[SE-Dir] OSL&P: Dangerous School Reporting Revision

[ALLRAN Laura]

TO:       All District and ESD Special Education Directors

The message below is being forwarded to you on behalf of:


Nancy Latini, PhD
Assistant Superintendent
Student Learning & Partnerships
______________________________________________
May 8, 2009

RE:   Revision of Oregon's Persistently Dangerous School Definition

The No Child Left Behind Act requires State Education agencies to establish a school choice policy for students attending a persistently dangerous school as defined by the state.

"Each State receiving funds under this Act shall establish and implement a statewide policy requiring that a student attending a persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school, as determined by the State in consultation with a representative sample of local educational agencies or who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense, as determined by State law, while in or on the grounds of a public elementary school or secondary school that the student attends, be allowed to attend a safe educational agency, including a public charter school." (Title IX, Part E, Subpart 2, Section 9532)

No Child Left Behind provides the option for states to review and revise their definition for a Persistently Dangerous School. Oregon's current definition, adopted in 2005, has not been previously reviewed.

In response to feedback from school districts, education stakeholders, and legislators, the Oregon Department of Education convened a workgroup in December 2008 to give consideration to updating Oregon's definition.  Stakeholders were invited from DHS, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, the Attorney General's office, the Oregon State Police, State Legislature, Governor's office, DA's office, U of O, ORI, OCCF, OSBA, OSEA, COSA, OEA, School Safety Officers Association, and representative school districts from around the state.

Based on input and review by stakeholders, ODE has updated Oregon's definition.  The new language is available at:  http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1319

The substantive changes to the previous definition are listed below:

1)  Changed specific wording throughout the definition; schools previously described as "Unsafe" or being on the "Unsafe list", are now referred to as being on a "Watch list".

2)  Category of "Violent behaviors" was removed.  Only expulsions for weapons and expulsions based on arrests for violent criminal offenses will count towards a school's identification for the "Watch list" or as "Persistently Dangerous".

3A)  Increased the n-size from 1% for schools over 500 students to 3% for schools over 300 students. For smaller schools, the limit of five expulsions for schools under 500 was changed to nine expulsions for schools under 300.

3B)  Changed the definition so that expulsions are counted on a "per incident" basis, rather than on a "per student basis".

The changes to this policy will be effective beginning in the 2009-2010 school year.

For more information on these changes, please contact Scott Hall at 503-947-5628.  For media inquiries regarding these changes, please contact Morgan Allen at 503-947-5920.

If you have any difficulty viewing the above link, please contact Laura Allran at laura.allran at state.or.us<mailto:laura.allran at state.or.us>  or 503-947-5674.

Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made available to the public under Oregon law.
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