March 2024

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987. Below are some resources as you continue to engage diverse voices, contributions, and perspectives in science education this month and beyond:

• Lost Women of Science is a podcast with each episode telling the story of one groundbreaking woman in the field of science.
• The Smithsonian is hosting events, resources, podcast episodes, and exhibitions that tell a diversity of women's stories.
• The Untold History of Women in Science and Technology is a collection of stories of personal heroes from the fields of STEM.

2023-2024 Science Assessments Available

Exciting news! Significant updates are underway for the science assessment website.

• This includes a comprehensive reorganization of the webpage and the addition of new documents to better serve your needs. While some documents are still being updated, please note that the entire website is getting renovated. If you have bookmarked any favorite tabs in your browser, we recommend downloading them to ensure continued access during the transition period. Additionally, all existing links will be archived to prevent any disruptions. We appreciate your patience and look forward to unveiling the revamped website soon!

OSAS Science Summative Assessment test window is now open.

• The OSAS Science Test is aligned to Oregon Science Standards (NGSS).  Students are required to take the OSAS Science Test in Grades 5, 8, and 11. Your child’s school will select testing dates between March – June (Grades 5 and 8) and February – June (Grade 11th).

Oregon’s Interim Assessments in ELA, Math, and Science are now available for the 2023-2024 school year.

Schools and districts may administer these assessments to students in-person or remotely. Information and professional learning resources to support test selection, administration, scoring, and data use are available on ODE’s Interim Assessment webpage. Contact your District Test Coordinator (DTC) to activate interim assessments.

Please contact Mariela Salas Bao, Science Assessment Specialist, with questions or support needs.

Science Instructional Materials 

ODE staff, in collaboration with ESDs, hosted five in-person opportunities to review the newly adopted Science Instructional Materials. If you were unable to attend or are interested in reviewing the science adoption list, publisher contact list, or the science instructional materials virtual caravan, please visit the ODE Adopted Materials by Content Area webpage.

If you have any questions about the adoption list or need additional support with instructional materials adoption, please feel free to review these instructional materials toolkit resources or reach out to Jamie Rumage.

OSTA 62ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE 

Save the date for the OSTA Annual Conference: Saturday, November 2, 2024 at Roosevelt Middle School, Eugene, Oregon

Session Proposals are due by April 15, 2024 for initial consideration. Please use this proposal form link to see a list of information requested and additional details. 

Please email President-Elect@oregonscience.org with any questions.

Opportunity for Educators in Grades 4 - 8th

The MothEd Project, through Michigan State University, is looking to recruit science teachers who teach 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade science to implement a hands-on 3 to 4 week unit in moth ecology in their teaching this spring. In this unit, students build their own moth traps and investigate their own research questions about moth abundance and moth diversity in local communities.

Educators who are selected to participate will receive $500 in compensation to support their time investment in the project. This project is now accepting applications.

Winter-Spring Courses for High School Science 

Portland Metro STEM Partnership and GO STEM Hubs are offering in-person trainings for Physics Units 4-6 and Chemistry Units 5-6 at two different locations (Bend and Newport). Participating educators will be offered a stipend to cover their travel expenses. Details can be found in the course guide.

Oregon Science Olympiad

Oregon Science Olympiad is pleased to announce the upcoming in-person state tournament on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at University of Portland. If you are interested in learning more or would like to sign up and volunteer, please contact Ashley deSilva, Oregon Science Olympiad Director.

Farm to School Institute

The Farm to School Institute model is a year-long professional learning experience that brings site-based teams together to build relationships, skills, and a collaborative action plan to further their farm to school goals.

Team members bring a variety of expertise and may include classroom educators, administrators, nutrition services staff, garden educators, and community partners. With the support of a coach, teams spend the school year putting their plans into action and strengthening their capacity to integrate lasting impacts across classrooms, cafeterias, and communities.

Read more about this wonderful opportunity on the Institute Webpage. Applications are due Friday, March 15th.

New K-5 Newsletter

ODE’s Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is launching a new quarterly newsletter for K-5 educators. This newsletter will provide resources, opportunities, guidance, and ODE updates tailored specifically to support the integrated and well-rounded instruction that elementary education entails. It aims to streamline information related to K-5 academic standards and instruction into one convenient communication. 

Please subscribe or share the link with K-5 teachers who might be interested.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Deb Bailey or Kama Almasi, STEM Education Specialists, Mariela Salas Bao, Science Assessment Specialist, or Jamie Rumage, Science Education Specialist, if you have any questions or concerns.