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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>TO: All District and ESD
Special Education Directors<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> </span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The message below is being forwarded to you on behalf of:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Nancy Latini, PhD<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Assistant Superintendent<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Student Learning & Partnerships<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>______________________________________________ <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>May 8, 2009<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>RE: Revision of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s Persistently Dangerous School
Definition<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The No Child Left Behind Act requires State Education
agencies to establish a school choice policy for students attending a
persistently dangerous school <i><span style='font-style:italic'>as defined by
the state.</span></i><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>“Each State receiving funds under this Act shall establish
and implement a statewide policy requiring that a student attending a
persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school, as
determined by the State in consultation with a representative sample of local
educational agencies or who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense, as
determined by State law, while in or on the grounds of a public elementary
school or secondary school that the student attends, be allowed to attend a
safe educational agency, including a public charter school.” (Title IX, Part E,
Subpart 2, Section 9532)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>No Child Left Behind provides the option for states to
review and revise their definition for a Persistently Dangerous School. <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s current
definition, adopted in 2005, has not been previously reviewed. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>In response to feedback from school districts, education
stakeholders, and legislators, the Oregon Department of Education convened a
workgroup in December 2008 to give consideration to updating <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s definition. Stakeholders were
invited from DHS, the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, the Attorney
General's office, the Oregon State Police, State Legislature, Governor's
office, DA's office, U of O, ORI, OCCF, OSBA, OSEA, COSA, OEA, School Safety
Officers Association, and representative school districts from around the
state. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Based on input and review by stakeholders, ODE has updated <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s
definition. The new language is available at: <a
href="http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1319">http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1319</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The substantive changes to the previous definition are
listed below:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>1) Changed specific wording
throughout the definition; schools previously described as “Unsafe” or being on
the “Unsafe list”, are now referred to as being on a “Watch list”.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>2) Category of "Violent
behaviors" was removed. Only expulsions for weapons and expulsions
based on arrests for violent criminal offenses will count towards a school’s identification
for the “Watch list” or as “Persistently Dangerous”.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>3A) Increased the n-size from
1% for schools over 500 students to 3% for schools over 300 students.
For smaller schools, the limit of five expulsions for
schools under 500 was changed to nine expulsions for schools under 300.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=3 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>3B) Changed the definition so
that expulsions are counted on a "per incident" basis, rather than on
a "per student basis".<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>The changes to this policy will be effective beginning in
the 2009-2010 school year.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>For more information on these changes, please contact Scott
Hall at 503-947-5628. For media inquiries regarding these changes, please
contact Morgan Allen at 503-947-5920.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>If you have any difficulty viewing the above link, please
contact Laura Allran at <a href="mailto:laura.allran@state.or.us">laura.allran@state.or.us</a>
or 503-947-5674.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Messages to and from this e-mail address may be made
available to the public under <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>
law.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Arial><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>===========End of Message============<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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