NWESD March/April Express

EEEXPRESS

March/April 2010

The NWESD Newsletter

NWESD Teachers Win Top Honors Anacortes Partners with Disney NWESD Schools on the National Stage

1

EEEXPRESS

March/April 2010

jjenkins@nwesd.org

E

ven though we have just passed the middle of our acedemic year, planning for the 2010/11 year is already underway at the NWESD. A few items may be of particular interest to friends and clients: Teacher-of-the-Year– It is time to nominate teachers for this special recognition. The NWESD regional winner will then compete with finalists from the eight other ESD regions for state Teacher of the Year honors.

For information on how to make a nomination please contact Lana Haugen at 360-299-4019.

School Accreditation– Schools interested in seeking accreditation may do so through the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) in conjunction with the national Association of Educational Service agencies (AESA).

Whereas state approval is mandatory for schools to confirm they are meeting basic education requirements, accreditation is a voluntary process that goes a step further. The AESD supports a long-term vision for performance-based education that aligns accreditation requirements to continuous improvement in student learning.

The NWESD coordinates the AESD/ AESA accreditation process for schools in northwest Washington which is available to all elementary and secondary schools in Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties. For information contact Dr. Kathy Shoop at 360-299-4036.

District Leadership Academy Support– The NWESD has provided systems support to more than 20 districts over the last four years. This program’s goals are: 1)To support leaders’ further development and refinement of the district’s Theory of Action and corresponding action plans.

2)To establish or reinforce effective teaching and learning as the central focus of district and school work AND increase system wide capacity to improve in this area.

3)To support the district team’s development as a community of practice and the ability to lead system improvement related to effective teaching and learning.

We have been awestruck by the practical impacts on improving student learning 2

throughout these districts.

If you are interested in having your district participate in this support system contact me at 360-299-4003.

Funding/Budgeting– The various programs administered by the NWESD are funded by many different sources: federal and state grants, private foundation grants, fees for services charged to local school districts and other agencies, and a small “core” allocation from the state. This core funding is about 4% of our budget and provides potential support of statutorily-mandated services such as teacher certification, district financial assistance, and various state reporting requirements.

We recognize everyone will be facing significant funding reductions next year.

The NWESD is in the development of its 10/11 budget now, so we can focus our fiscal support to district budget renewals later this spring. We will continue to strive to increase our efficiencies in order to better serve member districts.

Thank you for your continued support. Please do not hesitate to call (360-299-4003) or email (jjenkins@ nwesd.org) if I may be of any assistance.

EEEXPRESS

www.nwesd.org

Sedro-Woolley Elementary Schools Making Great “Strides” in Healthiest State Campaign Stacy Price

Evergreen Elementary Students (l to r) Ethan Oppe, Cody Hamilton, Brendan Woods, Corey Osborne, Tyler Goss, Bradley Manke, Adrian Franklin, and Denton Nelson stretch their legs to help Sedro-Woolley elementary schools receive top rankings in state Health Bowl Challenge.

J

erry Gardner and Stacy Price, elementary PE specialists in the Sedro-Woolley School District, are diligently working to get kids healthy.

Resources are slim in rural communities like Sedro-Woolley and these two PE specialists are making the best of what resources they have, reports the Washington Health Foundation Rural Health blog.

“Gardner jumps between Big Lake Elementary and Clear Lake Elementary during the week teaching PE classes at each school. Even with limited resources, Big Lake, Clear Lake and Evergreen elementary schools have demonstrated tremendous success. All [schools] had impressive results during the 2009 Governor’s Health Bowl School Challenge,” Gina Legaz, Washington Health Foundation Director of Health Education and Community Relations, explained.

Top Rankings in 2009 Health Bowl Challenge Evergreen Elementary finished 10th in the state by averaging 339 miles per student; Big Lake Elementary finished 6th by averaging 428 miles per student; and Clear Lake finished 5th by averaging 442 miles per student.

Success in PE is also translating into the classroom. Big Lake Elementary was named a 2009 School of Distinction by the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Evergreen Elementary received this award in 2008.

Gardner and Price are taking Sedro-Woolley School District’s participation in the Healthiest State Campaign to new levels. In addition to getting staff, parents and students active and eating well, they completed the 3

Jerry Gardner

“Coordinated School Health Activities” offered at www.HealthiestState.org and are now working with their district to coordinate PE and health curricula.

“Supportive administrators, great school walking clubs and eager students are the key to success for any kind of school-wide health challenge,” Gardner and Price explain.

In addition to healthy schools, Sedro-Woolley is home to the 2009 and 2006 Washington State Healthiest Business Challenge winner, United General Hospital.

Congratulations Sedro-Woolley School District and its rural communities!

Source: “Picture Sedro-Woolley, WA…,” Washington Health Foundation Rural Health blog, www. healthiest state.com, January 26, 2010, Gina Legaz.

EEEXPRESS

March/April 2010

NWESD Staff and Teachers Win Top Honors Statewide NWESD Top Honors

Lynden Registrar wins Regional Classified School Employee of the Year

I

n every school there is an unsung hero: the person who works tirelessly to be sure the job is complete, the person who either knows the answer to your question or knows exactly where to find it, the person who greets you with a smile despite her own stressful day. At Lynden High School that person is Audie Kingma and her colleagues are excited to see her get the recognition she deserves as the 2010 Regional Classified School Employee of the Year.

Audie Kingma joined the Lynden School District 26 years ago. At that time grades were recorded by hand, email did not exist and student files were just that - files.

Audie has not only needed to keep up with dramatically changing technology, she has often been the point person for implementing new systems like the Skyward database system and responsible for training support staff. She is known throughout the school as a “go-to” person, always willing to take on a new task and possessing a wealth of historical knowledge as the longest tenured classified employee in the Lynden district.

In the last few years, Audie’s job expanded significantly as Lynden High School began building new student resource programs, including a career center and a drug and alcohol counseling center. The academic counseling center was also reorganized around the same time. Audie was the “central hub” for all of these developments, supporting all aspects of their creation while balancing her registrar duties. It has been said that these projects could not have been completed without her assistance.

Audie is the first point of contact for students who enroll at Lynden High School, and she is usually the person assisting them as they gather their documents for college applications and scholarships. While assisting students from their first freshman day through graduation, she forms relationships with the families she serves. “I feel very blessed to be in a school where I know every student, their family and their siblings,” said Audie last month. “Although my title may read Registrar, my heart reads connector, nurturer and listener.”

Knowing that, it is not surprising that the most noted comment about Audie refers to her kind heart and her loving spirit. “Audie is such a joy to all of us,” said Career and Technical Education Director Randy Anderson. “If and when she decides to retire, we are not just going to miss her wisdom and knowledge, but her caring character and huge heart.”

Audie also considers her most important role at Lynden High School to be outside her standard job description. “As I reflect back on my work over the last 26 years, these relationships I have formed with people in the community are what I consider most valuable,” she said.

4

EEEXPRESS

www.nwesd.org

T

he Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has named Christine Forslund, of Kulshan Middle School in Bellingham, one of nine winners of this year’s Qwest Teachers and Technology grants.

Qwest Foundation grants help teachers create 21st-century learning environments that use real-world technologies to solve real-world problems. Each of the nine winning teachers or teacher teams will receive $10,000 for learning projects that integrate digital technologies. Ms. Forslund’s project was evaluated and selected by representatives from OSPI, the Governor’s Office, Qwest Foundation, Microsoft and several Washington educators.

“Every year it becomes more critical that we lead our students to global literacy, turn them into expert problem-solvers and make sure they are fluent in technology,” said State Superintendent Randy Dorn. “These are the basic skills students will need in the future. Our partnership with the Qwest Foundation supports the development of these skills. It also addresses different learning styles and raises the bar on student achievement.”

Ms. Forslund’s project created partnerships with community-based educational programs — Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Re-Sources, Puget Sound Energy and Snow Goose Marine Science. Forslund will bring her students into the field to expand their understanding through firsthand observation and experience. Students will start with a problem defined by authentic conditions, conduct an investigation by collecting data and then learn how to use that data to construct a basic understanding of how abiotic elements behave. They will create reports that describe the beginning inquiry and present results with supporting evidence. As peers they will work through each investigation to a viable solution.

Christine Forslund believes this project will be an important learning experience to share with her colleagues. “I plan to meet regularly with the Kulshan Science Department teachers to expand their technical skill sets for collecting, recording and sharing data,” she said. “Our plan is to vertically align lessons from 6th through 8th grade that will enable all students to integrate technology to gather accurate data and organize data to make models and valid interpretations.”

Forslund is also an active member of the district technology team. “Our task is to identify and select lessons where it makes sense to include technology and align the experiences across content areas and through grade levels.”

Congratulations to Christine Forslund!

Source: The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) 5

NWESD Staff and Teachers Win Top Honors Statewide

Bellingham Teacher Awarded $10,000 Qwest Teachers and Technology Grant

NWESD Top Honors

EEEXPRESS

March/April 2010

Getting Serious About School Reform with Dr. Robert Marzano

T

he morning was cold as hundreds of education professionals poured into the Comcast Arena in late January.

Teachers and administrators from around the state gathered to hear Dr. Robert Marzano explore the third commitment in his “Getting Serious About School Reform” series, a three-year project presented by a statewide collaboration of all Washington Educational Service Districts.

Dr. Marzano, a leading national researcher in education, released a Vision Document in 2008 to share a research-based perspective and outline a systematic formula to transform student learning. In this document, Dr. Marzano identified Three Critical Commitments that provide a foundation for education reform.

Each session in this three-year project focuses on one commitment, exploring the research behind it and providing the tools for every school to implement the commitment on a grass-roots level.

The January session focused entirely on Commitment #3: Building Background Knowledge for All Students.

The purpose of Commitment #3 is to “enhance student academic background knowledge through direct instruction in specific academic terms1”.

Educational teams from districts spanning the state found themselves immersed in the theory and broke into “Turn and Talk” sessions frequently throughout the day to reflect on the content. One team from Walla Walla, a group that likely traveled the farthest to participate, brought their own list of academic terms and was impressed to see the Marzano materials mirror their determination at nearly every point.

The Marzano materials are available for download on the NWESD website; www.nwesd.org.

The next installment of this series takes place May 18-19, 2010 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mount, Washington.

Space is limited for this event; participants can register online at www.esd113.org.

1 Marzano, R. (2008). Vision Document:

Getting Serious About School Reform. (pp.36)

6

EEEXPRESS

www.nwesd.org

The NWESD is poised to assist school districts as they implement the commitments outlined in the Marzano series. Please take advantage of these great opportunities by contacting Beth Niemi at 360.299.4717.

In Loving Memory of Bill Dorway The NWESD is sad to announce the passing of our esteemed friend and colleague, Mr. William Dixon Dorway. Bill was one of nine original board members when NWESD 189 formed in 1976 through the merging of two “Intermediary School Districts” ISD 108 and ISD 109. Bill served as a board member until October 1999.

Bill was extremely active in his community, volunteering his time in many organizations including the Everett Public Library, First Presbyterian of Everett, Everett Symphony, Everett Chamber of Commerce and Everett Civic Music. In 1993 he was honored as an Everett Centennial Citizen, acknowledging his many years of service to his community.

Bill also proudly served his country by enlisting in the Army in 1943. In WWII, he landed in Utah Beach during the Battle of the Bulge and served in Europe until the the European campaign ended. He married his loving wife of 62 years, Roberta “Bobbe” Jean Shelledy Dorway, just after the war ended.

We are grateful for Bill’s many years of service to the NWESD and to the community he loved. He will be dearly missed.

Source: The Everett Herald, February 24, 2010. www.heraldnet.com/obituaries 7

EEEXPRESS

March/April 2010

The TESLA Motor Car Company of Seattle showed off their new all-electric roadster to students. This sleek sport car can outrun nearly everything on the road at 244 miles on one charge and is a zero emissions car.

Students get a good look at a battery powered TESLA roadster.

Marysville Arts and Technology High School Principal Terri Kaltenbach receives a $500 scholarship check from an ITT Technical Institute partner.

8

EEEXPRESS

www.nwesd.org

“What Happens When the Oil Runs Out?” Marysville Arts and Technology High School Receives Outstanding Support for Research and Scholarships It started with a PUD grant to get students involved in hands-on projects.

It evolved into a research project on sustainability “What Happens When the Oil Runs Out?” Next came the TESLA Motor Company and their electric cars. From there a Microsoft engineer – and owner of a TESLA – asked how he could be involved. Soon, Marysville Arts and Technology High School students will be presenting their research findings in a display at the Boeing Future of Flight Aviation Center. Great integration of learning in everyday classes coupled with outstanding community partnerships providing real-world experience for students!

Community Partnerships Help Students Address Energy Issues

M

arysville’s Arts and Technology High School’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing and Math (STEMM) teachers recently asked a far reaching question to their manufacturing

and engineering students: “What happens to society when the oil runs out?”

For the first phase of this three-year investigation, teachers challenged students to invent new ways to conserve and create energy. The students and staff are now practicing many of the standard solutions such as composting their lunch waste, building a green house and are now developing amazing ideas to prepare for the day when cheap energy is no longer available. Students will participate in a regional competition at the end of 2010 demonstrating their solutions to how a school or community might continue functioning when classic energy is gone.

Boeing’s Future of Flight Aviation Center has invited the students to display their “Beyond Green, Conserving and Creatin Energy” project in their main gallery.

Through a partnership with Snohomish County PUD, the school received a $500 PUD mini-energy grant for this research-based project and has partnered with the PUD’s Conservation Department, Boeing’s Future of Flight Aviation Center, and ITT Technical Institute.

9

Scholarship and Program Support from Donors is Key to School’s Success An ITT Technical Institute partner who is a private software developer in the education field recently provided the school with a $500 college scholarship to be awarded to a Marysville Art and Technology High School student.

Strong school programs in robotics and manufacturing are also supported by generous business partners. Boeing has given $5,000 toward the school’s robotics competition. The high school continues to build on these strengths as they move toward becoming a STEMM school focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Math.

Source: Marysville School District

EEEXPRESS

March/April 2010

NWESD schools on News Brief Mount Vernon student selected as alternate for the National Youth Science Camp At the invitation of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin III, two Washington public school students will participate as delegates in the 47th year of the National Youth Science Camp (NYSC), being held in Charleston, WV this summer.

Mount Vernon student Nyka Tucker was selected as an alternate.

Established in 1963 as a part of West Virginia’s Centennial Celebration, the National Youth Science Camp is an annual summer forum in which two delegates from each state exchange ideas with leading scientists and other professionals from academic and corporate worlds.

The camp is operated by the National Youth Science Foundation.

Based in Charleston, West Virginia, the foundation’s mission, according to its Web site, “is to honor, sustain, and encourage youth interest and excellence in science.”

Marysville Teacher is Educator of the Year for International Education

M

arysvillePilchuck High School History and Social Science Department Chair Ryan Hauck was recently awarded the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV)2010 Phyllis Layton Perry Educator of the Year award. Hauck was nominated by the World Affairs Council of Seattle for his extensive work in developing international education opportunities for his students, coworkers and community, as well as students and educators from Nigeria, Russia and Europe.

“We’re incredibly proud to honor Ryan’s achievements and delighted to have such an outstanding ambassador for the council and the State of Washington,” Jennifer Thorvig, Deputy Director of the World Affairs Council’s International Visitor Program, said. “Ryan’s leadership, creativity, initiative, and dedication to increasing global awareness exemplify the character and values of Phyllis Layton Perry, the award’s namesake.”

The Phyllis Layton Perry Educator award was established by NCIV in 2004 to recognize educators for their achievements in increasing global awareness through education and hosting international leaders, scholars and students. Hauck will receive his award at the NCIV national meeting in Washington, D.C. in February.

The meeting will be attended by World Affairs Council of Seattle staff, members of the international exchange community and members of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. Founded in 1961, NCIV is a nonprofit organization that promotes excellence in citizen diplomacy by serving as a professional association for the international exchange community.

10

EEEXPRESS

www.nwesd.org

the National Stage Everett Students Win Top Honors in National WordMasters Challenge

A

team of students representing Henry M. Jackson High School in Everett recently won top honors in this year’s national WordMasters Challenge, a competition for high school students requiring close reading and analysis of different kinds of prose and poetry. The school’s ninth-graders tied for tenth place among 526 teams from across the country.

Several of the school’s students received individual achievement awards.

Freshmen William Diamanti and Kaitlyn LaBorn and sophomore Stephen Bartlett placed among the 51 highest scoring ninth-graders and the 41 highest scoring tenth-graders in the nation, respectively. Freshmen Sarah Arpin and Matthew Spaw both earned honorable mention awards. More than 52,000 students throughout the United States participated in the challenge.

The premise behind the WordMasters Challenge is that attentive reading and sensitivity to language are among the most important skills students acquire in school. Students must analyze text for the competition that can range from short fiction by Eudora Welty or John Steinbeck to poetry as old as Shakespeare or as recent as Margaret Atwood, classic essays by E.B. White, or as current as a Time opinion piece by James Poniewozik.

News Brief

Though the literature varies widely in voice, subject, tone, and length, it has one thing in common--style.

NWESD High Schools Rank in National “Best High Schools” Report

All selected text uses language skillfully to convey layers and shades of meaning not always apparent to students on a first or casual reading. The questions posed by the WordMasters Challenge ask students to recognize both the emotional and/or rational logic of the writing and to notice the ways in which a writer’s style shapes and shades the meaning.

Congratulations to Blaine High School, Mount Baker Senior High School, Orcas Island High School, and Sehome High School for being selected as some of the 51 best high schools in Washington state and 1,750 high schools in the nation during 2009!

The WordMasters Challenge is a classroom activity. After completing a Challenge, classes are encouraged to talk about the text and answers to the questions. Students are also given additional topics for open-ended classroom discussion and written response.

The students will participate in two or more WordMasters Challenges during the coming months. Medals and certificates will be awarded to students in June 2010 based on their progress and achievement.

11

Students in these four high schools performed better than statistically expected (based on demographics) on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) testing, compared with other high school students throughout the state.

The U.S. News & World Report “Best High Schools” listing is more valid than Newsweek’s national high school ranking based on the description of methodology that can be found on the following website: http://www.usnews.com/directories/ high-schools/.

EEEXPRESS

March/April 2010

Anacortes Schools Participate in “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day”

A

nacortes School District is helping reach Disney Parks’ goal of inspiring one million people to volunteer a day of service in their communities during 2010. The school district is participating in the “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.” program through the HandsOn Network and Disney Parks. During 2010, HandsOn Network and Disney are hoping to reward volunteers for their commitment to their communities with a free ticket to Disneyland® Resort or Walt DisneyWorld® Resort in exchange for a day of volunteer service.

The Anacortes School District has a variety of volunteer opportunities listed on the Disney website, including: classroom volunteers, special event and field trip chaperones, K-6 school buddy mentors, Family Fun Night volunteers, after-school tutors, health screening volunteers, PTA event volunteers, and reading, writing and math tutors in all schools.

Opportunities for volunteers are being added daily to the website, so interested volunteers can check to see what new projects are available.

Volunteers can go to www.disneyparks. com to search for volunteer opportunities made available through the HandsOn Network and sign up for a day of volunteer service.

12

As the nation’s largest volunteer group, the HandsOn Network has 250 on-the-ground volunteer action centers across the country and connects volunteers to more than 70,000 nonprofit agencies that need their help. Many of the opportunities are projects that entire families can participate in together.

EEEXPRESS

www.nwesd.org

NWESD Schools Prepare for the Future Coupeville School District Receives Grant to Help At-Risk Students Graduate and Prepare for Job Market

A

t-risk high school students on Whidbey Island will now have a better chance of meeting graduation requirements and preparing for the job market thanks to a recent $97,500 federal Title 1 grant to Coupeville School District. The new program, beginning in January 2010, has been described as a “school within a school.”

Students needing to make up high school credits will take online classes, independent study courses or direct instruction classes in the Coupeville High School annex building. The program incorporates elements of traditional and specialized courses with a strong emphasis on career development. Students will learn to write resumes and develop interview skills in addition to their regular coursework.

“The Coupeville School District operated a similar program last summer, which [Coupeville School District Superintendent Patty] Page said was successful.

Approximately 100 students from Coupeville, Oak Harbor and South Whidbey took courses in the summer program. In all, participants earned 88 semester credits. In Coupeville, the summer program immediately improved the graduation rate for the class of 2009. Last June, 92 percent of Coupeville’s senior class graduated. Once the summer program wrapped up, the rate climbed to 96 percent,” reported the Whidbey News Times in a December 29, 2009 article.

This new program in Coupeville will also allow students from Oak Harbor and South Whidbey to attend. The program is able to accept the equivalent of 40 full-time students.

For more information on this program for at-risk high school students, contact Coupeville School District Superintendent Patty Page at (360) 678-4522 or ppage@ coupeville.k12.wa.us.

Source: “Coupeville Creates a School Within a School,” Whidbey News Times, December 29, 2009, Nathan Whalen; www.pnwlocalnews.com .

13

Registration Open for the National Financial Capability Challenge In December 2009 Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the National Financial Capability Challenge. The goal of this program is to give students the tools to build a strong financial future.

The Challenge is an awards program for educators and high schools students that aims to encourage the teaching of personal finance, lessons that often slip through the cracks while students focus on acedemics in the classroom.

The program goal is to get one million high school students to take the Challenge, which includes a voluntary online exam, by April 9, 2010. To make that happen, thousands of educators from across the country need to register and get their students prepared.

For more information, and to register for The National Financial Capability Challenge, visit http://challenge. treas.gov/index.htm.

EEEXPRESS

March/April 2010

EDvantage, Spring 2010

et plugged into NWESD! We are getting plugged in and we want you to join us! NWESD is now using Social Media to share articles, review topics and list upcoming events. Visit us on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation. Links to both pages are on the home page of the NWESD website.

The NWESD EDvantage, our popular course catalog, is currently undergoing a facelift to include more featured articles and education news. You’ll find this publication online at www.nwesd.org/edvantage, with the new easy-to-read electronic format. Want a printed copy? Just print the PDF listed below the electronic version - it couldn’t be easier to stay in the loop!

The NWESD resources are more accessable than ever! Log on, join in and get plugged into NWESD!

14