OPEN reviews all education related bills in the Oregon Legislature and tracks mission related education legislation. We are also involved with the development and support of bills listed below.
Senator Lew Frederick asked OPEN to identify front-line educators who would join a Statewide Work Group on Assessment (SWAG) and advise him from a practitioner perspective. OPEN Steering Committee member, Kathleen Jeskey, and her ally administrator, GM Garcia, took the lead in researching and contacting educators, both teachers and administrators from across the state. In June, 2020 eighteen members were recruited–fifteen teachers and three administrators, all of whom volunteered to attend monthly Zoom meetings with the Senator. They met for six months at which time the Covid epidemic forced a suspension due to educator stress and overload. SWAG members assisted the Senator in prioritizing legislative initiatives.
LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT OPEN ACTIVELY SUPPORTED:
HB 2318 2019 Rep. Lively Too Young to Test
SB 596 2021 Sen. Frederick Too Young to Test
SB 597 2021 Sen. Frederick Eliminating Graduation Barrier
**SB 744 2021 Sen. Frederick Suspends “Essential Skills”
**SB 1583 2022 Sen. Frederick Eliminating Graduation Barrier
**HB 4124 2022 Rep. Nathanson Local Standardized Testing Survey
**SB 744 passed in 2021 and suspends the “Essential Skills” high school graduation requirement through the 2023-2024 school year. It directs the Oregon Department of Education to review state requirements for high school diploma options, as well as to review state requirements related to demonstrations of proficiency in Essential Skills.
**SB 1583 passed in 2022 and directs Department of Education to ensure that standardized summative assessments are administered to minimum extent practicable. It also directs ODE to seek a strategic waiver from the Federal Government that proposes a shortened assessment, a sampling model or other strategy to minimize standardized summative assessments.
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2022R1/Measures/Overview/SB1583
**HB 4124 passed in 2022 and requires Department of Education to conduct survey related to academic assessments administered to students by school districts and to develop recommendations and best practices related to assessments.https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2022R1/Measures/Overview/HB4124
Too Young to Test bills failed in 2019 and 2021 but OPEN will actively support this critical endeavor moving forward. If passed, the bill would prohibit the State Board of Education from requiring, and school districts from administering, certain assessments to students enrolled or preparing to enroll in prekindergarten through grade two. It makes an exception for assessments administered for diagnostic purposes as required under state or federal law.