Remote Learning Program Standards Community Engagement

Dear Education Leaders,

We know that the launch of the 2021-22 school year continues to bring complexities and very real challenges--alongside the immense delight of having students back in school. We have heard your stories in meetings, phone calls, and read your emails in recent months and can feel the anticipation, care, concern, and heavy lift going into this school year. We see you and thank you for your tremendous efforts to bring students back into the classroom this fall.

The Path Forward for Remote Learning in Oregon

Remote learning programs have expanded across Oregon for well over a decade in the form of specialized courses available to students in rural communities, hybrid options for local schools, virtual public charter schools, and home-based options. Most recently, remote learning has become a familiar part of many student’s education through the COVID-19 pandemic response. Even with a return to in-person learning for the significant majority of public schools, remote learning will likely continue to be a significant part of K-12 public education. Accordingly, we are seeking input on how the current education policy framework can be improved in service of student learning and equitable learning outcomes. 

The Oregon Department of Education is beginning a two-year process to update and revisit policies related to remote learning in Oregon. This work covers a wide array of topics involving online, home-based, and other remote learning where students and teachers are not in the same physical location for more than half of the student’s instructional time. Engagement will be centered on remote/online learning models with an emphasis on full-time programs, not decisions regarding temporary shifts to remote learning in response to emergencies. It will involve multiple rounds of collaborative engagement with school and district leaders, students and families, and education partners across the state. We will ensure engagement includes representation and voices from our BIPOC students, Tribal students, LGBTQ2SIA+ students, students experiencing disability, students who are emergent bilingual, and other students who have been systemically and historically marginalized by the education system.

Upcoming Engagement Opportunities

In October, the Department will initiate this work through four activities:

1. Start conducting focused engagement sessions, 
2. Invite remote and online schools to voluntarily have ODE staff learn more about their program through site visits, 
3. Research best practices in remote learning, and 
4. Establish the Remote Learning Advisory Committee to support this work. 

We will not be starting with a predesigned set of recommendations. Instead, educators and leaders will be invited to co-create a shared understanding of what remote learning looks like in Oregon and what opportunities exist to ensure students have equitable access to quality remote learning options. The goal of this engagement process is to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning in online and remote programs is commensurate with brick and mortar programs and offers equitable access to learning support for students who have been and are currently systemically excluded or underserved. This includes ensuring students in remote learning programs have access to:

1. School- or district-provided devices, digital resources, and connectivity that is conducive to remote or online learning. Appropriate access to and instructional time with qualified educators;
2. Culturally appropriate and anti-racist curriculum and quality instructional materials aligned to Oregon content standards;
3. Accommodations, modifications, differentiated instruction, and research-based strategies for all students including students experiencing disabilities, and emergent bilingual students;
4. A well-rounded education with opportunities for peer engagement, mental health supports, and social emotional learning; and
5. A sense of belonging and safety for LGBTQ2SIA+ students and students of color where students' intersecting identities are honored and affirmed within the classroom and school culture by educators and the whole school community. 

Timeline

Over the next two years, ODE and the Remote Learning Advisory Committee will publish reports that will include policy recommendations and key findings from engagement. These recommendations and findings may be used by ODE, the State Board of Education, the Oregon State Legislature, and local school districts to shape policies and practices for remote learning.

Remote Learning Program Standards Timeline. From October 2021 to December 2021, Multiple rounds of engagement, voluntary school site visits, and establish the Remote Learning Advisory Committee. In January 2022, Publish policy recommendations. Between January 2022 and June 2023, Implement policy recommendations and continue engagement as needed.

You Are Invited to Participate

To get involved, please consider the following options:

1. Submit your name or a colleague’s name for inclusion in the engagement sessions.
2. Learn more about the Remote Learning Advisory Committee and consider applying. Applications are due October 14, 2021.
3. Register for an informational session on Friday, September 24, 2021 from 2-2:30PM to hear more about this process and learn how you can participate. 

For Questions, Please Contact the Project Leads:

Ken Greenbaum, Director of Digital Learning and Education Technology

Kate Pattison, Charter School Specialist