High school equivalency diploma
What it does: The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate tracks the progress of ninth-grade students through high school to graduation with a regular high school diploma. The U.S. Department of Education requires states to use a single formula to calculate the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate. States may not count students who earn an equivalency credential as having graduated with a regular diploma. HB 3068 A would allow school districts and public charter schools to award a high school equivalency diploma to a student in grades 11 or 12 who has passed an approved high school equivalency test and is at least 16 years old, if the student’s parent or guardian consents.
What’s next: The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Tuesday, May 2.
Charter school enrollment
What it does: Public charter schools offer comprehensive instructional programs that operate under a written agreement with a sponsoring school district. Virtual public charter schools are public charter schools that provide online courses and do not primarily serve students in a physical location. Current law sets a 3% cap on the number of students from any school district who can enroll in a virtual public charter school that is sponsored by a different district and charges the students’ resident districts with approving enrollment above that cap. HB 3204 A would modify the timelines related to enrollment of students in virtual public charter schools, would require school districts to calculate the district’s percentage of students attending nonsponsored virtual public charter schools at least twice a year, would allow students who were previously enrolled in a virtual public charter school to remain enrolled after moving to another resident district, and would require school districts to provide the enrollment information to parents if their student has been denied enrollment into a virtual charter school.
What’s next: The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Tuesday, May 2.
Alternative certificates
What it does: A school district or public charter school shall award a regular high school diploma, a modified diploma, an extended diploma or an alternative certificate to a student who completes the requirements established in ORS 329.451. An alternative certificate may be awarded to a student who does not satisfy the requirements for a high school diploma, a modified diploma or an extended diploma if the student meets requirements established by the school board. SB 992 A would change the alternative certificate to a certificate of attendance and would require students who qualify for a modified diploma, an extended diploma or a certificate of attendance to have access to the same instructional hours, hours of transition services and hours of other services that equal the total number of instructional hours available to other students attending public high school.
What’s next: The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, May 3.
Special education staffing
What it does: In a 2021 workgroup, districts reported difficulties in hiring staff for special education due to low pay and challenging working conditions. Senate Bill 756 A would require that school district employees who work with students experiencing disability have access to the students’ records, be consulted when education plans are being reviewed or revised, be included in and compensated for attending those meetings, and be provided with sufficient training.
What’s next: The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, May 3.
Legislative notes:
HB 3199 A (March 13 and April 17 Legislative Briefs) would reduce the physical education requirement for students in grades six through eight from 225 minutes each week to an average of 150 minutes each school week and allow for minutes to be calculated on a weekly basis or an average weekly basis. The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Thursday, May 4.
HB 3561 (March 13 Legislative Briefs) would include “early childhood behavioral and mental health services” in preexisting scholarships and grants already awarded by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission and the Early Learning Division. These scholarships and grants are designed to ensure an adequate supply of highly qualified early childhood care and education professionals in Oregon. The Senate Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Thursday, May 4.
SB 238 A (March 6 and March 20 Legislative Briefs) would direct the Oregon Health Authority, State Board of Education and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to develop curricula supplements related to certain drugs’ dangers and the laws that provide immunity or other protections for persons who report drug or alcohol use or who seek medical treatment for drug or alcohol overdoses for themselves or others. The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, May 3.
SB 279 A (Feb. 21 and March 20 Legislative Briefs) would enact the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact into law and establish the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact Commission. The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, May 3.
SB 285 A (Feb. 21 Legislative Briefs) would increase the grant amounts allowed through the Oregon School Capital Improvement Matching (OSCIM) program, modify the procedure for calculating and awarding grants, and allow for grant amounts to be biennially adjusted for inflation. The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, May 3.
SB 758 A (March 13 Legislative Briefs) would establish timelines and redacting requirements for records related to the provision of special education as well as stipulations for communications between school employees and students and their parents. The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, May 3.
SB 767 A (Feb. 13 Legislative Briefs) would establish separate procedures for virtual and nonvirtual public charter schools to open facilities outside their sponsoring districts, would enable the State Board of Education to regulate virtual public charter school provisions by rule, and would allow State School Fund money to be withheld from any nonvirtual public charter school that violates provisions. The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, May 3.
SB 923 A (March 27 Legislative Briefs) would adjust how average daily membership is calculated. The House Education Committee has scheduled a public hearing Wednesday, May 3.
