Credit for Proficiency Taskforce Update

1. Credit for Proficiency Taskforce Update Presented to: Implementation Advisory Task ForceMay 22, 2008

2. Task ForceMembership • Business and Industry • Alternative Programs and Private School • Teachers Standards and Practices • Oregon Education Association • Non-profit organization • Teachers • High School & District Administrators • Educational Service Districts • Community Colleges • Oregon University System & Private Universities Oregon Department of Education, May 2008

3. Contextfor Task Force Work State Board of Education Issue 2001-2002 • How can a proficiency-based system co-exist with a time-based system? • How should we utilize time if students are engaged in learning at their own rate and level of learning? • How do we create value for a proficiency-based system? • What policies would help empower schools to implement a personalized, proficiency-based system? Perspective of National Thought Leaders Oregon Department of Education, May 2008

4. Contextfor Task Force Work Status of Current Work • Existing Policy • “Credit Option” Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) • 2004 Pilot Sites • ODE and Business Education Compact Partnership Oregon Department of Education, May 2008

5. Assumptions to Guide Task Force Work A Proficiency-based system: • Is essential to learning • Promotes best practices in teaching and learning • Is based on standards and defined levels of performance • Views proficiency as the constant and time/clock hours as the variable • Connects to a student’s Education Plan • Provides a variety of methods, pathways and assessment options to demonstrate learning • Should evolve developmentally to ensure growth and sustainability over time. Oregon Department of Education, May 2008

6. Draft Recommendations Credit for Proficiency Defined • Units or part units of required and elective graduation credit • Demonstrated defined knowledge and skills (standards) • Meet or exceed defined levels of performance • May be demonstrated: • inside traditional classroom, • outside the classroom, • prior learning, • examination, or • any combination. Oregon Department of Education, May 2008

7. Purposes of Credit for Proficiency • Increase learning options for students • Provide flexibility to districts and schools to meet diverse needs of students • Empower and encourage local decision-making to prepare students for next steps

8. DraftTask Force Recommended Policy Oregon school districts shall provide the opportunity for each and every student to earn required and elective credit for graduation based on proficiency in lieu of, or in addition to, traditional clock hours. Each school district shall have local policy, procedures and processes in place by 2013-14 documenting district implementation of credit for proficiency options.

9. DraftTask Force Recommended Policy • Standards-based State or other recognized standards • Proficiency Defined levels of performance • Sufficiency Defined quantity and quality of evidence

10. Task Force Recommended Implementation Supports • System Supports • Professional Development • Research Needs

11. Next Steps • Final Agreement on Recommendations • Resources necessary to build capacity & implement • Cost of resources – Local and State • Additional work – Proficiency and Sufficiency • Revision of Oregon Administrative Rules

12. Discussion Question: What questions or concerns do you have with the proposed: • policy statement and • required elements?

13. Task Force Website http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1681