Oregon adopts new academic standards

The State Board of Education has adopted new academic standards for students.

The standards contain requirements at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 in English, mathematics, science, the social sciences (history, civics, geography, economics) the arts and second languages.

Students will write a total of at least 14 papers in grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 and take state writing tests. The papers and tests will evaluate student ability to communicate knowledge, organize information effectively, develop sentence flow and use correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Students will complete a total of at least 20 complex mathematics problems or projects in grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 and take state mathematics tests covering calculation, estimation, measurement, statistics and probability, algebraic relationships and geometry.

The mathematics assignments and tests will evaluate student ability to understand mathematics concepts, solve problems correctly, choose an effective way to solve the problem and explain the reasoning at each step and their solution.

Students who achieve the grade 10 standards will receive a Certificate of Initial Mastery. Students who achieve the grade 12 standards, to be developed later this year, will receive a Certificate of Advanced Mastery.

The new standards will be phased in by school year 2002-2003. This year's eighth graders will be in the first class to receive Certificates of Initial Mastery based on the new standards in English and mathematics as sophomores in 1998-99.

This year's fourth graders and younger students will be eligible for Certificates of Initial Mastery as sophomores in 2002-2003 and later years in all nine areas: English, mathematics, science, the social sciences, the arts and a second language.

Students who do not meet or who exceed all of the standards at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10 may choose additional or alternative educational services or enroll in any other public school in the state.

For a copy of the new standards or the Oregon Report Card, contact Tanya Gross, Oregon Department of Education, (503) 378-8004 ext. 287.