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November 2024 Education Update

Oregon Achieves... Together!

A Message from Oregon Department of Education Director Dr. Charlene Williams

ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams 

Dear Education Community, The following quote perfectly encapsulates the opportunity that we as school communities and as citizens in this country have in our current moment:

“...we can truly welcome people to our literal and metaphoric tables while also insisting they have good table manners. Good manners is not about being polite. It’s about gratitude and recognition of all that led to us being at the table. It’s about sharing in the labor of making the table a place for all of us to be seen and accepted. And when we transgress - when we offend, neglect, or fail to show up well - we must clean up our mess by being accountable and working to do better next time. We can expect people’s presence and also expect of them behavior that contributes to everyone’s sense of welcome and belonging.” (From Mia Birdsong’s, How We Show Up)

In this role I have the privilege of sitting at many tables. On August 29th, I had the honor of joining the Klamath Tribes for their first annual Education Roundtable. Tribal Chairman William Ray, Jr. described the gathering as a historic day for the tribal community, as more than 50 people came together to discuss issues impacting tribal youth.

Representatives from the Klamath County School District, Klamath Falls School District, both districts’ school boards, public and tribal health agencies, tribal administration and leadership, and families gathered at the Klamath Tribes Health and Family Services Center in Klamath Falls. Our goal was to identify resources and strategic solutions to create a more nurturing educational experience for students.

Reflecting on the day, I am reminded that it takes tremendous courage and resilience to stay engaged in community conversations, especially after prolonged periods of tension. I admire the commitment shown by all who participated in seeking a path forward for our students and communities.

With the updated Tribal Consultation Toolkit set to release in November 2024, gatherings like this—where tribes, districts, and various agencies unite as partners in supporting Native success—help lay the groundwork for trust and relationship-building. These foundations are essential for successful consultations with Tribes.

Chairman Ray expressed his hope that the Education Roundtable would mark the beginning of a stronger and more productive ongoing conversation for years to come.

Over the coming days and weeks, how we welcome others to the table matters. We are including additional resources for schools and districts to reference as we close out an election cycle in the midst of so many critical issues that are impacting our communities.

As we move forward, let us commit to building and nurturing these tables together—not as isolated efforts, but as lasting partnerships rooted in mutual respect, accountability, and shared vision. Let’s make room for each voice, honoring the courage it takes to show up, to listen deeply, and to act with intention. As Mia Birdsong reminds us, creating spaces where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging means also carrying the responsibility to show up well, to make room for learning and growth, and to step up when it’s time to make amends. May these intentional roundtables serve as a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when we come together in service to our students and communities, creating a legacy of inclusion, support, and purpose for generations to come.

Finally, a reminder that sometimes getting folks to the table requires us to think about how we are welcoming them: Strong relationships with families, as well as intentional communication, are impacting attendance rates for kindergartners in Yoncalla, Oregon. Yoncalla kindergartners are attending school at 93%! This is just one example of how our efforts to reach out to our communities matters significantly for the youth and families we serve.

Synthetic opioid prevention lessons, updated fentanyl toolkit for Oregon schools now available

As fentanyl keeps showing up in a variety of drugs on the illicit market, state agencies are continuing their effort to help Oregon educators engage with students about the drug’s dangers – and preventing and responding to fentanyl overdoses – with the release of synthetic opioid prevention lessons and an updated Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools.

“The dangers of fentanyl have no age boundaries,” Gov. Tina Kotek said. “We must support the critical role that schools play in substance use prevention and intervention for students. The updated lesson plans and toolkit are a result of multiple state agencies coming together to collaborate on how we can best protect young Oregonians, and I’m grateful for their work on these vital resources.”

Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission (ADPC) partnered on these opioid/fentanyl prevention and intervention resources. This cross-agency collaboration with school and community partners to prevent substance use among youth and young adults will continue with the release of additional instructional materials and professional learning resources throughout the school year.

“Responding to the opioid crisis requires all hands on deck,” said ADPC Director Annaliese Dolph. “Leaders in government, healthcare, education and other fields all have a role to play when it comes to helping Oregon’s young people understand and navigate the risks of substance use. Equipping educators with the resources to have those conversations with students – particularly about synthetic opioids – is an essential piece of the puzzle.”

School-based drug education plays important role in youth overdose prevention

School-based prevention efforts such as health education, plays an important role in preventing and delaying first use of drugs and interrupting the development of substance use-related problems affecting youth and their families.

During Oregon’s 2023 legislative session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 238, requiring OHA, the State Board of Education via ODE, and ADPC to co-develop curricula supplements on the dangers of synthetic opioids and legal protections in place for people who report substance use or who seek medical treatment for drug or alcohol overdoses.

“The lesson plans and Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools are just two elements of a larger, comprehensive effort to improve fentanyl awareness and, more broadly, prevent harmful substance use among Oregon’s young people – a priority that OHA, ODE and ADPC collectively share,” said OHA Director Sejal Hathi, M.D.

Required Synthetic Opioid Prevention Lessons

ODE collaborated with OHA and ADPC to develop the required lessons per Senate Bill 238. These lessons are available on the ODE Health Education webpage and incorporate:

  • Youth-designed approaches with space for dialogue, relevant information, and Oregon data.
  • Research-based practices that emphasize the importance of promoting strengths-based norms rather than shame or fear-based tactics, skills-based learning over awareness-raising, and connecting to broad prevention efforts within the school and community.
  • Alignment with the 2023 Oregon Health Education Standards.

Beyond these required lessons, House Bill 5204 (2024) provided funding to ODE for additional curriculum supplements on the dangers of synthetic opioids. ODE will be sharing these resources along with professional learning opportunities in the year to come. ODE will be seeking feedback regarding the lessons for continuous improvement during this pilot year.

“These lesson plans help empower our students with the most up-to-date information to protect themselves and their friends from harmful substances,” ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams said. “I want to thank the Oregon Legislature for providing us with the framework in Senate Bill 238 and our partners at the Oregon Health Authority and the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission for all their work collaborating on the lesson plans and toolkit that will save lives in Oregon. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with school and community partners to prevent substance use among youth and respond to the evolving substance use landscape in Oregon.”

Updated Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools, access to overdose reversal medication

The updated 2024 Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools offers resources schools can use to educate the community about the impact of fentanyl and opioids; develop school policies and practices to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses; and build community partnerships for a comprehensive substance use prevention and intervention approach. The updates to the original 2022 toolkit include additional resources based on developing science and practices in substance use prevention and intervention, and recently passed state legislation that requires districts to share information to parents about opioid overdose reversal medications.

In addition to the updated toolkit, schools have access to naloxone through the Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse. Naloxone can save lives by reversing an opioid overdose. As of September 2024, about 125 school districts and Education Service Districts have requested and received naloxone kits. Each kit includes a wall-mounted naloxone box and eight doses of nasal naloxone.

November is Transgender Awareness Month

On November 20, 2024, we honor Transgender Day of Remembrance.

According to the 2022 Oregon Student Health Survey taken by 6th, 8th and 11th grade students, 12% are transgender, gender-expansive, or questioning. Please review the LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan, resources webpage, and Supporting Gender Expansive Students Guidance webpage for strategies to increase gender-affirming support for youth, families, and educators, as we work together to build legacies of love and support for transgender and gender expansive youth in our school communities during Transgender Awareness Month and all year.

How Prioritizing Staff Well-being Supports Thriving Schools and Student Success

The well-being of school employees is vital not only for the staff but also for the success of the entire education system. Research shows that building strong school employee well-being programs results in improved staff retention, decreased employee health care costs, better relationships between school leadership, staff, and students, and improved outcomes for students. After all, when our education staff thrive, so do our students! Our team at Oregon Healthy Schools deeply values the hard work of school staff throughout Oregon and recognizes the incredibly demanding work involved in every level of education. That’s why we would like to take the opportunity to provide some resources that center the well-being of the education workforce and help to build a culture of wellness that benefits staff and students alike.

  • Oregon Well-being Trust - Learn about grant opportunities to grow your staff wellness programs and receive support for ongoing workplace wellness initiatives in the form of regional convenings and community engagement opportunities.
  • OEBB Wellness Champions Network - Become an OEBB Wellness Champion and learn more about employee benefits, growing your workplace well-being program, and promoting wellness initiatives in the workplace. Connect with other OEBB Wellness Champions and receive information about upcoming webinars, live events, grant funding opportunities, wellness tools and more!
  • Oregon Classroom WISE - Created in response to requests from school staff, administrators, families, and community members, Oregon Classroom WISE provides tools and resources to support the mental and emotional well-being of students and school staff.
  • Creating a Culture of Care - A guide for education leaders to develop systems and structures that support educator well-being.
  • The Surgeon General’s Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well Being - Centered on the worker’s voice and equity, this framework emphasizes the connection between the well-being of workers and the health of an organization.

By supporting education staff, we promote a more empathetic, engaged, and dedicated workforce capable of nurturing student academic, social, and emotional growth. To see a local employee wellness program in action, check out this brief video from North Powder School District that highlights some of the ways the district centers employee well-being at their schools. If you have any questions, or would like more information on expanding your employee well-being program, please contact us. We would love to hear from you!


Resources Available for New Diploma Requirements Implementation

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has been working to develop resources to support districts with implementation of Oregon’s new diploma requirements established by Senate Bill 3 (2023). These new resources will provide districts and public charter schools with relevant information related to the rules, reporting requirements, communication and frequently asked questions.

Requirements for School Districts

Beginning with the class of 2027, next year’s sophomores, Oregon diploma requirements will include a 0.5 credit in Personal Financial Education and a 0.5 credit in Higher Education and Career Path Skills, as part of the 24 credit requirements. On or after January 1, 2027, districts and public charter schools must ensure that students who will be awarded high school diplomas are able to satisfy these credit requirements.

Content Standards

From December 2023 through February 2024, ODE convened panels of educators and content experts to develop standards for Higher Education and Career Path Skills and Personal Financial Education. The links to the standards documents are listed below and are posted on the Oregon’s Newest Diploma Requirements webpage.

Informational Webinars

ODE hosted three informational webinars for district and public charter school leaders. A recording of one of the webinars was posted on the Oregon’s Newest Diploma Requirements webpage.

Implementation Resources

ODE has recently posted new resources to support district and public charter school implementation.

More information related to the standards and key concepts are currently in development and will be posted on Oregon’s Newest Diploma Requirements webpage when available.

Please email the Graduation Requirements inbox with questions.

Information to support the implementation of Senate Bill 3 can be found on Oregon’s Newest Diploma Requirements webpage. This webpage will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.

Governor Kotek and Dr. Williams Join School District Phone Bank to Encourage School Attendance

On October 15, Governor Tina Kotek and ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams attended a phone bank event hosted by Waldo Middle School and ODE to encourage school attendance. In total, attendees made 265 phone calls and wrote almost 300 postcards. They called families of students enrolled in the Salem-Keizer School District whose students' attendance had improved since last year. Conversations focused on the importance of regular school attendance and celebrating attendance habits being established early in the school year.

A downloadable video from the event can be found online.

Here is some of the media coverage of the event:

November is Native American Heritage Month

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month and including it in lesson plans is easier with the resources below.

Our Senate Bill 13 Tribal History/Shared History page on the ODE website should be your first stop. It represents years of collaboration with Oregon’s tribal governments in an effort to tell the entire story of Oregon’s history and the culture of today. The page is packed with resources including lesson plans and professional development. Bookmark the page because new information is being added regularly. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Office of Indian Education’s monthly newsletter!

The Smithsonian network of museums in Washington, D.C., includes the National Museum of the American Indian whose website has pages dedicated to helping K-12 educators. Be sure to check out the resources dedicated to teaching more accurately and thinking more broadly about the Thanksgiving story.

Closer to home, the Oregon Historical Society has a resource on their website called Experience Oregon which is the cornerstone of their museum experience.

The best part is that all of this information is available year-round. So let Native American Heritage Month be the launching point for continuing to include this perspective in classes throughout the school year!

Preparing for Breaks and Transitions with Care and Connection

Breaks and transitions in the academic year can be very challenging for Oregon students and school staff. Making time and space for care, connection, and relationship building are vitally important to nurturing health and well-being of students, their families, and the entire school community.

Youth and adults often find comfort in predictable routines. Interruptions to regular activities during holidays and breaks can be stressful for some. Reactions to these types of stressors can take many forms such as frustration, anger, irritability, sadness, and withdrawal. These typical human stress responses may be particularly evident before, during and after time away from school. For additional support in identifying and addressing distress and chronic stress in youth, please visit our Guidance page, which contains resources tailored to different ages and translated into eight languages.

This means that students and staff may need greater emotional support during transitional times. That is why we are continuing to encourage schools and districts to prioritize care, connection and community, and dedicate time and space in the school day for students and staff to make meaning of their experience through structured and unstructured tasks. This may include individual or group expressive activities like writing, art, music, movement, experiential learning opportunities, silence, and time for individuals to connect with their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

The most important thing that we can do to support each other is to be mindful that breaks and holidays can be difficult, and hold space for all experiences and reactions.

Please review this flyer to access resources to promote and support health and well-being.

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