Browse Library

Building the Case for Culturally Specific P-3 Strategies in Oregon

Oregon’s early learning and K-12 systems require transformative changes to address racial disparities in school readiness and success. Prenatal-through-Grade-3 (P-3) initiatives are an innovative way to align, strengthen and expand supports for this goal.

Culturally specific organizations (CSOs) are uniquely poised and expertly prepared to meet the needs of communities of color while helping Oregon achieve its goals for reducing disparities in kindergarten readiness and other educational outcomes.

4 Ways to Build Effective Professional Learning Communities

In recent years, research has highlighted the impact of teacher collaboration in improving teacher effectiveness. However, what happens during teacher collaboration meetings varies widely. Sometimes these meetings are used to discuss logistics, vent about challenging students, or plan specific lessons. So, if we believe that traditional forms of sit ’n’ get PDs are not very effective in transforming teacher practice, how can teacher collaboration be leveraged to promote purposeful professional learning?

States Leading for Equity: Promising Practices Advancing the Equity Commitments

“States Leading for Equity” examines national efforts to advance equity. Oregon is highlighted in this report for their practice of reallocating funding and staff resources to further their equity mission.

Our Stories, Our Struggles, Our Strengths

America is experiencing a diverse, cultural shift and the teacher workforce is lagging behind: While Latino students make up 25 percent of the U.S. student population, and that percentage is growing rapidly, just 8 percent of the nation’s teachers identify as Latino. And although greater numbers of Latino teachers are entering the classroom, they, like other teachers of color, are leaving the profession at higher rates than their White peers.

Teaching the Hard History of American Slavery

American enslavement of Africans shaped our country's sociopolitical institutions and formed the cornerstone of our industrial revolution. Today the persistent disparities African Americans face — and the backlash that seems to follow every African-American advancement — trace their roots to slavery and its aftermath.

To understand the world today we must understand slavery. But Southern Poverty Law Center research shows our schools are failing to teach the hard history of African enslavement. 

The Long-Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers

Black primary-school students matched to a same-race teacher perform better on standardized tests and face more favorable teacher perceptions, yet little is known about the long-run, sustained impacts of student-teacher demographic match. We show that assigning a black male to a black teacher in the third, fourth, or fifth grades significantly reduces the probability that he drops out of high school, particularly among the most economically disadvantaged black males. 

Tracking Oregon's Progress Report

Toward a Triving Future: The Opportunity Gap for Oregon's Kids

In recent years, there has been a widening opportunity gap for America’s children: Lower income children are becoming less and less likely to have access to the key ingredients necessary for future success. This opportunity gap is the result of an increasing wealth gap between lower- and higher-income families, decreasing economic mobility, and increasing socioeconomic segregation in our communities. 

2017 Oregon Educator Equity Report

The 2017 Oregon Educator Equity Report documents our state's progress in diversifying the educator workforce. View the report on the Chief Education Office's website.

Impact of the New Teacher Center's New Teacher Induction Model on Teachers and Students

New Teacher Center's i3 results confirm that mentoring new teachers makes a difference in student achievement. 

Snapshot Report: First-Year Persistence and Retention

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center's latest report on student persistence and retention (Spring 2017).

Tribal Attendance Pilot Project

The Tribal Attendance Pilot Project (TAPP) is an effort to reduce chronic absenteeism of American Indian/Alaska Native students in Oregon and pilots strategies to improve attendance in nine schools with high tribal member populations of Oregon's nine federally recognized tribes.

The long-run impacts of same-race teachers

In a study published by the Institute of Labor Economics in March 2017, low-income Black students who have a Black teacher for at least one year in elementary school are less likely to drop out of high school later and more likely to consider college.

Career Guide in Teaching

Understanding the possible career paths ensures that future teachers choose the right specialization while pursuing their degrees. The following are examples of concentrations in teaching and the specific careers they can lead to.

Resources & Tools for Teaching Students

Discover strategies for the classroom, practical tools and technical innovations, and ways to build a professional network of peers and mentors.

Online Teaching Degrees and Programs

The following page simplifies the process in two specific ways. First, it provides a listing of online programs in education and teaching from some of today’s best colleges and universities. Second, it breaks down online learning in the field at all levels, from introductory courses at the associate level to advanced research and instruction at the doctorate

Five key trends in U.S. student performance

Progress by blacks and Hispanics, the takeoff of Asians, the stall of non-English speakers, the persistence of socioeconomic gaps, and the damaging effect of highly segregated schools.

4 Self-Care Resources for Days When the World is Terrible

It seems like the bad news just keeps coming. Here are some self-care resources to keep you going when the trauma won't stop.

The Asset Value of Whiteness

A report by Demos and the Institute on Assets and Social Policy (IASP) that explores the persistence and growth of economic inequality along racial and ethinic lines. 

Exploring Racial Identity-Sample Agenda

A sample agenda for a racial justice work group of 12-15 people, where relationships are already formed