|
|
| 4/10/2009 8:56:00 AM |
| Superintendent's Update #301 |
In This Issue:
Oregon Summer Food Service Programs Win USDA Awards
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the recipients of the 2008 Western Region Office (WRO) Summer Food Service Program Sunshine Awards. USDA created the Summer Sunshine Awards to recognize the outstanding achievements and creative strategies of Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors in the western United States. USDA WRO presented the award for Successful Community Partnerships to Forest Grove School District and the award for Innovative Solutions to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption to Lebanon Community Schools. The recipients received a certificate and banner in recognition of their excellent work. 
Forest Grove School District (SD), winner in the Successful Community Partnerships category, was recognized for partnering with local congregations, businesses, community based organizations, and parents to ensure children have access to a nutritious meal during the summer months. Forest Grove SD doubled the number of meals served from the previous year, serving 2,185 lunches in 2008 at two parks. Seven local congregations and West Coast Bank partnered to host the SFSP at Rose Grove Park and Lincoln Park. The SFSP also offers children educational and enrichment programs. Washington County Commission on Children and Families and the Oregon State University Extension Services provided summer interns to coordinate “healthy food” activities at Rose Grove Park. All Together Now, a community art organization, offered arts and crafts, music, and reading activities. Children learned theatrical games from Comedy Sportz volunteers and music and dance from Ghanan and Guinea West African musicians. Lebanon Community Schools, winner in the Innovative Solutions to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption category, was acknowledged for collaborating with local advocates and educators to create the Planting Seeds of Change school garden. Planting Seeds of Change, a “classroom without walls” helps integrate gardening and healthy eating into children’s education. Volunteers from the Lebanon Senior Center work with the children in teams, and encourage learning about gardens and nutrition. Partnering with Healthy Active Lebanon, Lebanon Community Schools implemented the “Fruits and Veggies, More Matters” campaign by renovating two greenhouses to grow produce for school meals; by creating salad bars; and by working with growers and farmers to access local produce. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides financial reimbursement for up to two meals per day to children at sites in low-income areas or that serve primarily low-income children. The SFSP funds nutritious meals and snacks to children without regard to race, color, national origin, age (within statutory limits), sex or handicap, during extended school vacation periods. In most areas, the program operates from May until school begins in August or September. Meals and snacks are served to children in such places as schools, playgrounds, parks, and churches. For questions about this program, please contact Barbara Cracknell, Nutrition Specialist, Oregon Department of Education, at (503) 947-5911. Oregon Department of Education Wins $3.7M Grant for Longitudinal Data Systems
State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo announced that the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (USED IES) has awarded Oregon a $3.7 million grant to provide statewide formative assessment resources for our schools. The grant proposal was a collaborative effort between the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), the University of Oregon (UO), Oregon State University (OSU), schools of Education throughout the Oregon University System and the Educational Enterprise Steering Committee comprised of ODE, ESD, Districts and Postsecondary partners. “This is great news for Oregon students. This grant allows us to continue our momentum towards building longitudinal data systems to help our teachers improve instruction. By analyzing data, teachers, administrators, and district staff can refine programs, target scarce funds, and sharply focus on techniques and strategies that have shown results for our students,” said Superintendent Castillo. 
This funding will: • Provide an online formative assessment toolset for grades K-8 using the Easy CBM application developed at University of Oregon • Provide additional support for Oregon’s regional warehouses to deliver formative assessment data to teachers • Support the creation of an educational policy data warehouse allowing researchers to access Oregon educational data for the purposes of improving student achievement “This grant was intentionally designed to leverage the Oregon Legislature’s investments in the PK-12 Integrated Data Systems (KIDS) and the Longitudinal Growth Model. In addition, this new grant builds on the progress achieved through the Direct Access to Achievement Data (DATA) that was previously funded by another grant from the U.S. Department of Education in July of 2007,” said Doug Kosty, Assistant Superintendent of Assessment and Information Services. “Twenty-seven states were awarded grants in this round of funding. Oregon is nationally recognized as a leader in developing longitudinal data systems and we are very pleased to be selected for a second round of funding.” In addition, the grant will help create an efficient system through which Oregon’s vast amount of data may be used to make better educational decisions and policies to help our students by physically co-locating ODE’s data systems at Oregon State University’s data center. Why does Oregon need these funds? Several Oregon school districts are currently developing or procuring formative assessment systems. These funds will allow all districts to have access to a common set of tools that are aligned to Oregon’s content standards and can be incorporated into their formative assessment systems. Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. When incorporated into classroom practice, it informs both teachers and students about student understanding at a point when timely adjustments in instruction can be made. These adjustments help to ensure that students succeed academically. The DATA project is a multi-tiered program of professional development focused on teaching educators how to collect, analyze and use appropriate data. It has been designed to provide statewide training and support for data-driven decision-making. The effective use of data is receiving national attention as the importance of measurable results in the school setting grows. Data can also help classroom teachers tailor their instruction to individual student needs, which has been proven to significantly increase student achievement. For more information go to: http://www.oregondataproject.org/. “I hear from educators on a regular basis about how powerful this data is. Our schools are using data in new ways to target instruction, improve planning, and better serve students,” said Superintendent Castillo. “As we improve these systems, our districts are embracing data like never before and seeing great results. Bottom line – this is good for kids.” What is being done now? The Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 16 Integrated Data System (KIDS) is a statewide system that is integrating different student information systems from across the state into a common data warehouse. KIDS will provide the Oregon Department of Education, school districts and the Oregon University System with a single, accurate, and reliable student data system for the entire state, allowing seamless storage, access, and data transfer between districts and the state. The $8.3 million project, funded by the 2005 Legislature, is on track for fully implementing its data warehouse system in winter of 2010. One of the benefits of this system is an enhanced student transcript exchange across schools and districts to ensure that students are better served while at the same time promoting operational efficiency. What additional opportunities are being offered as part of the stimulus package? Additional grant opportunities totaling $250 million will be announced to states within 30 days. ODE is considering another proposal and is in discussion with the Governor’s Office, Community Colleges and Workforce Development and the Oregon University System. Click here for more information on the Oregon statewide data system. Click here for more information regarding the IES Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) Grant Program. Oregon Diploma Talk
This weekly item highlights actions taken, various questions, and background relating to the Oregon diploma. The following information is from Achieve’s February 19, press release. In February Achieve released, “Closing the Expectations Gap,” its fourth annual report on the progress of high school reform efforts in all 50 states. The report, which tracks efforts by states to set expectations for high school graduates that are in line with the demands of college and careers, shows progress in a majority of states towards making the high school diploma more meaningful – particularly in the area of standards – though there is still considerable work to be done. Since Achieve launched the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network in 2005 to challenge states to work together to align their standards, graduation requirements, assessments and accountability systems with the realities of college and the workplace, Achieve has surveyed all 50 states and the District of Columbia about the status of their efforts to adopt and implement the rigorous ADP agenda. "States have shown impressive leadership in adopting college- and career- ready standards and graduation requirements. They must now go from setting standards to measuring whether they are being met. States must not only raise graduation requirements for students but hold schools accountable for the same result. To prepare all students for postsecondary success, states and districts must also provide the curriculum, instructional tools and supports students and teachers need," said Mike Cohen, Achieve’s president. The 50-state survey looks at the number of states that have raised standards and adjusted their graduation requirements, P-20 data systems, assessments and accountability systems to support the college- and career-ready agenda. Specifically, the report’s findings include: • All but six states have aligned, or plan to align, their end of high school standards in English and mathematics with college and career readiness expectations. Twenty-three states have completed this work. • In 2005, only two states required students to complete a college- and career-ready curriculum in order to earn a high school diploma. Today, 20 states and the District of Columbia have set their graduation requirements at the college- and career-ready level. • Only 10 states have assessments rigorous enough to measure whether high school students have met college and career readiness standards. Twenty-three additional states are planning to put such assessments in place in the next several years. • Before 2006, only three states had P-20 longitudinal data systems and regularly matched student-level K-12 and postsecondary data to measure progress and improve the transition from high school into college or the workplace. Now, 12 states have P-20 data systems, and all but one state are working to put such a system in place. • School accountability systems in most states are currently not anchored in the goal of graduating all students college- and career-ready. In most cases, the expectations for schools are much lower. States are beginning to develop more ambitious goals and broaden the indicators used to report on school progress and hold schools accountable for improvement. To see a full copy of the report, go to www.achieve.org/closingtheexpectationsgap2009. Opportunities and Financial Resources for Schools
Nominate an Innovative High School Science Teacher The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) invites U.S. high school science department chairs and administrators to nominate teachers for the 2009 AAAS Leadership in Science Education Prize for High School Teachers. The $1,000 prize honors a high school science teacher who has advanced science education by developing and implementing an effective strategy, activity, or program. Access prize details, nomination forms, and application forms at www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/awards/hs_scied_leadership/hs_scied_leadership.shtml. For more information, contact Lester Matlock at lmatlock@aaas.org  Deadline: April 24, 2009.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship for Seventh Graders The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program supports hundreds of high achieving students with financial need across the United States. Young Scholars receive funding to participate in academic summer programs, extracurricular lessons, distance learning courses, and other enrichment opportunities. Throughout their time in the program, Scholars work closely with an educational adviser who helps them plan an academic and talent development path to prepare them to enter top universities. Most Young Scholars receive a college scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. They are looking for 7th graders who value academic excellence, determination, leadership, and public service to apply for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program. Applicants must have demonstrated financial need—typically, a family income below $60,000. Up to 75 students will be selected across the nation in 2009. Applications are available on the Foundation Web site in and are due the last Monday in April (the 27th). For more information about the Young Scholars Program, please visit their website. If you have any questions, please contact them at 410-735-6270 or mgriffin@jhu.edu .
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Resources
ODE is currently providing guidance around federal stimulus implementation and creating the funding and accounting systems necessary to meet the Obama administration’s high expectations for transparency and accountability. Please check our regularly updated PK-12 stimulus implementation website for the latest information on ARRA. Susan’s Schedule
Week of April 6th – Susan Castillo visited 2008 CTAG Champion Merrill Elementary in Merrill; met with Superintendent Greg Thede and visited classrooms, met parents, teachers and students in the Klamath County School District; met with members of the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce; met with Superintendent Cec Amuchastegui and visited schools in the Klamath Falls City School District; met with the Klamath Falls Herald and News; met with Mike McLaran, Executive Director of the Salem Chamber of Commerce; met with Representative Bill Garrard; met with Representative Jules Bailey; and met with Representative Jefferson Smith. Week of April 13th – Susan will meet with Senator Doug Whitsett; meet with the Editorial Board of the Statesman Journal regarding K-12 stimulus information; meet with other statewide elected officials; meet with the Editorial Board of the Oregonian regarding K-12 stimulus information; meet with Nichole Maher, Executive Director of the Native American Youth & Family Center; meet with Representative Cliff Bentz; participate in a National Core Standards Meeting in Chicago, sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers; and attend the Milken Educator Awards in Los Angeles with Oregon's 2008 Milken Educator Bonnie Robb, sponsored by the Milken Family Foundation.
The April 2009 issue of Superintendent's Pipeline is available on the ODE website.
For scheduling inquires, please visit our website at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=848 Please forward this UPDATE to others who might find it of interest. If you would like to subscribe to the Superintendent's Update, click here. or email crystal.greene@state.or.us
If you would like to unsubscribe, simply email crystal.greene@state.or.us |
| - end - |
Contact(s) for this Announcement
|
| Related Topic(s): |
|
Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol Street NE Salem, OR 97310-0203 |
| Copyright © 1998 -2010 Oregon Department of Education |
