OAR 581-017-0801: Early Literacy Grants: Definitions

The following definitions apply to OAR 581-017-0801 to 581-017-0811: (1) For Early Literacy Success School District Grants, established in ORS 327.829, “additional staff” means individuals in a school, other than teachers, administrators, or instructional assistants, who are directly involved in delivering, supporting, or coordinating literacy instruction for students. (2) “ADMw” means the extended weighted average daily membership computed as provided in ORS 327.013(1)(c). (3) “Coaching” means a structure that supports and develops educators through regular observation of their instruction, using a shared framework. (4) “Community-Based Organizations” means an organization that is: (a) Established as a nonprofit organization under the laws of this state; (b) Qualifies as an exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as described in ORS 314.011; (c) Reflective of a community or significant segments of a community it seeks to serve; and (d) Driven by and representative of a community or a significant segment of a community and works to meet community needs and amplify strengths. (5) “Community Voice” means that members representing the community served by the project, including students, will be involved in co-constructing the project design, implementation, and/or providing strategic guidance in final decision-making. (6) “Core (also known as ‘basal’) Instructional Materials” means any organized system, which constitutes the major instructional vehicle for a given course of study, or any part thereof. A major instructional vehicle may include such instructional materials as a hardbound or a softbound book or books, or sets or kits of print and non-print materials, including electronic and internet or web-based materials or media. (7) “Culturally Responsive” means the implicit recognition and incorporation of the cultural knowledge, experience, and ways of being and knowing of students in teaching, learning, and assessment. This includes identifying, valuing, and maintaining a high commitment to students’ cultural assets in instruction and assessment; diverse frames of reference that correspond to multifaceted cultural perspectives/ experiences; and behaviors in the classroom that can differ from White-centered cultural views of what qualifies as achievement or success. (8) “Developmentally Appropriate” means designing and implementing learning environments to help all children achieve their full potential in literacy through: (a) Building on each child’s strengths; (b) Taking care to not harm any aspect of each child’s physical, cognitive, social, or emotional well-being; and (c) Considering what is known about: (A) Age-related characteristics that can inform what experiences are likely to best promote a student’s learning and development; (B) What is known about each child as an individual that has implications for how best to adapt learning experiences; and (C) The social and cultural contexts in which a student lives in order to ensure that learning experiences are meaningful, relevant, and respectful for each child and family. (9) “Diagnostic” means assessments to identify a student's specific strengths and needs in literacy in order to determine and plan the appropriate level of instruction, pacing and intervention support. (10) “Direct Administrative Costs” means administrative functions readily allocable to and required for administering the grant program such as oversight, grant expenditure data collection, leadership that does not include direct service to teacher or students, management, and supervision. Direct administrative costs should be a smaller proportion of the overall grant amount in relation to direct service costs. (11) “Early Learning Hub” means any entity designated by regional partners to coordinate early learning services, as determined by rules adopted by the Early Learning Council. (12) “Early Literacy Program” means the entirety of the curriculum, assessments, instructional materials, practices, systems, staffing, and structures in place to support comprehensive early literacy across the district. (13) “Early Literacy Success Plan” means the elements in the application, including but not limited to the responses to the application questions, program review, and inventory, as defined in ORS 327.831. (14) “Early Literacy Success School Grant” means the program established in ORS 327.829 and may also be referred to as “Early Literacy Success School District Grants’’. (15) For Early Literacy Success School District Grants, established in ORS 327.829, “Eligible Applicant” means a school district or public charter school that serves students in grades prekindergarten/preschool through third grade. This can include districts and public charter schools that serve students in grades prekindergarten/preschool through eighth grade or prekindergarten/preschool through twelfth grade, given the application focuses on specific grade levels named in ORS 327.825. Per ORS 327.825 and ORS 327.831, virtual public charter schools are not eligible applicants for this grant. (16) For Tribal Grants, established in ORS 327.843(2)(d), “Eligible Applicant” means: (a) Burns Paiute Tribe; (b) The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw; (c) Confederated Tribes of Cow Creek Band of Umpqua; (d) Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; (e) Confederated Tribes of Siletz; (f) Confederated Tribes of Warm Spring Indian Reservation; (g) Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation; (h) Coquille Tribe; or (i) Klamath Tribes. (17) For Community Grants, established in ORS 327.843, “Evidence-Based” means practices with a proven record of success based on reliable, trustworthy, and valid evidence that when the practices are implemented with fidelity, students can be expected to make adequate gains in early literacy. Instructional practices, activities, strategies, or interventions that are “evidence-based” should not just privilege scientific evidence, but also be driven by evidence stemming from the perspectives of those affected by those practices, activities, strategies, or interventions such as: (a) Tribal consultation, recommendations, and experiences of American Indian/ Alaska Native community members or Tribes. (b) Community-driven, culturally-responsive/sustaining/specific, non-dominant and non-Western ways of knowing, being, and researching. (18) “Extended Learning Program” means literacy programming which shall: (a) Use “Research-aligned literacy strategies” as defined in ORS 327.825 and is based on “Science of reading and writing” as defined in ORS 327.825 and meets the criteria established by the Department in OAR 581-017-0811; (b) Occur outside of the traditional school day, which could include, but is not limited to afterschool and summer; and (c) Be administered either by a licensed teacher of any subject area or by a qualified tutor, which is defined for School District Grants as a person who has the training necessary to implement the research-aligned tutoring model effectively or a high-dosage tutoring provider from the Qualified List for High-Dosage Tutoring established in section 20. (19) “Fidelity” means how closely prescribed procedures are followed and, in the context of schools, the degree to which educators implement programs, assessments, and implementation plans the way they were intended. (20) “Formative” means a process of collecting and responding to evidence of student learning; the information gained about student learning is used in the course of instruction to respond to and adjust instruction. (21) For Early Literacy Success School District Grants, established in ORS 327.829, “High-Dosage Tutoring’’ is additionally defined as tutoring that: (a) Is provided in addition to regular core instruction; (b) Is provided during the school year, which may occur during the school day or before/after school, and may also be provided during school breaks, including summer; (c) Uses a research-aligned tutoring model, which is defined for School District Grants as a tutoring model that uses “Research-aligned literacy strategies” as defined in ORS 327.825, is based on the “science of reading and writing” as defined in ORS 327.825, and meets the criteria established by the Department in section OAR 581-017-0811; (d) Is administered by a qualified tutor which is defined for School District Grants as a person who has the training necessary to implement the research-aligned tutoring model effectively and criteria established by the Department in section OAR 581-017-0811; (e) Is provided to four or fewer students; and (f) Integrates reading and writing in a way that is aligned to Oregon’s ELA Content Standards and to students’ reading instructional needs, based on student assessment data and other evidence of student learning. (22) For Early Literacy Success Community Grants, established in ORS 327.843, “High-Dosage Tutoring’’ is additionally defined as tutoring that: (a) Is provided outside of the school day; (b) Is provided by a qualified and trained tutor which is defined for Community Grants as a person who has the training necessary to implement the research-aligned tutoring model effectively; (c) Uses a research-aligned tutoring model that employs evidence-based strategies and is administered in a culturally responsive manner and that is combined with the training necessary for tutors to implement the model effectively; (d) Is provided to four or fewer students; (e) Uses materials that are aligned to the program; and (f) Uses student assessment data and other evidence of student learning to inform tutoring sessions and adjust to student needs. (23) For Tribal Grants, established in ORS 327.843(2)(d), “High-Dosage Tutoring” is additionally defined and determined by each of Oregon’s nine sovereign nations and the work plans developed by each nation. (24) For Early Literacy Success Community Grants: “Indirect costs” means costs not readily identifiable with the activities of the grant but incurred for the joint benefit of those activities and other activities of the organization. (25) “Literacy coaches” means a licensed educator who: (a) Has advanced training or certification in “research-aligned literacy strategies” and “the science of reading and writing” as defined in ORS 327.825 that was either: (A) Included as a course(s) in an educator preparation program; (B) Included as a course(s) in a post-graduate degree program in teaching reading or literacy; (C) Provided by ODE or included on the ODE list of professional development providers; or (D) Provided by a school district or ESD; (b) Has a literacy-focused licensure endorsement; (c) Whose primary role and responsibilities include direct support of students and/or educators; and (d) Are additionally defined in OAR 584-210-0170. (26) “Literacy specialists or interventionists” means a licensed educator who: (a) Has advanced training or certification in “research-aligned literacy strategies” and “the science of reading and writing” as defined in ORS 327.829 that was either: (A) Included as a course(s) in an educator preparation program; (B) Included as a course(s) in a post-graduate degree program in teaching reading or literacy; (C) Provided by ODE or included on the ODE list of professional development providers; or (D) Provided by a school district or ESD; (b) Has a literacy-focused licensure endorsement; and (c) Whose primary role and responsibilities include direct support of students and/or educators. (27) For Early Literacy Success School District Grants, established in ORS 327.829, “Outcomes’’ is defined as literacy achievement as measured by the student growth assessment and other sources of evidence related to literacy achievement. (28) “Partnership” means a group of organizations, Tribal governments, districts or individuals who agree to work together with a common interest and shared vision. In a partnership, there is a high level of trust and communication, and differences in power and privilege are addressed. Roles and responsibilities on all sides are well-defined and developed with shared authority in decision making. There might be shared space and staff, with expectations and agreements in writing. (29) “Professional Development” means learning that is systemic, job-embedded, and aligned to current research, training, and practices that support educator and student learning. (30) “Provider of Early Learning Services” means a public or non-profit entity that provides education and learning opportunities for children in grades pre-Kindergarten to third grade through the provision of services that: (a) Supports families, caregivers, and community members to incorporate research-aligned early learning practices outside of the school day; or (b) A program that directly provides research-aligned early learning services outside of the school day. (31) “Public Library” means a public agency that provides to all residents of a local government unit free and equal access to library and information services that are suitable for persons of all ages. (32) “Regular Core Instruction” means instruction in the general education setting as part of every student's regular schedule that is aligned to grade-level standards and inclusive of every student in the classroom. (33) “Statewide Education Initiatives Account” means the account as established in ORS 327.250. (34) “Student Growth Assessment” means a process of evidence collection and review, which includes tests (for example, criterion referenced or developmental continuum) alongside other sources of evidence for the purpose of monitoring students’ growth towards proficient reading and writing. Grant recipients shall avoid making determinations about student growth from a single source of evidence/test score. (35) “Student Groups that have Historically Experienced Disparities” includes: (a) “Students Experiencing Poverty,” which means students who meet one or more of the following qualifications: (A) Are participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture; (B) Are participating in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program as defined in Title IV of the Social Security Act; (C) Are foster students; or (D) Are migrant students. (b) “Students from Racial or Ethnic Groups that Have Historically Experienced Academic Disparities,” which includes, but is not limited to American Indian and Alaska Native students, Black and African American students, Hispanic and Latino students, Asian students, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, and multiracial students and any other racial or ethnic group identified by the eligible applicant as historically experienced academic disparities. (c) “Students with Disabilities,” which means a child with a disability as defined in ORS 343.035(1) and ORS 343.035(14)(b). (d) “English Language Learners,” which means or “English learners,” which means a student who has limited English language proficiency because English is not the native language of the student or the student comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on the student’s level of English language proficiency. (e) “Foster Students” as defined in ORS 30.297(5)(c). (f) “Students who are Homeless” has the same meaning as in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Act, 42 USC § 11434a (2). (g) Students who attend an elementary school that: (A) Is identified for comprehensive support and improvement or for targeted support and improvement under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (P.L. 114-95, 129 Stat. 1802) regardless of whether the school is receiving funding; or (B) Qualifies for assistance under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; "whereas qualifying for assistance under Title I" means at least 35% of the school’s students are experiencing poverty, or the school receives Title I-A funds as determined by the district. (h) “LGBTQ2SIA+ Students,” which means students who may have one or multiple gender identities and/or sexual orientations including lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, nonbinary, queer, questioning, two-spirit, intersex, and asexual. The plus sign (“+”) recognizes and includes the myriad ways to describe marginalized gender identities and sexual orientations. (i) “Students Recently Arrived,” which means a student who was NOT born in any state or US Territory and who has not been attending one or more schools in any one or more state for more than three full academic years. (j) “Migratory Students,” which means a student whose is a migratory worker or whose parent or guardian is a migratory worker in the agricultural, dairy, lumber, or fishing industries and who has moved due to economic necessity between school districts in the last thirty six months, and is eligible to be a part of the Title 1-C Migrant Education Program. (k) “Justice involved youth” means a student who is pre or post adjudication, been or currently detained in a secure juvenile justice facility, and/or been or currently placed in a community juvenile justice program.