EXHIBIT B
Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation July 25, 2006
K-12 Education Plan and Profile (EPP)
Implementation Report
WHAT IS WORKING?
· Through various pilot projects and ESD grants all high schools throughout the state are implementing the education plan and profile requirement
· Current and previous pilot schools and districts are providing a variety of models and best practices as well as lessons learned and identified needs for implementation
· Implementing the requirement has increased emphasis on students’ planning for next steps and shifting the focus from “graduation” to “successful postsecondary transitions”
· Increased emphasis on building transitions across grade levels K-12 matches grade level needs with appropriate strategies
· Identifying interests and post-high school goals through the EPP is helping students see the relevance of meeting academic standards
· Some schools are implementing on-line EPP formats accessible outside of school; electronic versions allow the EPP to be student-driven and supported by adults
The following project examples provide additional information on implementation –helping identify what is working, what is hindering, and what are the needs.
n Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Cohorts
Comprehensive guidance and counseling (CGC) is a systemic approach to guidance and counseling integral to the whole educational program. CGC programs include guidance curriculum, individual planning with students, responsive services, system support and integration, and student advocacy. They promote the academic, career, personal/social, and community involvement of each student. Through CGC programs students receive guidance and support in the development of their education plans and profiles.
Pilot school districts (Forest Grove, North Marion, Colton, Gresham-Barlow, Medford, Hillsboro, Salem-Keizer, Sisters, Jefferson, Redmond, Reynolds, Oregon Trail, Jefferson County, Ashland, La Grande, Oregon School for the Deaf, Eagle Point, Winston-Dillard, Canby, Beaverton, and Sherwood) are creating district-wide K-12 comprehensive guidance and counseling programs.
· Using the Oregon Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Framework developed by ODE, districts examine current practices, identify gaps, and design a program that is integral to the district’s educational program
· Identifying implementation strategies at the elementary, middle, and high school levels supports student transitions across grade levels and post-high school planning
· Programs promote collaboration and shared responsibility among counselors, teachers, administrators, other school personnel, students and the community
· Pilot implementation models demonstrate the use of a common framework that allows for development of a program unique to each district’s context.
n High School Improvement R&D Sites
The Research and Demonstration project is operating in six comprehensive high schools (Scio, Nyssa, Scappoose, Hermiston, Oregon City, Eagle Point) where the districts are implementing all diploma requirements. Results include:
· EPP managed through advisory or mentor programs for guidance
· Each school has modified existing 4-year graduation plans and advisories to meet new requirements
· Students are understanding the steps needed to make successful transitions
· Transitions are part of student reflections, i.e. how their classes and experiences are relevant to their post-high school plans
· Schools are shifting to more student-centered responsibility for managing their own EPP with adult guidance
· Student schedules in some schools are built around students’ education plans personalizing their learning
· Schools that are awarding credit for EPP find that students take planning more seriously and advisory staff do as well, seeing it as priority
· Engaging students in middle school increases understanding of high school transcripts, academic programs, and connections to postsecondary opportunities, and in meeting secondary requirements that blend with postsecondary opportunities
· Use of National Student Clearing House for postsecondary student data
· Scio’s PACE (Promoting Accelerated College Entry) program:
o Students perceive curriculum as relevant
o Improvement on state tests and CIM completion
o Full program of instruction offerings senior year; postsecondary connections are an integrated part of available high school options
o Increased opportunity for economically at-risk students to participate in postsecondary education
n ESD Regional Capacity Grants
All 20 ESDs are participating in the ESD Regional Capacity Grants identifying needs and providing support to high schools in the implementation of the EPP and other graduation requirements.
· According to regional needs assessments, all high schools are implementing the EPP, a few in the beginning stage and most in the mid- to fully developed range
· Schools are networking and sharing resources and models within regions and across the state
· Many schools are using an electronic, web-based EPP such as Career Information System (CIS) or Career Cruising
· Modification are being made to existing courses to create student EPP; some schools are creating “Transitions” courses; most are developing advisory programs to support student planning and reflection
· Schools are requiring career-related learning experiences, expanded options, etc. related to students’ EPP
WHAT IS HINDERING?
· Lack of resources for staff development and time for collaboration and planning in schools
· Most schools lack an electronic system for tracking student requirements; they’ve not invested the resources to link EPP with their student information systems; student information systems vary among districts
· Collective bargaining workload issues in some districts involved with adding an additional “course preparation” for advisories
· Lack of EPP as a priority in the schools’ educational program often conflicting with the more traditional credit requirements, especially with limited resources
· Student-counselor ratio is extremely high in most schools, inhibiting individual student planning as it is traditionally viewed (new models and roles for counselors are needed and promoted in CGC program)
· Lack of post-high school follow-up data to evaluate educational planning effectiveness
· Tremendous squeeze high schools are experiencing (in relation to all the requirements) – increased credit requirements; increased demand for time spent on student planning, supervising, and tracking functions; decreased budget (in real dollars); loss of instructional time to testing and aforementioned additional functions; high stakes of graduation rate measures combined with elimination of electives and co-curricular activities proven to keep kids in school
· Individual student placement assessments aligned with higher education are available, but their effective implementation adds to the requirements exceeding what is already required of schools and students
WHAT ARE THE NEEDS?
· Resources (time, training, staffing, models) for each school to focus on students at transition points; internally from elementary to middle school, externally from high school to all postsecondary options.
· Resources (especially time and training) for measuring and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of implementation, which most school staff perceive as an overwhelming additional burden. This may be a good target for any future capacity-building funds, although, like the School-To-Work initiative, it may be difficult to sustain unless it is built into the consolidated data collection system after field testing and training.
· Concrete, demonstrable meaning and value of student EPP in meeting requirements beyond high school – and resources to support reforms—so they are seen as more than just another hoop to jump through (which results in student, parent, teacher and administrator resistance)
· Continued support of the integrated data system (KIDS) and interface with the EPP specifications to track and transfer student info/data across districts
· Resources to support collaboration and planning time for teachers to share strategies and refine implementation of requirements
· More opportunities to learn from model programs, share best practices and network with nearby schools
· Planning tools that can be articulated 6-12 (technology enhancement needed, for example: mobile wireless labs)
· A system for post-high school follow-up data to evaluate effectiveness of students’ post-high school plan, transitions, and advising
1
Oregon Department of Education
J:\P-16 Systems Integration & Improvement\Diploma\August 2006