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Strategic Plan Update

By Homepage, News

SOESD is pleased to provide this Strategic Plan Mid-year Report that highlights our work in the various strategic drivers:

  • Equity
  • District and Community Partnerships
  • Collaboration and Information Sharing
  • Programs and Services
  • Educator Workforce Development
  • Data Tracking

Highlights of the strategic plan implementation that have already been accomplished include:

  • Engaged in a thoughtful organizational redesign of Special Education Services as part of the new Student Services department
  • Expanded the Student Behavioral Health and Wellness program
  • Expanded services to help districts with crisis management, including Cybersecurity and a new Flight Response Team
  • Expanded the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program
  • Provided newly designed New Teacher Training model and expanded Mentoring with a tiered support model offering a continuum of services for as little and as much support as desired
  • Added new Teachers and Educational Assistants to expand the STEPS Plus Program, increasing access and services for students
  • Expanded Data systems support by preparing the launch of:
    • Student Connect information platform regarding students served and services provided
    • Online LSP Portal with regularly updated financial allocation, service selection, and balance reports
    • Seventh Edition of the Oregon Project for preschool children who are blind or visually impaired (The OR Project)

Plan Development

The strategic plan development began in September 2022 by conducting a survey of ESDs across Oregon regarding the processes and facilitators used for strategic and equity planning. After compiling a list from ESDs, OAESD, COSA, and other sources of potential strategic planning facilitators, a consultant was selected through an interview process.

A comprehensive plan was then developed for seeking input from constituents:

  • SOESD board, administrative team, and employees
  • Component districts’ superintendents, business, curriculum, human resources, information technology, special education directors, and school improvement administrators
  • Families of students attending SOESD Special Education classrooms
  • Families of students attending SOESD Migrant Education and Indian Education programs
  • Focus surveys sent by component districts to their staff and families.

Prior to launching surveys and a variety of facilitated in-person and online feedback sessions, SOESD’s cabinet met with the cabinets of component districts to gather feedback that informed the planning. Based on initial input from these meetings, focus surveys were developed and administered by component districts to their staff and families regarding three core areas: Career Technical Education (CTE), Southern Oregon Regional Educator Network (SOREN), and Special Education. Formal surveys, meetings, and facilitated input sessions were conducted based on questions that emerged around the themes of equity, customer and employee experiences, programs and services, and workforce development.

Launching the Strategic Plan

With the strategic drivers in place SOESD immediately began working on a number of projects and programs over last summer and during the first half of this past year.

“This school year we will focus on implementing strategic priorities, with improved and re-aligned services, while continuing to strengthen our successful programs and initiatives,“ remarked SOESD Superintendent Scott Beveridge when launching the plan with staff at the fall SOESD agency-wide in-service.  “I am excited to work alongside our staff, school districts and other partners to serve and support the children, students, families, and educators across our region.”

Click the button below for the complete update in the SOESD Strategic Plan Mid-year Report.

Click here to view the SOESD Strategic Plan Mid-Year Report
January 24, 2024
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Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year Nominations are Now Open

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

The Oregon Department of Education, in partnership with the Oregon Lottery, is pleased to announce the continuation of Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year to honor exemplary educators in every region of the state!

  • Nominations are open statewide through February 21, 2024
  • Oregon Education Service Districts will select a winner from their region
  • Regional Teachers of the Year will be honored across the state in May 2024!
  • One of the Regional Teachers of the Year will be named the 2025 Oregon Teacher of the Year in September 2024!

Regional Teachers of the Year will receive a cash prize of $1000 and will be celebrated across the state.  The 2025 Oregon Teacher of the Year will receive a $10,000 cash prize (with a matching $5,000 going to their school!) and serve as a spokesperson and representative for all Oregon teachers.

Anyone can nominate a teacher! All Oregonians are encouraged to nominate their favorite teacher today at: oregonteacheroftheyear.org

December 6, 2023
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CTE construction students work alongside Knife River

By College and Career (CC4A) / STEAM, News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

Over 100 Bonanza CTE construction students worked alongside Knife River at Bonanza High school to finish concrete and run a pump truck as they built their very own new gym. These students have partaken in Youscience Brain Games to learn about aptitudes and interests. Geer Up Funds this year are helping these students to get exposure to a variety of different hands on exploration experiences so they can discover their passion! Oregon Community Foundation has provided funds through the STEM Hub to help connect students at Bonanza with Youscience results to the Pre-apprenticeship Program at KCC. What an amazing opportunity for the students at Bonanza to get to explore the construction trades while also building their very own gym!

 
 
 
 
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December 6, 2023
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STEAM Shared Impact Report

By College and Career (CC4A) / STEAM, News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

The aim of our evaluation was to see what kind of quality of impact the Southern Oregon STEAM Hub is having on the educators and partners. To understand this, we explored two broad evaluation questions.

  1. What kind and quality of impact are we having on educators and partners?
  2. What aspects of our program are causing this impact?

Read the full report.

 

November 30, 2023
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Forbes Article mentions our SOREN Partner Jay Schroder

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

Rethinking The Value Of One Of America’s Greatest Untapped Resources: Teachers


Very few people will deny that the job of a teacher is tough. But how tough is it—really?

It’s so tough that teachers are now the most burned-out employees in America.

It’s so challenging that fewer than 1 in 5 Americans would encourage a young person to become a K-12 teacher

And it’s so hard that teacher vacancies are up 51% over last year.

Though I work with educators almost every day and witness many teachers’ front-line struggles, I know what I see is just the tip of the iceberg. “We are caught in a negative feedback loop in which the stress of the job worsens the teacher shortage,” says Jay Schroder, educator and author of Teach From Your Best Self. “This in turn increases the strain on the system, accelerating burnout and inducing more teachers to leave.”

Read the full article.

 

 

November 9, 2023
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Director of the Oregon Department of Education visits Southern Oregon

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

On Monday, October 30, Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education visited Southern Oregon to attend the SOESD/ODE Integrated Programs Regional Planning session. While in the area, Dr. Williams visited Phoenix Elementary School (in the Phoenix Talent School District) and Table Rock Elementary School (in the Eagle Point School District). While in the schools, Dr. Williams spent time observing math, music and reading instruction. She also read to a kindergarten class and a kindergarten transitions class. Dr. Mark Angle-Hobson, Director of School Improvement Services, helped facilitate the site visits.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Photos by Dean MacInnis and video by Joe Zavala.

October 31, 2023
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The Migrant Preschool Program

By Migrant Ed/ELL/Indian Ed, News

The Migrant Preschool Program provides a School Readiness service to migrant preschool children ages 3-5, who are not attending a preschool program. The program’s goal is to support out of school children’s Social-emotional, Language and Literacy, Cognitive, and Physical Development skills; to increase the skills that will prepare them to be ready for Kindergarten at the time of entrance. Our program uses the Creative Curriculum and ODE Early Learning and Kindergarten Guidelines, as basis for developing lesson planning and preschool-age appropriate activities. Monthly Parent and Child Preschool Classes, Home Visits, Learning Packages, Instruccional Learning Videos, Zoom Parent Trainings and Summer Programs.   This is the  creative way the program functions in order to strengthen the migrant preschool children’s learning and developing needs.

El Programa Preescolar Migrante provee un servicio de Preparación Escolar a los niños migrantes en edad de 3 a 5 años, quienes no atienden a un programa pre-escolar.  La meta del programa es apoyar la habilidades Socioemocionales, de Lenguaje y Lectoescritura, el desarrollo Cognitivo y Físico de los niños, incrementando sus habilidades que los preparan para estar listos para el Kinder.  El programa usa como guía el Currículo Creativo y Las Pautas de Desarrollo Temprano y Kinder de Oregon para su planeación y actividades pre-escolares apropiadas.   Sesiones preescolares para padres e hijos, visitas en casa, paquetes de aprendizaje, videos instruccionales, entrenamientos para padres por zoom y programas de verano.   De esta forma creativa, el programa funciona para fortalecer las necesidades de desarrollo y aprendizaje de los niños preescolares migrantes. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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October 20, 2023
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Pinehurst School Library Gets a Makeover, Thanks to ODE Grant

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

Pinehurst Library pre-revitalization, with shelves jammed full of many outdated and unappealing books.

Pinehurst School renovated their library over the summer, thanks to a grant from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), removing hundreds of shabby and outdated books.The school is now adding many brand-new and diverse  titles to the shelves and cataloging the collection using the newly implemented Destiny library software.

“We are so grateful for the opportunity to give our library a sorely needed makeover,” said District Administrator Deirdre Barber. “In a few short months, the library has gone from an unused room to a place where children are choosing and reading books! It’s made everyone at Pinehurst so happy.”

The school received one of the 86 ESSER III grants to school districts, $10,000 for revitalizing their

school library. The grants were part of the pandemic recovery funds and could be spent on books, staff time to process them, and updated furnishing. 

With advice from one of SOESD’s consulting librarians, Miranda Doyle, staff at the tiny rural school first went through the collection to weed books that were no longer appealing or useful. Many books were decades old and in poor condition, with information that was out of date. 

Removing these books to leave the ones of current interest made a huge difference. Instead of packed but unappealing shelves, the library now has more space to display book covers and for browsing the much improved collection. Students and staff will also be able to use the Destiny catalog to look up and locate books, and to borrow them.

Pinehurst Library after the weeding project, with more engaging books and furniture, an appealing atmosphere, and with room to display book covers and for browsing the shelves.

The bulk of the grant goes to ordering new books, from award winners to popular series titles. Picture books, beginning readers, graphic novels and award-winning fiction are all part of the revitalization. The library is now more accessible, students will be more engaged with reading, and the collection reflects the students and the wider community.

Instructional Assistant Desiree Elder also praised the changes to the library.. “Our newly renovated and updated library is not just a room with books: it’s a gateway to knowledge, a haven for imagination, and a treasure trove of endless possibilities for our community children.”  

For more information on the grants, see  School Library Revitalization Grant webpage.

September 27, 2023
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SOESD ANNOUNCES SOUTHERN OREGON 2023-24 REGIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR

By News, School Improvement Services, School-Wide Improvement

On behalf of the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Lottery, Southern Oregon Education Service District (SOESD) is proud to announce the selection of Steve Kessler, Director of Bands at North Medford High School, as a 2023-24 Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year.  Kessler was honored Wednesday in his band classroom while students cheered him on. He was awarded a check for $1000 from the Oregon Lottery.

SOESD convened a virtual Blue-Ribbon Panel made up of diverse and unbiased panel members who represented the geographic region of Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties. The panel, who reviewed many applications from a larger set of nominations, found that Kessler had the highest average rubric score of all candidates. The panelists made these observations during their deliberations:

  • Steve is inclusive, seeks student voice, and is very encouraging and motivating.
  • Steve sees band as “family” and articulates a commitment to all students.
  • Steve makes attempts to connect his students to composers for real-world connections.
  • Steve is very involved at the regional and national level, giving his students opportunities to be visible.
  • Steve has a keen awareness of social justice, and the role music plays in social justice.
  • Steve develops opportunities for his students (versus taking advantage of opportunities that become available).
  • The scope of Steve’s work extends far beyond the classroom.

The Oregon Teacher of the Year Program started in 1955 and is managed by the Oregon Department of Education.  Anyone can nominate a candidate for the recognition, but teachers may not nominate themselves.  Once selected, the Oregon Teacher of the Year is also a candidate to apply for the National Teacher of the Year recognition.  The selected teacher serves as the face and voice of exemplary educators across the state of Oregon and engages and inspires other teachers and community leaders as a representative of the profession.

Oregon Department of Education chose in 2018-19 to expand the selection process for the nominees.  The goal of the expansion is to honor teachers in every region of the state.  Education Service Districts across Oregon reviewed applications submitted from their geographic region and facilitated a Blue-Ribbon Panel and review process to identify winners in their regions.

SOESD is proud of the amazing teachers in our three-county region, exemplified by Kessler, who are focused on quality teaching, learning, and student achievement.

September 22, 2023
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