The Oregon Education Investment Board (OEIB) invited University of Oregon Interim President Robert Berdahl to its March 13 meeting to talk about the UO’s role in the “Educational Partnership”—a collaboration of Lane county school districts, Lane Community College, and the UO. Berdahl appeared before the panel with Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Nancy Golden and Lane Community College President Mary Spilde. Golden and Spilde also serve as members of the OEIB, with Golden serving as the chair of the board in the governor’s absence.

Berdahl, Golden, and Spilde described for the panel the Educational Partnership that was formed to improve connections between school districts and higher education institutions in Lane County. Through information sharing and cooperation, the partnership works to find ways to aid students in their education transitions. It also seeks to identify shared strengths, issues, and concerns; address systemic barriers to equity and accessibility for all students; explore opportunities for cooperation; and discover resources that can benefit partners.

The presenters focused on the Educational Partnership’s “College Ready Lane County” initative, a program developed in partnership with the Education Policy Improvement Center. Its work and programs are based on the four keys to college and career readiness success—content, cognitive skills, learning skills, and transition skills—and focuses on networking and communication between faculty members at high school and college institutions.

Berdahl emphasized the added benefit that the UO’s College of Education brings to the partnership, through best practices and as a source of the latest research.