ODE Career and Technical Education Professional Development and Formative Performance Assessments Final Report

Our Publications

In the winter and spring of 2012-2013 the Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) partnered with representatives from the Office of Secondary/Postsecondary Transitions at Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon Department of Community Colleges Workforce Development (CCWD) to guide secondary and postsecondary instructors in the development and implementation of formative performance assessments.

A Path to Alignment: Connecting K-12 and Higher Education via the Common Core and the Degree Qualifications Profile

Our Publications

The white paper begins with a description of the CCSS and an assessment of their significance. A following analysis then explains why the CCSS, while necessary, are not sufficient as a platform for college success. A corresponding explanation of the DQP clarifies the prompts that led to its development, describes its structure, and offers some guidance for interpreting the outcomes that it defines.

Crosswalk Analysis Report Cover

Crosswalk Analysis of Deeper Learning Skills

Our Publications

The Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) conducted an analysis of deeper learning skills on behalf of the Hewlett Foundation to create a crosswalk between the Deeper Learning Skills (DLS) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The purpose of the crosswalk was to understand the ways in which strategies for deeper learning relate to the CCSS.

How Career and Technical Education Can Help Students Be College and Career Ready: A Primer

How Career and Technical Education Can Help Students Be College and Career Ready: A Primer (AIR)

Recommended Reading

This March 2013 primer from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) covers the transition from vocational education to career and technical education, “an educational strategy for providing young people with the academic, technical, and employability skills and knowledge to pursue postsecondary training or higher education and enter a career field prepared for ongoing learning.”

When Nice Won’t Suffice

Recommended Reading

Elisa MacDonald asserts that professional learning communities must be able to tackle issues and give and receive constructive criticism for there to be any real improvement within a school. She offers strategies for addressing a “culture of nice” that prevents a team from being effective.

Another Inconvenient Truth: Race and Ethnicity Matter

Recommended Reading

University professors and researchers Willis Hawley and Sonia Nieto breakdown issues and misconceptions that some educators have about dealing with issues of race and ethnicity in the classroom. They offer three race- and ethnicity-conscious strategies for school improvement, centered around understanding the diverse backgrounds of all students in the classroom. Hawley and Nieto conclude by suggesting ways that teachers and administrators can begin to develop a more responsive school culture.