Oregon Achieves... Together!
A Message from the Director of the Oregon Department of Education, Colt Gill
For the past six years, it has been my honor and privilege to serve under Oregon Governor Kate Brown in her role as Superintendent of Public Instruction; first as Education Innovation Officer and for the last five years as Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction and Director of the Oregon Department of Education. I have had the opportunity to see her leadership in action as critical decisions were made, as we prepared to share critical information with Oregonians in press conferences, and as we celebrated Oregon's educators through the Teacher of the Year program.
Under her leadership, Oregon’s education system has become more equitable, better funded and is seeing higher graduation rates for more diverse student groups than ever before. Governor Brown created a strong foundation that we can build on to ensure that every single student graduates from high school with a plan for their future.
Academic Achievement
When Governor Brown took office in February, 2015, the statewide graduation rate was 72 percent. While the numbers for the Class of 2022 have not been released yet, the most recent statewide graduation rate of 80.6% is the second-highest ever, behind only the 82.6% from the year before that. Drilling down, the numbers are even better for historically underserved student groups that exceeded the statewide average growth over the same period:
- American Indian/Alaska Native students increased 13.5%
- Black/African American students increased 13.3%
- Hispanic/Latino students increased 12.1%
- Former English Learners (became proficient before HS) increased 11.4%
- English Learners while in HS increased 12.7%
- Special Education students increased 15.0%
Outside of one year during the global pandemic we saw steady, year-after-year increases in 4-year graduation rates and, while there is still more work to be done, I expect that trend to continue.
Equity Advances
An important reason more students are graduating is the focus on equity that ODE has committed to under Governor Brown. When announcing her education initiatives in 2017, Governor Brown stated, “In our efforts to improve student learning and achieve critical outcomes, we must be responsive to the diverse cultures and communities reflected in our education system while ensuring that every dollar of public investment for our students is well spent.” ODE and the State Board of Education responded to that call for action.
The State Board adopted the Latino/a/x & Indigenous Student Success Plan and the LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan and invested more in the American Indian/Alaska Native and African American/Black Student Success Plans. We developed Ethnic Studies Standards and are in the process of developing Social Emotional Learning Standards. Through Senate Bill, 13, we partnered with the nine tribes to create the Tribal History|Shared History curriculum and the Essential Understandings. Oregon students represent varied cultural, ethnic, racial, and linguistic experiences. Our commitment to honoring the diversity of Oregon’s students includes infusing multicultural Oregon history into the curriculum. Educators must have the knowledge to refine instruction so that it reflects the contributions of our diverse communities. Valuing the lived, diverse experiences of our students and understanding the importance of education equity in every facet of what we do makes our schools more welcoming for all students.
At Governor Brown’s urging, the State Board of Education passed the Every Student Belongs rule. The rule, inspired by a letter to Governor Brown from a high school student, prohibits hate symbols, specifically three of the most recognizable symbols of hate in the U.S.—the swastika (outside of a religious context), the Confederate flag, and the noose. All students, staff and leaders are entitled to work in environments that are free from discrimination or harassment, and visitors should be able to participate in school activities without fear for their safety. The Every Student Belongs rule is an important step in creating safe and inclusive school climates where all who participate in our school communities feel welcome.
An important part of welcoming school environments is ensuring that high-quality, well-supported and culturally-responsive educators are in every classroom. That is the aim of the Educator Advancement Council (EAC) Governor Brown advocated for and lawmakers created in 2017. Research shows when students of color have educators who mirror their demographics, every student benefits. The EAC recognizes that high-quality educator preparation and ongoing, effective professional learning and support for educators are critical variables to excellent teaching, improved student learning, and educator retention. As a result, the number of racially and ethnically diverse teachers continues to increase, but it is only keeping pace with the increasing diversity of students. We will need to continue this work to close the demographic gap.
Governor Brown also created the Racial Justice Council in 2020, an advisory group tasked with examining and starting the process of dismantling the racist policies that have created grave disparities in virtually every part of our society, including education. The council members come from a diverse set of backgrounds with a majority from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities. Already the council has provided input on HB 2166 to create Social Emotional Learning Standards and propose a Social Emotional Framework for K-12 schools, ODE’s proposed budget for 2023-25, and local school district accountability to state rules and statutes - especially as they relate to equity and inclusion.
Historic Investment
Investing in education has always been a top priority of Governor Brown. Through her leadership, we have the Student Success Act which created a stable revenue source that allows us to expand opportunities in early education and make targeted investments in our K-12 schools so that all of our kids can graduate high school with a plan for the future and the tools to compete in a global economy. An important part of the Student Success Act is requiring districts to meet with their communities to discuss areas of need and get input on how best to use the funds. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution because every district has different problems that need to be addressed.
Governor Brown also made sure help was available to families before their children were old enough for school. The Preschool Promise program offers free, high-quality preschool to Oregon families. Economic status should not get in the way of building a solid foundation for any young learner and Preschool Promise is a critical step in addressing this persistent equity gap in our education system so that all students have access to the supports and learning they need to thrive.
With the Oregon Legislature, Governor Brown ensured schools all over the state had additional funding for Summer Learning programs so that students who needed a little more help to get back on track could do so and not lose momentum heading into a new school year. Plus, the High School Success program initiated by voters and supported by Governor Brown was implemented to encourage districts to improve student progress toward graduation beginning with grade 9, increase the graduation rates of high schools and improve high school graduates’ readiness for college and career.
Compassionate Leadership
Since early 2020, as we saw COVID-19 turn into a global pandemic and the first documented case in Oregon happen at an elementary school, Governor Brown has stood at the forefront of protecting the lives of students, educators and their families. Balancing the health and lives of all Oregonians meant difficult decisions had to be made. The results are clear. Oregon had the second- lowest cumulative Case Rate and the seventh-lowest death rate in the country from COVID-19.
Transitioning to Distance Learning for All called on all teachers and support staff to make immediate and substantial changes to the way we delivered education and interacted with students, families and one another. Teachers in Oregon were new to this mode of instruction. Overnight, everyone was a first year teacher all over again. It was frustrating and challenging, but Oregon’s teachers delivered. Families assumed new responsibilities and shouldered challenges like navigating technology and serving as an academic tutor and caretaker.
The Governor then called for a shift back to in-person learning and to a more traditional, local decision-making model, so that communities could make the best public health and safety decisions for their local conditions and that serve students best. We have grown stronger as an education system as we’ve responded together to this pandemic over the last two school years. We are practiced and ready to bring what we have learned forward to improve school outcomes all over the state.
With her emphasis on the safety and health of Oregonians, especially the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has on Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino/a/x, Pacific Islander communities; students experiencing disabilities; and students and families navigating poverty, Governor Brown championed a collective focus on public health. Shared responsibility for public health called on each one of us to have greater awareness about COVID-19 and take action to protect ourselves and the people around us - especially the most vulnerable. Because of that, Oregon’s COVID-19 vaccination rate is above the national average. Under her leadership, ODE focused considerable resources on creating mental health toolkits and supports for schools, despite interruptions to their regular school routines, the youth suicide rate declined for three straight years.
So thank you to Governor Kate Brown for your steadfast commitment to equity and your compassionate leadership as State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Your values and hard work will live on long after your term in office ends. Thank you for strengthening the foundation of education in Oregon that we will build upon for many years to come.