Proficiency Project Reports of Progress, Conclusions and Recommendations

Phase 1: May 2009 - June 2010

Defining Practice, Informing Policy: Oregon Proficiency Project Report Phase 1:

This report describes the Oregon Proficiency Project from its inception in summer 2009, through the progress made and results accomplished during the 2009-10 school year, and the recommendations for on going implementation of proficiency-based education in Oregon.

The report chronicles how the project, conducted by the Oregon Business Council (OBC) and Employers for Education Excellence (E3) and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, addressed two key challenges – what is proficiency-based education  and how do we get more of it.  The work was composed of 1) intensive technical support in two pilot sites (Woodburn’s Academy of International Studies (AIS) and Beaverton’s Health and Science School (HS2), provided by the Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) at the University of Washington, 2) field research with a number of early practitioners in the state and 3) policy discussions with education leaders.

The reports in this section are records of the proceedings from each of the meetings of the policy panel, which included significant participation by practitioners of proficiency-based education from several districts in the state, in addition to education thought leaders from state education agencies, nonprofits and university colleges of education. Defining Practice, Informing Policy summarizes the conclusions and recommendations reached in the five meetings of practitioners and policy leaders.

Final project report:

Defining Practice, Informing Policy: Oregon Proficiency Project Report Phase 1
Entry Points to Proficiency 7-08-10
Proficiency Based Learning Systems 11-8-10

Meeting reports:

Proficiency Panel Meeting 1 Report Oct. 14
Proficiency Panel HS2 Visit Report Jan. 13
Proficiency Panel Meeting 2 Report Jan. 20
Proficiency Panel AIS Visit Report Mar.10
Proficiency Panel Meeting 3 Report Apr. 21

Supporting documents for the meetings:

Fiscal Return on Education – Impresa
Oregon Proficiency Brief 2009-10 for Apr. 21
Assessment Triangle
Proficiency Panel Roster
Proficiency Based Education White Paper

Phase 2: July 2009 - December 2010

Defining Practice, Informing Policy: Practitioner Networks Voice a Call to Action, Oregon Proficiency Project Report Phase 2:

This report describes the second phase of the Oregon Proficiency Project. Networks of school/district administrators and teacher leaders worked with highly skilled coaches from the Center for Educational Leadership at University of Washington on real-time problems of practice as they pursued their implementation of Proficiency-Based Education (PBE). The policy panel of education leaders and practitioners from Phase 1 of the project used the activities, reflections, and results of those networks to develop a definition and description of PBE and conclusions, recommendations, and communications strategies for building capacity and taking the practices to scale in Oregon.

Final project report:

Defining Practice, Informing Policy: Oregon Proficiency Project Report Phase 2

Documents:

Principles and Practices of Proficiency-Based Teaching and Learning
Proficiency Instructional Cycle
Proficiency Policy Panel Roster