and retrieve the pool of items available for use by the summative and interim assessment system. The RFP is available at http://www.smarterbalanced.org/Jobs-Contracts.aspx.

The summative assessment item specifications kick-off meeting was held December 1-3 - Work on the contract for RFP-04 Item Specifications began last week with the kick-off meeting in Phoenix, hosted by the contractors, Measured Progress and ETS. Key staff from these companies and co-chairs and work group members from Item Development, Performance Tasks, and Accessibility and Accommodati ...MORE

The final draft version of the Smarter Balanced math content specifications has been released for public review

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:51:00 GMT

As stated by SBAC, this draft reflects revisions based on feedback from more than 200 individuals and organizations. Once finalized, the content specifications for mathematics and ELA/literacy will serve as the basis for the SMARTER Balanced system of summative and interim assessments and formative assessment support for teachers. The Mathematics Content Specifications materials are available at: http://www.smarterbalanced.org/Resources.aspx. Feedback will be used to create the final content specification documents which should be released in early 2012. Input can be submitted in one of two ways:

Send directly to SBAC. Stakeholders have until 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 to submit feedback on this final review of the Mathematics Content Specifications.

In addition to individual and group feedback submitted directly to SBAC, ODE specialists (Mark Freed and James Leigh) will coordinate fe ...MORE

2011-2013 Social Sciences OAKS Assesses 2001 Content Standards

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:46:00 GMT

Oregon’s new Social Sciences content standards are organized under six strands: History, Geography, Civics and Government, Economics, Financial Literacy, and Social Science Analysis at each grade in K-8 and for high school. The core and grade-level content standards reference both content and skills. These new Social Sciences Standards can be accessed at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/subjects/socialscience/standards/adoptedsocialsciencesstandards8-2011.pdf .

Similar to mathematics and science, these new social sciences content standards are organized by both:

The core standards describing the Social Sciences knowledge and skills expected of an Oregon high school graduate.

The grade-level content standards describing developmental knowledge and skills that will l ...MORE

Presentation on the OAKS Adaptive Algorithm via WebEx

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:43:00 GMT

On Wednesday, January 4, 2012 ODE and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) will co-host a WebEx from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. to provide a presentation on how the OAKS Online and ELPA adaptive algorithms work. If you would like to participate in this WebEx, please e-mail Cari White at cari.white@state.or.us .

State Board Adopts Revised Report Card Distribution Rules

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:35:00 GMT

During the last legislative session the Oregon legislature amended ORS 329.105 relating to school and district report cards. These amendments included a revision in the school and district report card distribution requirements. In response, the State Board of Education adopted at its December meeting a change to OAR 581-022-1060 that provides more options for school and district report card distribution. The new distribution rules are as follows.

By January 15 of each year, school districts shall make a copy of the state provided school and school district performance report available to the parent(s) or guardian(s) of each child enrolled in a public school in the school district by doing one or more of the following:

(a) Mailing a copy;

(b) Electronically sending a copy; or

(c) Providing a link to a state or district web site containing the reports and also making copies available in local schools, libraries, parents centers, community center ...MORE

December 2011 District Warrants

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:00:00 GMT
Click December 2011 District Warrants to view the warrants.

December 2011 ESD Warrants

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:00:00 GMT
Click December 2011 ESD Warrants to view the warrants.

OSEP Spanish Glossary

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:44:00 GMT

The right of parents to participate in educational decision-making regarding their child with a disability is an integral part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The OSEP Spanish Glossary was developed by the Region 1 Parent Technical Assistance Center@SPAN to ensure that educational terms related to the implementation of IDEA used in documents are translated in a uniform and comprehensible way, across states, geographical regions and communities of Spanish speakers.

Included in this glossary are more than 200 education and disability terms that have been translated from English to Spanish by a diverse team of individuals involved in providing training and information for Spanish speaking families from dozens of countries. This resource will promote parents’ authentic participation in the IEP/IFSP process and assist families in better understanding the language of special education and early intervention that is critical so they may effectively partner with ...MORE

2011-12 News Release Calendar

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:34:00 GMT

To assist you in your communications planning, below are the official ODE data releases for the remainder of the 2011-12 school year.

January 2012
JANUARY 27: Cohort Graduation Rate/Dropout Report (moved from March 13)

February 2012
FEBRUARY 8: 2011-12 Statewide Fall Enrollment

March 2012
MARCH 7: Special Education Child Count

April 2012
APRIL 4: Special Education Report Cards

Math Update #32 December 2011 Posted

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:24:00 GMT
The December 2011 Math Teacher Update is now posted! The Math Teacher Update is a monthly e-newsletter that provides teachers and other educators with information about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, etc. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the Mathematics Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Out-of-District Test Scores Availability in Assessment Warehouse Extract Application Delayed

Thu, 8 Dec 2011 20:55:00 GMT

The planned update of the Assessment Warehouse Extract application that will allow users to download all historical test data for a student they have claimed, regardless of where the test was taken has been delayed. This supersedes a message that was circulated in the December 8 edition of the Assessment & Accountability Update earlier today.

Other updates occurred that will allow the current year’s data to be viewable through the Assessment Warehouse Extract as planned on December 9. The reporting file format can be found at: https://district.ode.state.or.us/wma/apps/cc/asmtreportingfileformat.xls .

If you have questions or need assistance with your student data, please contact your Regional Assessment Support Partner

Assessment and Accountability Update - December 8, 2011

Thu, 8 Dec 2011 14:25:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for December 8, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Out of District Test Scores Available December 9 in the Assessment Warehouse Extract Application

Winter Paper/Pencil Writing Order Window Closes Dec. 12

Video Training/WebEx: Student Centered Staging 2011-2012

Best Practices Guide Reviewed by State Board of Education

Development ...MORE

Winter Paper-Pencil Writing Order Window Closes December 12

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 17:34:00 GMT

The order window for Winter Paper-Pencil Writing (grade 11 only) is now open. Districts will have through Monday, December 12, 2011 to complete their orders for the winter test window. Districts may order Paper-Pencil writing tests for their students using the Test Information Delivery Engine (TIDE) of the OAKS Online System. The TIDE User guide includes detailed instructions on the order process (http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?391).

Please remember that based on legislative action, the 2011-12 Writing Performance Assessment will only be offered for students currently enrolled in Grade 11 who have not already taken and passed the assessment. ODE will not fill orders submitted by districts for students enrolled in a grade other than Grade 11 or for Grade 11 students who already have a passing score.

While districts will receive an overage of “blank” writing booklets to address fluctuations in s ...MORE

Video Training/WebEx: Student Centered Staging 2011-2012

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 17:29:00 GMT

The 'Student Centered Staging 2011-2012' WebEx is scheduled for Tuesday, December 13 at 2 PM. This WebEx will focus on management of assessment data in Student Centered Staging (i.e., editing posted records; reviewing and correcting errors; applying administration, modification, and accommodation codes) and accessing the test records in the new Reporting File Format from the Assessment Warehouse Extract application. Handouts will be available on the Video Training website: https://district.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=211.

To join the online meeting, go to https://oregoned.webex.com/oregoned/j.php?ED=13565943&UID=0&PW=NOTM1NzVlNTNk&RT=MiM0 and enter your name and email address. Password: training123

As with all videoconference sessions offered by ODE, streaming video copies will be available f ...MORE

Best Practices Guide Reviewed by State Board of Education

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 17:16:00 GMT

On Thursday, December 1, ODE staff presented the draft Best Practices Guide to the State Board of Education, along with co-presenters from Stand for Children, the Oregon Education Association, and the Assessment Advisory Committee. The presentation reviewed the purpose of the Guide as required by Senate Bill 801: to emphasize appropriate usage of the OAKS as a summative assessment and to communicate the restriction on retesting students in grades 3 - 8 who have already met or exceeded the state achievement standard. The presentation also described the process followed by ODE in developing the Guide and how it may impact school and district testing practices. ODE will take the Guide back to the State Board of Education for adoption in January 2012. In preparation for adoption, ODE will post an updated draft Guide by Monday, December 19, 2011, to http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam.

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - December 7, 2011

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 17:05:00 GMT

SBAC Receives Funding to Establish ELL Advisory Committee

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium has been awarded a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to form an English-language learners advisory committee to build research-based access strategies directly into the assessment development process. The panel will provide guidance from an English language development perspective and will address topics typically covered in test blueprints such as:

Vertical alignment of content;

The balance of test length and content breadth and depth;

Proportion of available item types;

Design of an adaptive algorithm;

Support for access to the assessment incorporated into the assessment; and

Which additional resources should be made available to ELL students.

Also, the ELL advisory panel will assist the consortium in addressing the complex policy and technical issues associated with pr ...MORE

Test Impropriety Trends

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 16:41:00 GMT

The 2011-12 OAKS Online testing window opened on November 8, 2011. In the first month of testing, school districts have reported a total of twenty-three test improprieties impacting fifty student tests. The table below shows the breakdown of reported improprieties by type, identifying whether the impropriety was initiated by an adult or by a student.

Type of Impropriety Adult-Initiated Student-Initiated Total

Non-allowable resource 0 13 13

Mishandling of secure test materials 1 2 3

Student cheating 0

Assessment and Accountability Checklist 2011-2012 Updated December 7, 2011

Wed, 7 Dec 2011 16:24:00 GMT

The Assessment and Accountability Checklist has been updated as of December 7, 2011. It is located at http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/admin/asmtacctbltychecklist1112.pdf .

December 2011 Social Sciences Teacher Update Posted

Mon, 5 Dec 2011 15:23:00 GMT
In the December 2011 Social Sciences Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Social Science Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

December 2011 EII Update Released

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 16:03:00 GMT
The EII Update is a monthly newsletter highlighting information from the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation on: standards, career and technical education, title programs, professional development and other topics of interest to Oregon educators.

Articles this month include:

CCSS Spanish Language Resources

CCSS Toolkit Coming Soon!

SBAC Question of the Week

The Upcoming Mathematics Assessment through the SMARTER Balanced Assessment

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Nominations Now Open

Districts and ESDs Share CCSS Resources

Introducing Module 1 for ELA & Literacy

EII Regional Support Changes

Oregon Association on Comprehensive Education (OACE) – 2012 Winter Conference, January 26-28, Seaside Convention Center

ODE USDA Foods Distribution Bulletin Vol. 003

Fri, 2 Dec 2011 10:25:00 GMT
Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs
USDA Foods Distribution Bulletin Vol. 003

The purpose of this bulletin is to update sponsors on the most up-to-date information on the USDA Foods program. To view the bulletin, click here .
To view the new USDA foods ordering guide, click here .

Assessment and Accountability Update - December 1, 2011

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 15:00:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for December 1, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-15

Oregon to Help Lead Work on Next Generation Science Standards

Essential Skills Training of Trainers Opportunities Continue in December

And more...

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015

...MORE

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - December 1, 2011

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:52:00 GMT

Interim Assessments: With development and procurement activities underway on the summative assessment, SBAC is focusing attention on the design of their interim assessments. As part of a balanced assessment system, interim assessments can provide information about what students know and can do in relation to the Common Core State Standards throughout the year, allowing educators to adapt and make mid-course corrections.

The SMARTER Balanced design includes the development of optional, computer-adaptive interim assessments that can be administered at locally determined intervals. Just like the summative assessment, these interim assessments will include a variety of item types—selected-response, short constructed-response, extended constructed-response, and technology-enhanced items—as well as performance tasks. The interim item bank will be non-secure, making it accessible for both instruction and professional development.

Note: Currently the cost ...MORE

Essential Skills Training of Trainers Opportunities Continue in December

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:43:00 GMT

WebEx training sessions which provide local facilitators with the materials and background to conduct local workshops on scoring reading, writing and math Essential Skills worksamples will continue during early December.

Scheduled trainings include the following:

December 5 - Level 2 Intro to Math Scoring for High School

December 7 - Level 3 In-Depth Math Scoring for High School

December 8 - Level 4 Math Task Development for Middle or High School

December 12 - Level 4 Reading Task Development for Middle or High School

All training sessions are from 2:00 - 4:00 pm PST. To register for any of the sessions listed above, please e-mail Natalie Aichlmayr .

A full menu of trainings will resume in mid-January. Click here (November 30, 2011 Arts Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Reminder: Staff Position Collection Opens December 8

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:43:00 GMT

The Staff Position Collection will open December 8, 2011, and remain open until February 3, 2012. This year’s snapshot date is December 1, 2011. Remember to update your USID records before submitting to Staff Position. The USID collection is open now.

For information or assistance, please see the 2011-12 Staff Position Manual or contact your Regional ESD Partner .

Second Period Cumulative ADM Data Collection Opening

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:28:00 GMT

The second period Cumulative ADM data collection is open from December 15, 2011 through January 13, 2012. The collection period is from July 1, 2011 through December 30, 2011.

If you have questions or need assistance in submitting your student data, please contact your regional ESD partner. Regions 1 and 3 - Karen Brown Smith at 800-706-4447 x 3124 or Peter Campbell at 800-706-4447 x 3203. Region 2 - MJ Chain at 877-373-3684 x 4756.

Fall Membership Preview Schedule Revised

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:23:00 GMT

The Fall Membership schedule has been revised for this year:

Week of December 19th: First Preview sent to districts for review.

Week of January 2nd: Second Preview sent to districts for review.

Week of January 17th: Third Preview sent to districts for review.

Week of January 30th: Final Preview sent to districts.

Note that all changes must be made in first period Cumulative ADM before January 30 in order to be reflected in the Final Preview and Final Fall Membership Report.

For information or assistance, contact your Regional Assessment Support Partner .

Winter Paper-Pencil Writing Order Window Open until December 12

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:10:00 GMT

The order window for Winter Paper-Pencil Writing (grade 11 only) is now open. Districts will have through December 12, 2011 to complete their orders for the winter test window.

Districts may order Paper-Pencil writing tests for their students using the Test Information Delivery Engine (TIDE) of the OAKS Online System. The TIDE User guide includes detailed instructions on the order process (http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?391).

Please remember that based on legislative action, the 2011-12 Writing Performance Assessment will only be offered for students currently enrolled in Grade 11 who have not already taken and passed the assessment. ODE will not fill orders submitted by districts for students enrolled in a grade other than Grade 11 or for Grade 11 students who already have a passing score. While districts will receive an overage of “blank” writing booklets to address fluctuations in student ...MORE

OAKS Test Delivery System Down December 18 - January 2

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:43:00 GMT

The OAKS Test Delivery System (TDS) will be offline for scheduled maintenance from 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 18 through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 2. During this time, the Training Site, TIDE, and the Online Reporting System will remain available for authorized users.

Contact(s) for this Announcement

Regional Assessment Support Partners

OAKS Online Tests Administered To Date

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:31:00 GMT

As of November 28, 2011 the following number of tests have been started and reported by subject:

Math Reading Science Social Sciences

Started 17,905 41,474 7,066 205

Reported 14,236 31,163 6,607 191

Contact(s) for this Announcement

Regional Assessment Support Partners
Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:57:00 GMT

Superintendent Castillo's updates showcase the efforts and achievements of Oregon schools. Through these regular updates, the Superintendent hopes to increase communications regarding important initiatives for Oregon's students. Click here to access archived issues of Superintendent’s Update.

In This Issue:

American Education Week: Celebrating Public Education Now and Throughout the Year

Beating the Odds: Two Oregon Elementary Schools Receive National Recognition for Student Performance

International Education Week: Inspiring Students Locally to Succeed Globally

Oregon Diploma Talk

Opportunitie ...MORE

Proposals for Career Education Grants Now Being Accepted

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:37:00 GMT
First awards from new grant fund to be made this spring

PORTLAND- State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian and State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo today announced the opening of a statewide Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking schools and school districts that will develop or expand career and technical education (CTE) programs in Oregon middle and high schools. Earlier this year , the Oregon legislature dedicated $2 million to revitalizing CTE programs in Oregon schools, building opportunities for students to access high-wage, high-demand jobs much earlier in their careers.

“CTE is the bridge from our public schools to a successful workforce,” Avakian said. “Oregon’s economy is driven by the skill and productivity of our workers, and giving our students the opportunity to discover their interest and talent ...MORE

CTE Revitalization Grant RFP Released

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:15:00 GMT
The Request for Proposal guidelines for the CTE Revitalization Grant are now available at http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/ctegrant. Funds are available for public schools, districts, charter schools, and Educational Service Districts to develop or enhance career and technical education programs of study. Completed applications for this competitive grant are due on February 10, 2012.

DTC Training Make-Up Options

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:09:00 GMT

As stated on page 3 of the 2011-12 Test Administration Manual, all DTCs must participate in annual test security and administration training provided by ODE. For 2011-12, these ODE-provided trainings occurred in September 2011. New for this year, ODE is offering the following make-up training options for new DTCs appointed mid-year to replace an outgoing DTC:

Internal Make-Up Training: ODE will allow districts to provide internal make-up training in cases where the outgoing DTC has received annual ODE-provided training. The outgoing DTC must train the incoming DTC using the recorded training modules posted to http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2744. To exercise this option, notify your Regional ESD Partner

Science Local Performance Assessment Clarifications for 2011-2012

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:00:00 GMT

In June 2008, the State Board of Education adopted OAR 581-022-0615: Assessment of Essential Skills. This rule requires school districts and public charter schools to administer local performance assessments on an annual basis to all students in Grades 3 through 8 and once in high school in the following skill areas: Writing, Speaking, Mathematical Problem Solving, and Scientific Inquiry. Local performance assessment in social sciences is optional.

The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that Oregon students are afforded opportunities to learn and to receive feedback regarding their progress toward meeting specific state standards throughout their years in public schools.

As for meeting the local performance assessment in Scientific Inquiry, there has been some confusion on whether or not Engineering Design work samples can "replace" Scientific Inquiry work samples in order fulfill this requirement. Engineering Design work samples cannot currently ...MORE

Extending the ELPA Adaptive Algorithm to the Speaking Domain - Update

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:54:00 GMT

ODE has received stakeholder feedback concerning the application of the adaptive algorithm to the ELPA speaking domain in 2011-12. Currently, ODE is working with its vendor, American Institutes for Research, to further analyze the speaking item pool at each grade band and how the adaptive algorithm would choose speaking items for individual students. In coming weeks, ODE will run simulations to examine how the algorithm will perform with students of varying levels to gain assurance that the algorithm will enhance the speaking segment of the ELPA. At that time further information will be provided in the Assessment and Accountability Update.

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - November 17, 2011

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:37:00 GMT

Each week, we will address recent activities of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) of which Oregon is a governing state. Beginning in 2014-2015, SBAC will deliver the common assessment in Mathematics and English Language Arts. At that time ODE will no longer deliver OAKS Online in mathematics and reading.

Alignment Study on the Common Core State Standards
On October 26, the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC), led by Dr. David Conley, released an alignment study on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The study compared the CCSS to the content and curriculum standards for Massachusetts and California; the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards, the International Baccalaureate standards, and the Knowledge and Skills for University Success. The study found the CCSS to be generally aligned to the leading state standards, international standards, and university standards at ...MORE

Essential Skills Training of Trainers Final Sessions for 2011 Scheduled

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:27:00 GMT

Only a few opportunities remain for local facilitators to receive Essential Skills WebEx trainings in November and December. Trainings will resume in mid-January.

WebEx training sessions for November and December include the following:

Nov 29 - Level 2 Intro to Writing Scoring for High School

Nov 30 - Level 3 In-Depth Writing Scoring for High School

Dec 5 - Level 2 Intro to Math Scoring for High School

Dec 7 - Level 3 In-Depth Math Scoring for High School

Dec 8 - Level 4 Math Task Development for Middle or High School

Dec 12 - Level 4 Reading Task Development for Middle or High School

All training sessions are from 2:00 - 4:00 PM PST. To register for any of the sessions listed above, please e-mail Natalie Aichlmayr .

Staff Position Manual Posted

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:15:00 GMT

The 2011-12 Staff Position Manual has been posted. Please note that some collection rules and policies have changed from 2010-11 to 2011-12, and review the manual carefully. A list of collection changes can be found at the beginning of the manual.

The Staff Position Collection will open December 8, 2011 and remain open until February 3, 2012. This year’s snapshot date is December 1, 2011. Remember to update your USID records before submitting to Staff Position. The USID collection is open now.

For information or assistance, please contact your R ...MORE

Revision to the WebEx Training Date for Student Centered Staging and Assessment Warehouse Extract

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:53:00 GMT

The date for the Student Centered Staging WebEx training has been rescheduled from Thursday, November 17 to Tuesday, December 13 to accommodate the later rollout of the Assessment Warehouse Extract and the new Reporting File Format for 2011-12.

This WebEx will focus on management of assessment data in Student Centered Staging (i.e., editing posted records; reviewing and correcting errors; applying administration, modification, and accommodation codes) and accessing the test records in the new Reporting File Format from the Assessment Warehouse Extract application.

Handouts will be available on the Video Training website: https://district.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=211.

For more information, contact Cindy Barrick at cindy.barrick@state.or.us or 503-947-5822.

MEMORANDUM NO. 003-2011-12 - Instructional Unit Identifier (IUID) and Class Roster Collections

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:50:00 GMT
To: Superintendents, Principals, Special Education Directors, and other District Administrators
From: Doug Kosty, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Assessment and Information Services
Re: Instructional Unit Identifier (IUID) and Class Roster Collections

Summary: IUID and Class Roster Data Collections required.

Background
The Instructional Unit Identifier (IUID) and Class Roster Collections are the result of federal legislation, rather than an initiative of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).

In 2007, through the America COMPETES Act, the federal government codified the 12 elements of a P-16 education data system, requiring a teacher identifier system with the ability to match teachers to students. The federal government reaffirmed its commitment to the development and use of these data systems through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). As a condition of receiving ARRA State ...MORE

Oregon School District Collaboration Grant Posted

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:39:00 GMT
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has released the Oregon School District Collaboration Grant Program Request for Application (RFA) . Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. PST on Friday, January 20, 2012.

Please direct inquiries regarding this Request for Application to:

Stephanie Parks, Office Assistant
Oregon Department of Education
Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation
Phone: (503) 947-5621
email: Stephanie Parks

Assessment and Accountability Update - November 10, 2011

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:00:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for November 10, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Draft Best Practices Guide for Administering OAKS

Banked Assessment Tests Available in Student Centered Staging on November 10, 2011

Extended and Essential Skills Training Opportunities

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015

And more...

D ...MORE

Draft Best Practices Guide for Administering OAKS

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:14:00 GMT

In response to Senate Bill 801, ODE has recently updated the draft Best Practices Guide to include clarified guidance around retesting students in grades 3 - 8 who have already met or exceeded the achievement standards. The draft guide is scheduled to go to the Oregon State Board of Education for its first reading in December 2011 and for formal adoption in January 2012. ODE also plans to add language to Part VI of the Test Administration Manual prohibiting districts from retesting students in grades 3 - 8 who have already met or exceeded the achievement standard unless the district receives parental consent. This prohibition would go into effect in January 2012. Under this proposal, for 2011-12 ODE would allow districts to receive passive consent from parents prior to retesting students. For instance, districts might distribute letters to parents informing them that the district will retest their student unless the parent notifies the district that the parent does not want their student to retest. Sta ...MORE

District Reminder: Student SSID Numbers

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 18:13:00 GMT

A couple of reminders for district staff regarding student SSID numbers.

Before creating a new SSID for a student, please make sure you have searched the ODE SSID system thoroughly.

If you discover a student has more than one SSID assigned to them, before you merge the records together, please search the OAKS system for any tests that may have been started or taken under any of the SSIDs found associated with the student. If there are any paused tests please have that student complete those tests before requesting the merge to take place.

Please refrain from testing the student (i.e. starting new tests) until the merge has been completed and the student data is updated within the OAKS system.

If the SSID records have already been merged and you discover any of your student’s paused or completed tests that are no longer associated with that student, please contact your regional ESD partner for additional help.

For more information regar ...MORE

Essential Skills Training For Middle Schools

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 17:57:00 GMT

With high schools in full implementation of Essential Skill graduation requirements, many educators are interested in opportunities to improve student performance at the middle school level so that those students are well-situated to demonstrate high school proficiency when the time comes.

ODE is offering a series of WebEx trainings for local school district facilitators on assessing the Essential Skills through classroom work samples at the middle school level. Three workshops are currently available and additional workshops will be provided in the winter and spring of 2012.

Upcoming Middle School workshops include the following:

Welcome Rachel Aazzareh

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 17:41:00 GMT

Welcome Rachel Aazzareh to the Department of Education. Rachel is the new Science and Social Sciences Assessment Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education.

Rachel previously worked for Monument School District for three years as the 7th-12th Science/Mathematics Teacher and PLC Leader/Data Driven Decision Making Coordinator. Rachel was the 2009 National Association of Biology Teacher of the Year and in 2010-2011 a Murdock Charitable Trust Partners in Science Fellow at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Rachel is a “classically trained” science teacher holding a Bachelor of Science (major general science, minor chemistry, and option in secondary education) and Masters of Science and Mathematics Education with biochemistry minor from Oregon State University.

We are very excited about the knowledge, classroom experience, and energy that Rachel brings to the team.

Welcome to ODE Rachel!

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - November 10, 2011

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 17:39:00 GMT

Each week, we will address recent activities of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) of which Oregon is a governing state. Beginning in 2014-2015, SBAC will deliver the common assessment in Mathematics and English Language Arts. At that time ODE will no longer deliver OAKS Online in mathematics and reading.

Quick-Read Resources: SBAC One Pager , Quarterly Report

Open Requests For Proposals: Psychometric Services (RFP 05), Participation and Training Materials (RFP 08), and Test Specifications and Blueprints and Computer Adaptive Test Specifications (RFP 09).

Contracts that are under r ...MORE

The Upcoming Mathematics Assessment through the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium Is in the Early Stages of Development

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 17:36:00 GMT

Ongoing review of documents and frequent communications help keep mathematics educators informed and confident of the quality of the upcoming SMARTER Balanced Assessment.

What we know at this time:

Oregon has adopted the Common Core State Standards and a transition timeline has been established for full implementation and assessment by 2014-2015.

Oregon is part of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium, which will provide summative, interim, and formative assessment for the states.

The Content Specifications, a framework for the SMARTER Balanced Assessment is a document in development with completion slated for later this fall. Full details of the assessment will be determined through development of the Test Specifications and Item Specifications in the near future.

As these documents are developed, stakeholders will be invited to review and provide input.

Other questions will be answered through continuing work of t ...MORE

November 2011 District Warrants

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 07:00:00 GMT
Click November 2011 District Warrants to view the warrants.

November 2011 ESD Warrants

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 07:00:00 GMT
Click November 2011 ESD Warrants to view the warrants.

Banked Assessment Tests Available in Student Centered Staging on November 10, 2011

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 00:38:00 GMT

All "banked" assessment tests where a student took and met or exceeded on a high school math, reading, science, or writing test in a prior year have been loaded to Student Centered Staging. This includes students who took and met or exceeded the alternate achievement standard on the statewide Extended Assessment in a prior year. The test records were loaded into Staging based on verification of the students’ enrolled grade as an 11th grader during the 2011-12 school year in the Consolidated Student SSID system.

This process will be re-run periodically during the school year. District Test Coordinators should use this information to make sure all high school students enrolled on May 1, 2012 are tested in the required subjects.

For more information, please contact your Regional ESD Support Partners .

October/November 2011 Science Teacher Update Released

Tue, 8 Nov 2011 21:55:00 GMT
In the October/November 2011 Science Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Science Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Training of Mentors - Teacher Induction Modules November 15, 16, and 17, 2011

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 15:39:00 GMT
The Instructional Mentoring Training being offered on November 15, 16, and 17, 2011, in Salem are Coaching and Observation and Setting Professional Goals. The content of the training is provided by the researched practices of the New Teacher Center (NTC).

Location:
Keizer Heritage Center
980 Chemawa Rd. N.E.
Keizer, OR 97307

To register for the trainings please send names and email addresses to Sheli Dumas before November 9.

This is a required training for all mentors using the Oregon Mentoring Grant.

November 2011 Arts Teacher Update Released

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 23:17:00 GMT
In the November 2011 Arts Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

November 2011 EII Update Released

Fri, 4 Nov 2011 22:57:00 GMT
The EII Update is a monthly newsletter highlighting information from the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation on: standards, career and technical education, title programs, professional development and other topics of interest to Oregon educators.

Articles this month include:

TOSAs Work with Stewardship Team to Generate CCSS Resources

October CCSS WebEx Recap

Do You Know an Outstanding History Teacher? Nominate Them for History Teacher of the Year

Common Core Reading Tools for Districts and Schools

Common Core Clicks

Check These Links

Need CCSS Resources?

November 2011 Superintendent's Pipeline Now Available Online

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 18:36:00 GMT
The November 2011 Superintendent's Pipeline is now available online at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=684.

What changes would you like to see in Pipeline? Take our 7 question survey and provide your feedback on this publication. Your answers will help to inform changes and improvements to this newsletter and will help us target our communications to better meet your needs. Share your feedback at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RCDVN7D.

The Superintendent's Pipeline is the main source of ODE news, announcements, information, recruitments, grants and other opportunities for schools and districts. Pipeline delivers a variety of news and information from the Oregon Department of Education for administrators, teachers, and other school district staff members.

IN THIS ISSUE:
• From the Desk of Susan Casti ...MORE

Assessment and Accountability Update - November 3, 2011

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 14:28:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for November 3, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

2011-12 OAKS Online Test Window Opens Tuesday, Nov 8

2011-12 Test Records To Be Loaded in Student Staging

Extended Assessment Qualified Trainer Training

Assessment and Accountability Checklist Updated

And more...

2011-12 OAKS Online Test Window O ...MORE

2011-12 Test Records To Be Loaded in Student Staging

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 00:31:00 GMT

OAKS Online test records for Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Social Sciences will be loaded into Student Centered Staging beginning November 10, 2011. Thereafter, the OAKS Online records will typically be available in Staging two days after the student completes a test.

REMINDER: All student SSID records must be updated in Consolidated Collections prior to OAKS testing. Note: the following fields will be read-only in Staging:

EthnicCd (Race/Ethnicity Code)

MigrntEdFg (Migrant Education Program Flag)

IndEdFg (Indian Education Program Flag)

SpEdFg (Special Education Program Flag)

Information in the SSID System will fill the Legal Name, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Date of Birth, and Enrolled Grade (demographic fields) and also Special Education*, Migrant Education, Indian Education, and TAG (program fields) when test records are loaded to Student Centered Staging. SSID will al ...MORE

Extended Assessment "Qualified Trainer" Training

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 00:22:00 GMT

Trainings:
One-day regional trainer trainings of the Extended Assessment System continue and are hosted by the following ESDs on the following dates, from 9 AM to 2 PM:

Nov. 10 Willamette ESD (Salem): Eleni Boston, eleni.boston@wesd.org

Nov. 15 Southern Oregon ESD (Medford): Marian Gerstmar, marian_gerstmar@soesd.k12.or.us

Nov. 15 High Desert ESD (Redmond): Catherine Kelly, catherine.kelly@hdesd.org

Nov. 17 InterMountain ESD (Pendleton): Mary Apple, mary.apple@imesd.k12.or.us

Assessment and Accountability Checklist Updated November 1, 2011

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 00:19:00 GMT

The Assessment and Accountability Checklist has been updated as of November 1, 2011. It is located at http://www.ode.state.or.us/wma/teachlearn/testing/admin/asmtacctbltychecklist1112.pdf .

OAKS Online Reading Achievement Standards for 2011-2012

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 00:12:00 GMT

In a move to prepare students for the increased rigors of the new Common Core State Standards and the Oregon Diploma, last May the Oregon State Board of Education increased reading achievement standards for grades 3-8, effective for the 2011-12 school year. The high school achievement standard for "Meets" of 236 is the same.

Oregon reading achievement standards were reviewed by an expert panel in January 2011. Recommendations were made to increase the level of reading students are expected to know in elementary and middle school to create better alignment between the lower grades and high school graduation requirements for reading.

50th Annual United States Senate Youth Scholarship Semi-Finalists

Wed, 2 Nov 2011 21:00:00 GMT

We are pleased to announce that the following students have been selected as semi-finalists in the U.S. Senate Youth Program:

Catherine Bayer - Hillsboro High School

Ryan Montgomery - Pendleton High School

Caroline Porter - Klamath Union High School

Hannes Zetzsche - Reedsport Community Charter School

We have invited the semi-finalists and their families to visit the Oregon Department of Education on November 3, 2011 to tour the Capitol grounds, visit with various elected officials, and participate in a brief question and answer session with our judges.

Thank you to all the students who have competed in this year’s United States Senate Youth Scholarship program. We are confident each student will go on to demonstrate their leadership abilities and strengthen their resolve to pursue careers in public service.

Immediately following the visit on November 3, 2011, two finalists will be chosen as recipients of the ...MORE

Draft Best Practices for Administering OAKS

Tue, 1 Nov 2011 21:32:00 GMT

ODE has collaborated with districts, ESDs, legislators and stakeholder groups to produce a best practices guide for administering OAKS to help schools and districts develop test administration policies and procedures that maximize the usefulness of assessment data and minimize the impact on instruction.

ODE has recently updated the draft Best Practices Guide to include clarified guidance around retesting students who have already met or exceeded the achievement standards. The draft guide will go to the Oregon State Board of Education for its first reading in December 2011 and for formal adoption in January 2012. ODE also plans to add language to the Test Administration Manual prohibiting districts from retesting students who have already met or exceeded the achievement standard unless the district receives parental consent. This prohibition would go into effect in January 2012. Under this proposal, for 2011-12 ODE would allow districts to receive passive consent from parents prior to ret ...MORE

November 2011 Social Sciences Teacher Update Posted

Tue, 1 Nov 2011 20:42:00 GMT
In the November 2011 Social Sciences Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Social Science Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Oregon’s Average Scores on National Assessment of Educational Progress Hold Steady for 2011

Tue, 1 Nov 2011 15:14:00 GMT
Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo releases The Nation’s Report Card on 4th and 8th graders

(Salem, Ore.) – Today State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced the release of Oregon's results for the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as NAEP. NAEP is considered The Nation’s Report Card and reports results for math and reading assessments every two years. The tests were given to a representative sample of Oregon 4th and 8th graders in late January to early March last year.

“NAEP is a benchmark for our math and reading assessments that shows us how our kids are doing compared to students in other states,” said Castillo. “While we didn’t see drastic changes from the previous NAEP results, we are not seeing the improvements in student performance that we know Oregon needs in order to compete nationally and internationally.”

NAEP reading results show no statistically significant change for Oregon’s 4th g ...MORE

Record Number of English Language Learners Reach Proficiency

Tue, 1 Nov 2011 07:00:00 GMT
State Issues Progress Report for Students Learning English in Oregon Schools

(Salem, Ore.) – Today State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced the release of the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) report for the 2010-11 school year. This report describes the progress that Oregon school districts are making in teaching English to English Language Learners (ELL) and is required under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (formerly known as No Child Left Behind). All ELL students in Oregon are required to take the state’s English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) each year, and the results of this test are used to track student’s progress toward proficiency in English.

“In the last decade, the language diversity of our state has changed immensely,” said State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo. “Ten years ago, there were about 44,000 Oregon students who were enrolled in English Language Development programs. This pas ...MORE

Oregon Elementary Schools Receive National Recognition

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:13:00 GMT
Concord and Guy Lee Recognized as Title I Distinguished Schools

(Salem, Ore.) – Today State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced that two Oregon schools have been named 2011 Title I Distinguished Schools under the federal Title I Distinguished Schools Program. For over a decade, this program has honored schools across the country for their innovation in helping low-income students achieve at high levels. Schools are recognized in the areas of Exceptional Student Performance and Closing the Achievement Gap. Oregon’s 2011 Title I Distinguished Schools are Concord Elementary and Guy Lee Elementary.

“Title I schools, schools with high numbers of students in poverty, are faced with a wide range of challenges as they work to get all of their kids to succeed academically,” said State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo. “But schools like Concord and Guy Lee show us all that poverty does not need to be, and should not be, a predictor of student success. Th ...MORE

Overview of Interpreting for Students with Cochlear Implants

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:28:00 GMT

Boys Town National Research Hospital will be conducting video conference training for sign language interpreters. Specific content information can be found on this flyer . This video conference has been approved for continuing education units. Please click on the appropriate link below to register.

Intermountain ESD, 2001 SW Nye Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801

Southern Oregon ESD, 1021 NW Highland, Grants Pass, OR 97526

Willamette ESD, 2611 Pringle Rd SE, Salem, OR 97302

EIPA Video Conference Workshops Change of Venue

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:01:00 GMT

Boys Town National Research Hospital will be conducting four video conference trainings for sign language interpreters. These trainings will be hosted by Intermountain Education Service District, Southern Oregon Education Service District, and Willamette Education Service District. Each video conference has been approved for continuing education units. Please log into ODE’s Events page for more information regarding site location. Specific content information can be found on this flyer .

Superintendent's Update #351

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:21:00 GMT

Superintendent Castillo's updates showcase the efforts and achievements of Oregon schools. Through these regular updates, the Superintendent hopes to increase communications regarding important initiatives for Oregon's students. Click here to access archived issues of Superintendent’s Update.

In This Issue:

Recognizing Excellence: Tigard Teacher Receives Milken Educator Award

Closing the Achievement Gap: Spotlight on Riverside Elementary

Oregon Diploma Talk

Opportunities and Financial Resources for Students and Schools

Susan’s Schedule

The Assessment & Accountability Update for October 27, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Science and Science Alternate Achievement Standards Adopted by State Board

Validation and WebEx Scheduled for the High School Graduation and Dropout Rates

1st Period Cumulative ADM Collection Closes

Winter Paper/Pencil Writing Order Window Now Open

And more...

Revised 2011-12 District Estimates as of October 27, 2011

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT
Click Revised 2011-12 District Estimates to review the new estimates

Revised 2011-12 ESD Estimates as of October 27, 2011

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT
Click Revised 2011-12 ESD Estimates to review the estimates.

Science and Science Alternate Achievement Standards Adopted by State Board of Education

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:16:00 GMT

On October 20, 2011 the State Board of Education adopted the science achievement standards and final science achievement level descriptors for both the OAKS general and OAKS alternate assessments based on recommendations provided by panels of stakeholders this past summer.

The adopted science achievement standards for the OAKS general assessment along with additional resources are posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3319. The alternate achievement standards and alternate achievement level descriptors (for the Science Extended Assessments) are posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=178.

These cut scores align to the new science content standards (adopted in 2009) which districts have implemented in their curriculum and will go into effect for all OAKS Science assessments administered in 2011-12.

...MORE

Validation and WebEx Scheduled for the High School Graduation and Dropout Reports

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:53:00 GMT

The NCES Dropout Report and Cohort Graduation Reports validation windows will be opening on October 27 and November 3, respectively. The validation windows allow districts to review the High School Graduation and Dropout reports that will be used for accountability reporting, and if necessary, edit, update or appeal data.

This schedule reflects two changes from the earlier schedule for the Cohort Report validations: the Cohort Report validations will be available on November 3 rather than October 27, and there will be an additional week for review (Preview 5). Appeals will be accepted up through December 1 at 5 PM.

District Report Validation Schedule

October 27 - November 17, 2011 - NCES Dropout Report validation
November 3 - December 1, 2011 - Cohort Graduation Report Validations for 4-year and 5-year Rates

Reports will be refreshed weekly, except for Thanksgiving Holiday, to reflect ...MORE

Winter Paper-Pencil Writing Order Window Now Open

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 21:37:00 GMT

The order window for Winter Paper-Pencil Writing (grade 11 only) is now open. Districts will have through December 12, 2011 to complete their orders for the winter test window.

Districts may order Paper-Pencil writing tests for their students using the Test Information Delivery Engine (TIDE) of the OAKS Online System. The TIDE User guide includes detailed instructions on the order process (http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?391).

Please remember that based on legislative action, the 2011-12 Writing Performance Assessment will only be offered for students currently enrolled in Grade 11 who have not already taken and passed the assessment. ODE will not fill orders submitted by districts for students enrolled in a grade other than Grade 11 or for Grade 11 students who already have a passing score. While districts will receive an overage of “blank” writing booklets to address fluctuations in student ...MORE

Spanish Computer-Based Read-Aloud Available for Math Only

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:04:00 GMT

New for 2011-12, OAKS Online will support a computer-based read-aloud in Spanish for the side-by-side Spanish-English format of OAKS Online Mathematics. This resource is being offered in mathematics due to the large number of students taking math assessments and the need to standardize the reading of the mathematics items following the math read-aloud rules (http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=2346). However, the computer-based Spanish read-aloud feature has been delayed for OAKS Online Science and Social Sciences pending budget availability. (Note: the computer-based English read-aloud feature remains available for OAKS Online Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences).

Because computers do not have a native Spanish voice pack built in, districts using either Windows or Macintosh computers must first purchase and install an external Spanish voice pack to use this optional feature.

For Windows users, ODE ...MORE

Banked Scores will be in OAKS Online Reports November 8, 2011

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:58:00 GMT

Banked scores will not be available in the OAKS Online Reports when the system is updated on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. The implementation of this feature will occur November 8. The Reports WebEx planned for November 3 will demonstrate the new Reports functionality, except that the banked scores feature will only be presented in the form of screen shots from AIR’s test system. The Tuesday, November 29 WebEx will include all new functionality.

** CANCELLED ** Oregon School for the Deaf Advisory Board Meeting Notice

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:54:00 GMT
MEETING IS CANCELLED
November 4, 2011
9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

At the Oregon School for the Deaf, Clerc Conference Room
999 Locust Street NE
Salem, Oregon 97301

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS WELCOME:
From 9:05 A.M. to 9:10 A.M. Public Comment will be received.

The Oregon Department of Education complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you have a disability and need accommodations in connection with OSD Advisory Board Meeting, please notify the the Oregon School for the Deaf at 999 Locust Street NE, Salem Oregon 97301, telephone 503-378-3825, within 72 hours prior to the meeting so that necessary arrangements can be made.

NASDSE Professional Development Series Update

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:36:00 GMT
We’re Better Working Together: Recommendations for Improved Coordination Between Title I and the IDEA

Section 504 Issues for Students with Disabilities: Case Law and Implications for Practice

The next two sessions of the 2011-2012 NASDSE Satellite Series will both be available online 24/7 beginning today, Wednesday, October 26, 2011 after 10 a.m. PT.

Special education directors received the broadcast login information by list serv message this morning. This login information is secured and will not be for public release. We continue to mail copies of these sessions to ESDs.

Tigard High Teacher Receives Milken Educator Award

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:09:00 GMT
Social Studies Teacher Frank Caro Surprised with National Award and $25,000

(Salem, Ore.) –State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo today announced that Tigard High School social studies teacher Frank Caro has been selected as a recipient of the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. The surprise announcement was made at an all school assembly this morning, and Superintendent Castillo was joined in presenting the award by Milken Family Foundation Board Member Dr. Thomas Boysen. As part of this recognition, Caro will receive a $25,000 cash award from the Foundation.

“Great teachers change lives, inspire excellence, and shape the future,” said State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo. “They come to work each day excited to share their love of learning with their students, knowing that they can, and they must, make a difference. These teachers believe in the potential of each and every one of their kids, and they work tirelessly to help our stude ...MORE

State Board of Education Adopts 2011 Social Sciences Instructional Materials

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT
On October 21, 2011 the State Board adopted the 2011 Social Sciences Instructional Materials. To view the adopted list of materials and publisher contacts visit: Adopted Materials Lists

To view evaluator team comment results visit: Team Comments

Brief caravan type videos will be posted in December at the above adopted materials link.

OAKS Online Science Achievement Standards for 2011-2012

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT
In a move to ensure that OAKS Online Science addresses the increased rigors of the 2009 Science Content Standards, the Oregon State Board of Education voted Thursday October 20, 2011 (link to: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=3450 to increase science achievement standards) to adopt new cut scores for 2011-2012.

In July the science achievement standards and achievement level descriptors were reviewed by an expert panel as part of a two-year process to align Oregon science achievement standards to the 2009 content standards. Recommendations were made to increase the level of science students are expected to know in elementary and middle school. The State Board adopted the panel’s recommendations.

For more information on the new science achievement standards and the ach ...MORE

MEMORANDUM NO. 002-2011-12 -HB 3681 (Inter-district Transfers)

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:02:00 GMT

HB 3681 Frequently Asked Questions

HB 3681 was enacted by the 2011 legislature and provides an additional method of school choice for Oregon students. The bill did not remove Oregon’s traditional methods of inter-district transfer, tuition and mutual district agreement. Local school districts have control over the decision of whether to accept students using any of the methods of inter-district transfer.

IMPLEMENTATION OF HB 3681

When does HB 3681 take effect?
HB 3681 takes effect on January 1, 2012. Transfers using HB 3681 first apply to the 2012-2013 school year. Prior to March 1, 2012, district school boards must determine and announce the number of students they will accept via HB 3681 transfers.

What is the timeline of district announcements and notifications?
• March 1 – School districts announce the number of students that will be accepted for the next school year.
• ...MORE

Assessment and Accountability Update - October 20, 2011

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:22:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for October 20, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Best Practices Guide for Administering OAKS

Winter Paper/Pencil Writing Order Window Opens Oct. 20

Public Assessment Group Reports Displaying Subtotals for 2010-11

Science Achievement Standards (Cut Scores) and Final Achievement Level Descriptors

And more...

...MORE

Science Achievement Standards (Cut Scores) and Final Achievement Level Descriptors

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:17:00 GMT

Thursday, October 20 ODE staff will recommend that the State Board of Education adopt the science achievement standards (cut scores) and final achievement level descriptors recommended by the panel of stakeholders to in July. The recommended achievement standards and additional resources are posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=3319. These cut scores will be recommended for the 2011-2012 OAKS Online Science because they align to the new science content standards (2009) which districts have implemented in their curriculum. More information about the State Board of Education is posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/results/?id=144.

Work Samples “Training of Trainers” Workshops Continue in November for Assessment of Essential Skills

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:03:00 GMT

ODE is continuing to offer WebEx training sessions to prepare local district facilitators to present workshops to staff on assessing the three required Essential Skills – reading, writing, and mathematics.

Two new workshops being offered include Middle School Introduction to the Scoring Guide workshops in Reading and Writing and a Developing Effective Mathematics Tasks workshop for high school teachers.

The schedule for November workshops is as follows:

Nov 1 - Level 4 Reading Task Development HS & MS

Nov 3 - Level 3 Writing In-depth Scoring Guide HS

Nov 9 - Level 2 Math Scoring Guide Introduction HS

Nov 14 - Level 4 Mathematics Task Development HS & MS NEW DATE!

Nov 15 - Level 2 Writing Scoring Guide Introduction MS

Nov 16 - Level 3 Mathematics In-depth Scoring Guide HS Rescheduled to Dec 7

Nov 29 - Level 2 Writing Scoring Guide Introduction HS

Nov 30 - Level 3 Writing In-depth ...MORE

Extended Assessment Training 2011-12

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:50:00 GMT

Please help us circulate this important information: Extended Assessment training information for returning Qualified Assessors (QAs) and Qualified Trainers (QTs) and those who are interested in becoming QAs or QTs this year are available on the Oregon Department of Education’s Extended Assessment website under the “Training” icon at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=2689. In addition to (re-)qualifying as a QA or QT, you must receive standard test administration and security training from your district and sign an Assurance of Test Security form that is to be kept on file with your district. Please note: Those who were Qualified Assessors last school year are the only individuals who are qualified to attend one of the regional trainer trainings to become a Qualified Trainer this school year.

Funding and Allocations: Funds are allocated to districts according to last year's Special Education Child Count ...MORE

Grade 3 Spanish Reading Practice Test Available

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:07:00 GMT

The 3rd Grade Spanish reading practice test is available at OAKS online. Please visit the OAKS portal at http://www.oaks.k12.or.us/students.html and select “Practice Tests.” Click “Sign in” as a guest to begin, then choose 3rd grade, and 3rd grade reading. On the “Select “Accommodations” page, please choose “Spanish” as the language and follow the menus to the student practice test.

Contact(s) for this Announcement

Regional Assessment Support Partners

Expanded Options Program Data Collection

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:59:00 GMT
The Expanded Options Program Data Collection will be open until Friday, 10/28/11. https://district.ode.state.or.us/

First Period Cumulative ADM Data Collection Closes October 28, 2011

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:27:00 GMT

Reminder - The 1st period Cumulative ADM data collection will close on October 28, 2011. The collection will remain closed from October 31 through November 4 to allow ODE to review the submitted data. Between November 7 and November 16, the collection will be reopened for districts to review their data and make edits.

The 1st Period Cumulative ADM collection will use the Audits and Review process to notify districts of potential errors in data submission. Please refer to the ODE district web page under the Cumulative ADM documents section for the 2011 Data Collection Audits and Reviews document. Districts will have the opportunity to verify data submitted as being correct or make corrections to the submitted data. ODE does not plan to continue sending out validation spreadsheets. Districts will need to make sure they review and edit their data during the review period.

If you have questions or need assistance with your student data, pleas ...MORE

Office of Assessment and Accountability Hosts DTC WebEx Meetings

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:19:00 GMT

For the 2011-12 school year the Office of Assessment and Accountability will be holding WebEx meetings with District Test Coordinators and other school and district staff. These meetings will be held every other month throughout the school year.

The first meeting will be held on November 2, 2011 at 9:00 AM. The session will last for 1 hour and provide a forum for questions and dialogue around assessment and accountability/reporting issues. Information will also be provided on current hot topics, and staff will be available to answer questions on these and other issues. If you have a suggestion for a topic to be discussed, please send it before the meeting to Cari White at cari.white@state.or.us .

The current schedule of meeting dates is:

November 2, 2011, 9-10 AM

January 4, 2012, 9-10 AM

March 7, 2012 ...MORE

2011-12 OAKS Online Test Window Opens November 8, 2011

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:13:00 GMT

The 2011-12 OAKS Online test window opens on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Supported enhancements include the new Braille Interface of OAKS Online, a computer-based read-aloud feature for the general student population, and additional levels of magnification. In preparation for the opening of the 2011-12 test window, ODE encourages test administrators to review the 2011-12 Test Administration Manual and the 2011-12 OAKS Online Test Administrator’s User Guide. In addition, practice tests that include all supported enhancements are currently available through the training site on the OAKS Portal (http://www.oaks.k12.or.us).

As of November 8, all students will have one opportunity to test in Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences as available by grade through January 10, 2012. Students may take their second and third test opportunities after January 10 at their district’s discretion. (Note: students have a total of three opportu ...MORE

Exit Adjustment Collection Now Open October 13 to November 17

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:37:00 GMT

Districts needing to update 2010-11 data related to ADM End Date Codes used for reporting of high school cohort graduation, completion of other credentials, transfers out, non-completers and dropouts should make their changes in the Exit Adjustment Collection before November 17.

This is the only opportunity to make adjustments to the End Date Codes for students reported enrolled in 2010-11 and submitted in Annual Cumulative ADM collection. Accuracy of the End Date Codes is important for the 2011-12 accountability reports, such as the School and District AYP and Report Cards.

For more information, see the taped version of the October 17 WebEx - HS Grad and Dropout Reporting Part 2 with handouts at: https://district.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=211, and find the 2011-12 Cumulative ADM Manual at: https: ...MORE

ELPA Update

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:31:00 GMT

The Oregon ELPA is the state’s English language proficiency assessment. The item pool for the ELPA continues to be developed, with guidance from Oregon educators, including the members of the ELPA content panel.

Many stakeholders are interested in the future of the ELPA and its association with the Common Core. Here is current language from the CCSSO website concerning English Language Learners and the Common Core: “The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers strongly believe that all students should be held to the same high expectations outlined in the Common Core State Standards. This includes students who are English language learners (ELLs). However, these students may require additional time, appropriate instructional support, and aligned assessments as they acquire both English language proficiency and content area knowledge.

ELLs are a heterogeneous group with differences in ethnic background, first lan ...MORE

Appeals of Spring 2011 Writing Results

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:40:00 GMT

Districts may now access the scores for the Spring 2011 Statewide Writing Assessments submitted for rescoring as part of the appeals process. A team of expert raters have re-scored the papers, and the new scores have been entered into Student Staging. You can access the new scores by following the directions listed below. Please note that the new scores have replaced the original scoring site scores regardless of whether they went up or down.

To access the Appeals scores:

Log in to the ODE District site via the Central Login application (https://district.ode.state.or.us/apps/login/), and choose the Student Centered Staging application from the Applications List. If you do not see Student Centered Staging on the list, you need to contact your District Security Administrator (https://district.ode.state.or.us/apps/login/default.aspx?Srch=Y

Leadership Conference October 21, 2011 - 21st Century Community Learning Centers

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:29:00 GMT
The Oregon Department of Education convenes a statewide 21st CCLC Leadership Conference on October 21, 2011 for all currently funded grantees. Oregon 21st CCLC specialists and practitioners present various workshops to their colleagues.

Click here to view handouts for this conference.

Superintendent's Update #350

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:26:00 GMT

Superintendent Castillo's bi-weekly updates showcase the efforts and achievements of Oregon schools. Through these regular updates, the Superintendent hopes to increase communications regarding important initiatives for Oregon's students. Click here to access archived issues of Superintendent’s Update.

In This Issue:

Oregon Teacher of the Year Announced

School and District Report Cards Provide Key Information on Oregon Schools

Oregon Diploma Talk

Opportunities and Financial Resources for Students and Schools

Susan’s Schedule

October 2011 English Language Arts Teacher Update is now posted! The ELA Teacher Update is a monthly e-newsletter that provides teachers and other educators with information about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and lectures, concerts, and exhibitions. Distributed by listserv, the current issue and past issues are posted here. To learn about subscribing to the English Language Arts Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Public Assessment Group Reports Displaying Subtotals for 2010-11

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:01:00 GMT

The Public Assessment Group Reports application is now displaying subtotals and totals for 2010-2011 data as of October 13, 2011. This application is available on the public website at http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/schoolanddistrict/testresults/reporting/pagrsurpressed.aspx.

October 2011 Social Sciences Teacher Update Posted

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:19:00 GMT
In the October 2011 Social Sciences Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Social Science Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Elena Garcia-Velasco Named Oregon’s 2011-12 Teacher of the Year

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:11:00 GMT
Roosevelt Spanish Language Arts Teacher Receives Top Teaching Honor

(Portland, Ore.) – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced today that Elena Garcia-Velasco, a Spanish Language Arts teacher at Roosevelt High School in Portland, has been selected as the 2011-12 Oregon Teacher of the Year. As Oregon’s Teacher of the Year, Garcia-Velasco will attend the National Teacher of the Year forum in Washington, D.C. where she will meet President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

“The Oregon Teacher of the Year is one teacher who stands for many—a teacher who exemplifies the qualities we look for in an outstanding educator, mentor, and leader,” said Superintendent Susan Castillo. “Elena Garcia-Velasco is all of these things and more. She is a passionate and dedicated educator with a deep commitment to equity, closing the academic achievement gap, and helping all of her students achieve at high levels. A leader in her school and district, Elen ...MORE

October 2011 District Warrants

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT
Click October 2011 District Warrants to review the warrants.

October 2011 ESD Warrants

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:00:00 GMT
Click October 2011 ESD Warrants to review the warrants.

Assessment and Accountability Update - October 13, 2011

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:53:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for October 13, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

OAKS Online Practice Test Offline Oct 15 – 16th

Winter Paper/Pencil Writing Order Window Opens Oct 20

Essential Skills FAQ Available Now

OAKS Online Reports WebEx

And more...

OAKS Online Practice Test Offline October 15-16th
The OAKS Online ...MORE

Winter Paper-Pencil Writing Order Window Opens October 20, 2011

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:34:00 GMT

The order window for Winter Paper-Pencil Writing (grade 11 only) opens October 20, 2011. Districts will have from October 20 through December 12, 2011 to complete their orders for the winter test window.

Districts may order Paper-Pencil writing tests for their students using the Test Information Delivery Engine (TIDE) of the OAKS Online System. Either the District Security and Test Administrator (DTSA) or District Security Administrator (DSA) will need to upload a CSV file containing the SSID, DOB, teacher name, and class period for all students who will need to receive a writing test booklet. Based on the student information already loaded into TIDE and linked to the SSID, TIDE will then be able to supply all additional information for that student such as district, school, and grade. The TIDE User guide, which is posted at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?391, includes detailed instructions on the or ...MORE

ODE USDA Foods Distribution Bulletin Vol. 002

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:48:00 GMT
Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs
USDA Foods Distribution Bulletin Vol. 002

The purpose of this bulletin is to clarify the nature and scope of the State Warehouse and Distribution Contract with Tools for School and the procurement responsibilities of the sponsors. To view the bulletin, click here .

OAKS Online Reports WebEx for 2011-12

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:36:00 GMT

The 2011-12 OAKS Online Reporting System will deploy on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. ODE and its test vendor, American Institutes for Research (AIR) will host two WebExes during the month of November walking users through the enhanced 2011-12 OAKS Online Reporting System. The WebExes will occur on the following dates:

Thursday, November 3, 2011 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. PT

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. PT

To sign up for one of these webexes, please e-mail Cari White at cari.white@state.or.us .

OAKS Online Practice Test Offline October 15-16, 2011

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:16:00 GMT

The OAKS Online Practice Tests (located at www.oaks.k12.or.us) will be offline from Saturday, October 15 through Sunday, October 16, 2011 for maintenance. The OAKS Online Practice Tests will be operational again the morning of Monday, October 17.

New to District Test Coordinator Page

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:36:00 GMT

Newly posted to the District Test Coordinator page is a current list of the designated DTCs for every district in the state. The list includes District ID, District Name, DTC’s name and email address. Updates can only be made to the list by Districts submitting an updated 2011-2012 District Test Coordinator and Information Only Contact Form to Cari White at cari.white@state.or.us .

2011 Annual Stakeholders Meeting for IDEA State Performance Plan

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
The annual stakeholders meeting for the IDEA State Performance Plan (SPP) is scheduled for November 4, 2011 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The meeting will be held in Salem, Oregon, at the Public Service Building at 255 Capitol Street NE in Basement Rooms A, B, and C.

The Oregon Department of Education complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you have a disability and need accommodations in connection with the 2011 Annual Stakeholder Meeting, please notify the Department at 255 Capitol Street NE, Salem, Oregon 97310, Barbara Conreaux, 503-947-5815, within 24 hours prior to the meeting so that necessary arrangements can be made.

EIPA Video Conference Workshops

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:03:00 GMT

Boys Town National Research Hospital will be conducting four video conference trainings for sign language interpreters. These trainings will be hosted by Intermountain Education Service District, Southern Oregon Education Service District, and the Oregon School for the Deaf. Please log into ODE’s Events page for more information regarding site location. Specific content information can be found on this flyer .

October Superintendent's Pipeline

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 23:44:00 GMT
The October 2011 Superintendent's Pipeline is now available online at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=684.

The Superintendent's Pipeline is the main source of ODE news, announcements, information, recruitments, grants and other opportunities for schools and districts. Pipeline delivers a variety of news and information from the Oregon Department of Education for administrators, teachers, and other school district staff members.

IN THIS ISSUE:
• From the Desk of Susan Castillo: Fall message
• Profiles of Leadership: Drew Hinds
• Instructional Materials Criteria Committees
• What Do the CCSS Mean for Me?
• CCSS Video Series
• Mark Your Calendar: October CCSS Webinars
• Birth-to-Five State Literacy Plan Unveiled
• Oregon’s K-12 Reading Plan and the CCSS
• CCSS Resource Web Pag ...MORE

EIPA Testing

Fri, 7 Oct 2011 22:47:00 GMT

TASK 12 is coming to Oregon to sponsor the EIPA testing. A one-day training will occur on October 15 before the testing. The testing will occur on October 16 starting at 7:30 am. Both testing and training will occur at the Oregon School for the Deaf.

To register contact Audrey Hartwig

School Nurse Report, October 1, 2011

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 17:31:00 GMT

The Annual Report to the Board of Education and Legislative Committees for Education, mandated by House Bill 2693, was submitted on October 1, 2011. Click the links below to view the reports and House Bill 2693.

Executive Summary Related to School Nursing Services

School Nurses Report to the State Board

House Bill 2693

Best Practices Guide for Administering OAKS

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 17:09:00 GMT

ODE has collaborated with districts, ESDs, legislators and Stand for Children to produce a best practices guide for administering OAKS to help schools and districts develop test administration policies and procedures that maximize the usefulness of assessment data and minimize the impact on instruction. The best practices guide, which is located at http://www.ode.state.or.us/go/tam, will go to the Oregon State Board of Education for formal adoption in January 2012.

The suggestions in the best practices guide are not mandatory, and they are not static. Rather, ODE intends this document to be the start of a conversation that will continue and evolve.

Assessment and Accountability Update - October 6, 2011

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 17:06:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for October 6, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

Out-of-District Assessment Scores in OAKS Online Reporting

Grade 11 Flag for Writing Assessments - Early Graduates
< ...MORE

Final Report Cards Released on October 6, 2011

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 16:54:00 GMT

As of Thursday, October 6 the final School and District Report Cards and Detail Sheets (English and Spanish versions) are available on the ODE website at http://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx. Districts are required to get report cards to parents by January 15, 2012.

Click here for the news release.

State Releases School and District Report Cards

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 07:02:00 GMT
Schools show progress toward meeting higher state and federal standards

(SALEM, Ore.) – State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo today released the report card ratings for Oregon’s K-12 public schools. The annual report cards provide parents and community members with a comprehensive overview of each school’s performance in the areas of academic achievement, attendance or graduation, and participation, along with key school statistics and an overall rating.

“Our schools are working incredibly hard to meet higher state and federal standards, but as anticipated, fewer Oregon schools received an Outstanding rating on the report card this year,” said State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo. “We have raised the bar in math, toughened graduation standards, and asked our schools to meet more challenging federal expectations. We have done all of this because we know these higher standards are the right thing for our students and our state. There is clearly still ...MORE

Essential Skills FAQ Available Now

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 18:43:00 GMT

A document responding to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the assessment of essential skills has been posted on the ODE Assessment of Essential Skills page. The questions and answers have been categorized by Requirements, Assessment Options, and Work Samples. Additional questions and answers will be added as needed. To find the document, go to the ODE home page and type go/es (for essential skills) in the address bar like this: www.ode.state.or.us/go/es or click here for a link to the page .

Grade 11 Flag for Writing Assessments - Early Graduates

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 18:37:00 GMT

Based on legislative action the writing performance assessment will only be available to students enrolled in the 11th grade and who have not yet met the high school achievement standard. To ensure those students have the ability to access the online test and for districts to be able to order a paper test, districts need to verify the students’ Enrolled Grade is set to grade 11.

Students who are entering their senior year following the 10th grade will need to be recorded as grade 11 until both:

the student has completed the writing performance assessment, and

the student’s writing score has been captured in Student Centered Staging.

Note: This only applies to students who are considered early graduates and who have not yet met the achievement standard on a previous year’s high school writing assessment.

If you have any questions about recording a student’s enrolled grade, please contact your
This feature will be implemented with the upgrade that will take place November 1. In preparation for the upgrade, OAKS Online Reporting will be down from October 25 through October 31.

If you have any questions, please contact your Regional ESD Partner .

Updated Student Access Section 504 Manual Now Available

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 17:04:00 GMT
This version of Student Access incorporates the changes to Section 504 and the ADA that resulted from the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act and its implementing regulations. The manual also includes guidance on responding to service animal requests in schools, supporting students with the most intense health care needs, and what to do when parents revoke consent for special education and request 504 accommodations instead. The manual contains sections on graduation issues and discipline of students with disabilities under Section 504.

October 2011 Mathematics Teacher Update Released

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 14:46:00 GMT
In the October 2011 Mathematics Teacher Update you will read about professional development opportunities, teacher and student competitions and awards, and much more. To learn about subscribing to the Mathematics Teacher Update, please visit the Content Area Teacher Newsletters web page.

Training of Mentors! - Teacher Induction Modules

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 21:29:00 GMT
The dates for the first two days of training for mentors have been set:

October 6-7, 2011 at the Keizer Heritage Foundation, 980 Chemawa Rd NE, in Keizer, Oregon; and

October 20-21, 2011 at the Bend/LaPine School District office.

View the flyer for additional information. To register please send names, e-mail addresses and location of choice to Sheli Dumas before October 5.

This is a required training for all mentors using the Oregon Mentoring Grant.

October 2011 EII Update Released

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 20:39:00 GMT
The EII Update is a monthly newsletter highlighting information from the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation on: standards, career and technical education, title programs, professional development and other topics of interest to Oregon educators.

Articles this month include:

Mark Your Calendar: October CCSS Webinars!

CCSS Resource Web Pages for ELA and Math

CCSS Video Series Available

Teacher Nominations for Bridge Year 2012 Instructional Materials Criteria Committees: English Language Arts and Mathematics

“Bridge Year” Instructional Materials for Common Core State Standards in 2012

What Do the Common Core State Standards Mean for Me?

Birth-to-Five State Literacy Plan Unveiled

Opening the “Gate”—Oregon’s K-12 Reading Plan

Statewide Inservice Day is October 14th!

Round ...MORE

Karen Olsen Named Oregon’s 2011 History Teacher of the Year

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:50:00 GMT
Eugene Teacher Receives Top History Honor

(Eugene, Ore.) – This morning, at a press event at Eugene’s McCornack Elementary School, 5th grade teacher Karen Olsen was named Oregon’s 2011 History Teacher of the Year. The award was presented by State Board of Education Vice Chair Artemio Paz. As History Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Olsen received a $1,000 check and the school received a number of history related materials and resources courtesy of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of America and the History Channel.

“Karen Olsen is passionate about teaching history and she really knows how to make the past come alive for her kids,” said State Superintendent Susan Castillo. “Karen understands that teaching history is all about connecting students to stories and she does that in a range of creative and innovative ways. She writes historic musicals for the school’s students to perform and even leads her kids on history themed tours both here in Oregon and around the ...MORE

January 12, 2012 Private Career Schools State Advisory Committee Meeting

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:26:00 GMT
Private Career Schools State Advisory Committee Meeting
Next Meeting:
January 12, 2012
Gathering Time: 8:30 am - 9:00am
Meeting: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol St NE, Salem
Public Service Building, Second Floor, Rm. 251 A & B
Meeting Day Contact: Debby Ryan 503-947-5734

September 21, 2011 Minutes
January 12, 2012 Agenda

Contact:
Shirley Arvin
503-947-5751
shirley.arvin@state.or.us

Assessment and Accountability Update - September 29, 2011

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:56:00 GMT

The Assessment & Accountability Update for September 29, 2011 is now available.

You can access this and past issues of the Assessment & Accountability Update on the ODE website.

In This Issue:

First Period Cumulative ADM Data Collection Opening

Preview of Preliminary School and District Report Cards - Action Reques ...MORE

Accommodations Manual 2011-12 Available

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:52:00 GMT

The accommodation tables for the 2011-12 Oregon State Assessment System have been posted online. These tables explain and regulate the allowable accommodations for all students during the administration of assessment tests.

In addition, these tables provide a crosswalk to the 4-digit accommodation codes which districts may opt to use to identify specific accommodations administered to students on IEPs during state testing.

Superintendent's Update #349

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:08:00 GMT

Superintendent Castillo's bi-weekly updates showcase the efforts and achievements of Oregon schools. Through these regular updates, the Superintendent hopes to increase communications regarding important initiatives for Oregon's students. Click here to access archived issues of Superintendent’s Update.

In This Issue:

Inviting Innovation: US Department of Education Offers NCLB Flexibility

Closing the Achievement Gap: Spotlight on M.A. Lynch Elementary

Oregon Diploma Talk

Opportunities and Financial Resources for Students and Schools

Susan’s Schedule

Under the program, states must partner with at least one higher education institution to implement the terms of the grant. They must also partner with at least one local education agency and either a Parent Trai ...MORE

Reading MS Level 2 Introductory Jan 18, March 6 and May 2

Writing MS Level 2 Introductory Nov 15, Jan 24, Feb 15, & April 12

Reading Level 4 Task Development

Jan 18	Level 2 Intro to Reading Scoring for Middle School
Jan 19	Level 2 Intro to Math Scoring for High School
Jan 24	Level 2 Intro to Writing Scoring for Middle School
Jan 31	Level 3 Advanced Math Scoring for High School
Feb 1	Level 4 Developing Math Work Samples HS or MS
Feb 7	Level 2 Intro to Writing Scoring for High School

ODE News

Public Notice and Comment - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Assessment and Accountability Update - February 9, 2012

February 2012 Social Sciences Teacher Update Posted

Love the Bus

Last Chance for Reading Essential Skill Training for Local Facilitators!

Winter Paper Writing Return Kits Arriving in Districts February 9

Fall Membership Report Released Wednesday, February 8

Staff Position 2011-12 Validations Begin Monday, February 13

Assessment Warehouse Extract Application Training on March 6, 2012

Cumulative ADM Validations Streamlined

Oregon Receives 2011 Advanced Placement Results

State Releases 2011-12 Enrollment Numbers

SMARTER Draft Item Specifications and Guidelines Now Available

February 2012 Superintendent's Pipeline Now Available Online

TEACHER NOMINATIONS for 2012 Common Core State Standards Instructional Materials Review

Proposed Changes in Special Education Rules

February 2012 EII Update Released

Assessment and Accountability Update - February 2, 2012

Extended Assessment Test Materials

Test Delivery System Offline for Maintenance February 3 at 6:30 PM PT

Key Assessment & Accountability Dates for February 2012

New Essential Skills Resources Available

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-15 - February 2, 2012

Opportunity to view and comment on Common Assessment (SBAC) - Due February 9, 2012

Common Assessment/SBAC Webinar - February 14, 2012

New Webpage for Parents/Guardians of Children with Disabilities

February 2012 Arts Teacher Update Released

MEMORANDUM NO. 005-2011-12 - INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITY ORGANIZATIONS

ODE USDA Foods Distribution Bulletin Vol. 004

Superintendent's Update #354

Oregon Graduation Rate Continues to Increase

Revised 2010-11 District Estimates as of January 27, 2012

Revised 2010-11 ESD Estimates as of January 27, 2012

Assessment and Accountability Update - January 26, 2012

Revised 2010-11 District Estimates

Revised 2010-11 ESD Estimates

New School Application Training - April 16, 2012

2010-11 ADMr by County Lines

ESEA Flexibility Waiver Request Submitted January 23

Public Release of Cohort Graduation and Dropout Reports on Friday, January 27

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - January 26, 2012

ELPA Practice Tests Updated

Spring Paper-Pencil Writing Order Window Opens January 26, 2012

OAKS Online Maintenance Schedule for March 2012

Contact(s) for this Announcement

Second Period Cumulative ADM District Audit Review Closes February 1

Essential Skills Training Available for Middle School Teachers

Poster Contest for Home Schoolers

CCSS Webinar on Text Complexity for ELA

Adoption of the Instructional Materials Criteria for Bridge Year: English/Language Arts (ELA) & Mathematics

Best Practices Guide Adopted by State Board of Education

Assessment and Accountability Update - January 19, 2012

Training on Essential Skills Workshops Still Available

Order Window for OAKS Extended Assessment Braille and Large Print Closes Friday, January 20, 2012

Extended Assessment Test Administrators (Qualified Trainers and Qualified Assessors)

ELPA Allowable Resources

ELPA Test Takers Must Have LEP Flag Set

Updated Mathematics Resources Now Available on the ODE Website

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - January 19, 2012

Reminder: Staff Position 2011-12 Closes February 3, 2012

Assessment and Accountability Checklist Updated - January 13, 2012

Reminder: Comment Opportunity

Meeting Notice - Talented and Gifted Education Task Force, January 23, 2012

Teen Parent/Child Development Programs Newsletter

2011 Tax Exemption Memo in Spanish

Comment on Proposed Changes in Special Education Administrative Rules

Districts in 4 year Title III Improvement Status

Title III Improvement Plans - Year 2, Training

January 2012 Social Sciences Teacher Update Posted

Assessment and Accountability Update - January 12, 2012

OAKS Online Test Opportunities

2011-12 ELPA Test Window Is Open

Print Function for ELPA Reading for 2011-12

Extended Assessment Braille and Large Print Ordering Deadline: January 20, 2012

Scientific Inquiry Student Feedback Forms Available

Development of the Common Assessment for 2014-2015 - January 12, 2012

Reminder: Class Size 2011-12 Opens January 19, 2012

Report Cards Must Be Distributed by January 15 (which is a Sunday this year)

OAKS Online Reporting Will Provide Access to Out of District Scores Starting January 17