At the Eagle Point School District 9 work session, administrators proposed revising board policy language to allow Oregon School Assessment (OSAS) interim assessments as one method to meet the district’s additional graduation requirement previously phrased as a “work sample.” Erica Marinucci (joining virtually) and other administrators presented the change as a wording update so local performance assessments can include retained work samples or OSAS interim assessments.

Marinucci told the board that the Oregon Department of Education is shifting its guidance toward the term “local performance assessments,” and that OSAS interim assessments are ‘‘smaller…versions…assessing specific standards’’ that can be incorporated into unit plans and PLC common assessments. She said the district’s teachers, instructional coaches and PLCs are already developing common assessments and that interim assessments may be used as a teaching tool as well as an evidence option for essential skills.

Board members asked whether interim assessments would duplicate existing screeners (STAR 360, i‑Ready) and how often teachers would administer them. Administrators said the interim assessments differ from STAR 360 (a screener) because interim items assess specific grade‑level standards and can be used more flexibly across units; frequency depends on content and chosen scope, and could be used multiple times per year as checkpoints. The district’s response noted high‑school juniors will continue to take the full OSAS state test.

The board also discussed the district’s higher‑education/career‑path requirement and the district’s “NEST” credit—an Eagle Point course that combines social‑emotional learning and career exploration and that contributes to the district’s 25‑credit diploma requirement (the state diploma requires 24 credits). Administrators said NEST includes social‑emotional lessons (Character Strong at elementary; Wayfinder piloted at high school) and career exploration aligned to career aptitude inventories for freshmen.

Administrators said they will provide follow‑up materials: a four‑year breakdown by diploma type (Oregon diploma, modified diploma, certificate of attendance) and the district’s proposed interim assessment rollout plan and training for teachers. No formal policy vote occurred at the work session.