Oregon Department of Education Letter finds that Portland Public Schools needs to do more to substantiate compliance
May 11, 2009
The Oregon Department of Education has issued a
letter to Portland
Public Schools (PPS). The letter was issued on May 11th. and received on May 18.
The letter finds that PPS "Has made considerable progress toward coming into
compliance during the last school year." It found many areas of the corrective
action plan where compliance was demonstrated. However, it also found that "due
to PPS's plan to disperse the current TAG office personnel and restructure its
TAG program, it is not possible for ODE to determine compliance for all areas of
the corrective action plan at this time."
The ODE has requested an update explaining the proposed administrative changes
and how they may affect implementation of the current plan. If these changes
result in significant adjustments to the corrective action plan, the ODE is
requesting that PPS submit an updated district TAG plan explaining how the
district will accomplish full compliance with the TAG mandate on or before
October 15, 2009 in addition to a final corrective action report. "Based on
this additional information, ODE will determine if additional onsite monitoring
may need to occur to determine if PPs has met the remainder of the items for
corrective action."
The Department has found that PPS is in compliance with the requirements for
assessments for ELL students and notice to parents (Actions 2,3,4), as well as
professional development (Actions 8 and 9 ), though
it recommended that the district consider what professional development needs
to be continued.
Assignment of responsibilities to specific staff (Action 1) and Monitoring to
make TAG services consistent across the district (Action 5) are continued into
2009-10.
For Action 6, the ODE found that PPS has developed a system to require teachers
to document their TAG students, but has not ensured that they document
differential instruction provided for all students. ODE plans to review the
documentation and conduct any onsite monitoring that may be needed.
For Action 7, "Provide access for all TAG students to accelerated programs
including programs that may not be available in a student's home school", ODE
has determined that the action will continue into 2009-10. ODE expects further
reports on this in June and October. It commented that "Many meaningful changes
have been made such as added AP coursework ... at Jefferson High School,
incorporating more advanced math options in middle schools, and training
teachers in proficiency-based instruction".
Finally, Action 10 requires regular written quarterly reports. The Department
has decided to continue this through October 15, 2009, when the District will
submit a final corrective action report and an updated district TAG plan
reflecting any applicable administrative or organizational changes and
demonstrating compliance with TAG statutes and rules.
In a cover letter to our attorney, dated June 11, 2009, Colleen Mileham,
Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation
wrote "As part of our normal and standard procedures for monitoring districts in
corrective action, ODE has already had communications with several PPS parents
regarding the CAP [Corrective Action Plan]. As the monitoring process
continues, we will welcome and illicit [sic] additional feedback from parents
and other stakeholders."
Comment:
If parents wish to comment, it is important to do so before October 15th. as
that is the date of the final approval (or rejection) of the District's plans.
It seems to me that the State has found that PPS is getting its paperwork in
order and carrying out many of the support processes that are needed for TAG
services--identification, monitoring, professional development. However, all
those activities are there in order to help ensure that the heart of the TAG
mandate--provision of appropriate instruction to students at their level and
rate of learning--is implemented. So far, the Department has found that this is
not happening. That is also what parents have been telling me. It seems that
parents still have an opportunity to provide information to the Department on
their own experiences in PPS if they wish to do so.
I would also appreciate it if you would share your comments with me. You are
also encouraged to exchange comments on the compliance process on this list, but
please do not share comments about individual teachers by name or include the
names of your children. I would really like to hear whether you feel that all
this process has produced tangible results, and if so, what they were. If not,
I would also like to hear your suggestions for ways to improve the process.
Please share this message with other parents and with your school listservs.
You can find the state's letter and the District's response to it on the PPS
website (well buried) at
http://www.tag.pps.k12.or.us/docs/pg/10596
choose "ODE update on required corrective actions"
and
"corrective action fourth quarterly report"
The cover letter from Dr. Mileham is not online as far as I know.