Kevin Ricker, Centennial High School Principal since 2010, has been named the Oregon High School Principal of the Year by the Oregon Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA) and the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA).  This award automatically places Ricker in the running for the National High School Principal of the Year Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and MetLife.

Under Ricker’s leadership, Centennial High School has experienced significant gains in student achievement.  On the Oregon State Assessments (OAKS), Centennial students increased by 12% in reading and 12% in mathematics in a one-year period.  Their cumulative passing percentage as a school for reading was 89% and for mathematics was 84%, placing them among the best at any level in Oregon.  According to the Oregon State Report Card, Centennial outperformed all schools with comparative demographics, and they far exceeded the state averages in both assessment areas.   Ricker states, “Our staff is showing a renewed sense of motivation and pride in their work and in the academic achievement and learning of our students.  This is an excellent example of how providing an opportunity for shared leadership, collaboration and support, can produce significant results in a committed organization.  I believe the process of change requires communication, trust and leadership at all levels.  The ability to change our school community is directly related to the individuals inside our educational environment. It was their belief, dedication and work that ultimately produced such significant results.”

Victor Vergara has been named the Oregon Middle School Principal of the Year by the Oregon Association of Secondary School Administrators and the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA). Vergara serves as Principal for Valor Middle School in Woodburn.

“This award represents a collaborative effort by administrators, teachers, students and their families,” said Principal Vergara. “It is a great honor.”

Vergara was selected because of his work to improve the academic achievement of students. In 2002, Valor was one of the lower performing schools in the state. Only eight percent of students were considered proficient in writing, 29 percent in math, and 25 percent in reading. There were also 1,500 disciplinary referrals each year.

Earlier this afternoon, the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) voted to approve the initial administrative licensure (IAL) and continuing administrative licensure (CAL) programs proposed by COSA and its partner, Concordia University of Chicago (CUC). 

The first COSA-CUC cohort is expected to begin in the fall.  CUC will also offer doctoral and masters options for licensure candidates.  COSA will be sending out much more information about the program in the coming days and weeks.

Congratulations to new COSA President-Elect Tina Acker, Principal at Vernon Elementary School in Portland, and the entire new slate of officers who were elected last month to serve and lead COSA and each of the four departments: OACOA, OASE, OASSA and OESPA.  Voting took place online.  Officers will begin serving their terms in July. 

The following includes the list of new officers:

COSA President-Elect
Tina Acker, Vernon Elementary, Portland

by Chuck Bennett, Director of Governmental Relations

By any measure, the first regular meeting of the Legislature under the new annual Session law was a remarkable success.

It ended on time. It kept a spirit of bi-partisanship from the last regular Session alive despite being held on the eve of statewide Primary and General Elections. It rebalanced the state budget in a period of deep economic uncertainty. And it passed several pieces of major legislation.

A series of nine regional Common Core State Standards (CCSS) trainings begins April 2 and runs through May 17 at various locations throughout Oregon.

The series, which builds on regional CCSS trainings held last fall, will dig deeper into Common Core State Standards for math and English/language arts.  Featured speakers will be Penny Plavala (English/langauge arts) and Shannon McCaw (mathematics), with Mickey Garrison providing a special planning strand for administrators.

SALEM — Thousands of Oregonians who care about strong schools and vital public services are expected to come together at the State Capitol on Monday, February 20. The Day of Action will include a noon rally on the Capitol steps, a march through the streets around the Capitol, constituent meetings with legislators and various other activities.  

The Day of Action for a Strong Oregon will urge the Governor and legislators to:

• Rebuild the dream for all Oregonians, from students to seniors to middle-class families.
• Invest in Oregon’s public schools and critical services today to improve the future of all Oregonians.
• Listen and engage with educators, students, and parents before making policy decisions that affect our schools. Those who are directly involved in the lives of students every day deserve a seat at the table.

The rally is scheduled to begin at noon on the Capitol steps, with speakers to include a parent, teacher, business leader and senior service provider.

Commit to attend at: www.strongschoolsstrongoregon.org.

The March state revenue forecast, released this morning, is down only slightly – $35.1 million for the current biennium and $15.8 million for the 2013-15 biennium.  (Analysis from the Legislative Revenue Office is also available.)

by Chuck Bennett, Director of Governmental Relations

It’s the end of the first week and there have been no major surprises as lawmakers introduced their legislation for the first regular annual session of the legislature. Here is a list of bills we are following.  You will notice that the bill numbers are hyperlinked and will get you access to a copy of the bills we are following.

by Chuck Bennett, Director of Governmental Relations

It’s been about three weeks since official publication of the statutes passed by the 2011 Session and we’re getting a look at the new laws being planned for the 2012 Session. So, what does the “don’t-let-the-ink-dry” pace of legislating hold for education when lawmakers reoccupies the statehouse in Salem?  Here’s a look behind the curtain:

- The newsiest new laws will revolve around Gov. Kitzhaber’s education re-do outlined in the last Session. That set of changes created the Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB) headed by a new education CEdO and set out a wholesale revamping of education policy based on an early childhood to moving out of your parents’ basement after graduate school model most often labeled “P-20.”

Sean Burke, Assistant Principal of curriculum at McMinnville High School, has been named Oregon’s 2012 Assistant Principal of the Year.  Burke was selected by the Oregon Association of Secondary School Administrators (OASSA).

The Oregon Education Investment Board will hold seven community meetings across the state later this month, to discuss next steps to improve student success in Oregon’s public education system, from prekindergarten through to college and career readiness.

Thousands of individuals have already participated in surveys, offered ideas in public testimony and met with representatives of the Governor’s Office around the state. Now local students, educators, parents and community members are invited to the meetings, to share their ideas to support student learning.

Leadership in a time of high expectations and low funding – along with rich, up-to-date information and dialogue about Oregon school reform – will be the focus of the annual OACOA/OASE Winter Conference, set for January 26-28 at Salishan.  Register today.

The conference will kick off on Thursday, January 26, at 3 p.m. with an OASE Off-The-Record meeting.  A welcome reception, hosted by OASE President Ron Wilkinson and OACOA President Verne Ferguson, will follow at 6:30.

Friday morning, January 27, will feature keynote speaker Brian McNulty, a nationally-recognized leader in education reform and an expert in helping school district leaders achieve success in our challenging, “high expectations and low funding” environment.  Breakout sessions will tackle reform issues such as Next Generation Accountability, Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB), teacher and principal effectiveness and evaluation, NCLB waiver, Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Smarter Balanced and formative assessments, OEIB/district achievement compacts and more.  An Oregon Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) strand is planned for Friday (after the keynote address).

Bethel School District's KITS (Kids in Transition to School) program has been recognized with the 2012 OASE Excellence in Curriculum Leadership Award.

The KITS program was created to help Eugene and Springfield’s youngest students be better prepared for success in kindergarten. KITS is an original program developed at the Oregon Social Learning Center and put into practice through a partnership with Bethel School District, Springfield Public Schools, the Oregon Social Learning Center, and United Way of Lane County’s “Success By 6 Initiative."

The December state general fund and lottery revenue forecast, released this morning, is down $106.8 million from the September forecast and $306 million from the close-of-session forecast.

PORTLAND – The Oregon Association of School Executives (OASE), which represents all of Oregon’s school superintendents, and the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) announced today that Bend-La Pine School Superintendent Ron Wilkinson has been selected as the 2012 Oregon Superintendent of the Year.

The announcement was made at the annual convention of the Oregon School Boards Association in Portland.

COSA and Parkrose School District are pleased to announce we will be pairing mentors with both first-year superintendents and principals through a grant awarded this month by the Oregon Department of Education.

COSA and Parkrose are on a very tight timeline to recruit mentors for first-year superintendents and principals.  If you are interested, please complete and return this application by Sept. 26. 

A series of regional trainings on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will criss-cross Oregon this fall, and again in the spring.

The trainings, sponsored by COSA, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), Oregon ASCD and McGraw Hill Education, are for school and district administrators, department chairs, instructional coaches and teachers.  The trainings this fall will feature spotlight sessions on CCSS for mathematics and English language arts, as well as an update on resources and support from the ODE Stewardship Team.  Learn more or register.

Trainings (Part 1) scheduled this fall:

• Pendleton Convention Center - October 31
• Hood River Inn - November 1
• Kroc Center, Salem - November 2
• Umpqua Community College, Roseburg - November 3
• Eagle Crest Resort, Redmond - November 4
• Ramada Inn-Airport, Portland - November 15

Eugene's balmy summer weather put the finishing touches on a successful three-day run for the ODE/COSA 2011 Oregon Summer Assessment Institute.

About 550 people attended the conference, "Leading and Planning for Literacy," which was held Aug. 3-5 at the Eugene Hilton. A pre-conference session for Direct Access to Achievement coaches drew about 35 participants. The conference featured several national experts on assessment and instruction, and included more than 20 breakout sessions on related topics. Keynote speakers included Dr. Rick Stiggins, founder of the Portland-based Assessment Training Institute, Dr. Kevin Feldman, an authority on improving content area literacy and student engagement, and Peter Pappas, of Designs for Learning.

SALEM – COSA is proud to announce that Jerry Colonna, recently retired superintendent of the Beaverton School District and the 2011 Bev Gladder Mentorship Award winner, will be heading up the 2011-12 COSA Superintendents Leadership Institute.

The Superintendent Institute provides new, new-to-Oregon and second-year superintendents with a series of essential workshops and support.  Registration for the Oregon School Law Conference and the OASE/OACOA Winter Conference is included.  Participants may also receive four graduate credits from Portland State University, which may be applied to the Continuing Administrator License (CAL).