Date:  May 19, 2005

 

To:      Joint Boards Working Group and staff

 

From: Joint Boards Working Group

 

Re:      JBWG Work Plan, draft # 6

 

The major purpose of the June 3^rd meeting of the Joint Boards of Education is to take action on a work plan. The purpose of “joint” boards is to bring together the leadership of both boards on policy direction that needs alignment and momentum. The proposed plan needs more details once the four suggested work groups (see below) are approved. The intent of the four work groups is not to reinvent work that is done, but rather to move the entire educational enterprise forward together.

• The SBE has been working on system alignment, a common core of rigorous academic standards, a personalized learning experience, and adequate resources for the last several years. These areas are critical to the entire educational enterprise not only PK-14.
• The SBHE work with the Access and Affordability, Excellence in Delivery and Productivity, and Academic Excellence and Economic Development Working Groups are also efforts that are needed for the entire educational enterprise.
• The Joint Boards plan is to move the educational enterprise. In the belief that the education of Oregonians (for work, rich lives, and citizenship) is not well served by the current dichotomies between segments of the education continuum, the Joint Boards will work toward a more unified sequence of educational services and opportunities that optimize each student’s progression toward his/her educational goals.

 

I.               The mission for the Joint Boards is: To advance all public education in Oregon that is student-centered and will foster success at all levels of learning and for all ages.

 

II.              The work of the Joint Boards over the next 20 years is to provide leadership to develop and maintain an educational system that provides quality education for all students and is viewed as a national leader in education

 

III.            A placeholder vision: Each student demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to transition successfully to their next steps: advanced learning, work, and citizenship. (This is currently the vision of the SBE)

 

IV.            To accomplish the above, the following needs to happen:

A.    Articulate a vision and design specifications for implementation that addresses: how, why, and what is needed to make the Oregon educational delivery relevant, dynamic, and effective for all learners of all ages. It would address the need for the next radical steps to get us to the vision.

1.    The vision paper would build on the SBE vision: “Each (not some, not 80 percent, but all) student demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to transition successfully (not kind of, but successfully) to their next steps: advanced learning, work, and citizenship.”

 

2.    The vision paper would be compelling about what education needs to provide and be. It would keep the public attention on the target.

 

3.    The paper would articulate the assumptions. An example could be: Assumption: The classroom of the future will not be recognizable with all its delivery system options—it may even be virtual.

 

4.    The paper would identify key goals. Examples would be:

Goal 1. Design a system that allows students of all ages to move easily to higher levels based on knowledge and skills.

Goal 2. Assist each unit in the system, i.e., K-12, community colleges, and universities, keep their unique obligations to the public and their communities.

 

5.    The vision, if achieved, would result in items like the following broad outcomes:

a.    Ensure the high school graduation rates increase dramatically and that students meet rigorous academic standards.

b.    Increase the number of Oregonians with undergraduate and graduate education.

c.     Increase the number Oregonians with strong apprenticeship or technical training.

d.     Increase the opportunity for life-long learning.

 

And some other more detailed outcomes that might include:

Access:

1.      Preparation

a.    High school rigor designed with postsecondary apprenticeship and career success factors (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

b.    Align high school proficiencies to postsecondary entrance requirements (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

c.     Align high school diplomas to postsecondary entrance requirements (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

d.    Increase accelerated options for high school to postsecondary courses (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

e.    All students of all ethnic and social/economic backgrounds will succeed at their postsecondary learning.

 

2.      Access

a.    Access to postsecondary education would increase.

b.    Financial resources for postsecondary access would be available.

c.     Access to Pre-K learning would increase.

d.    Financial resources for Pre-K learning would be available.

 

3.      Persistence

a.    Increase high school completion (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

b.    Increase postsecondary retention (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

c.     Increase postsecondary completion (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

d.    Personalized learning for all students (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

e.    Increase articulation of majors and co-enrollment (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

f.      Increase ease of transfer student movement and success between college, universities, majors, etc. (number, percent, or quality to be determined).

 

4.      Diversity

a.    More students from traditionally under-served populations such as minority, low-income, working, older than average, and first-generation students.

 

To accomplish this:

CHARGE: To articulate the vision for Oregon’s public education in 2025. And to provide the design specifications needed to reach that goal. The work would include the work done to date by the Education Commission of the States (ECS), the State Board of Education (SBE), the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE), the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), the Lumina Foundation, the Oregon Business Council (OBC), the National Governors Association (NGA), and other groups identified by the task group. This task group could also work with local, regional, and national educational leaders.

 

Co-CHAIRS: This will be co-chaired by a member from the SBE and the SBHE.

 

CHECK-IN AND TIMELINE: The task force would report to the JBWG each month and have the final product for review in November with Joint Boards adoption by December 2005.

STAFF: Will be identified from each sector.

 

B.    CREATE A UNIFIED EDUCATIONAL ENTERPRISE: with curriculum alignment and performance expectations measured at every stage so that exit standards from one sector equal entrance standards to the next. This educational delivery system would have:

1.    A transformed educational enterprise that will result in:

a.    Rigorous relevant curriculum linked to standards across the Pre-K-20 educational enterprise.

b.    Pre-K to 16 education continuum focused on curriculum alignment and academic standards and measurable performance indicators that improve student proficiency.

c.     Student individual assessment scores will guide their instructional career plans. All students of all ages will have plans.

d.    Students will be able to move at a pace reflecting their rate of achievement.

e.    Multiple delivery choices will be available to students depending on their needs.

f.      Access to Pre-K-16 education for all individuals regardless of their income, ethnicity, gender, or age.

 

 

To accomplish this:

 

CHARGE: To identify the key work that would build the educational enterprise. To identify the key outcomes and changes needed to reach the goal by 2025 and to reach intermediate goals by 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. The work would include the work done to date by ECS, SBE, SBHE, WICHE, Lumina, OBC, NGA, and ODE work groups and other groups as identified. This task group could also work with local, regional, and national educational leaders.

 

This group will need to identify several work groups to assist them with the items identified above.

 

Co-CHAIRS: This will be co-chaired by a member from the SBE and the SBHE.

 

CHECK-IN AND TIMELINE: The task force would report to the JBWG each month. A timeline for curriculum, assessment, multiple delivery methods, access, etc., will be identified by October 2005.

STAFF: Will be identified from each sector.

 

 

C.   IMPLEMENT A UNIFIED DATA SYSTEM: This system would track student success and institutional success across the educational enterprise. A transformed unified data system will result in:

1.    Student transcripts, assessments, and educational plans will connect and apply across the educational enterprise.

2.    Assessment tools will measure student’s proficiencies at every stage.

3.    Credits and advancement depend on successful achievement of the academic standards.

4.    Course alignment and rigor would be informed and improved.

 

The system would:

1.    Use technology (data system) to improve:

a.    Ease and success of student transition between grade levels and courses.

b.    Report on the readiness and persistence of students by demographic variables.

c.     Identify the educational and social barriers to readiness and persistence of all students including access issues.

d.    Improve the high school and post secondary completion rates.

2.    Use technology (data system) to target and benchmark K-20 performance:

a.    Cohort learning/success.

b.    Connecting students to the appropriate level of learning needed at all levels.

c.     Classroom to institution to sector level performance and feedback.

3.    Develop a comprehensive financial/student system to:

a.    Provide cost per student cohort and outcome.

b.    Track services for persistence and success.

c.     Identify access and barriers for removal.

d.    Compare Oregon to other states in these performance measures.

 

To accomplish this:

 

CHARGE: To identify the key work that would build the unified data system for the educational enterprise to be complete by 2012. The work would include the work done to date by ODE, OUS, CCWD, Oregon Employment Department, ECS, SBE, SBHE, WICHE, Lumina, OBC, and NGA work groups and other groups as identified. This task group could also work with local, regional, and national educational leaders.

 

Co-CHAIRS: This will be co-chaired by a member from the SBE and the SBHE.

 

CHECK-IN AND TIMELINE: The task force would report to the JBWG each month. An initial reporting timeline for the unified data system would be provided in November 2005.

d

STAFF: Will be identified from each sector.

 

 

D.  PRODUCE AN UNDERSTANDABLE BUDGET FOR THE EDUCATIONAL ENTERPRISE: A transformed budget that is understandable reflects the entire educational enterprise. This budget will result in:

1.    A transparency regarding how schools/colleges spend their funds.

2.    A transparency regarding how well students perform within the educational enterprise and with each institution.

3.    Performance outcomes established for services, programs, and each educational level.

 

To accomplish this:

 

CHARGE: To identify the key work that would build the unified budget to be complete by 2012. The work would include the work done to date by OUS, ODE, CCWD, and the 2005 legislature. This task group would need to work with DAS, Legislative Fiscal Office, and all stakeholders.

 

Co-CHAIRS: This will be co-chaired by a member from the SBE and the SBHE.

 

CHECK-IN AND TIMELINE: The task force would report to JBWG each month. A timeline for the next step toward a unified budget would be identified by January 2006.

STAFF: Will be identified from each sector.