Resources

Oregon Lighthouse Project

The Oregon Lighthouse professional development project is an informative and motivating experience for Board members and the district’s administrative team. Effective immediately, districts may be eligible to receive funding through a cooperative matching grant from the Oregon Department of Education. Qualifying districts can access matching funds to provide a certified Lighthouse trainer for their district.

Since 2008 our staff has monitored this professional development program as it was being utilized in other states around the country. In August 2009, OSBA began providing training to a limited number of districts in Oregon while at the same time, began work with ODE to secure possible funding. As a superintendent-Board team, if you are looking for a long term professional development opportunity at a reasonable cost that may help align your district and community in its work toward increasing student achievement, and the elimination of performance gaps, this is a program that should interest you.

Creating a sense of urgency, helping align the work already in place and creating a shared vision are just a few of the positive outcomes possible through this program. In addition, OSBA is interested in following the success of your district as you engage in this work.

If you are interested in learning more about the Oregon Lighthouse Project and would like to discover if it is a good match for your district, please contact Joe Wehrli, Associate Executive Director of Board Development and Policy Services. Matching fund dollars are limited and available only to districts who are currently in, or have one or more schools in improvement status. Please act now if you are interested.

Three districts join Oregon Lighthouse Project

Hillsboro, North Bend and South Umpqua School Districts were the first districts in Oregon to participate in the Lighthouse Project, a research-based curriculum designed to help boards develop leadership in student achievement. Through this project, board members, administrators and licensed staff have participated in Lighthouse surveys, training and coaching facilitated by Renee Sessler, Oregon School Boards Association board development specialist. "Boards have the authority to impact resources, time and personnel. Ultimately, they are accountable for whether students learn. Until 100 percent of students are achieving at grade level or above 100 percent of the time, there is room for improvement," said Sessler.

"Our involvement in the Lighthouse Project has raised the awareness of the Board and Superintendent Team regarding the need to focus on improving instruction as the key strategy for raising student achievement."..."The Board has increased their monitoring of progress of achievement initiatives. There is now a greater focus on measuring results and accountability."

                                                                                - Mike Scott, Superintendent, Hillsboro School District

"Most, if not all of our board members are community leaders with a vast history of serving on boards, city councils and in leadership positions in civic organizations or the military, yet the Lighthouse training was an incredibly valuable tool to help us discover how to work better together, how to solve problems and most importantly how to learn together as a team."..."As a result of the Lighthouse training, every board member understands how important it is to encourage and support continuous learning for our children, teachers, administrators and board members."

                                                                                - David Stevens, Board chair, South Umpqua School District

About the Lighthouse Project

In 2000, the Iowa Association of School Boards released a research study showing that school boards, administrators and teachers in high-achieving districts had significantly different knowledge and beliefs than those in low-achieving districts. Boards in high-achieving districts held a consistent belief that all students could learn and their schools could teach all students; understood curriculum, instruction, assessment and staff development particularly as they related to school improvement goals; regularly used data to make decisions, monitor progress and modify direction; supported educators through staff development, shared decision making and other means; and listened to and involved their communities.

Designed to serve as a “lighthouse” for boards in their effort to improve student learning, several states are applying the research - including Idaho, Iowa, Wisconsin, Connecticut and Oregon Lighthouse Project, districts analyze data and come to recognize that effective instruction - not a student’s socioeconomic background - is the key to whether or not a student learns. Even children from privileged backgrounds struggle in school without effective instruction. By studying their own data, districts target an area for improvement and monitor progress toward their goal. Eventually, districts establish a leadership team, study district strengths and weaknesses and implement a plan of action. Over time, districts integrate more and more conditions for success into their district.

Iowa Association of School Boards Lighthouse information