State Report and Findings in Eugene

 

[note: this is a paraphrase of the Eugene findings.  Names have been omitted and portions have been summarized]

Concerns centered on the following topics:

Eugene School District 4j Provided ODE with information refuting some of the concerns, included a plan of correction for other concerns, and an in-depth district TAG plan. 

ODE conducted on-site visits in Eugene.  School site visits were conducted at 7 schools.  At each site, building principals and classroom teachers were interviewed.  The complainant was also interviewed.

Based on the materials submitted by the complainant, the District and information from site visits and interviews, Eugene SD is deficient in meeting the requirements of ORS 343.409 which states:

"School districts shall provide educational programs or services to talented and gifted students enrolled in public schools under rules adopted by the State Board of Education."

Oregon Adminstrative Rule 581-02201940 (8) and (10) also applies as stated:

"The instruction provided to identified students shall address their assessed levels of learning and accelerated rates of learning"

Consistent with OAR 581-022-1940 (8) and (10) the following direction for a plan of corrective action must be undertaken by the district and documentation must be supplied to ODE to ensure that the corrective action has occurred.

Finding 1: Eugene SD is deficient in assessing TAG identified "assessed levels of learning and accelerated rates of learning" as outlined in OAR 581-02201330 (2)

Background:  The Eugene SD student individual TAG plan format outlines rate and level as a "static" amount determined at the time a student's TAG plan is written instead of variable amounts that must consistently be assessed as the student moves through the curriculum  Instruction for TAG students should include a regular assessment of the student's needs in relationship to the student's identified area of giftedness.

In addition, district personnel could not clearly state "how" the TAG students' instruction was being designed and provided to accommodate the identified TAG students' assessed levels of learning and accelerated rates of learning.

Corrective action required with required documentation: Eugene SD is required to develop a plan to provide professional development on appropriate instruction for talented and gifted learners to all district teachers and all school administrators.  This could be accomplished by developing a structured and sustained district wide professional development plan for all schools, k-12, to consistently address rate and level.

As required by OAR 327.103(3)a, This plan should address who Eugene SD will consistently address students' level or learning and accelerated rates of learning to ensure TAG students receive appropriate instruction.

 

Finding 2: The Eugene SD policies for TAG identification include blanket testing for second graders only at district Title 1 schools.  Testing of selected students at selected schools creates a district-wide disparity of equity and access.

Corrective action required with required documentation:  Should Eugene School District continue to test 2nd graders, the district is direted to include all 2nd. graders.  As part of the corrective action, Eugene SD will include documentation describing how the district will include all 2nd. graders district-wide.

 

Finding 3: The information provided by Eugene SD states in "Board TAG policies" that the district program is based on a k-8 referral process.  In contrast, the district policy states that the district policy is k-12.

Corrective action required with required documentation: Eugene SD is directed to align the district practices including TAG referral and identification to stated policies.  This will require amending all references to the "K-8 TAG" referral process to "K-12 Identification and Services." Students in grades 9-12 should not be eliminated from the k-12 referral process, identification and services.  The alignment of district TAG referral practices from K-8 to K-12 should also be included in the corrective action plan

The Eugene SD is required to submit a corrective action plan to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to outline how the deficiencies in findings 1, 2, and 3 will be corrected.