Sound Publishing East - Education State of the Union 2018

EDUCATION - STATE OF THE UNION 2018 -

Eastside

School Districts

The Future of Learning

How to Make Applying to College

Less Stressful

NORTH KING COUNTY MEDIA GROUP Cover Photo Image courtesy of

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2 EDUCATION - STATE OF THE UNION 2018

Welcome!

The Reporter’s Education Directory provides Eastside families with resources about some of the top public and private choices in the area.

From grade school through college, the information in this directory will inform families and their students about various schools and districts’ histories, accomplishments, missions and more.

NORTH KING COUNTY MEDIA GROUP

Regional Publisher Eric LaFontaine

Regional Editor Carrie Rodriguez

Advertising Director Cory Howerton

Senior Editor Samantha Pak

General Manager William Shaw

Office Coordinator Celeste Hoyt

Ad Account Executives Paul Brown Summer Davis William Shaw Sr. Designer & Layout Diana Nelson

Production Designers Wendy Fried Melanie Morgan

Special Thanks: Bellevue College, WA Tech University, LWSD, MISD, ISD, SVSD, LW Tech, Gersh Academy, Forest Ridge.

Cover Photo Image courtesy of Bellevue College

Lake Washington School District –

Growth, Success and Every Student Future Ready Lake Washington School District continues to work toward accomplishing our vision of Every Student Future Ready. The district’s graduation and college entrance rates are among the highest in the state. For the fourth-straight year, the College Board named Lake Washington to its annual AP Honor Roll, a distinction given to only eight school districts in the state and 431 in the nation. Our highly qualified and committed teams of administrators, teachers and staff are dedicated to the success of each and every one of our students.

Ongoing community support helps the district provide high-quality educational experiences for all students. With the successful passage of a bond measure in 2016, two new elementary schools open in Redmond this fall: Clara Barton Elementary in North Redmond and Ella Baker Elementary in

Redmond Ridge. A new middle school in Redmond will open in fall 2019. District enrollment continues to grow, and these schools help to reduce overcrowding and provide the additional classroom space we need for our students.

Building on Success is the name of our community-developed, long-term plan to continue to build schools and classrooms needed to accommodate our growing student enrollment.

Future funding measures are needed to continue to implement the plan and to provide quality learning environments and experiences for our students.

Community engagement is key to addressing growth in the community and in our schools.

The district’s focus on community engagement and fiscal responsibility earned national recognition from the Association of School Business Officials

START with the end in mind!

4 EDUCATION - STATE OF THE UNION 2018

International. The 2017-18 budget earned the Meritorious Budget Award, a national recognition for the development of a transparent, effective budget that aligns with high standards for budget presentation and commitment to the community.

As superintendent of Lake Washington School District, I am proud of the district’s success. Great communities make great schools. It is only through the support of parents, community members and city and business leaders that we can experience such success as a district and accomplish our mission and vision for students. As our communities grow, our district grows, and as our district grows, so does our unwavering commitment to serving students and families throughout the district.

Dr. Traci Pierce,outgoing superintendent

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Mercer Island School District The Mercer Island School District has built a national reputation for excellence, combining academics, cultural expression and athletic achievement. We emphasize personalized learning that is responsive to students’ strengths, interests and passions. The district is consistently ranked among the best in the state and maintains a graduation rate of more than 95 percent. Our graduates move on to the finest colleges and universities in the world.

Our district continues to build on our culture of excellence, prioritizing high-quality instruction in every classroom while creating an inclusive, safe, welcoming and caring environment for every student.

Our enrollment continues to grow in both population and diversity as new families move to Mercer Island. We opened our fourth elementary

school, Northwood, in 2016 and completed new classrooms, commons and gymnasium at Islander Middle School. Both projects were the result of a successful bond proposition supported by the community.

This year, Island voters strongly approved a renewal of the four-year Educational Maintenance and Operations Levy, which provides funding for many important programs, including special education, elementary school Spanish language, art, music, PE, a seven-period day at the high school and advanced courses.

We are proud of our continuing partnerships with the City of Mercer Island and Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, providing mental health counselors in our schools and a school resource officer to serve the high school and other buildings as needed.

Mercer Island continues to be a technology leader, with more than 3,000 iPads in use to enhance digital

By Donna Colosky

learning. Apple Education has honored us again this year for innovation in applying technology in the classroom.

Community support of our schools is unparalleled in the region. Mercer Island Schools Foundation, our PTAs and community boosters contributed more than $2 million to our schools last year. We encourage our families to be involved and volunteer in our schools, and if anyone is interested in joining our team, please visit jobs.mercerislandschools.org for a current listing of employment opportunities.

For more information about the district and its programs, please visit our website at mercerislandschools.org, find us on Facebook at facebook.com/mercerislandschooldistrict, and follow us on Twitter @mercerislandsd.

Donna Colosky is superintendent of the Mercer Island School District. Follow her on Twitter @ suptcolosky.

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The Issaquah School District is educating the

innovators, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders of tomorrow.

Students in our district repeatedly score within the top five percent on state standardized tests, but our teachers aim for more. They create passionate lifelong learners who want to achieve their personal and professional potential in a rapidly changing world. The district has grown with our region as it has transformed over the past 100 years from sleepy mining towns to the heart of a vibrant economic and cultural region. Nearly 21,000 students are now enrolled in the district’s 24 schools, which cover a span of 110 square miles and seven municipalities.

The district serves a community that is becoming increasingly ethnically diverse. Residents lead and work at local corporations such as Microsoft, Costco, Starbucks, Google and Boeing. It’s no surprise that community members here are exceptionally tech-savvy and involved in local education in a sophisticated way. We enjoy incredible levels of parental involvement and most of our schools have

100 percent PTSA membership or close to it. The community is highly engaged with us as business members help shape career curriculum and voters consistently pass school finance ballot measures.

Our schools offer a well-rounded curriculum.

Students excel in highly capable, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs, explore interest-based and real-world learning at our new innovative high school and have opportunities to take career and technical classes. District teachers are respected professionals: 90 percent of community members have rated them “excellent” in ongoing surveys and 70 percent of staff hold masters or doctorate degrees.

While Issaquah schools are always academically celebrated, their true character shines through the passion, compassion, creativity and diverse interests of students and staff. The district has also been recognized for its fiscal management by earning

Moody’s Aaa highest bond rating. Less than five percent of school districts nationwide share this distinction, which helps keep tax rates as low as possible for residents. To learn more, explore the district website at www.issaquah.wednet.edu.

Snoqualmie Valley School District The Snoqualmie Valley School District is located in the scenic Cascade Mountain foothills and encompasses more than 400 square miles. Serving families in Snoqualmie, North Bend, Fall City and surrounding areas of unincorporated King County, the district offers high-quality public education to approximately 7,000 students in 10 schools.

The district’s mission is to prepare all students for college, careers and citizenship. In a positive and safe learning environment, Snoqualmie Valley schools offer rigorous academic curriculum, career education training, extracurricular experiences, extensive technology resources and project-based learning.

In recent years, student achievement and the number of students choosing rigorous academic

courses have trended upward. The class of 2017 graduation rate was 93 percent districtwide (95 percent at Mount Si High School). Snoqualmie Valley has been recognized for AP Honor Roll distinctions by the College Board, and Mount Si High School has been named on national best high school lists by U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek. Mount Si’s jazz band has also been selected among top school bands in the nation, to perform at festivals in New York and Chicago.

The district has an unwavering commitment to school improvement and views great teaching as the key to educational excellence. Educators receive progressive professional development, instructional coaching support from peer mentors and in-depth technology training to help them maximize the

students’ potential.

Thanks to the community’s support of school bonds and levies, the district is expanding school facilities and improving programs to serve a growing student population. State-of-the-art security systems have been installed throughout Snoqualmie Valley schools and a new elementary school opened in 2016. Construction is underway to rebuild, expand and modernize Mount Si High School. By fall of 2019, the new high school will serve grades 9-12 and the current Freshman Campus will be converted to a third middle school.

Snoqualmie Valley School District is a very special place for children to grow and learn. To learn more, explore the district website (www.svsd410.org) and visit our schools.

character and values (No. 12). Colleges increasingly a high school curriculum as they could. contemplate what campus life will be like and how a “Colleges want to see that students have particular applicant will add—or detract—from the challenged themselves academically, by taking campus. Colleges want to see leaders, students with honors, AP or IB classes,” said independent college special skills or talents, and those who have been counselor Kiersten Murphy of Murphy College active in campus activities, as well as those whose Consultants in Issaquah, who has been in the profession for 21 years. “Grades and scores do play a values fit a college’s view of itself. Colleges also seek diversity, striving for a campus made up of those significant role, but they are not the only qualifying from varied cultural, social, economic, geographic, criteria for admission. It is far more impressive to religious, and occupational backgrounds (No. 9). take on the challenge of a rigorous course load, Much has been written in recent years about two which means, among other things, sticking with a areas: demonstrated interest (how an applicant foreign language through senior year.” demonstrates a genuine desire to attend) and Item No. 4 in the ranking—the essay—is also social media (what a student’s online life reveals). the most misunderstood, according to IECA. The The IECA rankings showed these areas to be of less essay tends to be more important at smaller and importance than other items. independent colleges, however, according to Sklarow cautioned that “Every college is unique, Murphy, “University of Washington does use the so each emphasizes something different in its essay to evaluate students holistically.” process of reviewing applications. One of the great But too many students think the essay is about benefits of hiring an IECA independent educational construction, grammar and format. The association consultant is their knowledge of such differences, warns that while these matter (typos and bad The Independent Educational Consultants and ability on to share this information with of grammar should never happen), the essay must This ranked list their is based a nationwide survey Association (IECA) recently released its ranking of students as they guide them through the show insight into a student’s unique personality or What Colleges Look for in High School Students, IECA memberapplication independent consultants process.educational ” life-shaping experiences. based on an annual survey of nearly 2,000 This ranked list is based on a nationwide survey of Murphy says, “An essay that was completed for independent educational consultants. While This ranked list is based on a nationwide survey of an English class assignment is typically not the one IECA member independent educational consultants grades and standardized test scores are near About IECA that you to college use for your college application, IECA member educational the top of these annual rankings, a number of Just as want every is different, so tooindependent are the criteria and in priorities in eacht, IECA was founded 1976 asconsultants a nonprofi no matter the grade that you earned.

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Independent Educational Consultants Association 3251 Old Lee Highway • Suite 510 • Fairfax, VA 22030 703-591-4850 • www.IECAonline.com • info@IECAonline.com © 2018 Independent Educational Consultants Association

Washington Technology University – The Future of Learning

Washington Technology University is the new university that serves the needs of students in the Northwest. Utilizing state-of-the-art teaching approaches and the best technologies, WTU offers individuals in our Eastside community who seek to complete their bachelor degree a low-cost, highquality, efficient approach to do so in fields with high employment potential.

WTU received Washington state degree granting authority from the Washington State Student Achievement Council in October 2017 in accordance with state law. WTU began offering classes in January 2018 leading toward a bachelor of science in information security at its campus in Bellevue. The program prepares students to manage secure information networks, providing students unique skills in programming, networking and information security.

Even though the state of Washington is rated very high in access to higher education, primarily because of the extensive availability of the community and technical colleges in the state, which serve more than 200,000 associate degree-seeking students in the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area and thousands more statewide, completing a bachelor degree is quite challenging.

This is most strained in the greater Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan region and even more limited for

the technology programs needed by the many businesses in the community, particularly those on the Eastside. Further, local technology businesses generate 20,000 new bachelor-required jobs in our community but the state only educates enough technology students to fill 10 percent of this business need. That means more than 90 percent of the technology jobs requiring a bachelor degree are filled by those educated outside of Washington.

Providing new, innovative, reasonably priced and timely technology bachelor degree programs is highly needed.

Beginning as an upper division program, the current bachelor degree curriculum is designed to meet both the growing employment demand for individuals with information security know-how and the desires of community college graduates and transfer students for worthwhile careers in essential technology fields. The program is specifically designed to educate those with or without prior technology education and qualify them for information security positions in companies throughout the Northwest and the world. Additional WTU programs under review by the state for offering in the near future include bachelor degrees in software engineering and technology management.

One of the essentials of WTU is to be student

centered and employ the best practices that have been developed in instruction. Recognizing that the vast majority of community college and upper-division transfer students work more than half time and many need to work full-time, classes are offered in a clustered sequence and students are assured of the class schedule for the full 18 months to degree completion. Eighteen classes are sequentially offered, one month each in duration, allowing students to focus on a specific subject.

Students may attend either a morning cohort, afternoon cohort or evening cohort, allowing them to arrange their work schedule to assure their employers or families the instructional schedule will continue unchanged while they pursue their higher degrees.

Classes are offered three days a week on site and two days a week online. Following further best practices, students continue their program in a cohort, receiving the continuous support they often need to be successful from both their fellow students and the university. And the entire program is priced below all face-to-face instructional competitors in the Northwest.

WTU is one local answer to the demand from students, those in our business community, and the technology industry, for bachelor-level technologyfocused education on the Eastside.

Bellevue College – Explore the Possibilities

Choosing a college or program of study is a big step. At Bellevue College, we prepare students for their next big step, whether it’s following a degree pathway to get a dream job, preparing for the academic rigor of a four-year university or learning a new skill to advance your career.

We provide innovative, affordable educational programs in high-demand fields, small class sizes with close contact to faculty and a multitude of personal and professional resources to set students up for academic success. And we welcome people of all ages and backgrounds into our vibrant learning community.

Tuition at BC is about one-third the average cost of one of Washington’s four-year colleges. More than 33 percent of BC students receive grants and needbased scholarships. Find out more about what’s possible at BC!

Bachelor’s Degrees Earn a bachelor of applied science or bachelor of science degree in any of 12 high-demand, specialized fields, including computer science, information systems and technology, health care and digital marketing. BC programs combine theory with practice, helping you gain experience to be career ready when you graduate.

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education requirement classes before entering a university. BC prepares more students for transfer to four-year universities than any other college in the state.

Professional/Technical Programs

Get job ready with an associate in arts degree or a professional/technical degree. BC offers more than 100 educational programs in business, computers, technology, health, education and more that are designed to teach you the skills you need to be competitive for entry-level jobs in our region.

Running Start Our Center for High School Programs gives current high school students the opportunity to earn college credit, experience the collegiate environment and explore career interests.

Transfer Associate Degrees

NEW! Student Housing

Earn a transfer associate degree, an affordable alternative to completing general

For the first time we’ll be welcoming students to our brand-new housing facility on campus starting this fall! Check out our website for room layouts and application information.

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Triangle Pool is an outdoor community pool that offers both family/single memberships, a summer swim team (members only), and swim lessons for both members and non-members. www.TrianglePool.org • President@TrianglePool.org 1919 108th Avenue SE Bellevue • (425) 454-9975

Lake Washington Institute of Technology –

Shaping the Workforce of Tomorrow Each year, nearly 7,000 students attend Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) in Kirkland. The college has been in existence since 1949, and over the years, LWTech has been through changes, first as the vocational school that was part of the Lake Washington School District, then as a technical college, and since 2011, as the only public institute of technology in Washington state. Throughout the years, LWTech has remained true to its core mission of preparing students for today’s careers and tomorrow’s opportunities, while building and strengthening ties to industry.

While LWTech has continued to respond to industry demands by adding programs and degrees, one misconception remains -- that the degrees offered at LWTech are terminal.

At LWTech, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Our associate degrees either transfer or lead to baccalaureate opportunities at other public four-year universities, or to applied bachelor’s degrees at LWTech. Our technical degrees are in-line with today’s technology and we currently offer eight applied bachelor’s degrees (with several in development). Our applied bachelor’s degrees

in design, behavioral health care, dental hygiene, digital gaming and interactive media, funeral service education, computing and software development, public health, and transportation, logistics and supply chain management are dramatically changing the way people think of technical colleges.

We have students who are pre-med, pre-pharm and pre-dental. Students who are studying mechanical or architectural engineering are working alongside students who are in programs like machining technology, electronics technology, photonics, accounting, and nursing. They are able to do this because our students are taught college-level academics by master’s or doctoral credentialed faculty. LWTech students experience hands-on learning from expert faculty with direct ties to industry and our graduates are getting jobs. In fact, 83 percent of our graduates are employed within six months of graduation.

This is what today’s technical college looks like. At LWTech, we’re changing the way people think of technical colleges and are shaping the workforce of tomorrow, one student at a time.

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*This is just one of the benefits of the new Snoqualmie Valley Record. Starting July 6, we are moving to a subscriber model, which means no more soggy papers in your driveway. Instead, a fresh edition of the paper will be delivered to your mailbox for just 75 cents a week. As a subscriber, you will also receive full access to all content at www.valleyrecord.com/subscribe, as well Sound Publishing’s other North King County titles. Subscribers will also have access to bonus content and special invitations to Reporter community events.

Cougar Mountain Gersh Academy Gersh Academy is proud to launch its first school on the West Coast, adjacent to the Cougar Mountain Zoo. Gersh Academy at Cougar Mountain, opening in September 2018, will be the first school for children with autism in the country that has a zoo on campus.

Research has shown introducing an animal to children with ASD can promote a more relaxed

environment and result in a reduction of stress, anxiety and irritation. Social behaviors have been shown to improve after even a short play period with a live animal. Bonding with an animal can also improve physical, mental and social difficulties.

With more than 25 years of experience, Gersh Academy offers a comprehensive approach, including educational services, unique therapies,

and resources tailored to children with ASD. Gersh Academy’s vision is a world where individuals on the autism spectrum are empowered to thrive.

The campus is located at 5410 194th Ave. SE, Issaquah. For more information, call 1-888-39-Autism or visit www.gershacademy.org.

Living Better Health is a journey, not a destination.

Forest Ridge Originally founded in Seattle in 1907 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart and currently located in Bellevue, Forest Ridge educates and inspires girls and young women in fifth through 12th grades.

Forest Ridge educates young women to think critically, embrace challenges, model resilience, confront injustice, seek equality and lead globally in the pioneering spirit of our foundress. Our alumnae change the world.

Both a day and boarding school, Forest Ridge is the only Sacred Heart school in the Pacific Northwest. We are a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school and a recognized pioneer in all-girl high school and middle school education. Easily accessible from the nearby areas of Newcastle, Sammamish, Kirkland, Redmond, Renton and Woodinville, we’re proud to welcome students from the greater Seattle area and from around Western Washington. Forest Ridge graduates women who change the world.

It’s not too difficult to live well in Western Washington, but you can always live better. You just need someone to show you the way. That’s what this Outdoors edition of our quarterly Living Better supplement aims to do, providing a unique guide to a more balanced and energetic self that traverses the forests, mountains and streams that surround us.

With an active audience that is busy balancing career, family and personal wellness, Living Better Outdoors will reach over 140,000 households in Bellevue, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Redmond, Bothell, Kenmore, Issaquah and Sammamish.

We invite you to connect with these readers on their journey as they discover new opportunities of self-improvement available throughout one of the country’s greatest—and healthiest—regions.

Call for Publication Date & Pricing!

140,000 Reach over 280,000 and households ghout the u readers thro stside. entire Ea

The school is located at 4800 139th Ave. SE, Bellevue. For more information, visit www.forestridge. org or call 425-641-0700.

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How to make –

applying to college less stressful

Applying to colleges is exciting for many high school students.

But that excitement is sometimes tempered by anxiety. The college application process can affect students’ lives for years to come, so it’s understandable why some teenagers might feel stressed as they apply to college.

The National Center for Educational Statistics says 69 percent of high school graduates in the United States enroll in college the fall after graduating from high school. Many students begin applying to college before entering their senior year of high school. Students can employ various strategies to make applying to college less stressful.

Create an inventory of student experiences and awards When completing their college applications, students submit a variety of materials. In addition to students’ track records in the classroom, schools will be interested in kids’ extracurricular activities, hobbies, volunteer work, and even things they do during their free time.

Parents and students can work together to develop a master list that includes information about what students have accomplished during high school. These may include involvement in certain clubs, participation in sports teams, advanced ranking in scouting programs, or even a list of books read. Having this document handy will make it that much simpler to fill out college applications.

Investigate the Common Application The Common Application began as a niche program for select private liberal arts colleges, but now has grown into an organization that services more than 750 schools. The organization enables students to create an account and complete one basic form that will be accepted by all institutions who are members. The CA helps students streamline the college application process and reduce redundancy. An alert system also helps applicants manage application deadlines.

Avoid applying everywhere Some students think that applying to dozens of schools will improve their chances of being admitted. However, applicants may be wasting their time applying to schools they have no intention of attending, and that only adds to the stress of meeting deadlines. Narrow down the possibilities to a handful of favorite schools and go from there.

Use the resources at your disposal Students who have access to guidance counselors, mentors, college centers, or even teachers who are willing to help with the application process should use these resources wisely. In addition, iPhone and Android apps can help streamline the college application process.

Consider scholarships concurrently

Some schools automatically consider applicants for scholarships, grants and work-study programs. But that’s not so with every school, so students may have to apply on their own or rely on third parties for scholarships. Fastweb is a leading online resource to find scholarships to pay for school.

Advance preparation can make the college application process a lot less stressful for students and their parents.

Language Integration Program

CENTER FOR

HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Who?

W H AT I S C E O ?

The Career Education Options program is designed for students aged 16-20, without a high school diploma, to receive education and job

LIP is for students learning English who are:

skills at Bellevue College (BC). This program provides students with a second chance at their education, and will provide the tools necessary to succeed in the college environment.

What will the CEO program provide? ❱ Tuition and fees

❱ Academic Advising

❱ Books

❱ Education and training towards a certificate or transfer degree at Bellevue College

❱ Bus passes ❱ Career exploration

n n

What?

You are eligible if you are: ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱

Age 16-20 Not currently enrolled in high school Do not have a high school diploma (GED is acceptable) Motivated & committed to succeed!

What does LIP provide?

n n n

H OW D O I E N R O L L ? about the program and enrollment requirements. Please contact the CEO office or visit our website for dates and times of our information sessions.

❱ Accounting

❱ Allied Health

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Individual Case Management College Transition Courses

How does LIP work?

G E D® C LASS E S

CEO students can earn a college degree in these fields and more:

Tuition, Books & School Supplies Bus Vouchers & Orca Cards Referral to BC Resources

How?

All interested students must attend an information session to learn more

CEO also offers GED® classes. Please attend an information session to learn more about our GED® program and the steps necessary to get signed up.

16 to 21 years of age, Behind in credits for age or grade level, and/or at risk of dropping out of high school

What do LIP classes cover? n n n n

Reading Skills Academic Writing English Grammar Critical Thinking

n n n n

Computer Skills Career Exploration Educational Planning Bellevue College Success Skills

❱ Administration of Criminal Justice ❱ Information Technology ❱ Business Management

❱ Interior Design

❱ Business Technology Systems

❱ Marketing Management

❱ Digital Media Arts

❱ Nursing

❱ Early Learning and Teacher Education

All interested students must attend an information session to learn more about the program and enrollment requirements. Please contact the CEO office or visit our website for dates and times of our information sessions.

For more information about CEO, please contact us:

For more information about LIP, please contact us:

❱ (425) 564-2026

❱ (425) 564-2026

❱ chsprograms@bellevuecollege.edu

❱ chsprograms@bellevuecollege.edu

❱ www.bellevuecollege.edu/ceo/

❱ www.bellevuecollege.edu/ceo/lip