In July 2025, Governor Tina Kotek released Executive Order No. 25-09 which requires that all Oregon school districts have a policy in place that restricts the use of personal electronic devices from the start of regular instructional hours to the end of regular instructional hours. School districts are required to adopt a policy no later than October 31, 2025, with full implementation in effect no later than January 1, 2026.
To support you in this work, the Oregon Department of Education has developed a PED resource hub with resources to help shape policies and practices that reflect the needs of your students, families, caregivers, and communities.
We recognize that each district is unique, and that implementing this executive order will require thoughtful planning, engagement, and implementation. To support this work, ODE will launch a monthly community of practice (COP) for school leaders and educators to share successes and explore solutions to ongoing challenges.
Click on the date below to register:
The Oregon Digital Learning Cadre (‘DL Cadre’) builds on the legacy of the former Ed Tech Cadre, bringing fresh focus to the next chapter of statewide collaboration. The DL Cadre will reimagine the statewide network for today’s digital learning landscape in Oregon —one shaped by AI, PED restrictions in schools, the digital divide, and new opportunities for equity-driven innovation.
Meeting virtually once a month the DL Cadre will bring together teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders to share practical strategies, highlight local bright spots, and engage in dialogue that works to turn challenges into actionable solutions for our classrooms and schools. Each session will feature thought leaders and hands-on activities designed to spark reflection and collective growth.
If you are interested, please fill out this brief survey, to ensure ODE can best meet the needs of participants' schedules. We will share our tentative schedule in the near future.
This toolkit is aimed at helping Oregon school districts strengthen our students’ ability to think critically and responsibly when engaging with digital information, particularly as it is being shaped more and more by AI. It offers practical classroom strategies and district-level support for students in navigating today’s complex digital landscape.
A Practical Toolkit for Information Literacy in the Age of AI
Key highlights include:
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Expanded Definition of Information Literacy: Moves beyond traditional media literacy to include AI-generated content, emphasizing evaluation, verification, and ethical use.
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Classroom Practices: Offers ready-to-use strategies and lesson ideas for helping students question sources, understand mis and dis-information, spot inaccuracies, and recognize bias in both human- and AI-created information.
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Critical Thinking and Civic Readiness: Highlights the importance of preparing all of our students in making informed decisions and participating actively in democracy, even as AI tools change how information is created and shared.
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Teacher Support: Provides frameworks, sample activities, and professional learning resources to help educators build information literacy skills into everyday instruction.
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Equity Focus: Stresses the need to close gaps in access to reliable information and strengthen the resilience of students most impacted by mis and dis-information.
Calling ALL Oregon elementary school teachers, principals, and district superintendents! Your feedback is crucial. Help shape the future of Computer Science Education in the Age of AI in our state by participating in an American Institute of Research survey. The survey will take about 15-minutes and you’ll win a free Hour of Code by BootUp PD and have a chance to win a $30 Amazon gift card!
Take the survey now and make a difference:
Computer Science Optional Standards Update
Work on developing a set of K-12 optional Oregon standards for Computer Science began during summer 2024. Development of these standards is a strategy identified in the 2023 Computer Science Education Statewide Implementation Plan. The work is on target for general review starting late fall 2025 and release in early 2026. The final standards will include guidance on how to leverage connections with math, science, and transformative social emotional learning standards.
All educators and non-educators are invited to participate as a volunteer in the public review of the draft K-12 Oregon Computer Science Standards. The review feedback will be completable through an online survey. There will also be short and optional real-time virtual sessions for those who would like additional clarification of the review process. If interested, please take a minute to fill out the Computer Science Standards Request to Participate survey by September 30, 2025 to receive the review materials when they become available.
State Educational Technology Directors Association (SEDTA.org):
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The 2025 State EdTech Trends Report: The 2025 State EdTech Trends report, developed in collaboration with Whiteboard Advisors, captures the perspectives of edtech directors, CIOs, state chiefs, and other leaders from 47 states.
The Consortium for School Networking recently released the 2025 Blaschke Report on Screen Time and associated toolkit. The report is intended for educators, families, and policymakers, aiming to clarify the meaning of “screen time” in K–12 education and provide guidance on balancing the risks and opportunities of smartphones, EdTech, and screen-based entertainment in children’s learning and development.
The #GoOpen Network’s recently released OER-SCEP Action Plan for K-12 District Implementation. This guide serves as a strategic planning tool for district leaders who seek to harness the pedagogical and financial benefits of creating or adapting Open Educational Resources (OER) to support all students through a Student-Centered and Equitable Practices (SCEP) lens.
Google for Education recently released the Advancing education with AI site. This suite of resources, guides and teacher training courses is aimed at helping teachers better use AI tools, Google Gemini in particular, more successfully in their classrooms and with their students.
Please Note: Unless hosted, facilitated, or published by The Oregon Department of Education (ODE), these resources have not been endorsed by ODE, but are being shared as relevant opportunities for education professionals to consider.
Questions, comments, or additions? Please get in touch with the ODE Digital Learning team at ODE.DigitalLearning@ode.oregon.gov. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Want to stay connected with digital learning at the Oregon Department of Education? Subscribe to the ODE Digital Learning Newsletter today!
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