WHAT ARE THE DIVISION 22 STANDARDS?
The rules contained in Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) Chapter 581, Division 22 are the educational standards that the Oregon Legislature or the State Board has determined must be met in order to be a standard school district. Compliance with the Division 22 Standards ensures every student in Oregon public schools is provided with a baseline level of service. The Division 22 Standards can be found on the
Secretary of State’s Oregon Administrative Rules Database.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Division 22 is unique because the Legislature has directed the Deputy Superintendent of the Oregon Department of Education to enforce the Division 22 Standards through a process set out in statute. The statutory process explicitly directs ODE to provide school districts with coaching and an opportunity to correct any areas of noncompliance before withholding state school funds. Under the statute, school districts are presumed to be in compliance until a deficiency is found. Once a deficiency is found, the district is required to submit an approved plan to come back into compliance by the beginning of the next school year. During this process, ODE is directed to reach out to the district to offer technical assistance, and the ODE Deputy Superintendent may grant an extension of up to 12 months if the deficiencies cannot be corrected before the beginning of the next school year. If the district fails to come back in compliance by the beginning of the next school year or following an extension, the Deputy Superintendent “may withhold portions of State School Fund moneys otherwise allocated to the school district for operating expenses until such deficiencies are corrected unless the withholding would create an undue hardship. . . .”
ORS 327.103.
MONITORING COMPLIANCE
ODE monitors compliance with Division 22 Standards through three processes:
PROCESS |
DESCRIPTION |
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ONGOING COACHING AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING | In its ongoing work with districts, ODE is continually monitoring where there might be gaps or misunderstandings about the standards. ODE staff provide coaching, support, and learning opportunities to districts as appropriate.
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COMPLAINTS | Every district is required to have a complaint process. A parent or guardian of a student, a student, or a person who resides in the district may file a Division 22 Standards complaint. Division 22 Standards complaints are filed first at the district level and then may be appealed to ODE using the process outlined on the ODE website.
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ASSURANCES | The Division 22 Standards assurances process is governed by OAR 581-022-2305: Operating Policies and Procedures. Districts are required to provide an assurance report to the community in a school district board meeting and post the report on the district website. Districts must then submit the assurances to ODE. For each Division 22 Standard, the district either certifies that the district is in compliance or states that the district is out of compliance and proposes corrective action. Once ODE has received all of the assurances, staff go through a process of reviewing and following up with districts that have self-reported non-compliance with one or more Division 22 Standards.
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DIVISION 22 ASSURANCES PROCESS
Each year, districts report to their community on their compliance with all Division 22 Standards for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools by making a presentation to the local School Board as set forth in
OAR 581-022-2305: District Assurances of Compliance with Public School Standards. After districts have made their report at the local level, they then submit their assurances to the Oregon Department of Education. This annual practice is one way we publicly commit to providing a high-quality educational experience for students in our care. It provides an opportunity for school districts to demonstrate compliance with rigorous standards, reflect on areas in need of attention and alignment, and plan for how to address them. As part of our shared responsibility to provide quality service for our students and communities, this system promotes reciprocal accountability between school districts and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE).
Data from the Most Recent Assurances
Districts are required to report on compliance with the Division 22 Standards for the preceeding school year in November of each year. Data from the November 2022 assurances (reporting on the 2021-22 school year) will be available on this site in January 2023.
Click Here for Links to District Reports for the 2021-22 School Year
Division 22 Standards Assurances Data 2021-22
Standards and Assurances for the 2021-22 School Year
All rules set forth in Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 581, Division 22 were in effect for the 2021-22 school year except for the Assessment of Essential Skills graduation requirement for the Class of 2022, as waived by
OAR 581-022-0106: State Standards for the 2021-22 School Year, and the Kindergarten Assessment (
OAR 581-022-2130), as set out in section (2)(b) of the same rule. Additionally, school districts were required to submit a plan for operation during the 2021-22 school year to the department.
Division 22 Waivers
To address an immediate concern or need, a school district may request a waiver of a specific Division 22 standard under
OAR 581-002-0035. The State Board of Education may grant a waiver for up to one year.
For more information about the process of requesting a waiver, please contact
Susan Payne, ODE's Education Standards and Systems Specialist.
RESOURCES FOR DISTRICTS
Professional Learning for District Leaders
Head to the Professional Learning page to find current and archived editions of the Division 22 Standards Newsletter, as well as video tutorials and other resources that support learning about Oregon's Standards for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools.
Mailing List
PE Requirements Adjusted Timeline Information
November 2022 Assurances Resources & Support
The following resources have been developed by ODE to support districts in completing the 2022 Division 22 Standards Assurances Process.
Instructions & Support Documents
Templates & Forms
*New for 2022: We have updated the Community Report Template so that it is
organized by category. Previously, the rules were listed in order by rule number. Our goal is to increase understanding of what the standards are and what role they play in the state's delivery of educational services for school board members, district staff, parents, and students. The online submission form and internal tracking sheet have also been updated to reflect the reorganization.
September 2022 Training Resources
Archived Communications
Translated Resources: Community Report Template
Please direct any questions regarding Division 22 and the Division 22 Assurances Process to
Division22@ode.oregon.gov or contact Susan Payne, Education Standards and Systems Specialist at (503) 580-6814.