<Llu |J n rtIa n h CObseruc
Page A4
December 7, 2005
Opinion articles do not
necessarily reflect or represent the
views o f The Portland Observer
O pinion
Learning Standards
Prepare every
student for
college or work
by V anessa G aston
sessments are firmly in place in
schools throughout Oregon.
However, it is time for the current
high school diploma requirements
to be upgraded so that credentials
are meaningful tocolleges and uni
versities, employers, and the
students themselves. These
credentials should.confirm
that a student has met rigor
ous academic and career-
related standards and is
ready for college or work.
We invite any interested
Oregonians or Oregon institutions
to offer written comments. By No
vember 2006, we plan to adopt sig
nificant changes to high school
graduation requirements and to the
state assessment system.
We want to hear from you and
your participation will help ensure
these changes improve the educa
tion delivered to our students. We
are seeking a wide range of per
spectives, and we are asking for
input from parents and students,
school administrators and teach
ers, business and community lead
ers, community college and univer
sity educators, and interested citi
zens. Our goal is to hear about
what works in our current policies
and what needs to be modified.
Please submit your comments
by December 16, 2005. Go to our
w eb su rv ey online at h ttp ://
w w w .ode.state.or.us/search/re-
sults/?id=144, read the position
paper and fill out the survey ques
tions. Another option is to send
your
co m m en ts
to
jan.mccomb@state.or.us or mail
them to State Board of Education,
ATTN: Jan McComb, 255 Capitol
Street NE, Salem, Oregon 97310.
With your help, the new diploma
requirements will make sure that
Oregon’s graduates will be ready for
the challenges of the 21M century.
Are Oregon high
sch o o l
g ra d u a te s
ready for college or
work?
In order to ensure
that students gradu
ate from high school
better prepared for college and ca
reers, the Oregon State Board of
Education is reviewing O regon’s
academic content standards, cur
riculum requirements, credential re
quirements, and statewide student
assessment system from top to bot
tom.
We believe that Oregon needs
to set learning standards with the
expectation that all students can
master high levels of knowledge
and skills that enable success in
postsecondary education, employ
ment, and life. That means every
high school student graduating with
a diplom a should be “college
ready.” The skills and knowledge
that make high school graduates
ready for postsecondary education
are also the same skills and knowl
edge that make them ready for em
ployment.
We want to reduce the achieve
ment gap that now plagues many
low-income and minority students,
as well as provide students the
opportunity to accelerate their
learning with college courses
should they have the capability
and interest in doing so.
The current system was devel
oped 14 years ago when Oregon
passed the Education Act for the
21 st Century. State leaders directed
the Board of Education to adopt
high standards for all students and
Vanessa Gaston is executive
an assessment system to measure director o f the Urban League of
attainm ent o f those standards. Portland and a member o f the Or
Today, those standards and as egon State Board o f Education.
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(866)256-8270
Portland Campus Lloyd Center
2004 Lloyd Center • 3rd Floor
Portland, OR
APÒLLO COLLEGE
A DIVISION OF U S EDUCATION CORP.
www.apollocollege.edu
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Holidays Bring Alcohol-Induced Stress
Have fun and
set an example
for children
by K aren W heeler
You can hardly get through the
holidays without seeing a news
story about the stress that many
people experience at this time of
year.
There’s the loss of loved ones
who won’t be gathering around
the table. And family members
who are forced together even if
they’re not on good terms. O r the
Aid physicians and other medical personnel as they examine and treat patients.
Get Started Today:
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Mission
lACCQMPtKHa? i
-
Examine a career in
Medical Assisting.
In less than 10 months you could be a M ed ical A ssista n t
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letdown of unfulfilledexpectations.
An element of stress that’s often
neglected is that which alcohol
brings: People already challenged
by alcohol tend to overindulge at
this time of year. People giving
parties where alcohol flows freely
are at risk of lawsuits if a departing
guest is injured in an auto accident.
And there’s the alcohol-induced
stress of embarrassing yourself in
front of co-workers or family.
For many people, alcohol is a
subject of New Year’s resolutions:
“On Jan. 1, I’ll resolve to do some
thing about my drinking.”
This year, consider taking charge
by resolving now either to become
alcohol-free or to use and serve
alcohol more responsibly.
Even if you’re a parent saying, “I
already use alcohol responsibly,”
this message may still be for you.
That’s because you have a golden
opportunity to set a good example
for the children and teens in your life.
If they don’t abuse alcohol, that
will reduce your stress year-round.
It’s no small task, in Oregon,
many teens make poor decisions
about alcohol. Record numbers of
eighth- and 11 -th graders report
using alcohol and, even worse, 47
percent o f 11 th-graders report dan
gerous binge drinking in the past
month.
I’ll admit it: when I was in high
school, a lot of kids drank. But even
Are you
or
someone
you know
pregnant
It
?
though that was a poor (and illegal)
choice, the amount being consumed
was relatively moderate. Today, by
contrast, kids have contests to see
who can drink the most. Although
death is always tragic, w e’re now
less shocked by news stories re
porting that a teen has fallen victim
to alcohol poisoning.
What can parents do? If you
give an adult party where alcohol is
served, make sure it’s done respon
sibly. But also consider an alcohol-
free party with games, a white-el-
Send a frequent, firm
and loving message to
your kids with your
expectations about
alcohol and other drugs.
ephant gift exchange, fun bever good for us or our kids, we don’t
ages and good food; you’ll be de have to buy into it.
lighted with the results.
We can instead concentrate on
If you keep liquor in the house, what the holidays are intended to
be sure it isn’t available to your celebrate: Ourfamilies, our friends,
kids. In a new survey, 12 percent of keeping promises to our kids, and
Oregon eighth-graders reported lots of happy, stress-free memories
they got alcohol at home without that didn’t require alcohol to bring
their parents’ permission.
out the fun.
If the kids want their own holi
Karen Wheeler is addiction
day party, do it with an organized policy manager in the Oregon De
youth group or in a home where partment o f Human Services.
there will be intelligent parental
H e a l t h y B i r t h I n i t i a t i v e c a n h e lp .
Healthy Birth Initiative (HBI) is a program for
African American women and their families 1 íving
in N/NE Portland.
H B I o ffe rs :
• Transportation to medical and social
service appointments
• Home Visits
• Incentives
• Health education classes (free childcare and
transportation when attending any HBI
group or class)
• Information and referrals to community services
For more inform ation contact:
MULTNOMAH
COUNTY
Health Department
Healthy Birth Initiative
5329 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97211
503-988-3387 x22242
r|,l |Jnrtlanò Gßbscruer Established 1970
USPS 959-680 __________________________________
4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211
Charles H. Washington
E dito r M ic h a e l L e ig h to n
D is t r ib u t io n M anager : M ark W a sh in g to n
C r e ative D irecto r : P a u l N e u fe ld t
O f f ic e M anager : K a th y L in d e r
E ditor - in -C h ie e , P ublisher :
supervision.
Send a frequent, firm and loving
message to your kids with your
expectations about alcohol and
other drugs. The data is conclu
sive: Children whose parents do
this are far less likely to use alcohol
and other drugs.
Alcohol is a pervasive part of
our society. We conservatively
estimate that alcohol advertising
amounts to $55 million or more an
nually in Oregon alone. Yet like
other things that we know aren’t
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