Diploma - Standards & Assessment - Oregon Department of Education

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Diploma - Standards & Assessment

As part of the new Oregon Diploma, the State Board asked the Department of Education to identify core standards for K-8 and high school in all academic subjects. The Board’s decision is based on current research showing greater student achievement of the content standards when teachers and students focus on a few key ideas for each grade level. Oregon calls these key ideas core standards.

The goal of a core standards structure is to create fewer standards that are more focused and coherent. Using the discipline as the guide, core standards statements are developed around the “big ideas” of a content area. These core standards statements are supported by more specific content standards which provide the details necessary for curriculum and assessment. Core standards also articulate learning progressions within and between grade levels and allow for more effective lesson design, focused instruction and creation of formative assessments. In order to qualify as a core standard, three criteria must be met:

• Endurance: Will the standard provide students with knowledge and skills that will be of value beyond a single test date?
• Leverage: Will the standard provide knowledge and skills that will be of value in multiple disciplines?
• Success: Will the standard provide students with knowledge and skills that are necessary for success in the next level of instruction or beyond school?

In accordance with the Standards Revision and Adoption Schedule, mathematics is the first content area for which core standards have been developed. In December of 2007, the State Board of Education adopted new standards for grades K - 8. High school standards were adopted in June 2009. Science standards for grades K - High School were also adopted in February 2009.

Related Resources

Research Findings on Core Standards 03/28/2008 (35.08 KB)
This document includes key findings from research that support the development of core standards.
Core Standards Structure Summary 03/28/2008 (19.73 KB)
A summary of Oregon's core standards structure, philosophy and criteria.
Core Standards: Math Leads the Way 03/28/2008 (22.95 KB)
This document outlines the purpose and process behind the development of core standards in mathematics.
Core Standards Format Example (4th Grade Mathematics) 03/21/2008 (67.03 KB)
This is a sample page of a more detailed curriculum document that is under development.
Standards Revision and Adoption Schedule 01/12/2012 (62.61 KB)
This schedule (by content area) includes the most recent adoption date for standards, the anticipated date for the next standards revision and the contract period for adopted instructional materials with publishers.

Related Topics

Standards and Assessment Task Force
To ensure successful implementation of the new diploma requirements the Board engaged stakeholders and practitioners by convening implementation task forces. The Standards and Assessment task force addressed recommendations on "core standards" in the content areas and issues related to increased math and science credits, including credits earned through applied and integrated courses.

Mathematics
Mathematics provides a foundation for the learning of science and technology as well as for the interpretation of quantitative information in other subjects. It teaches how to reason logically and develops skills that students can carry into other disciplines and many situations in real life. Mathematics helps students understand how the world works while exposing them to some of its unanswered mysteries.
Science
What the future holds in store for individuals, the nation, and the world depends largely on the wisdom with which humans use science and technology. And that, in turn, depends on the character and effectiveness of the education that people receive.