Diploma Implementation TF

Essential Skills for Graduation

What are the essential skills?

The Oregon Diploma Essential Skills are truly foundational skills. Essential skills are designed to equip students with what they need to be successful in college, the workplace, and their communities. They help students acquire knowledge and skills in academic and career and technical studies and apply what they learn to practical situations. Students learn and apply essential skills in all subject areas, both in the classroom and outside of school.

The essential skills are:  Read and comprehend a variety of text  Write clearly and accurately  Listen actively and speak clearly and coherently  Apply mathematics in a variety of settings  Think critically and analytically  Use technology to learn, live, and work  Demonstrate civic and community engagement  Demonstrate global literacy  Demonstrate personal management and teamwork skills

Why do we need essential skills?

The demands of our changing world require skills in reading, writing, speaking and mathematics, higher levels of thinking, using technology, being informed citizens and knowledgeable about the world, taking personal responsibility and working with others. Students must be proficient in these areas in order to adapt to rapid advances in technology and our changing world economy.

Over the last 35 years, the need for skilled workers has grown dramatically. Today, 80% of the jobs available to graduates require high-level skills as compared to only 20% in the 1950s. New types of work-related fields have emerged while others have become obsolete. Employers, however, are recognizing that success in virtually any job depends upon a common set of essential skills. These same skills also enhance a person’s ability to function effectively in college, consumers, citizens and other adult roles.

What does this mean for students?

To better prepare all students for their respective futures, essential skills proficiency is now a requirement of the new Oregon Diploma. Beginning with the graduating class of 2012, students must demonstrate proficiency in a set of identified essential skills before they leave high school. Students will have multiple chances and a variety of assessment options to show that they can meet the requirements. All students, especially those who are struggling, will have the supports needed to help them succeed.

These essential skills will be phased-in, beginning in fall 2008. Graduates of 2012 will be required to demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and applying math. The following chart provides a description of these four essential skills, application examples, and potential assessment options. The State Board is currently discussing assessment options and will adopt recommended assessments in June 2008 for these skills.

Oregon Department of Education DRAFT April 7, 2008 Essential Skills for Graduation

Essential Skill How can this skill be demonstrated? How can this skill be assessed? Examples: Reading  Read for comprehension across the  State reading test: Oregon curriculum in math, science, social This skill is essential because… Assessment of Knowledge and sciences, and all other subjects. Skills (OAKS) Reading Assessment  Reading is critical for learning! It is  Read and comprehend literature, the “gatekeeper skill” for learning Other assessment options under newspapers, news magazines, academic content and other skills. consideration include national reference materials, textbooks, and local assessments: technical manuals, and on-line  Reading comprehension ranks highest information.  ACT/PLAN in importance in a nationwide poll of registered voters.  Integrate and synthesize information  Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude from multiple sources or from Test (PSAT)  Students must learn to comprehend complex and length texts. what they read in a variety of contexts to be able to succeed in  Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)  Follow multi‐step instructions today’s world. provided in a software manual,  Other states’ assessments that automobile owner’s manual or  Most academic, career, and are used for Adequate Yearly Internal Revenue Service instruction citizenship tasks involve reading Progress (AYP) booklet. efficiently and effectively.  Advanced Placement (AP)  Today, a large number of entry-level jobs have higher reading  International Baccalaureate (IB) requirements that are required for high school graduation.

Essential Skill How can this skill be demonstrated? How can this skill be assessed? Examples: Writing  Produce journals, essays, reflective  State writing test: Oregon writing, research reports, research Assessment of Knowledge and This skill is essential because… papers, business, technical, or Skills (OAKS) Writing Performance scientific writing. Assessment  Writing is a concrete way to engage students in their learning. It can help  Develop a set of instructions to students connect subjects with their Other assessment options under operate a home media system. own lives, help focus students’ consideration include national and attention on subject matter, prepare local assessments: students for subject matter  Compose an email summarizing a discussions, and help students meeting involving several people.  Other states’ writing assessments practice critical thinking skills that are used for AYP through association, analysis, and  Develop a table comparing the synthesis. positions of two political  Writing Work Samples of different candidates on several issues modes scored locally with  Writing is a key foundational skill for Official State Writing Scoring college success.  Prepare an editorial to publish Guide online supporting a particular point‐  Written communications ranks among of‐view to publish online.  Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) the top “very important” applied Writing skills for job success for new workforce entrants.  Advanced Placement (AP) Writing

Essential Skill How can this skill be demonstrated? How can this skill be assessed? Examples:  Summarize the keys points of a  Speaking Work Samples of Speaking & Listening television news report. different voice scored locally with These skills are essential because… the Official State Speaking Scoring  Follow a multi‐step procedure to Guide  These skills are essential for solve a computer problem following communicating with one another on oral instructions over the telephone. Other assessment options under a team and for jobs with direct consideration include national and customer contact.  Evaluate the intent of a speaker in a local assessments: community town hall meeting  Oral communications ranks among concerning a pressing local issue. the top “very important” applied  To be determined skills for job success for new  Develop a presentation to explain a workforce entrants. change in procedures or policies.  Listening skills are essential for  Explain a computer problem to a students’ success in school. Children technical support staff member. who are able to listen well and follow instructions will thrive in the  Give feedback to another person in a school setting. Students able to positive way concerning a follow directions will be better performance problem. prepared to demonstrate their academic skills.  Facilitate the work of a small group through verbal communication. Try to persuade an audience to embrace a particular point‐of‐view.

Essential Skill How can this skill be demonstrated? How can this skill be assessed? Examples: Apply Math  Conduct a cost-analysis on producing  Mathematics Work Samples locally a product. scored with the Official State This skill is essential because… Mathematics Problem Solving  Take a recipe designed to feed 4 Scoring Guide and one of the  Computational skills are a part of people and extend it to feed a larger following: almost every area of work. group of 74 people.  OAKS Mathematics  Schools, business and industry value  Collect data from a survey and the ability to solve math problems. Other assessment options under analyze the data to determine consideration include national and statistical measures of central  Analyzing data is a skill in high local assessments: tendencies (mode, medium, mean, demand across the workplace. standard deviation).  ACT/PLAN  Developing math skills in school  Set up a computer spreadsheet to prepares students for success in find the average salary for a group  Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude college. of employees. Test (PSAT)

 Find the standard deviation for data  Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) set.  Other states’ assessments that are  Compute the interest charges used for Adequate Yearly Progress associated for a consumer loan (AYP)

 Analyze the impact of a spending  Advanced Placement (AP) proposal on the federal budget.  International Baccalaureate (IB)

Oregon Department of Education DRAFT April 7, 2008