OEIB Meeting - January 3, 2012

The Oregon Education Investment Board met on January 3, covering a range of issues including the board’s governance and management functions and legislation that might be needed to clarify that role. Community college attendees included OCCA board members Jim Harper and Ed Dodson; Portland Community College presidents David Rule and Preston Pulliams; and OCCA legislative director John Wykoff.

Continuing a discussion about the board’s governance structure and relationship with existing boards, the Governor’s office proposed new language that appears to further bolster the role of locally elected boards such as those at community colleges.

One of the major recommendations from the Governor’s office directs the board to: “Develop legislation for the 2013 session to complete the organization of the state’s P-20 education system, consolidate boards and commissions and streamline management, and free up resources to support teaching and learning.”

Within that recommendation, the Governor’s office changed language directing the board to recognize the role of local boards. The language presented last week would now directs the board to: “Understand the function of independent local boards, their importance as partners in achievement compacts and their role in the P-20 education system” as they consider a new governance and management structure for P-20 education.

The board also heard a report on the Student and Institutional Success Task Force, which came out of HB 3418 in the 2011 legislative session. Rep. Michael Dembrow and OCCA board president and HB 3418 task force co-chair Ed Dodson reported on the task force’s work, saying they hoped to provide valuable input for the investment board as they begin to look at budgeting to outcomes. The two also presented a report recently released by the task force.

The Investment Board will hold a series of community forums in January, some of which will take place at community colleges.

Oregon Learns: SB909 Report to the Legislature - Dec. 15, 2011

Legislative action in February 2012 to streamline early childhood programs and create a system of accountability for student success from pre-kindergarten through K-12 to college and career readiness tops the list of recommendations of Oregon Learns, a report delivered Dec. 15 to the Oregon Legislature by the Oregon Education Investment Board. The board’s report calls for far greater coordination in public education and a committed focus on improving student outcomes: “If we are to fulfill the promise of educational opportunity and keep pace with the world around us, we must find ways to improve the teaching and spark the learning of all students, now and every year hereafter.” Read the news release, executive summary and full report:

• News Release (html)
• Executive Summary, Oregon Learns (pdf)
• Oregon Learns, OEIB Report (pdf)
• Executive Summary, Early Learning Council Report (pdf)
• Early Learning Council Report (pdf)

Governor's Press Release - December 1, 2011
Governor Kitzhaber outlined a series of administrative and legislative actions necessary to improve education outcomes from pre-kindergarten to college and career readiness. Speaking before the newly confirmed Oregon Education Investment Board, the Governor called for legislative action to enable a Chief Education Officer to lead the state’s effort to implement the integrated educational system necessary to ensure student success and signaled his interest in working with the legislature to consider independent boards for Oregon universities. “We have a shared responsibility – as parents, teachers, business leaders and policy makers – to make the changes necessary to pursue excellence in our system of public education,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “That requires pulling together across school districts, universities and agency silos to achieve our goals for high school and college completion and ensure the success of students in today’s economy.” The Governor called on the Oregon Education Investment Board to undertake several administrative and policy initiatives, including:

• Proposing legislation for the February 2012 session to give the Chief Education Officer direction and control over education-related agency directors for the purpose of designing and organizing the state’s pre-kindergarten through post-secondary education system;
• Proposing legislation for the February 2012 session to implement achievement compacts with education institutions to specify outcomes and measures of progress for all Oregon primary, secondary and post-secondary students;
• Developing legislation for the 2013 legislative session to consolidate boards and commissions and streamline management of the statewide system to free-up resources to support teaching and learning. Principles include arriving at a single entity for the direction and coordination of Oregon’s university system.
• Developing legislation for the 2013 legislative session – in coordination with the Oregon University System and consultation with universities – to allow independent, institutional boards for one or more Oregon universities.

“Earlier this year, with the creation of the Oregon Education Investment Board and a package of significant education legislation, the legislature took the first steps toward a student-centered education system designed to achieve our state’s education, social and economic objectives,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “We must build on that progress to deliver results for students at all levels and in all parts of our state.” The Oregon Education Investment Board, chaired by the Governor, is overseeing an initiative to create an integrated, coordinated system for investing in and delivering public education from pre-kindergarten through high school and college to ensure all Oregonians are well-prepared for careers in our economy. View the Governor’s letter to the Board here:  http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/docs/120111_OEIB.pdf

Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB)