Status: Advanced

Policy Background

Oregon is at the forefront of the credit-for-proficiency movement. In December 2002, the State Board of Education approved the following policy:

“Districts may award credit based on proficiency” as an option for school districts. In January 2007, the Board approved a more extensive policy as a part of recommendations for the Oregon Diploma: “A key feature of the future diploma will be wider use of proficiency, ensuring that all students will have the opportunity to choose to earn credit by demonstrating proficiency.” In 2004–2006, the Department of Education invested in seven district pilots, gaining insights into implementation that affected 2009 revisions to the Oregon diploma and credit options policy. In April 2009, the Board adopted revisions to the Credit Options OAR 581-022-1131  indicating district credit options.

The Oregon Proficiency Project works with schools to explore the development and implementation of proficiency-based learning. They have developed guidelines, tools, and resources to support other schools that are experimenting with proficiency-based approaches. In addition, the Business Education Compact has provided service and support to nearly 2,000 teachers and administrators in developing proficiency-based teaching and learning.

• The Business Education Compact is using a definition of proficiency-based education based on six principles.
• Oregon has adopted policy that "requires assessments to show whether student meets or exceeds academic content standards of student's grade level and to show student's progress toward becoming proficient in continuum of knowledge and skills." It takes effect July 2012 and is to be implemented by 2014.  Click here for House Bill 2220.Gov. John Kitzhaber created the LearnWorks Team to develop the new outcome based budgeting and proficiency based teaching and learning frameworks. (please note: this effort ialso includes an effort to re-design the entire education system). 
  
• Districts are having to respond to HB 2220 in 2013 including:
• Measure a student’s progression becoming proficient in the knowledge and skills of the student’s current grade level.
• Clear show whether the student is making progress toward meeting or exceeding the academic content standards at the student’s current grade level.
•  Be based on the student’s progress toward becoming proficient in a continuum of knowledge and skills.
•  Adopt a grading system that reflect academic proficiency separate from behavior performance. The district identifies what  constitutes behavioral performance and can supplement rather than replace traditional report cards.

-- Please note that HB2220 asks for student progress on their grade level rather than any set of curricular progression and still may hide the fact that students have significant gaps or are 2 or more grade levels behind.

• In 2007, as part of its upgraded high school graduation policies, the Oregon’s State Board of Education expanded credit for proficiency. The state policy previously in place had required districts to offer students options for earning credits. However, there had been little uptake in implementing this policy until the state invested in local pilots, supporting teachers in how to facilitate learning in a proficiency-based instructional model.  The State Board of Education continues to upgrade policies. Beginning in 2012, students must demonstrate proficiency in Essential Skills in addition to required number of courses in order to graduate. In addition, grading and assessment policies have been revised to reflect proficiency-based approaches.

• In 2012, Oregon Board of Education established revised policies regarding Individual Student Assessment, Recordkeeping, Grading, and Reporting (attached)
• Oregon is part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
• Districts may use proficiency-based or time-based credits. (CFAT 50State Scan of Course Credit Policies 2013)

Evidence of Improved Achievement, Attainment, or Cost-Effectiveness 

• Forest Grove High School:  Record high graduation rate after it adopted a proficiency-based model; raised SAT and ACT scores, increased scholarships from $1 million to $5 million, and raised the rate of graduates attending higher education from 40-70 percent.
  
  Forest Grove High School:  The percentage of non--English speaking students that met state proficiency in math was 43 percent in 2008. In 2011, that percentage climbed to 71 percent. 

Networks and Resources

• Member, ACHIEVE Competency-based Pathways State Partnership network, 2014

• Innovation Lab Network
• Oregon Department for Education Credit for Proficiency
• Be sure to check out the Proficiency Portal
• Defining Practice, Informing Policy: Practitioner Networks Voice a Call to Action 
• Oregon Proficiency Project
• Videos
• Hidden Valley Teachers and Students talk about Proficiency Education
• Oregon's Student-Centered Learning Video - Ask Ellie
• Proficiency-Based Teaching and Learning in Oregon:An Evolution from State Policy to Practice, Oregon Dept. of Ed., Sept. 2011

Districts and Schools

• Arlington Schools
• Proficiency-based Learning and Teaching, slide presentation, 2011
• Community Charter School background brochure
• Beaverton Health and Science High School (Expeditionary Learning)
• Gresham-Barlow
• Springwater Trail High School (presentation from Proficiency Conference 2013 attached)
•  Redmond Proficiency Academy; being replicated in Salem-Keizer
• Albany
• Timber Ridge School, grade 3-8 school in Oregon has been described as "totally proficiency-based" with common grading practices and a proficiency-based report card that is exceeds, meets or not yet proficient across the entire school. Although the Albany Public Schools doesn't mention proficiency-based, Timber Ridge suggests that it is using a "growth mindset" on their home page. They have a clear academic vision that emphasizes transparency and collaboration. Their character education traits include Courage, Honesty/Integrity, Justice, Kindness, Personal Responsibility, Respect, Social Responsibility, Self-Discipline.
• West Albany High School is on the journey to proficiency-based. Since 2008, many academic indicators are improving. For example, SAT composite went from 1503 to 1533. 
• Scappoose High School
• Wilsonville School District
• Arts & Technology High School is an alternative school that is explicitly proficiency-based
• Woodburn’s Academy of International Studies (AIS) 
• Other possible districts are: Oakridge, Medford, and Hidden Valley HS (not confirmed)

In the News

• Proficiency grading targets total mastery, puzzles parents October 2013.