Friends: Below is a message from the public relations office of Superintendent Castillo.
Note the mission statement at the bottom: "Supporting schools and communities through continuous improvement and accountability systems that accelerate students to meet Oregon Standards"
I wonder why the Superintendent doesn't also support systems that "accelerate students to EXCEED Oregon standards--or even systems that support students who have ALREADY exceeded Oregon standards." There are a lot of them. In some grades a substantial proportion of all students have exceeded Oregon standards. You won't read about them in the Oregon Report Card, though--all their data is reported there as "numbers of students who meet or exceed" See .
You can find the data buried in individual district/school reports if you go to . I had hoped to compile a table of the trends in students who have "exceeded" over the past few years but have been stymied by apparent anomalies in the data (different numbers reported for the same year).
Margaret
Subject: Closing the Achievement Gap Conference & Student Success Awards Banquet - Portland, April 29
Closing the Achievement Gap Conference & Student Success Awards Banquet - Portland, April 29, 2005
A new ODE webpage has been launched to provide information and event registration for the second annual statewide Closing the Achievement Gap Conference and its new partner event, the Student Success Awards Banquet.
Details on both events are featured on the ODE website at: www.ode.state.or.us -- from the home page, click on "Closing the Achievement Gap" under the Superintendent's Priorities on the right hand side of the page.
Portland State University will co-host the daytime Conference with ODE at Smith Center on Friday, April 29, 2005. The Banquet will be held that evening, 6:00-8:00pm, at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland Ballroom. Separate online registration is required for the two events; these links are posted on the website.
A Call for Workshop Presenters form has also been posted for the Conference. The deadline to submit is February 28, though we will continue to review proposals as needed to reach our goal of selecting a diverse slate of workshops. ODE staff from all offices, as well as our colleagues in the field, are welcome to submit workshop proposals; please complete the form with the information requested and follow the forwarding instructions. Information on the types of workshops sought is included on the form.
Coordination and staffing for these events are being provided by the Office of the Superintendent and the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation.
Corporate support for the Banquet is being provided by Verizon, among others
The Oregon Department of Education
proudly presents the 2nd Annual
Closing the Achievement Gap
Conference
When: April 29, 2005, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Where: Portland State University, Smith Center
Workshop Themes: Family & Community Involvement; Data-Informed Planning; Using Technology to Bridge the Achievement Gap; Techniques for Teaching Diverse Students; Managing Student Transitions from Preschool through College; High Quality Instructors and Instruction
Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Robert Barr, PhD
Co-Author/Researcher: "Saving our Students, Saving our Schools;" Dean of School Improvement and Policy Studies at Boise State; nationally recognized in the areas of at-risk youth, school improvement, and alternative education.
~ Demonstration Site Displays ~
~~ Educational Exhibits ~~
Cost: $30 (includes workshops & luncheon)
To register, visit the Oregon Department of Education website: www.ode.state.or.us
(See Superintendent's Priorities "Closing the Achievement Gap")
Supporting schools and communities through continuous improvement and accountability systems
that accelerate students to meet Oregon Standards
