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“Oregon’s preliminary AYP report shows a couple of things very clearly,” Castillo said.  “First, Title I schools, which get extra funding from the federal government, met the standard at a much higher rate than other schools.  When schools are given the resources they need, focus on classroom instruction, and operate with a set of clear expectations and consequences – we see the results we all want.  Those schools deserve congratulations.”

“All students in Oregon deserve the same level of focus and support that No Child Left Behind gives to Title I schools,” Castillo said. 

“The second thing this report shows is that Oregon’s high schools are struggling -- only one in four high schools met the standard,” Castillo said.  “While we work to gain more financial support for schools, we also need to make sure we use every dollar we have to create more success for students.”

“In January, I called for improving middle and high school reading instruction, and this is an urgent need.  We are also working with six high schools to pilot best practices in day-to-day classroom instruction.  We have to break this pattern of low achievement -- and that means learning doing things differently,” Castillo said.

No Child Left Behind requires all students to meet state standards by 2014 and requires schools to meet growth targets each year in order to meet the adequate yearly progress definition of the law.  As part of AYP, students must be identified and have their progress measured and reported by specific populations: economically disadvantaged, disabled, English language learners, and racial and/or ethnic groups.

In addition, school districts must inform parents and communities about school progress.  Schools that receive certain types of federal funds and do not make adequate yearly progress are required to provide supplemental services, such as free tutoring or after-school assistance, take corrective actions and, if still not making adequate yearly progress after five years, must make dramatic changes to the way the school is run.

Detailed AYP reports for Oregon public schools will be available online on August 12th at
http://www.ode.state.or.us/nclb/ayp/index.asp

The Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation is launching a Professional Technical Education (PTE) Leaders Institute with a two-day kick-off session in September, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 9-10.  Three additional days will be scheduled throughout the 2004-05 school year.

The purpose of the institute is to develop local and regional leadership capacity in professional technical education as it relates to high school redesign and school improvement.   The institute believes effective leadership should be grounded with a foundation in rigorous and relevant learning practices that are reinforced by positive, supportive relationships among all involved in the learning enterprise.  The 3R’s of rigor, relevance, and relationships are foundational elements in quality professional technical education programs.