NWESD Education Connection Fall/Winter 2012

Fall/Winter 2012 Page 4

Notes from the NWESD Superintendent

Page 7

Welcome to three new Superintendents

Page 14

Student Programs at NWESD

Pages 16-21

Professional development opportunities Register early!

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www.NWESD.org

Certification Services The NWESD certification office assists applicants in determining which application(s) may be appropriate for them to complete in order to obtain or maintain a Washington State certificate as a teacher, administrator or educational staff associate. Applicants submit their completed paperwork for review and issuance of a temporary permit, when applicable. The first 180-day permit allows the applicants to then seek and accept employment while OSPI's certification office continues to review the application for final requirements, testing results, etc. A second 180-day permit may be issued by OSPI automatically, if necessary.

Educational Service Districts have served Washington State for more than forty years, providing vital services and functioning as advocates for local districts.

Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) serves Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan counties.

NWESD’s more than fifty programs are organized into seven departments to serve you: Administration, Fiscal Services, Migrant Education, Prevention Center, Special Programs and Services, Teaching and Learning, and Technology Services. Visit us online at www.nwesd.org for more information on each of these departments.

Types of certificates in Washington include: Teacher Administrator (principal, superintendent and program administrator) Educational Staff Associate School counselor and school psychologist Speech language pathologist or audiologist, school nurse, occupational therapist, physical therapist or school social worker

NWESD Mission

Together We Can… provide leadership and cooperative services to our educational communities to support their efforts to increase the number of students meeting state and local standards.

Clock Hours

To meet the requirements for a full-time residency teaching certificate or a "regular" substitute certificate, an applicant must be at least 18 years of age, have earned a Bachelor's degree (or higher) and have completed an approved college/university teacher education program which included student teaching from a regionally accredited college or university. Or, if the applicant did not complete a traditional program, he/she must provide verification of an out-of-state regular teaching certificate and be able to verify three years of out-of-state teaching experience. If the applicant does not meet the criteria described above, he/she may be eligible for a limited certificate; please contact the certification office for additional information.

For assistance with clock hours, please contact Lana Haugen at lhaugen@nwesd.org or 360.299.4019.

Fingerprinting

Fingerprinting is available by appointment, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. You must bring photo ID and payment in the form of cash, cashier’s check, money order payable to NWESD, debit or credit card (Visa or Mastercard). Call 360.299.4043 for an appointment.

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For assistance, please contact the NWESD Certification Assistant Dorothy Moller at dmoller@nwesd.org or 360.299.4022.

More information about Washington certification, as well as access to application materials, can be found at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction website. www.NWESD.org

Important Tips to Remember!

REGISTER EARLY Classes that do not meet minimum enrollment one week prior will be canceled.

REGISTER ONLINE anytime at nwesd.org/workshops. Pay easily online through our secure payment system.

INCLEMENT WEATHER Call the weather hotline to ensure that your class has not been canceled.

360-299-4078.

Quick Class Guide Date

Course Title

Instructor

Event Page

Gray Mertes Tucker Mancini Rosenberg Tucker Gray Tucker Rosenberg Gray Tucker Mertes Mertes Zielske Rosenberg Mancini Gray Kaulitz

22074 22075 22076 22077 22078 22079 22080 22081 22083 22084 22085 22086 22087 22088 22089 22090 22091 22092

17 18 16 17 18 19 17 17 16 18 19 16 17 18 18 18 19 19

Hodge Hodge Hodge

22333 22334 22335

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You Say Persuade; I Say Argue: Transition to Common Core for Writing Pearse Poetry Out Loud Shoop Harnessing the Power of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Tovani Vocabulary Instruction for Higher Level Thinking Collinge Effective First Interventions: Literacy Interventions Within Your Classroom Morris

21893 21764 22275 21857 22362

21 21 20 21 20

AUTISM OUTREACH PROJECT (AOP) Oct 18 Oct 25 Nov 01 Nov 08 Nov 15 Dec 06 Jan 10 Jan 17 Jan 24 Feb 07 Feb 21 Feb 28 Mar 01 Mar 07 Mar 14 Mar 21 Mar 28 Apr 11

Best Practices in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Strategies for Paraeducators Working with Students on the Spectrum Autism Spectrum Disorders: Behavior is Communication Early Childhood and Autism Birth to Three Introduction to Discrete Trial Training for Children with Autism Structured Teaching for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Enhancing Social Skills in Autism Spectrum Disorders Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorders in Early Childhood Addressing Challenging Behaviors in School Age Children with Autism Mental Health Conditions in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Successful Strategies for Including Students with Autism Challenges and Strategies for Social Success (Part 1 of 2) Challenges and Strategies for Academic Success (Part 2 of 2) Sensory Processing in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Independence & Engagement in Children with Autism Social Communication in Young Children with Autism Supporting the Transition Years for Students with Autism Visual Thinking and Learning for Students with Autism

PREVENTION CENTER Jan 28-Mar 1 Issues of Abuse (Online Course) Mar 25-Apr 26 Issues of Abuse (Online Course) Apr 29-May 31 Issues of Abuse (Online Course)

TEACHING & LEARNING (T&L) Oct 2-3 Oct 16 Oct 26 Nov 03 Jan 25-26

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Welcome to a New Year!

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A note from Superintendent Dr. Jerry Jenkins

Fall has arrived, as is evidenced by the school year being in full swing with students and staff engaged in learning. It is so exciting to work in education this time of year; you can feel the excitement in the students as they head back to school after summer break. Even driving into work on these last few sunny mornings has been a treat, as the big yellow school buses scoop up eager children on their way to school.

Autumn is a time of fresh starts and renewed focus, and the NWESD has some exciting program developments for our districts this fall: This year we have some great work beginning with Early Learning. Starting this fall, twelve school districts in the Northwest region will be conducting WaKIDS, the Washington Inventory of Developing Skills. WaKIDS is a kindergarten transition process that includes a common kindergarten assessment, individual family meetings and collaboration with community preschool partners. Anacortes, Bellingham, Blaine, Burlington-Edison, Concrete, Edmonds, Everett, Ferndale, Lake Stevens, Mount Baker, Mount Vernon and Orcas Island School Districts have all committed to administer WaKIDS at the start of the school year. WaKIDS is required of statefunded, full-day kindergarten programs beginning this year, but most of these school districts are volunteering as early adopters, building off commitments they’ve made to strengthen the foundations of children’s early education development. If you have questions about WaKIDSor Early Learning please contact Karma Hugo, Early Childhood Manager at 360-299-4045 or khugo@nwesd.org.

We are also pleased to announce that the NWESD was selected as the host for the 5th annual Starting Strong P-3 Institute in August 2013. This conference brings early learning professionals and K-12 educators together to share innovation and increase alignment between systems. Starting Strong will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the school districts and early learning programs in our region that have prioritized early learning. Look for more information on this event as the year progresses.

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Together we In the Teaching & Learning department, leadership teams from ten districts are joining the seven which began work in 2010-12 on the Teacher and Principal Evaluation Project (TPEP). By June 2013 almost half of NWESD’s districts will have participated in this project. The work includes deepening awareness of the State evaluation system, collaborative selection of instructional and leadership frameworks, selection of multiple observable and collectable measures relevant to those frameworks, use of the eVAL tool, and on-going development of district communication plans. If you have questions about TPEP, you can contact Dr. Kathy Shoop at 360-299-4036 or kshoop@nwesd.org.

Last year, the NW Assessing with Learning Progressions in Science (NW ALPS) math-science partnership helped elementary science teachers understand how to teach the Washington state science standards with science materials in their classrooms. Project teachers deepened their understanding of science content and standards and then used that understanding to created learning progressions and formative assessment for commonly used FOSS and STC elementary science materials.

These helpful instructional tools, as well as classroom video and professional development resources, are now available online in the NWESD library https://library.nwesd.org/nw-alps. I encourage you to take a look and utilize these free online tools in your classroom.

can… make this another foundation building year for our students.

For the fifth year, NWESD will host a Literacy Learning Network with members from over 20 NWESD Districts. This year’s work will once again be the English/Language Arts (ELA) CCSS with a focus on literacy, science, and social studies instruction. Beth Niemi will also offer Technical Assistance as needed to Districts building a pathway to full implementation of the CCSS. Call Beth at 360-299-4717 or bniemi@nwesd.org for ELA CCSS assistance.

As the weather begins to cool off and we move into the winter months, please keep the NWESD in your mind as a place to find resources and support for your schools. Our staff is always here to assist you, or even just offer some ideas on a challenging issue. Together we can… make this another foundation building year for our students.

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Washington History Teacher of the Year

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Press release written by OSPI

Steven Lawrence, a teacher at Meridian High School in Bellingham, has been named the 2012 Washington History Teacher of the Year. The award is co-sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, HISTORY® and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on behalf of its Preserve America program.

Lawrence began teaching at Meridian High School in 1994. He teaches U.S. History & Government, AP U.S. Government, Current Issues, Law & Society and Comparative Religion. He serves as the chair of the Social Studies Department and is on the district Social Studies Curriculum team. He also coaches the school’s Mock Trial and girls’ golf teams, is the advisor for the Teen Court club and is the president of the Meridian Education Association.

“This award gives us the chance to recognize the great work history teachers are doing across Washington,” said State Superintendent Randy Dorn. “As a dedicated teacher inside and outside the classroom, Steve is preparing our state’s next generation of citizen leaders.”

Lawrence received a $1,000 honorarium and will be in the running to be named the 2012 National History Teacher of the Year. Meridian High School’s library will receive a core archive of history books and educational materials from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and HISTORY®. Lawrence will also be invited to a 2013 Gilder Lehrman Teacher Seminar and Meridian High School will be named a Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School.

The 2012 award honors middle and high school teachers of seventh through twelfth grade. The selection of the state winner is based upon several criteria that engage students in American history, including: at least three years of classroom experience in teaching American history; a demonstrated commitment to teaching American history (including state and local history); evidence of creativity and imagination in the classroom; and effective use of documents, artifacts, historic sites, oral histories and other primary resources.

From the state winners, one is recognized as the National History Teacher of the Year and will be honored in a fall ceremony. The winner, together with the nominator and two of the winner’s students, will travel to the national recognition ceremony with expenses paid by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Communications Department. Meridian High School Teacher Steven Lawrence Named Washington’s 2012 History Teacher of the Year. OSPI. Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, 06 June 2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <http://www.k12. wa.us/EducationAwards/HistoryTOY/default.aspx>.

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Welcome New Superintendents!

Tom Churchill - Meridian School District Tom came to the Meridian School District after serving as Superintendent for the Hood Canal School District for five years. Before that, he was the Superintendent for the Entiat School District. In addition to his Superintendent experience, Tom has spent hours of time volunteering for various educational and community groups, and served on advisory boards for ESD 113. “[Tom] understands rural school districts like Meridian. I think he’s going to extend the good work done at Meridian,” School Board Chairman Brian Evans told the Bellingham Herald.

Karen Koschak - Coupeville School District (Interim) Karen is serving as interim Superintendent, coming to Coupeville from the Granite Falls School District where she was Superintendent for three years. Karen also served as Superintendent for the Aberdeen School District for eight years and spent three years in a small rural school in Mexico developing curriculum.

Karen also has experience as a teacher, principal, and central office administrator. She brings a broad range of skills and leadership to Coupeville.

Charles Burleigh - Mount Baker School District Charlie has been with the Mount Baker School District since 1999, as principal of the junior high school and then for Kendall Elementary School. His colleagues are very excited that Charlie was selected for this post, after serving so many years as a principal in their district.

“Embedded in Charlie’s character is a deep sense of honesty and service, and I believe he will bring both of those characteristics to his leadership in the Mount Baker School District,” said School Board Chair Trish Hart.

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Oak Harbor Schools Receive $1.8 Million Grant

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An education grant from the Department of Defense will finance intensive threeyear training to improve math and literacy instruction at the secondary level in Oak Harbor schools.

Oak Harbor School District was awarded a $1.89 million grant to increase college and career readiness in literacy and math.

The grant will fund a plan to improve instruction in grades six to 12 using “proven research-based techniques” that lead to “greater student engagement and higher expectations” in the classroom, according to a press release.

This is the second consecutive year Oak Harbor has been awarded funding from the Department of Defense Education Activity for professional development.

Last year’s $2.16 million grant focused on improving reading for preschool through fifth grade.

Story written by Whidbey News-Times

Work on the new project, titled “College and Career Ready through High Expectations and Engagement,” is already under way. The grant will pay for math, English, science, social studies and other teachers to return during the summer for intensive “academies,” with follow-up training both inside and outside the classroom during the school year. The program uses nationally-recognized education specialists who will work with Oak Harbor teachers over the next three years.

“This is about raising the bar in Oak Harbor,” Assistant Superintendent Lance Gibbon, who wrote the grant, said in a press release. “The hallmark of high-achieving schools is they have high expectations for all kids.”

Gibbon said that one indicator of the grant’s success will be in future years seeing more kids taking higher level courses at Oak Harbor High School and succeeding. It’s not necessarily about more kids going to college, he said.

Both grants are spread out over three years. The funds must be used according to the grant specifications and cannot be used to supplement ongoing expenses or replace any personnel or programs lost through the last three years of budget cuts.

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Inclement Weather Hotline

360.299.4078 “It’s about them being ready for their next step, whatever that might be --college, trade school, or the military,” he said.

“Part of this is about how we change the culture so that students get the message that they can do more and that they are expected to do more,” Gibbon said. “We want students to fully believe they are capable of succeeding at whatever they set their minds to do.”

The first year will emphasize reading and writing in core content classes with specialized support in math. Years two and three will place greater emphasis on applied math and science.

“Science is the practical application of both math and reading,” Gibbon said.

Through the grant, Oak Harbor will contract with CORE, a private firm made up of teachers with expertise in improving literacy and math achievement. CORE is the group doing much of the training at the elementary level and it will provide strong connection and alignment between the two grants, Gibbon said.

The Southern Regional Education Board will be conducting specialized training in all subject areas. SREB is the same group behind the nationally-acclaimed Education Connection, Fall/Winter 2012

“High Schools That Work” initiative and its companion program, “Making Middle Grades Work.” Oak Harbor has been working on implementing these programs for the last few years, but without any funding for training.

Those programs each focus on 10 specific practices of effective schools.

“This grant takes two key components --- high expectations and student engagement --- and places them front and center,” Gibbon said. “It means we finally have the funds to take what we’ve been talking about, provide the specific training needed and follow up with inclass support.”

Laura Fortin, a math and English teacher at OHHS since 1999, will serve as the full-time project manager for the duration of the grant. High school teachers Molly Butler, Andy Wesley and Jonathon Frostad will oversee the English, math and science portions of the grant. Each will take a one-year leave from teaching.

In case of inclement weather, be sure to call the weather hotline to make sure your class has not been canceled!

The message is updated daily before 6:30 a.m.

You can also check for weather related closure information online:

www.nwesd.org facebook.com/nwesd twitter.com/nwesd189

“Oak Harbor Schools Receive $1.8 Million Grant.”

Editorial. Whidbey News-Times 17 July 2012: n. pag. Whidbey News-Times. 17 July 2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/ news/162781666.html>.

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Everett Wins National Health Award Press release written by the Everett School District

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Everett Public Schools and the Everett School Employee Benefit Trust have been recognized as one of only nine school districts in the nation to earn top honors from the Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE) for employee wellness programs.

meals. The wellness program rightly focuses on our staff who play such important roles for students.”

Everett’s staff wellness program is managed by the Everett School Employee Benefit Trust, a 25-year old program that is one of only a handful of such school employee-managed benefit trusts in the state of Washington. The district’s wellness program is managed through the Trust, and Wellness Coordinator Gail Buquicchio is employed by the Trust, not by the school district.

Of the nine school districts in the country, only three earned gold-level awards, and Everett Public Schools was not only a gold-level winner, but the only school district in the state of Washington to earn an employee wellness award.

So why is an employee wellness program important for a school district? According to DHPE and those who advocate for healthy school staff, school employee wellness programs save taxpayer health care and insurance dollars, cut down on employee absences (which means more consistent adult presence with students), establish healthy role models for students and motivate staff to be more enthusiastic about teaching health.

Although private corporate wellness programs are commonplace, public school employee wellness programs are less common and very important, according to DHPE. The national wellness advocacy group’s guide for school employee wellness program is entitled, A Guide for Protecting the Assets of Our Nation’s Schools. As the Guide explains, “School districts are like businesses in the private sector when it comes to employee-related expenses; they must pay for employee absenteeism, health care costs, workers’ compensation, lost productivity, and disability. Employee wellness programs can directly affect each of these employee-related costs …

Employee wellness programs also make economic sense.”

At the June 12 school board meeting, the board and staff happily accepted a $1,000 check for the award and a banner to display.

Schools are responsible for student health education. And schools have, at times, been blamed for some of today’s youth obesity. “We eliminated soda and other sugary drinks from vending machines in our schools. We were one of the first school districts in the state to take that action,” notes Superintendent Gary Cohn, “and our food service department just won a national award for healthy student Education Connection, Fall/Winter 2012

The mission of the district’s four-year old program is, “To create a culture of wellness by promoting opportunities that enhance the overall health and quality of life for all district staff.”

According to staff who responded to the Wellness 2012 spring survey, the mission is being achieved. Sixty percent said the 10

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mission was “fully” achieved; another 39 percent said it was “somewhat” achieved.

Only 1 percent of those responding said it was “not at all” being achieved.

The most commonly stated benefit of the program among survey respondents was about weight loss. Some respondents reported losing from as few as five pounds to as many as 70, directly as a result of being involved in the wellness program.

Others spoke of no longer needing certain medications and of prediabetic conditions no longer existing.

The program’s emphasis on a “culture of wellness” was also mentioned in survey comments.

“I have seen an increased awareness of wellness issues among staff.”

“Weight Watchers at Work as completely changed the culture of healthy food around the school.”

“I notice we eat better as a staff.”

“We are having healthy food potlucks.”

Staff family members are also becoming healthier. “My kids are now talking about ‘five a day,’” said one staff member.

Another spoke of “My family is eating more healthy foods together now.”

Why school employee wellness programs matter: School employee wellness programs save taxpayer health care and insurance dollars, cut down on employee absences (which means more consistent adult presence with students), establish healthy role models for students and motivate staff to be more enthusiastic about teaching health.

In Everett Public Schools, the wellness program is evident and accessible to all staff through the district website, Wellness Wednesday email information, school and site wellness teams, the district’s annual health fair, vaccination clinics, discounted health club memberships, exercise classes, wellness classes, Weight Watchers at Work, smoke cessation programs, stress-reduction programs and a number of wellness challenges and incentives during the year.

This accessibility and the scope of options are among the reasons the program received the highest possible national award.

Although a small percentage of the survey respondents felt the program was of no help to them, the majority echoed the sentiments of those who said, “This program rocks!” and “Please keep this going.”

At the June 12 board meeting, Danielle Kenneweg, manager of the state Office

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of Health Promotion, Washington State Department of Health and Greg Williamson, OSPI director of learning and teaching, lauded the school board for supporting the wellness program and setting a standard of excellence for other districts in the state. “We always look to Everett for quality, innovative programs for students,” said Greg Williamson of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. “This is another example of a quality program focused on staff that will ultimately also be good for students and the community.”

Everett Public Schools. Communications Department.

Everett Public Schools Is One of Only Nine in the Nation to Win Health Award. Everett Public Schools.

Everett School District, 20 June 2012. Web. 13 Sept.

2012. <http://www.everett.k12.wa.us/>.

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Student Leadership Training Student Leadership Training days are sponsored by the Washington State Principals’ Association and the NWESD. These workshop days are designed for middle school and high school students, providing a strong educational experience for student leaders, student government, ASB officers, and club leaders.

T N E D S U M T A S R G D S O E W N PR t a

High School/Senior High – November 5, 9:00-2:00 at NEWSD Back to Basics - Gain the confidence to lead your school or club by enhancing your leadership skills. Topics will include communicating effectively, developing ideas, creating action plans, and facilitating meetings. Students will also get an introduction to parliamentary procedures.

Middle School/Junior High November 6, 7 or 8, 9:00 – 2:00 at NWESD Initiate - Generate - Evaluate: Improve your leadership skills as you learn I.G.E. - an important process for group organization. I.G.E provides the framework for organizing your group for action. Topics include decision-making strategies, communication skills, idea generation, action planning and effective meeting skills - including an introduction to parliamentary procedures.

Cost: $20.00 per student includes one day of training. Lunch will be on your own.

This program will be facilitated by staff members from Washington Student Leadership Camps held each summer at CISPUC Learning Center.

For more information, visit our website at: nwesd.org/student-leadership-program or contact Nancy Menard, nmenard@nwesd.org, 360-299-4020.

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Young Authors NWESD, in partnership with Skagit Valley College, will hold its 26th annual Young Authors’ Conference, March 25 – 29, 2013. Registration will open in late November.

The Young Authors’ Conference is an event designed especially for the young authors in NWESD school districts. Local published authors and illustrators provide hands-on workshops for students as they arrive for a day of celebrating the art of writing and illustration. The program encourages and supports teachers who help students develop their writing abilities and offers an opportunity for students to have authors and illustrators as role models.

Each year, in preparation for the Young Authors Conference, students create their own manuscripts, often illustrating and binding them into books. An opportunity to share those creations with other students starts the Conference each day. The day is completed with each student joining peers to spend one hour with the featured author, one hour with a local author, and one hour with a local illustrator.

For more information and to be placed on a mailing list for early registration, please contact Anita Garcia-Holzemer at agarcia@nwesd. org or 360.299.4044.

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Poetry Out Loud By inviting the dynamic aspects of slam poetry, spoken word, and theater into the classroom, the nation-wide Poetry Out Loud program encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation partners with state agencies such as Northwest Educational Service District 189 to support Poetry Out Loud.

Project teachers gather in mid-October to organize their contest year. In their districts, they facilitate classroom, school, and district competitions; one finalist per district emerges to attend the Regional Final. Two finalists will then advance to the State Finals and one student from each state advances to the National Finals Professional Development Workshops are held in each Poetry Out Loud region in order to support teaching poetry in the classroom. Clock hours are available for participating teachers.

Program Timeline:

For more information and to register, email Mary Lane, poetry.out.loud@arts.wa.gov Professional Development Workshop October 16, 2012 – 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Burlington Public Library Registration deadline: November 15, 2012 Classroom Implementation: any 2-3 weeks between September 2012 and early January 2013 School Finals deadline: January 25, 2013 Regional Finals: January 30, 2013 Burlington Public Library State Final: March 9, 2013 Theatre on the Square, Tacoma National Finals: April 29 & 30, 2013 Washington D.C. Additional program information can be found at www.arts.wa.gov/education/poetry-out-loud.shtml

Knowledge Bowl Knowledge Bowl is an interdisciplinary academic contest for high school teams. Comprised of six students, teams compete against one another, racing against time to accurately answer academically challenging questions. Knowledge Bowl players are strategically grouped so that sum knowledge represented on a team is vast and varied across the academic areas of math, science, social studies, literature, and history. Regional Knowledge Bowl competitions are held in the nine ESDs across the state, with winners of the regional competitions competing at a State tournament each spring.

At press time, a Knowledge Bowl Coaches’ meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 3, 2012, At that time the 20122013 schedule will be established. Please check the NWESD website at www.nwesd.org for the 2012–2013 Tournament dates. Contact Nancy Menard at nmenard@nwesd.org or 360.299.4020 for additional information and to field a high school team.

Mary Lane, Poetry Out Loud State Coordinator: poetry.out.loud@arts.wa.gov Nancy Menard, Administrative Assistant NWESD: nmenard@nwesd.org

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Forest View Elementary’s Rubik’s Cube Team Wins First Place at Competition Press release written by the Everett School District On June 2, the Rubik’s Cube team from Forest View Elementary won first place in their division at the You Can Do the Cube competition at the Seattle Science Festival. The eight person team and two alternates have been practicing together for the last month.

At the competition, the team solved 25 cubes in five minutes and three seconds. This was a new team record, beating their previous record by 26 seconds. Students received T-shirts and trophies for the win, and the school received a check for $250 to support STEM education.

“I am so proud of the determination and focus they have shown over the last few months. Today they represented Forest View exceptionally well. They were supportive of the other teams and cheered them on to the end,” said Forest View teacher Lisa Foslien.

Foslien’s class has been using the cubes for a while. The school also has a club that meets on Monday afternoons. The club started in April with 50 students and averages about 30 students for the weekly meetings. Students learn to solve the cube in different stages. Once they master the cube, the students begin to teach others. On May 2, the school had a competition to determine the top cubers to be on the team.

The team of 10 that competed met additionally for a few weeks to work on strategy for the team competition. “Our kids have amazing times to solve the cube. At this time, five of the kids can solve the cube in one minute or less! They spend lots of time at home with the cube in their hands,” commented Foslien.

Everett Public Schools. Communications Department. Forest View Elementary’s Rubik’s Cube Team Wins First Place at Competition. Everett Public Schools. Everett School District, 7 June 2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <http://www.everett.k12.wa.us>.

Mukilteo Robotics Team Finishes Second In Rubik’s Press release written by the Mukilteo School District Cube Competition The seven members of the Voyager robotics team solved 25 Rubik’s cubes in only 6 minutes and 35 seconds, giving them second place in the You Can Do the Rubik’s Cube competition held at the Seattle Science Festival recently. Trevor Lewis, the coach of the team, reports that the feat was even more remarkable given the fact that most of the other teams had eight members. Lewis said many on the Voyager team could not solve the Rubik’s cube when they started practicing after Spring Break, but they spent a great amount of time since learning, inventing and practicing algorithms that allow them to solve the puzzle in less than a minute. The team won $100 for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education at Voyager.

Muntz, Andy J. “Mukilteo Robotics Team Finishes Second In Rubik’s Cube Competition.” MSDINFO School District News (15 June 2012): Print.

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Cris Tovani Returns

Registration Now Open!

The House that Students Built Press release written by the Edmonds School District The Edmonds School District and the Lynnwood Rotary Foundation held an open house[in June} for their 37th project.

This year the District’s Carpentry Program built a single story, 3 bedroom, 2 bath, level entry rambler with an open floor plan.

The carpentry students, with guidance from Lynnwood High School Carpentry and Building Construction instructor Scott Hammond, and Assistant Micah Burlingame built the home starting from the blueprints and ending with a ready-to-movein house.

Each year, the house project has provided young men and women with valuable life-long skills and the homes stand as proof of quality handson-training.

Students learn entry-level carpentry skills currently used in the industry, and how to work together as effective teams. These skills provide a strong advantage when seeking employment in the building trades. Many graduates of this program enter the workforce directly, join the Carpenters Union Apprenticeship Training Program, or enroll in 2-4 year college programs in construction and construction management.

This program is only possible because of the Lynnwood Rotary’s partnership with Edmonds School District. In addition, Master Builders was a major contributor for this year’s project.

Jakala, Debbie J. “Building Construction Program WOWs Crowd at Open House.”

Edmonds School District News (18 June 2012): Print.

Harnessing the Power of the Common Core State Standards

October 26, 2012 “Harnessing the Power of the CCSS” grounds participants in basic information regarding the “Core” literacy standards and provides practical tips for increasing literacy opportunities across the disciplines.

This is essential since reading and writing are critical to building knowledge in history/social studies as well as in science and technical subjects.

Cris Tovani will: share ideas for using hold thinking and meaning so students remember and reuse have read

writing to construct can better what they

show how student writing can be used as a formative assessment so teachers can adjust instruction delve into how the workshop model can be used in content classrooms so students can experience more of the reading, writing, and thinking they need.

NOTE: Participants who attended Cris’s workshops will hear new ideas Cris has learned working with her own students; some of the foundational information from last year will be repeated as needed to provide context for that new learning.

Registration info on page 20.

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Weather Hotline 360.299.4078

Autism Outreach Project

Addressing Challenging Behaviors in School-Age Children with Autism Event ID: 22083 Problem behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can present significant challenges to parents and educators. This workshop will provide a wealth of strategies to use in addressing challenging behavior. A Positive Behavior Support (PBS) approach will be taught, emphasizing proactive prevention strategies, the teaching of replacement behaviors, and the use of positive reinforcement.

Presenter(s): Nancy Rosenberg Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Jan 24, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Behavior is Communication Event ID: 22076 Challenging behaviors are common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and related disorders. Behaviors interfere with learning, growth and development representing a major challenge.

This course will address challenging behaviors from the premise that communication breakdowns are often a function of the behavior. Attendees will be provided with tools to assess behavior and will explore preventative and proactive solutions in multiple settings.

Presenter(s): Vanessa Tucker Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Nov 01, 2012 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Register Early!

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Challenges and Strategies for Social Success (Part 1 of 2) Event ID: 22086 The workshop is designed so that each of the two days can stand alone, giving participants the option of attending either or both days.

Social cognition is the way we â&#x20AC;&#x153;thinkâ&#x20AC;? about being social and acting socially. For most of us, this is an intuitive process; for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), this thinking is a primary challenge. In this first of two courses, participants will explore some of the main deficit areas affecting social cognition. Strategies and tools for helping students strengthen these areas and navigate the social world will be introduced.

Presenter(s): Gretchen Schmidt-Mertes Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Feb 28, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Events not meeting minimum enrollment by the cut-off date, generally one week prior to start date, risk cancellation at the discretion of the organizer.

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Autism Spectrum Disorders: Challenges and Strategies for Academic Success (Part 2 of 2)

Best Practices in Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Event: 22087

Event ID: 22074

The workshop is designed so that each of the two days can stand alone, giving participants the option of attending either or both days.

Developing an effective educational plan requires full understanding of how the autism spectrum impacts each individual child. This workshop will provide a detailed look at the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the strengths and challenges these students face in the school system. Practical, evidence-based interventions will be provided for enhancing school success, including educational, social communication, organizational, and behavioral strategies.

Social cognition is a primary challenge for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this second of two courses, participants will explore how difficulties with social cognition impact academics and the standards of learning, specifically for students with Aspergers and high-functioning autism.

This class will look at the roots behind these challenges and how they affect problemsolving, written expression, organizational skills, and more. Strategies for supporting these needs within general education settings will be introduced.

Presenter(s): Gretchen Schmidt-Mertes Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Mar 01, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Presenter(s): Crystal Gray Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Oct 18, 2012 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Event: 22080 Students with social cognitive deficits, such as those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), struggle to understand the social world in which they live. This workshop will focus on understanding these deficits, and developing practical strategies to enhance social thinking and understanding through perspective taking and interactive social communication skills. Specific social thinking strategies will be described along with guidelines to implement an intervention.

Presenter(s): Crystal Gray Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Jan 10, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorders in Early Childhood Early Childhood and Autism â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Birth-to-Three Event ID: 22077 More children than ever before are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and studies show an increase in diagnosis under the age of three. This course will present information related to providing support for children in birthto-three programs, with a focus on social communication development. Expected developmental milestones at this age, strategies to help facilitate development, and ideas to increase collaboration with families will be included. The new guidelines for birth-to-three services for children with autism will be presented and discussed.

Presenter(s): Jim Mancini Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Nov 08, 2012 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Education Connection, Fall/Winter 2012

Enhancing Social Skills in Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Event: 22081 Early childhood is the key time to intervene when autism is suspected or diagnosed. This interactive course will explore the nature of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in early childhood and how the core impairments affect behavior and development.

Interventions that can be used by educators, family and other support members to build skills will be presented. Participants will be provided with tools and resources for promoting successful early intervention programs.

Presenter(s): Vanessa Tucker Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Jan 17, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

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Independence and Engagement in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Mental Health Conditions in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Social Communication in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Event ID: 22089

Event ID: 22084

Event: 22090

Educators and parents often struggle to promote engagement and independence in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Children with autism may demonstrate significant issues with offtask behavior and prompt dependency.

In this interactive workshop, participants will learn a variety of strategies to facilitate engagement and increase independence.

Self-management, prompt-fading strategies, activity schedules, and other practical, evidence-based tools will be covered.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle with mental health issues (such as depression and anxiety) which can interfere with their ability to participate in home and school activities. This workshop will focus on factors contributing to mental health problems, ways to identify concerning behaviors, and practical strategies for addressing these concerns. Effective coping strategies for home, community, and school (such as relaxation techniques, social cognitive interventions, and cognitive behavioral treatments) will be covered.

Research shows that children with social communication difficulties can learn many important skills with intervention. This course will present information related to providing support for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We will focus on social communication development in children ages three through six. The course will cover expected developmental milestones at these ages, issues that are commonly observed in children with ASD, and strategies to help facilitate development with activities that can be used in the classroom.

The importance of parent education and training will be discussed, along with ideas to help support families.

Presenter(s): Nancy Rosenberg Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Mar 14, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Introduction to Discrete Trial Training for Children with Autism Event ID: 22078

Presenter(s): Crystal Gray Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Feb 07, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Sensory Processing in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Event ID: 22088

Discrete trial training is a well-established instructional approach for teaching children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

This research-based method teaches skills in a planned, controlled, systematic manner using small repeated steps. It can be used with children of all ages and ability levels.

This workshop will cover the basics of discrete trial training. Video clips, modeling, and hands-on practice will be used to help participants learn this technique.

Presenter(s): Nancy Rosenberg Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Nov 15, 2012 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Education Connection, Fall/Winter 2012

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often exhibit extreme responses to everyday experiences. Understanding and identifying sensory processing patterns is essential to designing effective interventions aimed at increasing engagement across all environments. This course will provide a foundational understanding of sensory processing characteristics in students with ASD. In this interactive course, participants will learn best-practice strategies and interventions for sensory processing challenges.

Presenter(s): Jane Zielske Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Mar 07, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

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Presenter(s): Jim Mancini Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Mar 21, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Strategies for Paraeducators Working with Students on the Autism Spectrum Event: 22075 Paraeducators play an integral role in the success of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This course will provide an overview of the social deficits in students with ASD and how these characteristics impact all areas of school functioning, including academics. Participants will learn a variety of applicable and easy-to-implement strategies to support behavior, organization, and learning. Effective strategies for working with students in inclusive classrooms, resource rooms, or in self-contained settings will be included.

Presenter(s): Gretchen Schmidt-Mertes Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Oct 25, 2012 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM www.NWESD.org

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Structured Teaching for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Event: 22079 Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) need a higher level of planned structure to achieve independence and reduce frustration. Strategies to increase structure can greatly enhance their ability to focus and participate in the instructional activity. In this interactive seminar, based on the principles of the Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) program, participants will explore the nature of behaviors that occur in ASD. The TEACCH system, developed at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, is an evidence-based method for providing visual and physical structure to help organize individuals with ASD. Presenter(s): Vanessa Tucker Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Dec 06, 2012 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

Successful Strategies for Including Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Event: 22085 All children with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), have a right to access the least restrictive environment. Inclusion can often be difficult to maintain due to the nature of a child’s behaviors or other factors that pose a barrier to participation. In this course, participants will explore the common barriers to successful inclusion and learn strategies for promoting better outcomes for the child, teacher, and classroom. Participants will explore assessment tools, share ideas on how to collaborate with a specialized team, and discuss strategies for supporting inclusion.

Presenter(s): Vanessa Tucker Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Feb 21, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM Education Connection, Fall/Winter 2012

Need more Autism Resources?

The Autism Outreach Project (AOP) is a State Needs Project through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, in collaboration with the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers program in the Department of Early Learning and NWESD.

Visit www.nwesd.org/autism Call 888-704-9633 Email autism@nwesd.org Training | Lending Library | Referrals | Events | Information

Supporting the Transition Years for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Visual Thinking and Learning for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Event: 22091

Event: 22092

The high school years pose exceptional challenges for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

This workshop will focus on specific strategies to ensure a successful transition for these students. Participants will gain an understanding of the characteristics of ASD as well as practical strategies for helping these students successfully plan for transition to life after high school. Academic, employment, community, social, and behavioral strategies will be covered.

Presenter(s): Crystal Gray Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Mar 28, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM 19

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) rely on visual processing for learning and have a visual meta-linguistic way of thinking in common. This course will describe how these students “think to learn.”

Participants will discover how learning with a visual brain affects academic learning, social skills, behavior, and communication.

Specific visual thinking supports and effective strategies across content areas will be explored.

Presenter(s): Carole Kaulitz Facilitator: Patricia Yates Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $90 Location: NWESD and Interactive Video Locations Date/Time(s): Apr 11, 2013 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

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Need Resources?

The Teaching & Learning section of the NWESD website features an Effective Practice Lending Library.

A free lending library containing over 500 resources for educators!

Go online now to https://library.nwesd.org/epl Search by title, by author, or by category. Have them sent directly to your classroom!

Questions?

Call 360-299-4095

Teaching & Learning Effective First Interventions: Planning & Implementing Literacy Interventions Within Your Classroom Event ID: 22362 Good classroom instruction is the best, and first, intervention to help struggling readers become proficient readers. This class will help teachers plan and implement effective reading interventions for struggling students (RTI Tier II and Tier III students) within their own classroom. Participants will learn to analyze student miscues on Running Reading Records, plan and implement small guided reading groups, and adopt a developmental spelling program based on Words Their Way. Each of these interventions will help support our most tangled readers in their journey to reading proficiency.

Presenter(s): Kate Morris Facilitator: Anita Garcia Holzemer Credits: Clock Hours 10 Registration Fee: $140 Location: Everett Community College, Gray Wolf Hall Date/Time(s): Jan 25, 2013 5:30 PM–8:30 PM Jan 26, 2013 8:30 AM–4:30 PM

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Harnessing the Power of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Event: 22275 “Harnessing the Power of the CCSS” grounds participants in basic information regarding the “Core” literacy standards and provides practical tips for increasing literacy opportunities across the disciplines, since reading and writing are critical to building knowledge in history/social studies as well as in science and technical subjects. Cris Tovani will share ideas for using writing to hold thinking and construct meaning so students can better remember and reuse what they have read. She will also show how student writing can be used as a formative assessment so teachers can adjust instruction. She will delve into how the workshop model can be used in content classrooms so students can experience more of the reading, writing, and thinking the CCSS demands.

Presenter(s): Cris Tovani Facilitator: Anita Garcia Holzemer Credits: Clock Hours 6 Registration Fee: $140 Location: NWESD, Reid Harbor Date/Time(s): Oct 26, 2012 8:30 AM-3:30 PM

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Weather Hotline 360.299.4078 Poetry Out Loud

Vocabulary Instruction for Higher Level Thinking

Event ID: 21764 Poetry Out Loud is a nation-wide program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance. This exciting program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. Learn more about Poetry Out Loud, how to run the program in your school, and how to support your students with poetry memorization and recitation.

Presenter(s): Kathy Shoop Facilitator: Nancy Menard Credits: Clock Hours 3 Registration Fee: $0 Location: Burlington Public Library, Burlington Public Library Date/Time(s): Oct 16, 2012 4:00 PM-7:00 PM

Event ID: 21857 The Common Core State Standards require a shift toward the use of more complex text and higher-level vocabulary. In this workshop, Sarah Collinge shares strategies for increasing vocabulary acquisition, reducing the cognitive weight of the text, and uncovering the author’s message or theme. Sarah offers a routine for vocabulary instruction that focuses on teaching key repeated words and word contrasts. In addition, she provides strategies for teaching morphemes and incorporating word study routines across the school day.

Presenter(s): Sarah Collinge Facilitator: Anita Garcia Holzemer Credits: Clock Hours 5 Registration Fee: $75 Location: Colleges & Universities, Everett Community College, Gray Wolf Hall Date/Time(s): Nov 03, 2012 9:00 AM-3:00 PM

You Say Persuade; I Say Argue: Transitioning to the Common Core State Standards for Writing Event ID: 21893 How are the CCSS and the current GLEs for Writing - and thinking - similar, yet different? What are the implications for teaching “argumentation” as opposed to “persuasion”? What does “argument writing” look like? As WA state teachers will be responsible for implementing the new standards for the 2014-15 school year, we all need to begin that transition now. This two-day workshop will enable participants to sort out and address important writing instruction ‘transition points’ by grade level, provide participants with relevant examples of and practice with argumentation vs persuasive text, and address key instructional strategies going forward. Class is geared toward secondary (grades 6-12) teachers and teacher teams who will be teaching writing per the practices indicated within the CCSS. Presenter(s): Steve Pearse Facilitator: Anita Garcia Holzemer Credits: Clock Hours 10 Registration Fee: $140 Location: NWESD, Reid Harbor Date/Time(s): Oct 2 and 3, 2012 9:00 AM-3:00 PM

Issues of Abuse (Online Course) The impact of exposure to abuse/neglect has far-reaching cognitive implications, including stunted brain growth, diminished academic functioning, poor impulse control, difficulty focusing, low self-esteem, anger bursts, poor peer relationships/social skills. Acquire knowledge of indicators of abuse/neglect, Washington State law regarding mandated reports, and dynamics of violent families. Meets certification/re-certification requirements.

Presenter: Corey Hodge Facilitator: Jane Morgan Registration Fee: $125

Credits: Clock Hours 10 College Credits 1

Event IDs: Date/Time(s): 22333: 01/28/13 - 03/01/13 22334: 03/25/13 - 04/26/13 22335: 04/29/13 - 05/31/13

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