More school days in Oregon? Panel considers idea

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Among the policy ideas lawmakers are considering for Oregon’s troubled education system are longer school years, limited class sizes and more access to state-subsidized preschool.

The Statesman Journal reports that since January, the Joint Committee on Student Success has been meeting with educators, families and business leaders across the state to figure out what is going well in schools, and what isn’t. The bipartisan panel is made up of 14 legislators.

The primary task of the committee is to address Oregon’s four-year graduation rate, which, at 77 percent, is the third-lowest in the country.

From a lack of diverse staff and social-emotional learning opportunities, to unsafe buildings and scarce mental health services, the committee quickly found there are myriad factors influencing students’ success inside and outside the classroom.