Executive Director's Message

To our Education Partners and Friends,

In the midst of economic chaos and limited resources, it’s vitally important to protect the gains we’ve made in education and continue closing the achievement gap. Recently released data from the Oregon Department of Education show dropout rates for 2008 at an all time low of 3.7%. This certainly is cause for celebration, and we have countless professional educators and volunteers to thank for this encouraging news. The fact remains, however, that only one in four high school students graduate
ready for college. We have our work cut out for us.

Governor Kulongoski embraces an ambitious vision for success in education. By 2025, 100% of Oregon students will graduate from high school with a diploma signifying rigorous educational achievement. Moreover,

• 40% of Oregon adults will have a bachelor’s degree or higher,
• 40% will have at least an associate’s degree or other technical credential, and
• 20% will have a high school diploma guaranteeing strong academic and work readiness skills.

Reaching Oregon’s “40-40-20” vision will require aggressive action to generate widespread systemic change. Toward that end, E3 is working with our long-time partner, the Oregon Business Council, to address fundamental challenges facing Oregon’s schools. We are aligning our efforts in three areas – policy research, education advocacy and statewide program innovation. Our shared platform will maximize and leverage the combined expertise, experience and resources of E3 and OBC.

One of the programs for which E3 is best known is the Oregon Small Schools Initiative. Beginning in 2003, the Initiative has fueled successes in 42 schools across the state. We are in the final year of the extension grant and have 14 months to go before the Initiative, in its original design, comes to a close. For 2009-2010, the initiative is structured to fortify the most promising instructional practices to have emerged from the Initiative and position the schools for long-term sustainability.

Advancing important education agendas would be impossible without the involvement, commitment, energy and enthusiasm of our many business, civic and agency partners. I extend my thanks for your support, welcome your ideas and look forward to engaging with you in the work ahead.

Regards,

René Léger
Executive Director

back to newsletter archive

2008 Graduation and Dropout Rates Improve

Graduation and dropout rates are two of the most closely watched comparative statistics in education today. The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) annually releases data on graduation rates and dropout rates.The most recent report, which goes through the 2007-2008 school year, posted a dropout rate of 3.7% which is an all time low for the state. The graduation rate climbed to 84.0%, up from 80.8% in 2007.

E3 was encouraged by the performance of high schools that are part of the Oregon Small Schools Initiative.* For example:

• Small schools outside of Portland had a dropout rate of 2.0%, well below the state average of 3.7%.
• Small schools outside of Portland had a graduation rate of 89.9% compared to the state's average of 84.0%.

For more indepth graduation and dropout rate data on the Small Schools please click here.

Within Portland there are positive dropout trends in several small schools in the Initiative, most noticeably Madison High, POWER and SEIS at Roosevelt and Renaissance Arts Academy at Marshall. All four of these schools posted dropout rates below the PPS district average. In addition:

• POWER's graduation rate improved from 50.0% in 2006 to 80.6% in 2008.
• SEIS's graduation rate improved from 35.6% in 2005 to 71.1% in 2008.

An Oregonian article on April 15, 2009 referenced dropout rates at the three small schools on the Marshall campus. Prior to the small schools conversion, the campus dropout rate was 13.4%. By 2008, dropout rates had dropped to:

11.5% at BizTech High School
9.1% at Linus Pauling Academy
7.1% at Renaissance Arts Academy

The Oregonian article can be found at:http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/oregon_high_school_dropout_rat_1.html

*At Crater High School, reporting challenges have resulted in a rate that may not reflect the schools' actual experience. The OSSI averages were calculated using the state-released data for Crater, and as a result, the OSSI composite average may increase nominally.

back to newsletter archive

$1.4 Million Extension and Completion Grants under the

Oregon Small Schools Initiative

E3 is pleased to announce grant extension awards totaling more than $1.4 million to 22 high schools that currently are in partnership with the Oregon Small Schools Initiative. The 2009-2010 school year marks
the final year of extension grants for the Small Schools Initiative. Schools that applied for the extension grant specified how they plan to apply funding with the goal
of positioning their schools for long-term strength. All schools receiving extension grants will expand professional and program development, and enhance teacher-peer reviews in the classroom.

An additional 14 schools are receiving grant completion awards to acknowledge their significant accomplishments during their participation in the Initiative.

The Oregon Small Schools Initiative, entering its seventh year, is generously funded by Meyer Memorial Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A small team from E3 and Meyer Memorial Trust toured the state and visited all small schools in February and March to meet schools and district leaders. “I was impressed with the innovative ways that schools are seriously advancing education for all their students,” said Jill Kirk, Vice President of the Oregon Business Council.

Small high schools are uniquely suited to provide a more personalized learning experience for students and improved relationships between teachers and students. They also lay a solid foundation for continuous instructional improvement in the classroom.

The Oregon Small Schools Initiative, started in 2003, has three primary goals: to close the achievement gap, to increase the graduation rate and to increase the number of students graduating college ready.

For a list of all schools receiving extension and completion grants, click here.

back to newsletter archive

Corporate Leaders Join E3 Board

E3 is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to the board of directors: Molly O’Hearn, co-founder of iovation, Inc., and Sanford Inouye, vice president of government affairs for Comcast Oregon/SW Washington.

“E3 is refining its goals and structure to strengthen our alignment with Oregon’s ambitious education agenda,” said René Léger, executive director of E3. “Molly and Sanford have already brought unique insight to E3’s strategic planning sessions. Their voices add fresh perspective as we identify strategic areas of concentration for E3 going forward.”

Individual Biographies

Molly O’Hearn co-founded iovation, Inc. in 2004. The company is
now the global leader in device-based online fraud and abuse management. Molly is vice president of operations and responsible for client management and human resources. Prior to founding iovation, Molly worked in the financial services and software technology industries where she held senior executive management roles in marketing, public relations, corporate development and business operations. In addition, she has served as a director on a number of boards including the Linn Benton Community College Foundation Board of Trustees where she worked with fellow trustees to fundraise and develop programs and scholarships to help students.

Sanford Inouye, J.D. is vice president of government affairs for Comcast Oregon/SW Washington. He oversees regulatory compliance, franchise negotiations, advocacy at all levels of government, and the cultivation of partnerships with community-based organizations. Sanford has held numerous legal roles within the public and private sectors in the State of Hawaii. He also served as first vice president of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce and was a board member of Citizens for Youth, also in Sacramento.

Click here to see the full E3 board of director’s list.

back to newsletter archive