|
Oregon Science Educator Update April 8, 2025
|
|
April 2025
Monday, April 22, 2025, marks the 55th anniversary of Earth Day!
This year's Earth Day theme is Our Power, Our Planet. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. Organized by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, this inaugural event sparked a movement to raise environmental awareness in the United States.
There are climate science and sustainability education resources located within the Oregon Open Learning Hub -Science Group that can be used this month and beyond, including:
-
Subject to Climate has a compilation of resources and lesson plans for 30 days of actionable, engaging activities and teacher guides for teaching about climate change.
-
Climate Learning Resources are a vast collection of justice-centered learning tools to help navigate through the complexities of climate science teaching and learning. There are a variety of resources from practice briefs, webinars, assessment examples, and communication by using science stories.
-
K-5 Lessons for Climate Science Integration provides sample standards bundling from multiple content areas that educators could use to center their classroom instruction around climate science.
-
Talk Climate provides age appropriate, emotionally-responsive, and action centered resources for PK-12, caregivers, educators, and professionals.
-
What is Climate Literacy?, the newly released STEM Teaching Tool practice brief #102 explores the complex interactions of how the climate system works, how human actions influence climate, and how climate influences people and other parts of the Earth system.
|
Congratulations to the 2025 Oregon PAEMST State Finalist
Please join us in congratulating Alfonso Garcia Arriola at Portland Public School District, and Matthew McCollum at Beaverton School District on being selected as Oregon State Finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). These two finalists can now submit their applications to the national review committee for consideration for the 2025 PAEMST Awardee, the nation’s highest honor for U.S. K–12 teachers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science.
If you are interested in learning more or would like to nominate a Grade K-6 for the next 2026 PAEMST application cycle, please visit the PAEMST website.
|
ODE Assessment Updates
2024 - 2025 OSAS Statewide Summative Test
The statewide administration window for the OSAS Science Tests is open for grades 5, 8, and 11.
The test window for the statewide summative content assessments applies to all versions of the tests: online General (in-person and remote) and Alternate (Oregon Extended; in-person only). As a reminder, prior to beginning a test session, verify that appropriate student accommodations and supports have been accurately set in TIDE. See the Oregon Accessibility Manual for more information about accommodations and supports. Please contact your Regional ESD Partner with any questions regarding test administration.
OSAS Interim Assessment Learning– Canvas Course
ODE has partnered with Southern Oregon ESD to create an on-demand asynchronous professional learning course to help teachers, school administrators, and district leaders learn how to implement the OSAS Interim Assessments. The course, Implementing the OSAS Interim Assessments, consists of five one-hour modules delivered through Canvas. The course is available now at no cost to Oregon educators. More information can be found in this flier, which may be used to promote the course in your district.
Summer 2025 OSAS Science Assessment Item Review: Oregon Science Educator Panel Opportunities
This summer, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), in partnership with our vendor, Cambium Assessment, Inc (CAI), will host three Oregon Science Educator Panels. Below are the panel topics, dates, and application details.
-
Multi-State Rubric Validation Panel This panel is designed to ensure that assessment scoring is accurate and fair for all students. Participants will review and make recommendations on item scoring and potential rubric adjustments.
-
Dates: Evenings during the weeks of May 19–22, and June 2–5, 2025.
-
Format: Virtual
-
Applications are due by 5:00 pm on Friday, April 18, 2025.
-
Multi-State Content and Fairness Review Panel Participants will analyze assessment items for alignment to standards, grade-level appropriateness, fairness, potential bias, sensitivity issues, and other quality criteria. Stay tuned—more information and application details will be available soon!
-
Dates: July 8–10, 2025 (three-day commitment)
-
Format: Virtual
-
Multi-State Data Review Panel This panel will examine statistical flags and item parameter data to identify potentially problematic content. Educators will review flagged items to determine if they should proceed to operational tests or require adjustments.
-
Dates: Evenings during the week of August 25–28, 2025.
-
Format: Virtual
-
Applications are due by 5:00 pm Friday, April 18 2025.
Please contact Dr. Mariela Salas Bao, Science Assessment Specialist, with questions or support needs.
|
ODE K-12 Science Learning
Best Practice Guide
Oregon Department of Education’s K-12 Science Education Best Practice Guide supports the implementation of a high-quality science education program. This resource outlines best practices for three-dimensional learning, strategies for student and community engagement, selections for instructional materials, and approaches to a balanced assessment system. By incorporating these elements, educators and administrators can create meaningful and equitable learning experiences each and every day that fosters scientific understanding and critical thinking.
This and other K-12 science education resources can be found on the ODE Science Resources webpage.
|
ODE Seeking Student Voices
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon State Board of Education (SBE) are looking for incoming high school juniors and seniors to participate in Oregon’s K-12 administrative rulemaking processes as either a Student Member of ODE’s Ongoing Rules Community Advisory (ORCA) or a Student Advisor to the State Board of Education for the 2025-26 school year.
Students can now apply to serve as a Student Advisor to the State Board of Education or as a Student Member of the Ongoing Rules Community Advisory. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with final selections made by July 31, 2025. Selected students will serve from August 2025 through July 2026.
If you know a current high school sophomore or junior (who will be a junior or senior in the 2025–26 school year) who may be interested in learning about Oregon’s K–12 Administrative Rules and their impact on education—and who is willing to engage in group discussions and provide thoughtful, constructive feedback to ODE staff on draft rules—please encourage them to apply.
|
ODE Resources for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence
The Well-Rounded, Integrated & Digital Learning team recently updated three resources for the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) in Oregon schools:
Oregon Digital Learning Cadre - coming soon!
"Bridging the Digital Divide: Together We Transform Learning"
The Oregon Digital Learning Cadre invites instructional leaders to join a collaborative community dedicated to solving local digital learning challenges. Launching Fall 2025, this evolution of the Oregon Edtech cadre will bring together educators from across the state to harness the power of technology for enhanced learning experiences, using the "Three Digital Divides" framework to guide our shared work and create meaningful solutions for Oregon's students.
Join ODE for a listening session on May 7th at 9am to learn more about this initiative and share how the Cadre can best serve your organization's digital learning needs. For more information, click here or to register for the virtual listening session here.
Contact the Digital Learning team at ode.digitallearning@ode.oregon.gov with questions.
|
ODE Quality Assurance and Learning Panels (QALP) Seeks Members
The Oregon Department of Education is seeking 200+ people from across the state to serve on QALP to review ODE’s assessment of 2025-27 Integrated Applications. Join this process to support public understanding in the implementation of the Integrated Application and ODE’s review processes with a quality check. Click here for more information and to register. The application will remain open until all QALP panels are full.
|
STEM Next - Free DNA Resources
From medicine to agriculture, genomics offers exciting future career opportunities to help solve the world's biggest challenges. STEM Next is teaming up with illumina to bring hands-on DNA science activities to afterschool and summer programs in celebration of DNA Day on April 25th. Explore exciting activities like DNA extraction and other resources here.
|
How can we better understand and work toward equity in STEM education?
To support classroom and district leaders—as well as others involved in STEM education—in evaluating current systems and developing and implementing equity goals, the STEM Teaching Tool practice brief #101, "How can we better understand and work toward equity in STEM education?", offers valuable guidance.
This resource is based directly on the National Academy of Science Report: Equity in K-12 STEM Education: Framing Decisions for the Future. The interactive overview and full report puts forth five equity frames to guide decision makers short- and long-term goals for equity and to make decisions about policy and practice.
|
ODE Science Ignite Sessions
Looking for resources or ways to elevate your science teaching and learning strategies but short on time? Join ODE Science Education Specialist, Jamie Rumage, and Science Assessment Specialist, Dr. Mariela Salas Bao, for dynamic 30-minute sessions packed with practical insights and innovative approaches to science teaching and learning.
These brief sessions will take place on the first Wednesday of each month from 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM. Register here, and don’t miss this opportunity to ask questions, connect with fellow educators, and enhance your science classroom experience!
|
Sign Up for the ODE K-5 Newsletter
The Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE) Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is launching a new quarterly newsletter for K-5 educators. This newsletter provides 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.
|
|
|
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out:
|
The materials contained in the Department of Education’s Oregon Science Educator Update are drawn from both internal and external sources and inclusion of external materials does not necessarily indicate Oregon Department of Education endorsement.
|
|
|
|
|
