Oregon Department of Education

**Mission Statement** The Oregon Department of Education fosters equity and excellence for every learner through collaboration with educators, partners, and communities. **Value Statements** At the Oregon Department of Education, we are guided by the following values: - Integrity - Accountability - Excellence - Equity **Our Priorities** - Graduating our students college and career ready - Closing the Achievement Gap - Teacher and administrator effectiveness - Increasing performance for all schools and districts - A strong, seamless education system from early childhood through higher education **Who We Are** The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) oversees the education of over 560,000 students in Oregon’s public K-12 education system. ODE encompasses early learning, public preschool programs, the state School for the Deaf, regional programs for children with disabilities, and education programs in Oregon youth corrections facilities. While ODE isn’t in the classroom directly providing services, the agency (along with the State Board) - focuses on helping districts achieve both local and statewide goals and priorities through strategies such as: - Developing policies and standards - Providing accurate and timely data to inform instruction - Training teachers on how to use data effectively - Effectively administering numerous state and federal grants - Sharing and helping districts implement best practices **Our Schools** Oregon has more than 1,200 public K-12 schools organized into 197 School Districts and 19 Education Service Districts. Over 100 of these schools are public charter schools. These schools and districts employ over 63,000 teachers, administrators, and other school and district staff.