A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Oregon State Goals 2000 Plan - January 1995

Review of the Oregon Goals 2000 State Plan

Letter of Recommendation from Peer Review Panel

January 26, 1995

Thomas W. Payzant
Assistant Secretary for
Elementary and Secondary Education
Portals, Suite 4000
U.S. Department of Education
600 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

Dear Assistant Secretary Payzant:

At your request, a peer review panel (see membership list below) completed the review of the Oregon Goals 2000 State Plan.

The five member panel met in Washington, DC on December 21 and 22, 1994, to review the plan and identify areas that required further clarification during the site visit. To facilitate the site visit, the panel provided the State with a list of "Site Visit-Areas for Discussion." A copy of that document is attached. The panel met in Oregon to conduct the site visit on January 5 and 6, 1995, where issues were clarified and extensive discussions were conducted. The panel met with State and local education leaders and stakeholders who have been involved in the State's education reform initiatives. Included with this letter is the site visit agenda and a list of the individuals who were involved.

Based on our review of the plan and the site visit, we believe the Oregon Goals 2000 State Plan holds reasonable promise of helping all students achieve at high levels, reflects widespread commitment within the State, and allows for local flexibility to promote bottom-up reform. Therefore, without need for modification, we are pleased to recommend your approval of Oregon's pre-existing plan as defined in Section 306(q) of the Act.

We wish to commend Superintendent Norma Paulus and her staff on their outstanding job in preparing the Oregon plan and responding to our questions during the site visit. In the spirit of Goals 2000, our interaction with the State was collegial. We particularly appreciate the candor and openness that was shown during our meetings with a broad array of individuals from various organizations. This climate allowed us to examine all aspects of the State reform initiatives. We believe it was a constructive learning experience for all concerned. In the interest of furthering this dialogue and a partnership between the States and the federal government we want to share with you our observations on the strengths and opportunities for improvement of the Oregon plan, which are noted in the accompanying document.

The Department staff assigned to this panel, Tom Fagan and Debra Fried Levin, supported our work in a professional and competent manner. We thank you for their support. On behalf of the panel, we appreciate having had the opportunity to be a part of this review panel and helping to improve education for all students.

Sincerely,

Brian L. Benzel
Chair, Peer Review Panel
Oregon Goals 2000 State Plan

Dr. Ruben Carriedo, Assistant Superintendent
Planning Assessment and Accountability
San Diego Unified School District
San Diego, CA

Ms. Paulette Copeland, Teacher
Clemons School
Milwaukee, WI

Mr. Christopher Cross, President
Council for Basic Education
Washington, DC

Dr. Susan Fuhrman, Director
Center for Policy Research in Education
New Brusnwick NF

[SITE-VISIT AREAS FOR DISCUSSION]

[Oregon Goals 2000 Plan Peer Review Panel Observations]