September 2026 Education Update

Your Presence Matters: Celebrating Attendance Awareness Month

September is Attendance Awareness Month. This year's theme, "Your Presence Matters," highlights the important role that every student, every family, and every school staff member plays in creating a culture of belonging and engagement.

We encourage you to explore these updated resources, designed to support schools as they kick off the new school year and celebrate Attendance Awareness Month:

• Starting Strong Attendance Practices: A brief collection of resources designed to help schools get students off to a strong start in September.
• Resources for Schools and Districts: Visit the Resources for Schools and Districts webpage and select the Resources to Send to Families tab for customizable family communications available in multiple languages.

We invite district and school staff to join our Attendance Learning Series, a monthly opportunity to support implementation efforts, share promising practices, and connect with attendance practitioners from across Oregon. We’ll meet on the second Thursday of each month at 3:35 p.m. PT, with a special session focused on the role of classified staff as core attendance leaders on Thursday, September 24, at 3:35 p.m. PT.

September Is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month is a time to recognize the important role schools, families, and communities play in supporting the mental health and well-being of Oregon's youth. Across the state, school districts, education service districts, and community partners continue working together to create environments where students feel safe, connected, and supported.

As the school year begins, districts are encouraged to review their suicide prevention plans to ensure they include all legislatively required components of Adi's Act. Plans should be well-communicated, understood by staff, and integrated into everyday school practices that promote student belonging and well-being.

Research consistently shows that connection is a powerful protective factor. Positive relationships with caring adults and supportive peers can help reduce feelings of isolation and hopelessness while increasing resilience and help-seeking behaviors. Every member of a school community has a part to play in fostering these connections and therefore should be appropriately trained for their role.

This Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, consider taking one or more of the following actions:

• Participate in, and coordinate for staff, free training opportunities offered in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority.
• Use ODE’s Words That Protect: Why Language Matters in Suicide Prevention resource to promote supportive, person-centered language that reduces stigma and encourages help-seeking.
• Promote crisis/warm lines (988 Oregon, Youthline) and ways to report concerns (SafeOregon tipline).
• Explore resources on how adults can help prevent suicide and support someone who may be struggling.
• Stay tuned for Oregon’s Suicide Prevention Fall Call to Action communication for schools coming soon!

Together we can strengthen protective factors, promote belonging, and help create school communities where every student feels seen, valued, and supported!

Preparing for the Great Oregon Shakeout

Now is the time to prepare for the Great Oregon Shakeout which takes place this year on October 15. The Great Oregon Shakeout is a time to review and practice procedures for earthquake response. Even with the advantage of advanced warning systems like ShakeAlert, we may only get seconds or tens of seconds depending on location—not enough time to review what should be done to protect ourselves. Practicing today could save lives tomorrow.

The most important considerations for earthquakes are:

• Keeping students and staff as safe as possible from falling debris and building collapse during the shaking.
• Keeping students and staff away from dangerous or compromised structures following an earthquake—which is why knowing the structural vulnerability of the school building is important.

Because an earthquake can happen unexpectedly and while we are in unfamiliar locations, the most common and default response to an earthquake—the one everyone needs to practice—is Drop, Cover, and Hold On. For this procedure, students should:

• DROP onto their hands and knees, which will protect them from being knocked down.
• COVER their head and neck with their arms, which will protect them from falling or flying objects.
• Crawl underneath their desks or other cover and HOLD ON for shelter while remaining bent over to protect the head and neck.

Identify spots in your usual instructional spaces where students and staff can take cover and hold on. This might be easy in a classroom with desks, but it might be challenging in a gym with no effective overhead cover or a science lab with shelves of glass containers and other stored material. In these spaces, it is important to remember the purpose of the drill: find an appropriate location that minimizes the risk of falling debris. In a gym, that might be along an interior wall away from wall-mounted objects like scoreboards. If you occupy a space with a greater risk of falling debris or structural collapse, be sure to identify safe locations to shelter or to safely move from those hazards.

Things to consider if you have to move to a safer location:

• Potential early warning time such as ShakeAlert—more time means more opportunity to find safety or shelter.
• Location within the building, including interior sheltering locations that minimize injury from falling debris (Drop, Cover and Hold On).
• Structural vulnerability to seismic activity and locations inside that could inform response; unreinforced masonry introduces the highest risk.
• Distance and safety of evacuation from high-risk locations such as long hallways, stairwells or large glass-pane windows. Don’t move from one high-risk area to another!
• Individuals, classes and groups with access and functional needs. If they cannot move swiftly or safely, shelter in place as best as possible. Only move away from compromised structures when safe to do so.

If your school is in a tsunami zone, be sure to review evacuation and reunification procedures. Pull out your plans like you would your school team’s playbook. Make sure people in key positions know how they will handle their part and make sure everyone knows who they report to. For more information on earthquake and other incident-specific planning, review the ODE guidance document on Incident-Specific Plans. And for curriculum on earthquake response, visit the ShakeAlert Ready Schools page.

Student Views on PED Policy

It’s been just over a year since Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 25-09, directing school districts to adopt policies regarding Personal Electronic Devices (PEDs). Thanks to student input and a year-long partnership with Oregon’s Youth Advisory Council, ODE presents a new Student Voice on Personal Electronic Device Policy brief that looks at the first year of implementation.

More than 6,000 student survey responses provide an important perspective on what is working, where implementation can improve, and recommendations for districts to strengthen PED policies heading into this school year.

Read the full policy brief and access updated resources on the ODE PED Toolkit webpage.

Statewide Surveys Newsletter Launched

The Statewide Surveys team at ODE wants to keep you up to date on Oregon's statewide surveys and what they mean for your school or district. This week we launched a quarterly newsletter with information on:

• Understanding Oregon's statewide surveys and why they matter
• The upcoming Oregon School Health Policy and Program Survey (SHPPS)
• Results from the three surveys sent out last school year
• What’s next
  

If you missed the fall edition, you can read it online. Then be sure to sign up so that you don’t miss the next one!

If you have additional questions, please visit the Statewide Surveys page on the ODE website or contact ODE.HealthySchools@ode.oregon.gov.

Elevating Education-System Employee Wellness

Welcome back! We hope you had a nourishing summer. Your well-being is at the heart of the education system. ODE’s School Community Health Strategist, Bhagavati Mullock, is here to help you find ways to elevate education-system employee wellness. If you’re tracking incredible initiatives in this area or are struggling to find creative ways to elevate employee wellness, Bhagavati would be most pleased to connect with you to discuss. Contact her directly to schedule time at Bhagavati.Mullock@ode.oregon.gov.

This month we’re sharing some free wellness resources and providing a number of updates from around the state.

First, this summer Bhagavati co-created a Leading for Wellness presentation for two COSA events with Dr. Amy Yillik, a Care Coach with High Desert ESD. Dr. Yillik shared free resources with conference participants and gave ODE permission to share these across the state:

• 26-27 Virtual Wellness Coaching
• 26-27 Administrator Institute
  
• 26-27 Coaches' Institute
• Having Hard Conversations
• Neurodiversity Affirming Schools
• Somatics for Equity
• Restorative Practices

We hope these resources create inspiration for you and your teams. The virtual wellness coaching series is highly recommended.

OEA Health and Wellness Initiative

In case you missed it, the Oregon Wellbeing Trust has evolved into OEA Health and Wellness Initiative. This is a non-profit organization that supports Oregon’s public educators personally and professionally and is dedicated entirely to the well-being of public education professionals, pre-K through community college. If you’re not already receiving their newsletters, w e encourage you to sign up.

Basecamp Prevention + Wellness

Have you been interested in trying out yoga, strength training, Tai Chi, breath work, or interval training but are unable to find a class that meets your needs? Basecamp Prevention + Wellness brings the expertise of their amazing instructors directly to you. Check out these free, virtually offered movement classes.

Trauma Informed Oregon

Trauma Informed Oregon has posted workforce wellness events and trainings for September and October. Of note for your afterschool wellness routine is the Somatic Moment - every second Wednesday of the month from 3:30-4:30, a local somatic healer shares virtual space to foster rejuvenation.

Educator Spotlight

How are you elevating education-system employee wellness? We’d love to acknowledge the creative ways school districts, ESDs, and communities are elevating employee wellness. If you are interested in being featured in future communications, please reach out to Bhagavati at ode.healthyschools@ode.oregon.gov.

Share Your Perspective: Oregon Student Instructional Time Survey

ODE is conducting a statewide survey through a third-party to get feedback on instructional time rulemaking, including how it is defined and measured, how unforeseen circumstances should be addressed, and how it should be implemented.

Executive Order 26-06 sets requirements focused on protecting student instructional time. Some of those requirements are already in effect (through temporary rules, OAR 581-022-2323) and are not being revisited through this survey. As ODE moves toward permanent rulemaking, your perspective can help inform key policy and implementation decisions and identify the support schools and districts may need.

The survey should only take 15 minutes and is open to everyone through Friday, September 11, 2026. We encourage educators, school and district leaders, families, students, education partners, and community members to participate.

Responses are confidential and will be reviewed and summarized by the third-party survey administrator to identify themes and inform ODE's rulemaking process. If you have any questions, please email ode.instructionaltime@ode.oregon.gov.

Deadline to Apply for Early Literacy Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Summits

Last chance to apply to join literacy leaders across the state for a series of three expert-led Early Literacy Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Summits during the 2026-27 school year. The summits aim to increase the quality and coherence of core literacy instruction across the state by providing literacy leadership teams with the knowledge and tools to implement HQIM in their districts.

ODE will select a cohort of approximately 20 districts who are committed to supporting High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) implementation to participate in this free professional learning opportunity. Applications will be accepted until Friday, September 11th, 2026.

We have limited spots available and will prioritize applications based on literacy proficiency rates. Teams will be notified of their participation status no later than Friday, September 21st. Please see the Save the Date flyer for more information or apply here for the CBPL Summits. If you have questions, please email k12.literacy@ode.oregon.gov.

ODE In the News

• Summer Learning programs in McMinnville and Salem – both funded by grants from ODE - were highlighted by KATU in Portland and the Salem Reporter.
• KOBI TV in Medford talked with ODE Substance Use Prevention Specialist Alanna Russell about the Friends For Life program.

Student Spotlight

• The Salem Reporter talked with the student advisors to the Salem-Keizer School Board about their priorities for the upcoming school year.
• The East Oregonian caught up with a Milton-Freewater teen who came back from the 2026 World Karate Championships in Romania with gold.
• KOIN in Portland sat down with a Westview High School junior who created a way for ambitious students like her to collaborate on research.

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs September 15 through October 15, recognizing the histories and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Oregon's social sciences standards call for the inclusion of Americans of Latino, Chicano, and Latine descent among the traditionally underrepresented groups to be woven throughout the curriculum.

Oregon Resources

• Oregon Historical Society is hosting a community conversation bringing together immigrant and refugee community members with elected leaders on Wednesday, September 16; OHS also will be free to the public on September 12 and 13 as part of Portland Staycation and Sunday Parkways.
• The Oregon Encyclopedia maintains entries on Latino and Latine history in Oregon and can anchor a research assignment on local contributions.
• Miracle Theatre / Milagro Theatre in Portland has produced Spanish, English, and bilingual work for over 30 years and offers a starting point for exploring Latino arts and culture in the state.

Oregon Events

• Fiesta Cultural, Friday, September 4, 5:30-10 p.m., Farmers Market Pavilion, Eugene. Part of the First Friday ArtWalk.
  
• El Grito, September 15-16, daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Rose Quarter Commons, Portland. Celebrates the independence days of Mexico and other Latin American countries with folkloric dance and live music.
• El Tigre Fest, Saturday, October 3, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Cook Family Park, Tigard. A free family festival marking both Hispanic Heritage Month and Filipino American History Month.
• PODER Hispanic Heritage Month Breakfast and Summit, Tuesday, September 15, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Salem Convention Center, Salem. Hosted by Oregon's Latino Leadership Network.

Get Ready for National Preparedness Month

(Article submitted by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management)

September is Preparedness Month in Oregon, reinforcing the state’s commitment to building resilient communities. This proclamation aligns with National Preparedness Month and serves as a reminder to talk with kids about how to prepare for an emergency or disaster.

Oregon continues to experience a wide range of emergencies — including drought, floods, excessive heat, wildfires, ice storms and earthquakes. But remember, you are more prepared than you think, and OEM’s Be 2 Weeks Ready toolkit can help your household work through the preparedness process step by step.

Planning when things are calm is important, and talking about what to do with children will help them feel less anxious during events. It’s empowering to have a plan and know what to do. Families may not be together when a disaster strikes, so planning is essential:

• Create a communication plan
• Identify a safe place to meet if you are separated
• Plan for transportation needs
• Consider the needs of older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers and pets.
• Talk with your neighbors about sharing resources and supporting one another.

OEM also offers tips for engaging kids in emergency readiness and preparing teens and college students for emergencies. The American Red Cross provides kid-friendly educational programming through Prepare with Pedro.

Get Ready Now: Go-Bags, Evacuation Planning and Alerts

Pack a go-bag that contains essential items you may need to take with you quickly. Each member of your household — including pets — should have an easy-to-carry emergency bag that will allow them to get by for at least 72 hours. This includes food, water, clothes, toiletries, and copies of prescriptions and vital documents.

Individuals with disabilities should plan for transportation, medical equipment, and service animal needs. If you have unique medical requirements, identify sheltering options that can accommodate those needs.

Know Where to Get Information

Visit ORAlert.gov to sign up or update your contact information for localized emergency alerts. Check your phone settings to ensure Wireless Emergency Alerts are enabled.

Know where to find trusted information during emergencies, including your county emergency management website, TripCheck.com or calling 511, and follow local emergency services and management offices on social media.

Know How to Communicate

Be Prepared If Cell Service Goes Down

Communication systems can fail during disasters. Create a PACE plan (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) so your household knows how to communicate if cell service is disrupted.

Example PACE plan:

• Primary: Cell phones
• Alternate: Satellite-based service add-ons offered by some cell providers
• Contingency: Satellite communicator separate from your phone
• Emergency: Short-range communication radios and a hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio

Know Oregon’s Evacuation Levels

Become familiar with Oregon’s three-level evacuation system used for many types of disasters:

• Level One – BE READY (Green): Stay alert and prepare to evacuate.
  
• Level Two – BE SET (Yellow): Be prepared to leave at any moment.
• Level Three – GO NOW (Red): Evacuate immediately. Emergency responders may not be able to assist further.

If someone in your household has mobility challenges, or if you have a lot of animals to evacuate, it’s okay to evacuate a level early. But do not return until officials say it is safe to do so.

Make Sure You’re Insured – Have a Recovery Plan

Ensure your renter’s or homeowner’s policy provides the coverage you need for the hazards in your area. Standard policies may not cover disasters such as floods, landslides, or fires. Talk to your insurance agent about your coverage, make sure it’s up to date, and understand how you will recover after a disaster.

The Division of Financial Regulation provides resources to help Oregonians prepare their properties and understand insurance needs before disaster strikes.

2026 Preparedness Events to Help You Get Started

Great Oregon ShakeOut: October 15, 2026, at 10:16 AM (local time)

Join millions of people across Oregon to practice earthquake safety. The ShakeOut is a fast, simple drill to help you learn how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On.

Great Oregon Camp-In: October 16–18, 2026

Held the weekend after the ShakeOut, the Camp-In is an at-home preparedness exercise where households practice living without utilities, refine emergency plans, and test their supplies. Participate for a few hours or the entire weekend.

OEM Ready Fair: Saturday, October 10, 2026

This free, family-friendly event brings together emergency management partners and subject matter experts and is designed to help Oregonians strengthen personal and community resilience. This event will include:

• Expert-led booths on emergency alerts, food and water planning, sanitation, and more
• Interactive activities, including an earthquake simulator and earthquake-themed escape room
• Kid-friendly learning stations
• Food trucks
• A chance to win a fully stocked emergency go-bag

Students Invited to Submit Original Art to the Ready Art Contest

Finally, OEM invites young artists in grades K–12 to enter the Ready Oregon Youth Art Contest. Participants are encouraged to create an original piece of art showing how people can work together to prepare for emergencies and disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, floods, winter storms, and more. Visit the OEM Newsroom Blog for details on artwork requirements, how to enter, and where to drop off finished art. All entries must be received by 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 25, 2026. Winners will be notified by Friday, October 2, 2026.

‘Friends for Life’ Aims to Prevent Overdoses Among Oregon Youth

As students return to school, Oregon and Washington state public health and education leaders are encouraging young people and their loved ones to look out for one another through Friends for Life, a new overdose prevention effort focused on teens and young adults ages 13 to 25.

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), in partnership with the Washington State Health Care Authority, are bringing resources to Oregon to help young people and families talk about fentanyl and other drugs, prevent overdoses, recognize the signs of an overdose and use naloxone.

“Young people want to be there for their friends, so we need to equip young people and the adults in their lives to talk openly about drugs, mental health and supporting each other,” said Tom Jeanne, M.D., MPH, deputy state health officer and deputy epidemiologist at OHA. “With Friends for Life, we’re recognizing the importance of relationships to keep our communities safe and healthy.”

The campaign offers practical, youth-focused resources in English and Spanish at www.orfriendsforlife.com, including information on fentanyl, fake pills, overdose prevention, naloxone, treatment and recovery.

“Our schools play an essential role in helping students build the knowledge, skills and trusted relationships they need to make healthy, informed decisions,” said ODE Director Charlene Williams. “By partnering with families, communities and public health leaders, we can give young people tools to recognize risks, support one another, and know what to do in an emergency.”

Why It Matters

Oregon’s overdose deaths have declined over the past two years, reaching a four-year low in 2025. But fentanyl and methamphetamine remain major drivers of overdose deaths, with more than 90% of reported overdose deaths involving fentanyl, methamphetamine or both.

Young people ages 24 and younger accounted for 4% of Oregon’s overdose deaths in 2024. Although youth and young adults represent a small percentage of overdose deaths in Oregon, preventing substance use early in life dramatically reduces future risk of substance use disorder and other related health outcomes. Fifty-nine youth and young adults died from drug overdoses that year, down from 106 in 2023.

Importantly, more than half of youth overdose events involved someone else being present, meaning a friend, family member or other bystander may have been able to call 911 and administer naloxone.

Resources for Schools, Families and Communities

Friends for Life includes:

• A free toolkit for schools and community organizations with materials in seven languages, including posters, wallet cards, rack cards and social media content.
• Technical assistance to help schools and community partners adapt the campaign for their communities.

Oregon’s Friends for Life campaign is supported by federal funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We hope Friends for Life can help us take care of each other by preventing addiction and drug use before it starts, as well as giving people the tools to stay safe,” Jeanne said.

Learn more and access resources at www.orfriendsforlife.com.

Get Ready For National School Lunch Week

National School Lunch Week is October 12-16. To celebrate, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) are partnering to highlight the vital role Child Nutrition Programs play in supporting student health and learning.

School board members and superintendents are encouraged to join students for lunch during the week and experience the nutritious, inviting meals served in their schools. Visits should be coordinated with school nutrition staff and building administrators in advance. After lunch, help spread the word by posting your experience and pictures from the visit on social media. When you do, use the #NSLW26inOR hashtag and tag us in your posts on Facebook (ODE Facebook, OSBA Facebook), X (ODE X account, OSBA X account), and LinkedIn (ODE LinkedIn).

New School Year Brings Personal Finance Class Requirement

(Article provided by the Oregon State Treasury)

Starting with the class of 2027, Oregon high school students will graduate with real world personal finance skills thanks to a new statewide education requirement.

“Your financial situation can have a significant impact on your overall wellbeing. A foundational understanding of personal finance, including budgeting, investing, and debt can help people make better decisions and build financial health that lasts a lifetime,” said Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner, MD, Oregon’s constitutional financial officer. “Thank you, educators, for going the extra mile to prepare the curriculum and start these important financial conversations with Oregon’s next generation.”

Oregon joins a growing national trend of providing students with personal finance education, helping prepare them for today’s financial realities. Since the legislation passed with bipartisan support in 2023, the Oregon Department of Education has coordinated with Oregon teachers and financial education experts to establish curriculum standards and assembled relevant instructional materials.

Topics to be covered include credit and debt; banking, investing and saving; budgeting and money management; taxes and refunds; and maintaining financial wellbeing.

“An Oregon diploma should prepare students not only for what comes next in the classroom, but for the decisions they will make throughout their lives,” said Dr. Charlene Williams, director of the Oregon Department of Education. “Personal finance education gives every student the opportunity to build the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices about money, plan for their future, and navigate the financial realities of adulthood. This is an important step toward making sure every Oregon student graduates with the real-world skills they need to thrive.”

Oregon’s 2026 Financial Educator of the Year Marcia Latta, a business educator at McKay High School in Salem, has seen the positive difference personal finance education makes in her students’ lives while teaching the class previously as an elective.

“Understanding money is empowering. There is so much to learn to be able to make money work for you, instead of against you,” Latta said. “Expanding practical financial knowledge for all students is the right thing to do.”

More information about the Treasurer’s collaborative financial empowerment efforts can be found at www.FinanciallyFitOregon.org.