Oregon: Tier II Affiliated State Status

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Per Oregon’s 2010 adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and its commitment to the outcomes of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC)--to ensure instruction is aligned to the CCSS and subsequent alternate assessments are reliable, valid, and can be used for accountability purposes--the Oregon Department of Education has joined the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) alternate assessment consortium as a Tier II affiliate state.

The National Center and State Collaborative (www.ncscpartners.org) alternate assessment consortium is a project led by five centers and 19 Tier I states along with five Tier II Affiliated states to build an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The goal of the NCSC project is to ensure that students with the most significant cognitive disabilities achieve increasingly higher academic outcomes and leave high school ready for post-secondary options. Because a well-designed end-of-year test alone is not enough to achieve that goal, NCSC will also develop a comprehensive system that addresses the curriculum, instruction, and assessment needs of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities by: producing a technically defensible summative alternate assessment; incorporating evidence-based instruction and curriculum models; and developing comprehensive approaches to professional development.

As a Tier II NCSC member, the Oregon Department of Education will be provided with access to high quality teaching tools and instructional materials aligned to CCSS and will provide professional development to the field regarding resources and training for instruction in academic material needed for college and career readiness. These resources will support Oregon educators and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams as they design and implement appropriate instruction that addresses content and skill expectations aligned to the CCSS, with the goal of preparing Oregon students with the most significant cognitive disabilities for postsecondary life.

Oregon’s Alternate Assessment Community of Practice (CoP)

Oregon’s Alternate Assessment Community of Practice (CoP) consists of teachers and technical assistance providers/consultants who are receiving training on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the relationship between content and achievement standards, curriculum, assessment, and access to the general curriculum. The process has involved a monthly commitment to review the Webinars (via the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC), complete a study guide per that review, participate in a CoP discussion via WebEx, and to complete an online evaluation for NCSC. It is anticipated that the CoP will be asked to implement model curricula and help to refine and clarify materials and resources. Consequently, in order to establish a successful Community of Practice and a conduit that will serve to support the Department’s efforts to ensure the successful dissemination of the curriculum, instruction, and professional development information, resources, and training materials that the NCSC is developing with our expert assistance, we have been intentional in inviting teachers and technical assistance providers/consultants who come from a variety of geographic locations and are willing and able to support this important work at their districts and schools. Please click here PDF

for the list of teachers and technical assistance providers/consultants and their locales that are currently serving on the Oregon Alternate Assessment Community of Practice.

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