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FOCUS: Mentoring
January 2019
 Melissa Charette, Teacher at Washington Middle School
2018 ESD 113 Regional Teacher of the Year
Five years ago at Washington Middle School we began to think “outside the box,” for solutions to support the success of special education students. We chose to start a peer mentor program and it has transformed the culture of our school to one of inclusion, acceptance, and a belief in success for all.
As a special education teacher one of my largest struggles has always been to support the integration and inclusion of my students within our school and the community. My classroom focuses on time telling, counting money, life skills and functional academics.
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 “What we do for new teachers, we do for their students. What we fail to do for new teachers, we fail to do for their students.” -Marcy Yoshida, OSPI Program Specialist, BEST
Teacher growth and retention is about equity for students. This is especially true for students who are typically marginalized, students in special education classrooms, and students in high-need schools. The constant teacher turnover some schools experience—particularly high-poverty and high-need schools—disrupts coherent, multi-year improvement plans. It also interferes with parents and community members’ ability to form solid relationships with faculty, as the cast of characters changes frequently.
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by Janet Heubach, Ph.D.
 Mentoring is poppin’ in schools across Washington; almost half of the youth in Washington’s 100 formal youth mentoring programs meet at school during either the school day or afterschool (2018). While MENTOR Washington collaborates with 100 formal youth programs, we continue to learn about all sorts of new programs when we attend meetings and conferences and speak with friends outside of work. This is excellent because MENTOR Washington’s purpose is to expand the number of youth who have a mentor and promote continuous quality improvement of mentoring practices.
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 Click to see OSPI Chief of Staff Jamila Thomas talk about the impact mentoring has had on her
My father Billy Frank Jr was my mentor. He taught me how important education was graduating from high school and continuing on to college and getting my BA. He taught me how important Treaty Rights and Tribal Sovereignty is. The importance of salmon and natural resources to all human beings. When the salmon are healthy we are healthy as people because we know that our water is clean.
I never realized that my father was teaching me my whole life from a young age. I can remember going to meetings with him in high school. Now I see what he was doing preparing me for my future. He taught me how to come into meetings with an open mind and be willing to listen to everybody at the table. There was something about him being able to bring people together and work together.
Willie Frank III, Nisqually Tribal Council
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 One of the most influential women in my life was my mentor, Dr. Janis Fine from Loyola University Chicago. She embodied all the values of servant leadership- learn broadly, lead courageously, and serve generously. Through her support, high expectations, and love, I attained the highest level of education possible- my doctorate in educational leadership. When I didn’t see hope or the possibilities, she saw the greatness in me and reminded me to keep going. I am forever grateful and try to honor her by giving back as she did so gracefully with so many.
Angela Brooks, EdD, Continuous Improvement Partner
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 Check & Connect is an evidence-based mentoring intervention for K-12 students who show warning signs of disengagement with school and who are at risk of dropping out.
At the core of Check & Connect (C&C) is a trusting relationship between the student and a caring mentor who —
• Builds a strong relationship with students based on mutual trust and open communication focused on success at school and with learning.
• Systematically “Checks” on students, assessing their engagement with school and learning through close monitoring of their attendance, behavior, and grades.
• “Connects” with students, offering individualized intervention in partnership with school personnel, families, and community service providers.
• Partners with parents/families, functioning as a liaison between home and school and striving to build constructive family-school relationships.
Check & Connect is the only dropout prevention intervention listed on the IES What Works Clearinghouse found to have positive effects on staying in school.
For more program information, see the Check & Connect website. For training and grant opportunities in Washington, please contact Krissy Johnson at krissy.johnson@k12.wa.us.
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No-Cost Coaching for Mentoring Programs MENTOR Washington (MW) now offers programs the opportunity to access specialized coaching and consultation at no cost, supported by the National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC). Our individualized coaching and consultation goal is to support mentoring programs to more fully incorporate evidence-based practices, which, in turn, magnifies positive outcomes for mentored youth.
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 GATE Equity Webinar –
Morning Session:
Mentoring 101: Demystifying Mentoring with Mentor Washington
Afternoon Session:
Mentoring: Because it's Relationships That Matter with Communities in Schools.
sign up for GATE webinar here
Creating Safe and Healthy Schools: Common Myths about Making Schools Safer and Evidence-Based Strategies Co-Hosted by OSPI and Northwest PBIS Network January 16, 2019, 8:30-2:30
More Information & Registration
OSPI-WSAC Wednesday Webinar January 16th! 10:30am-11:30am
Elementary/Middle School Counseling Resources
REGISTER HERE
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January is National Mentoring Month! Follow the link below to check out 'MENTOR's Thank your Mentor' resource page. Be sure to Thank Your Mentor Today! |
 Data Mentoring
How does System and School Improvement approach data mentoring statewide?
System and School Improvement facilitates the Data Improvement Network, a collaborative network of data leadership and specialists from numerous departments at OSPI, all nine ESDs, as well as our Continuous Improvement Partners with experience in data coaching. The purpose of this network is to develop and implement cohesive strategies statewide to increase data use and data quality. Fundamental to our approach is our value in being a “learner first”, as we continue to mentor each other. We engage in and provide professional learning and support on data sources, data analysis, and using a cycle of inquiry to drive school improvement. The continual mentorship between these partners trickles across the state by increasing and improving our data use within OSPI, our partners in the field supporting schools in improvement, and ESD leaders facilitating regional outreach and initiatives.
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The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has developed a technical assistance document to provide guidance to families, students, school staff, IEP teams, and others regarding the assessment graduation requirement for students with disabilities served under an IEP.
Full document located here: Guidance for IEP Teams: Student Participation in Statewide Assessments for Accountability and Graduation.
 DID YOU KNOW, when you mentor, it's also benefitting you? According to MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership "Many mentors say that the rewards they gain are as substantial a those for their mentees, and that mentoring has enabled them to:
- Have fun
- Achieve personal growth and learn more about themselves
- Improve their self-esteem and feel they are making a difference
- Gain a better understanding of other cultures and develop a greater appreciation for diversity
- Feel more productive and have a better attitude at work
- Enhance their relationships with their own children "
Click here to BECOME A MENTOR
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Looking for a curriculum to help students cope with stress, communicate effectively, and learn the skills to refuse drugs and alcohol? The Botvin LifeSkills Curriculum can help! Apply for a grant by January 17!
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