The background information below will help explain how and why the changes to the Oregon high school diploma came about. Most of this information comes from the State Board’s Decision Paper .

What Requirements Have Changed

On January 18th, 2007, the State Board of Education adopted new Oregon high school diploma requirements. View the

New Requirements

to learn more.

These new requirements will ensure that high school graduates are better prepared for work, higher education or training, life and citizenship. We want to ensure that all students have the skills necessary to pursue their hopes and dreams in an increasingly complex and changing world.

The Need For Change

The basic structure of Oregon’s current high school diploma was designed at a time when high school graduates had a reasonable expectation of immediately entering a well-paying job upon graduation. The 21st century economy demands much higher levels of preparation than those needed just a generation ago. Today, the skills and knowledge that prepare high school graduates for postsecondary education are viewed as the same skills and knowledge that prepare them for work and life.

Oregon students receive a solid education but the world continues to change rapidly and the educational system must respond to ensure that each and every student is prepared for the demands of the 21st century. Too many Oregon high school students are not adequately prepared to enter the workforce or postsecondary education.

At Oregon community colleges, approximately 40 percent of students took some pre-college level courses in 2000. Students taking remedial courses are significantly less likely to complete a college degree. Employers contend that most high school graduates do not have the knowledge and skills necessary for the workplace. Most new jobs—two-thirds during the next decade—will require education or training beyond a high school diploma.

View a 12 minute video

about the reasons for the changes to the high should diploma.

These Changes Benefit Everyone

Not all students will go on to college or university. However, it is becoming increasingly necessary for students to complete some sort of post-high school training to prepare them for their careers. All students deserve to have the skills to succeed in whatever profession they choose. This future training can have a huge economic impact on a student’s life. According to the College Board, the average college graduate earns 62 percent more than the average high school graduate, while the average high school graduate earns 43 percent more than the average non-graduate. By failing to prepare all of our students for workforce training and college, we are not living up to the promise of the high school diploma.

The Work of the State Board of Education

It is the State Board of Education’s intent to increase the rigor, relevance, and personalization of the high school diploma, while allowing school districts the flexibility and autonomy to enact policies that are innovative or that better meet the unique needs of their district’s students.

Over the last two years, the State Board has focused its attention on the high school diploma, and January’s decision came after a comprehensive review of Oregon’s content standards, assessments, and high school diploma requirements. The State Board of Education worked with leaders around the country to identify best practices and examine what has worked elsewhere. The new requirements were adopted after a great deal of discussion, review of national and state research, expert advice, input from over 5000 community members, and State Board work sessions involving Oregon school practitioners.

States across the nation are similarly increasing graduation requirements to better prepare students for the 21st century. Since 2005, Oregon has been one of 30 states to join the

American Diploma Project (ADP)

initiated by

Achieve, Inc.

, a bipartisan, non-profit organization created by governors and business leaders to prepare students for postsecondary education, work, and citizenship through increased academic standards.

Community Outreach

The State Board of Education’s decision to change the diploma requirements came after months of research, discussion and input. The Board asked Oregonians from around the state to provide feedback on the proposed changes. We heard from students, teachers, administrators, community college and university system personnel, parents, and the business community and this feedback helped shape the final decisions the state board made.

During the fall of 2006, over

300 community and school meetings

were held to discuss the proposed changes to the high school diploma. Feedback was collected through surveys and over 5000 surveys were returned from around the state. View a summary of

survey results

.

Next Steps – Implementation

Implementing the new requirements will lead to significant changes in the way teaching and learning occurs at all levels of the education continuum. High schools, middle schools, elementary schools, and community colleges and universities will have to make adjustments to support these changes. Middle and elementary schools will need to modify their curriculum, instruction, assessments and general practices to better prepare students to meet the high school requirements. All education sectors will need to align curriculum, course content and standards, proficiencies and assessments. A system of intervention and support will be required for students to meet these rigorous requirements.

The

Diploma Implementation Advisory Task Force

was created to advise the Board on issues related to key technical elements such as cost, capacity, teacher supply and demand, postsecondary alignment, and timeframe. Four additional task forces have also been established to address specific issues that have surfaced during the Board’s work on the new diploma requirements. These include the

Standards and Assessments

,

Essential Skills

,

Proficiency Credit

, and

Cost/Capacity

task forces. Task force membership represents a wide range of Oregon stakeholders including K-12 education, community colleges, Oregon University System, community organizations, parents, students, members of the Oregon Legislature, and business leaders.