An examination of Oregon’s implementation of literacy and common core state standards: preparing students to be college and career ready

2014-08-19The purpose of this study was to examine two districts’ implementation and evaluation of literacy programs in connection to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) to prepare students to be college and career ready. CCSS has been adopted by 46 states nationwide to prepare students for college and careers. The State of Oregon has sought to cultivate young Oregonians to become 21st global leaders by creating an achievement compact across many school districts. A series of Oregon educational reform initiatives have been aligned with the achievement compacts endeavor to achieve the 40/40/20 goal. The aim of this study is to examine the implementation of literacy and CCSS in the pursuit of preparing students to be college and career ready in the Oregon Public School system. ❧ Governor Kitzhaber, the Oregon Educational Investment Board (OEIB), and the Educational Funding Team (EFT) have developed a comprehensive funding and accountability plan to support the implementation of statewide educational reform to foster productive citizenry through a rigorous educational system. The implementation of literacy and beginning stages of CCSS, and resource allocations were examined through the Evidence‐Based Model (EBM) for educational adequacy. ❧ Four themes emerged from the findings: (a) the Common Core connection to college and career readiness, (b) the need to provide students opportunities for deeper learning and foster ownership of learning to prepare them for college and career, (c) the need for effective systems of assessments and evaluation to ensure success for all students to be successful (d) the need for effective resource allocation to execute educational reform. ❧ This study validated the conclusion that it is critical for all stakeholders to prepare students for college and career readiness with strong foundations in literacy, effective deeper learning strategies, comprehensive evaluation system, and resources which are all essential elements confirmed by research. It is important for a state education system to prioritize and align its goals by providing effective systems of implementation, evaluation, and resources to live out its endeavors. The proper alignment can prepare students to be college and career ready as global competitors in the 21st century