Greetings!New research report shows continued challenges in Oregon’s K-12 schools
An updated report showing how the Oregon K-12 education system ranks nationally in a number of categories is now available on the Chalkboard Project Web site. Its news: Oregon schools are making some progress in areas such as reducing the high school dropout rate, but clear challenges remain.
“The Condition of K-12 Education in Oregon: 2007 Update” reviews the state of Oregon schools in terms of student achievement, per-student spending and a host of other categories. In short, conditions have improved slightly in several categories, though Oregon still lags behind in key areas.
Read the news release summarizing the findings
Read the entire K-12 "conditions" report
Transforming Education: The Oregon Story
The Portland Schools Foundation has created a wonderful summary of the innovative work being done statewide to improve Oregon’s K-12 public schools. The report is called Transforming Education: The Oregon Story, and it chronicles the education reform efforts of several organizations, including the Chalkboard Project, that receive grants from Meyer Memorial Trust and/or The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The introduction to the publication says it all:
“This is a story about the collaborative efforts of six reform initiatives. It’s a story about leveraging valuable resources to transform an entire system in ways to benefit all of Oregon’s youth. It’s a story about truly changing the system.”Download the Oregon Story
People behind Chalkboard: The Oregon Community Foundation
Fourth in a series of five profiles on Chalkboard’s foundersThe Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) was established in 1973 by community leaders who saw the need for a statewide foundation to help Oregonians build a permanent endowment to benefit their communities. Today, OCF administers more than 1,300 unique charitable funds established through gifts and bequests from individuals, families, businesses and other organizations.
OCF provides many charitable fund and gift options to help Oregonians make a difference. While many of the funds the foundation manages are targeted to specific areas of need at the request of their donors, the foundation’s discretionary grants give priority to investments that resolve problems at their source, bring citizens together to address needs and aspirations, and build an inclusive spirit of community throughout the state.
Each year, OCF awards about $45 million in grants to more than 1,600 organizations, as well as $3 million in scholarships that help approximately 2,500 Oregonians pursue post-secondary studies. The foundation also engages 900 volunteers, who evaluate grant applications and serve on leadership councils and numerous advisory and scholarship selection committees throughout the state.
“The Oregon Community Foundation’s support of the Chalkboard Project is very much in keeping with our mission to invest in solutions to complex problems, and create a stronger sense of community in doing so,” said Eric Lindauer, chair of the OCF board of directors. “Our donors place a heavy emphasis on strengthening educational opportunities for all Oregonians, so Chalkboard’s work to create long-term improvements in the structure of our school system is a clear priority for us.”
Learn more about the Oregon Community Foundation
