Last year, Governor Kate Brown signed SB 744 in law, requiring a review of state high school graduation requirements. The bill sparked national debate and headlines last summer as supporters questioned the ongoing suspension of the expectation that students prove they have mastered certain “essential skills”.

Now Oregonians are invited to share their point of view on what they think is most important in an Oregon high school diploma.

“What we hope to determine … is that we develop a better understanding of what the citizens of Oregon think the value of a degree should be,” said Dan Farley, director of assessment for the Oregon Department of Education.

“What knowledge, skills, and dispositions should Oregon students obtain in order to be prepared for their workplace and/or university, community college, post-secondary opportunities?”

There are several ways to share your feedback: an online survey open until April 15 and community conversations that run until March 17.

The Community Conversations, which take place virtually over Zoom, are hosted by the state’s 19 educational service districts and Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a community engagement group housed at Portland State University.

“It’s just a way to capture the whole geography of the state, so people have the opportunity to participate with their neighbors,” said Oregon’s Kitchen Table director Wendy Willis.

Farley said the goal of the conversations, as well as SB 744, is to learn more about student achievement and what’s holding students back from graduating.

“We’re really trying to gather feedback on how our whole system and our set of graduation requirements can be made fairer and fairer,” Farley said, “so that we can continue to to make progress in closing the opportunity gap that exists for our communities of color, our students from Oregon tribes.

Currently, Oregon students must earn 24 credits to graduate. Until 2020, students also had to demonstrate proficiency in a set of essential skills. Under SB 744, this requirement is “suspended” until 2024 to give state legislators and education officials time to figure out what works and what doesn’t among graduation requirements. from Oregon.

The passing of SB 744 drew media attention and backlash from some who feared that removing the essential skills requirement would make it “easier” to earn a degree and diminish the value with a degree from Oregon.

Oregon education officials have acknowledged they don’t have a “full picture” of how essential skills affect student graduation. But when it comes to students graduating in five years, Farley said acquiring essential skills isn’t a barrier to graduation.

“It’s quite a complex situation…but assessing the essential skills required isn’t the reason the majority of students struggle to graduate on time,” Farley said.

The state said other factors play more of a role, including credit requirement.

Seeking engagement through statewide conversations is something ODE has done before. While planning for the Student Success Act, state legislation that created a business tax to fund early learning, school districts and state education initiatives, officials scoured Oregon to hear from school communities.

Farley said outreach is a commitment to ensuring Oregonians have a say in the state’s education system.

“Education agencies across the country are realizing, finally, that it’s really important for us as community stewards and public servants to involve communities in decision-making processes,” Farley said. .

“It is not possible from where I am sitting to understand all of the complexities that exist in a system unless I connect with those the system impacts.”

In addition to the statewide survey and virtual community conversations, Oregon’s Kitchen Table is also hosting smaller conversations to get feedback from specific communities described in SB 744.

Under the bill, Oregon is required to seek engagement from communities, including students with disabilities, English language learners, youth-led organizations, and representatives of racial or ethnic groups facing challenges. academic disparities.

Farley said the engagement over the next few months will also include discussions with counselors and principals, staff at the school that has a front-row seat for Oregon high school graduates.

When Farley and his team present their report to state education and elected officials later this year, it will also include research on graduation requirements in other states and recommendations from the sessions. public engagement. Before that, the Oregon Department of Education said it would share drafts with communities it engaged with.

“We want to make sure that all participants know how their input was considered, and how it was or was not incorporated into the final report, and why,” Farley said.