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Overview
E3 draws on the transformational potential of creativity, commitment and vision in Oregon’s business sector, applying to the field of education the sort of venture capital investment strategies that lead to innovations in business and technology.
E3’s strategic education initiatives are guided by the Oregon Business Plan, which incorporates Governor Kulongoski’s visionary goal for 2025:
- 100% of Oregon students will graduate from high school;
- 40% of Oregon adults will have a bachelor’s degree of other technical credential;
- 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.
E3, in partnership with the Oregon Business Council, targets programs that will further systemic transformation in education, and that leverage the unique expertise and experience of E3’s and OBC’s combined resources. Current programs include:
Oregon Education Budget Model
Amidst the state’s looming fiscal crisis, the threats facing public education are frighteningly clear. Under the current budget scenario, we will not be able to afford adequate education for students to prepare for success in college, career and community life. Oregon’s education budget model contributes mightily to the state’s inadequate education outcomes. E3 and the Oregon Business Council are pressing forward with a concrete plan for building an education budget model that establishes solid underpinnings for dramatically improved education outcomes among PreK-20 students. The overall work process will yield new, tangible budget structures, persuasive policy recommendations, and beneficial stakeholder involvement. Learn more.
Oregon’s National Career Readiness Certificate
E3 is partnering with the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development to support the statewide rollout of Oregon's National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). This initiative supports economic development, education and workforce development by systematically assessing and verifying essential skills that job seekers need in order to be successful in most occupations. E3 is supporting planning, communications and employer outreach, with key employers such as Northwest Natural and PCC Structurals leading the way. Learn more.
Oregon Proficiency Project
In 2009, E3 undertook concentrated exploration of implementation issues related to proficiency-based practices in education. We invited two high schools to participate in a special track of work during the 2009-2010 school year, and engaged the Center for Educational Leadership at the University of Washington to support the cultivation of expanded understanding and expertise in proficiency-based practices. A panel of leading educators from around the state convened to learn from the two pilot schools, and to identify policy options for expanding the scalability of proficiency-based practices in Oregon. The project’s 2010 summary report, along with open source material for practitioners, is available online. Learn more.
Oregon Small Schools Initiative
Funded by Meyer Memorial Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Initiative represents the largest high school reform demonstration project in Oregon history. Over the course of seven years, more than 25,000 students have attended one of 42 Initiative schools, which are characterized by rigor in classroom instruction, coursework with a high degree of relevance, and meaningful relationships.
Data analysis by ECONorthwest indicates substantial improvements in achievement scores, especially for students who traditionally face significant barriers to academic success. Nearly all the Initiative’s small schools are positioned for continued sustainability as the Initiative concluded in 2010. Learn more.
Partnership for Student Success
From 2003 - 2009 this innovative community involvement program engaged business, education and community leaders in 14 school districts to form leadership teams and focus on a key academic challenge facing students. The teams developed a strategy and recruited employers and community members to serve as mentors and role models for students to dramatically improve student learning and achievement. The program became a self-sustaining model of community engagement and commitment to academic achievement. To learn more, click here.
Past Programs
E3 has initiated and partnered on a variety of programs since it was founded in 1996. To learn more, click here.
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