Transformational Learning Opportunities:

Virtual & Online Schooling:

• Oregon does not have a statewide virtual school but it does offer multi- and single-district virtual schools for full-time or part-time students. During the 2023-24 SY, Oregon has 20 multi-district virtual charter schools. Multiple school districts host full-time or part time online schools. 

• Oregon’s Department of Education facilitates Oregon Virtual Education (ORVED), which provides supplemental courses to students statewide.

• Oregon’s Portland Public School District and Reynold’s School District are members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. The League of Innovative Schools is a national network of school leaders in 150 districts in 38 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.

Digital Learning Resources:

• In 2023, Oregon released an Online & Remote Learning Guidance document outlining essential requirements and design indicators for districts and schools. This resource aims to ensure compliance with state and federal laws by clarifying necessary focus requirements and policies for these learning models.

• The Oregon Department of Education provides school districts some digital tools, programs such as virtual field trips, and instructional materials to support digital learning. The state also publishes Digital Learning newsletters and an Open Learning Hub for educational resources.

• Curious about your district’s internet access? ConnectK-12 provides state- and district-specific information on access to the recommended bandwidth speeds and monthly internet costs. 

Career & Technical and/or Work-based Education:

• Under law, high school students in career and technical education can join work-based learning, including youth apprenticeships. These programs, overseen by the state education agency, fulfill graduation requirements.

• Legislation from 2019 established a grant program to support the development and expansion of CTE programs in high-demand fields.

• The state also has the Career Pathways program, which prepares students for their future by providing specialized industry related training programs to gain certificates and credits. 

Personalized, Competency- and/or Mastery-based Learning:

• Oregon’s credit flexibility rule allows school districts to award credit based on alternatives to traditional seat time, where student progress is measured based on mastery of content and skill. The Credit Option Rule gives districts and charters the ability to offer students multiple pathways to receive credit both inside and outside of the classroom, with career-related learning, work studies, project based learning, and more. Since adopting credit flexibility, proficiency-based teaching and learning has expanded far beyond awarding credit, into a much wider vision of rethinking education.

• As of 2021, legislation established the Oregon Proficiency-based Teaching and Learning Grant provides funds for competency-based education demonstration sites. These sites serve to guide teaching and learning practices in other schools and facilitate the creation of new competency-based education institutions in underserved areas within the state.

Innovation Schools, Zones, and/or Districts:

• Oregon's Innovation Schools program allows a limited number of schools to operate with greater flexibility in areas like curriculum, staffing, and scheduling in exchange for meeting specific performance goals