School Board Discusses Student Investment, Success

SPRINGFIELD – So what does a “life-ready” student look like?
That was one of the questions addressed when the Springfield Public School Board met on
Oct. 28 to discuss aspects of student success.
A timeline by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) for implementing the $1 billion, 28-
program Student Success Act focuses heavily on the Student Investment Account, which is
earmarked for at least half of those funds.
Since September, the community engagement portion of that process has been used to
gather input on what a “life-ready” student looks like. This has been done by engaging
families, students and community groups in that conversation through various meetings and
an email “thought exchange.”
Close to $500 million from the Student Investment Account is designated for two purposes: to
meet students’ mental and behavioral health needs; and to reduce academic disparity and
increase achievement for students of color, students with disabilities, and non-native English
speakers – also referred to as “emerging English learners” – and students living in poverty.
Assistant Superintendent David Collins and Springfield School District Superintendent Todd
Hamilton also presented four areas identified by the Oregon Department of Education as key
indicators for success that should be targeted. These include: K-2 attendance, third grade
literacy, ninth-graders being on track for graduation, and addressing chronic absenteeism
affecting the dropout/graduation rate.
Information was also presented to the board about the Continuous Improvement Process for
self-evaluations, due Dec. 6. This is a requirement for receiving federal funds. The CIP has 15
components regarding the missions, goals and priorities for the school district in various
areas.
Most discussion, however, revolved around refining documents that govern the interactions
and duties between board members and the superintendent.
Hamilton advocated for a streamlined proposed agreement which lists five main points versus
the current 16-point document that spells out the job duties of the board and guides board-
superintendent relations. However, the board felt that all the points of the longer document
were necessary.
“Maybe they should not be the same document,” said Springfield Public School Board Vice
Chair Naomi Raven. She suggested one as a job description and the other as a policy
document. More revisions are planned as the board moves toward reaching consensus on
this governing document.
Additionally, Raven asserted herself on behalf of the district in requesting district-specific
assessments be made available to the board, rather than just a general assessment
overview, despite Hamilton’s concerns that such a request would require additional staff time.