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Happy 2022!
The beginning of a new year allows time to reflect on previous years and experiences while looking forward to what is yet to come. I know many of you are navigating incredibly challenging times concerning the health and wellness of your families, students, communities as well as the impact of the pandemic on schools. Thank you for all that you do for Oregon students .
As I reflect over my last six years at ODE, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Oregon to provide training and technical assistance for supporting Talented and Gifted students. During my visits in districts, I am often asked,, “How do we improve our identification process because we have a lot of kids who are TAG who are not identified?”
When analyzing the data of who is identified for TAG services, both qualitative and quantitative data suggest that the current system and rules are not working for all students. We assembled a technical advisory committee which included over thirty TAG district leaders throughout our state, to address the inequities observed and develop new rules aligned with ODE's equity stance.
In October of 2021, I sent a newsletter through the listserv that included a draft of ODE’s proposed rules as well as open office hours to discuss the rule revisions. I’d like to offer another opportunity to engage as many Oregon educators and families as possible as we move towards presenting these proposed rule changes for a second reading to the State Board of Education on January 20, 2022.
Voice and representation matter. Learning from educators, students, and families is essential to the rule writing process. Please join any of the following engagement sessions to learn more about the potential rule changes and to share your feedback.
Friday, January 14th, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday January 18th, 7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
Tuesday January 18th, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
You are welcome to join all or part of any of the three sessions. At the beginning of each session, I will highlight the changes in the draft rules and then spend the remaining time listening to your feedback and answering questions.
If you are unable to attend any of the engagement sessions listed above and you would like to provide feedback, please complete this survey. You are more than welcome and encouraged to forward this message to parent groups in your district who may be interested in providing input or asking questions specific to the rule changes. Please do not hesitate to email me directly with comments or questions.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
Best,
Angela Allen || Talented and Gifted Education Specialist
angela.m.allen@ode.oregon.gov | www.oregon.gov/ode
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