Friends:

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I would appreciate it if you would let us know whether you would be interested in an OATAG facebook group (we already have a Facebook page at ) and whether you would be interested in joining me and other Oregon TAG parents for an informal online chat either ONCE or once each month during the school year at a regular time/date?

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I will only set these up if there is enough interest!

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You can reply here or email me at president@...

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Thank you,

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Margaret

Friends:

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TOMORROW, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, the Oregon House Education Committee will have an interim hearing on school finances and accountability.

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You can find the agenda here:

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On the top right-hand corner of that page is a tab labelled “e subscribe”? If you follow that link and enter your email it will give you an option to subscribe to any legislative press releases, legislator emails, and committee agendas. Once you have checked a box indicating your choices, it retains your subscription preferences from session to session until you unselect them.

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On the agenda page, you will find tabs with links to the recording of the hearing (after it has taken place), meeting materials, and the text of any bills that have been submitted.

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During the long session, there are four or more education committee hearings every week, so I don’t send out notices unless a particular hearing is especially relevant for TAG. If you would like to follow the legislative session yourself, please sign up for yourself! You will learn a great deal about how our state works.

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Most of the action in the legislature takes place in committees.? If you go to the committee webpage, you can find most of the material you need to follow subjects of interest to you.? It is also helpful to check out the websites for your own legislators and sign up for their newsletters on their legislative webpage.

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You can find out who represents you by going to the legislature’s homepage at and using the tab headed “Discover your district and who represents you.”? You must enter your zip code in the space for a result.

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Note that the legislators AND committee assignments will be different in January!? If your legislator is resigning, you can check back again next month.

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The Oregon legislature makes many decisions that affect you and your family.? I strongly recommend becoming familiar with this site and your representatives.? Listen into some hearings and encourage your students and children to watch their government in action!? The site is well organized and easy to navigate (unlike the Department of Education website!)

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Meanwhile, this is an excellent time to request a meeting with your own legislators and ask them to support TAG funding.? TAG is a bipartisan issue.

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Margaret

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Free Winter course for caregivers of 2-e youth: January 7 to February 11, 7-8:30 PM EST/ 4-5:30 PM PST

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INTRODUCTION

A doctoral student from Bridges Graduate School, Marna Wohlfeld, is designing a six-week Education and Support Program for Parents and Caregivers of 2e Youth as part of her dissertation research. She is inviting parents and caregivers of 2e children to attend the free, six-week online program, which will feature the latest research on supporting 2e children using concepts from the Five Non-negotiable Environments for 2e Learners and nervous system regulation.

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Dear Students and Parents

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We are excited to announce an important opportunity for students who are passionate about advocacy, leadership, and the education of talented and gifted (TAG) learners across Oregon. We are seeking a motivated and dedicated student representative to serve on the Oregon Association for Talented and Gifted (OATAG) board.

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About OATAG and Its Mission
OATAG is a state-wide non-profit membership organization committed to ensuring that all highly capable students in Oregon receive an education that challenges and nurtures their individual abilities. Our mission is to create an inclusive and equitable educational environment for TAG students, regardless of their socio-economic, racial, or ethnic background. We advocate for comprehensive training for educators, culturally sensitive assessments, strong parent and student involvement in educational planning, adequate funding, and appropriate instruction for every student. ?We work to ensure that every TAG student has access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

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Role of the Student Representative
We are looking for a student who is not only passionate about advocating for the needs of highly capable learners but also willing to work collaboratively with other stakeholders to improve educational opportunities for TAG students across the state. This is a great chance for students to make a real impact on policy and practice at the state level.

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The selected student will:

• Serve as a Student Representative on the OATAG Board for a term of up to two years.
• Participate in quarterly online board meetings, where they will help represent the voices and perspectives of TAG students in Oregon.
• Provide feedback and insights from the student body, sharing ideas and concerns about how to improve programs and services for TAG students.
• Meet with policy makers and legislators
• Serve as the OATAG representative to the National Gifted and Talented Student Advisory Board that is currently being organized by students.

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Eligibility
We are seeking a highly capable student who:

• Is actively engaged in their education and passionate about advocating for their peers.
• Has demonstrated leadership potential and a commitment to improving the educational experience for TAG students.
• Is available to attend quarterly online board meetings for the duration of their term.

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Why Apply?
This is a unique opportunity to:

• Engage with state leaders and educators who are dedicated to improving TAG education in Oregon.
• Contribute to meaningful conversations and decisions that affect TAG students statewide.
• Gain valuable leadership experience, including advocacy, public speaking, and policy development.

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How to Apply
To apply, please submit a brief application (no more than 2 pages) that includes the following:

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• Your name, grade level, and school or homeschool.
• A short essay describing your interest in serving as the student representative, including why you are passionate about gifted education and what you hope to accomplish on the OATAG board.
• A brief letter of recommendation from someone in your school or community who can speak to your leadership abilities and academic potential.

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Applications are due by Monday, December 16^th.

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Please complete the application form here:

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We look forward to seeing your application and hearing how you can contribute to the important work of OATAG!

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Sincerely,

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Margaret DeLacy, President

Oregon Association for Talented and Gifted

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OATAG provides information at no cost to support Oregon students, educators and families. Your OATAG membership is essential for this to continue.

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Friends:

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The report on access to advanced learning that was commissioned (at OATAG’s request)? by the last long session has been issued.? You can find the full report on the OATAG website here:

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Below is an excerpt from the executive summary:

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“…equitable access to accelerated learning programs begins with high leverage instructional

practices for all students beginning in kindergarten. Merely offering the classes at the secondary level

doesn't mean students were effectively and equitably prepared to be successful in advanced learning

classes during their elementary and middle school years. The successful implementation of these early

education initiatives has been hampered by a lack of adequate funding. It is crucial to secure sustainable

funding sources to ensure equitable access to accelerated learning opportunities for all students.

Equitable access to accelerated learning programs is essential for supporting students' successful

transition into post-secondary education and careers. These programs provide students with the

academic rigor and skills necessary to excel in college and the workforce. Moreover, they can help close

achievement gaps and create a more level playing field for all students.

The benefits of accelerated learning programs are well-documented. Students in these programs

typically achieve higher test scores, have higher college acceptance rates, and earn higher incomes than

their peers. They are also more likely to graduate from college and pursue advanced degrees.

The disparities in access and participation in accelerated learning programs are a matter of social justice.

The consequences of these disparities are significant. Students who are denied access to accelerated

learning programs miss out on opportunities to develop their academic potential, gain advanced skills,

and prepare for college and careers. This can lead to lower educational attainment, reduced job

opportunities, and diminished social mobility.

All students, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to reach their full potential”

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Margaret

Friends:

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Below is a link to a blog from the Davidson Institute that compiles a list of academic competitions, updated in October.

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Margaret

Friends:

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If you are interested in advocating in the Legislature about education issues, or you just want to know more about how our state government works behind the scenes, the League of Women Voters offers a free online Legislative Process Day.?? If you are new to advocacy, I recommend it.

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Margaret

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Friends:

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A new policy paper from the Fordham Institute challenges the idea that programs for high-achieving students are inherently inequitable and argues that we should require every state to create and strengthen robust advanced programs.

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“This policy brief challenges those claims. It argues that, rather than harming marginalized students of high ability, these programs are the best way to maximize their achievement. That’s because interventions, including acceleration and readiness grouping, benefit high-achieving students from every sort of background while doing minimal harm to lower- and middle-achieving peers; more heterogeneous classroom groupings, however beneficial for some students (when done well), rarely succeed at educating students across the wide range of achievement at all grade levels. This reality is especially concerning when more effective methods exist to identify and nurture the talents and abilities of students who are Black, Hispanic, low-income, and otherwise underserved.”

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Friends:

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The State Board of Education is scheduled to hold a first hearing on new Oregon Administrative Rules on complaints and appeals

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The board’s rules only require that dockets be posted one day before the board meeting which will take place on Thursday.? However, the staff to the Department shared their draft some time ago and made it public. The current version seems to be the same as the one they shared previously.? You can find it here:

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The rules for complaints and appeals include the rules for appeals related to the Division 22 Standards for education which include the three TAG Administrative Rules covering identification, services, and the rights of students and parents.? When districts violate these rules, families must follow the complaint and appeal process which gives the district a maximum of 90 days to respond and then permits an appeal to the Department of Education if the district does not resolve the complaint.? The proposal sets a limitation of one year for initiating appeals and gives the Department 270 days to “resolve” an appeal after it is submitted.

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It seems that when the State Board revised the identification rule, it unintentionally removed the right of families to appeal to the Department of Education when a district did not identify a student.? That’s because the new rule removed the absolute score cutoff from the criteria for identification and left identification procedures up to district policies and practices.?

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Unless a rule says that district policies and practices must be applied, or implemented, they can’t be appealed. ?I flagged this at the time, but no one paid attention. ?I don’t know whether it is reasonable to keep appeals over identification within districts or to allow people to appeal to the state, but I have not received a lot of mail from families about this problem. Given the extremely long delays at the state level, it might make more sense for a family to renominate their student the following year than to wait for the state to rule.? I have included a general comment about this in my own comments, but I haven’t applied it to TAG issues.

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There is a public hearing on the revisions on TUESDAY (tomorrow) at 3:00 PM.? The public hearing is usually informal.? You can find more information and a link if you wish to listen in or comment here:

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This link will take you to the welcome page of the State Board of Education with more information on how to participate

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If you wish to participate, please sign up for either the public hearing or the Board meeting or submit testimony in writing.? You have to sign up to give oral testimony to the Board.

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Margaret

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OATAG will be at the free Education and Enrichment expo at OMSI on September 28th. Come and meet us there!

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We will be sharing a table with the Portland Symphonic Girlchoir

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Margaret

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