 Welcome to the Office of System and School Improvement Newsletter!
March 2021
Karina Vanderbilt, Director for Multilingual Services
Puget Sound Educational Service District
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“Language is power - languages spoken by Black, Brown, and Indigenous people have been systemically erased in this country because of that power. I believe in centering the gifts of MLLs to directly challenge White supremacy in schools.”
- Nicole Shimizu, Design Team member
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The Puget Sound region is the most diverse in Washington State with over 207 languages spoken and representing 39% of the state’s K-12 public school students. Multilingual students bring a wealth of academic, cultural, and linguistic strengths to our learning communities. Yet data reveals the failures of our education system to effectively support multilingual students, with only three out of five MLs graduating from high school in four years.
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The Multilingual Network was developed in order to reimagine our approach towards supporting multilingual students. In June 2020, Puget Sound Educational Service District partnered with Shift Consulting to begin planning for a network that would use tools from continuous improvement to support a cohort of schools in improving outcomes for their multilingual learners. At the center of the design process was our belief that our theory of change needed to be developed by those most deeply impacted by the system itself- our multilingual students, families, and educators. The following is a brief journey through our inclusive design process which utilizes strategies and approaches from the Puget Sound Continuous Improvement Summit Series Workbook. Click here to read more... |
GATE Equity Webinar
Want to hear from the field? Register for the March GATE Equity Webinar Series:
Power of School Improvement Planning
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The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has developed a brief series on diversity and equity as it relates to improvement science from Summit 2020. In the linked sessions, it highlights how education leaders around the country started with equity and diversity and justice as a central piece of their improvement work, both in what they were trying to improve, and how they went about it. The series is organized into themes, beginning with sessions that highlight the topic of leadership, shared power, and vulnerability. The second installment of the series focuses on two areas: data & measurement and equity of voice. The third part of this equity series highlights sessions on the importance of designing for equity. We hope you find this equity series thought provoking and that the ideas catalyze larger discussions with your colleagues. Discussion questions and resources have been included with each installment for this purpose.
Check out the Carnegie Video Series here
 A new student perspective survey is being offered March 8-26th to schools who serve students in Grades 6 to 12.
Topics on the COVID-19 Student Survey , include but are not limited to social support, remote learning experience, mental health, physical health, COVID-19 precautions, and substance use.
This survey does not replace the Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) that will be administered in the fall of 2021; instead, it uniquely collects information from students about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Important details about the survey:
- Schools opt-in for the survey by registering at csswashington.org/register
- The survey will be administered on the day(s) of your choice between March 8, 2021 -March 26, 2021.
- The survey is available in English and Spanish
- The survey will be administered completely online and can be done in a school building or from wherever students are as they participate in remote learning. It is expected that the survey will be administered during a class period and will take up to 25 minutes.
- Schools will receive survey results before the end of the ‘20-‘21 school year.
- Parent and student notification is at the discretion of each school, but it is recommended that they are notified about the survey prior to administration. Notifications are available in English and Spanish.
Results from the survey may help teachers, school leaders, parents, community partners and policy leaders understand how they can better help meet the needs of their youth.
*If you have any questions about the survey, please contact: contact@csswashington.org or Emily.Maughan@k12.wa.us 360-725-6030
 Access the Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention-Intervention Planning Guide Here...
National School Social Workers Week is March 8-12
Every March, the School Social Worker Association of America leads an effort to increase awareness of the critical role school social workers play in the development and support of K-12 students. Especially now, as we continue to experience a public health crisis that is increasing students' needs for social-emotional and mental health supports, school social workers play an integral role as members of a comprehensive support team who emphasize the whole child, collaborate with other professionals, and link students and families with needed services. They truly are a "Beacon of Hope Lighting the Way"!
Resources to highlight the work of school social workers can be found at School Social Work Week | sswaa.
We hope you have a successful School Social Work Week 2021! #BeaconofHope #SSWWeek2021
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The College Board continues to provide information on the AP exam schedule and information about the paper-pencil and digital exams. To better support Washington district leaders, please join College Boards Executive Director for Advanced Placement and our Washington leadership team for an informative session to help you support your schools and students as this year’s exams approach.
Advanced Placement 2021 Updates Webinar for District Leaders
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Date: March 9th, 2021 12:00 – 1:00 pm PST
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Participants: District AP Leaders. Districts may also invite one school administrator to attend the meeting and support the district.
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Session Description: The Advanced Placement Program has announced information about the 2021 AP exams and contingency plans. In this session, you will:
- Hear the most up-to-date information on exam administration methods (in-person/digital at-home) and process updates.
- How sites can prepare students by utilizing the existing AP Classroom resources such as Daily Videos and Topic Questions.
- Learn about key dates and activities to ensure schools and students are prepared for AP exams.
- Participate in a live chat to help answer specific questions and provide feedback that will be addressed directly by the AP program and Washington leadership team.
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2021 Carnegie Foundation Summit on Improvement in Education
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all been called to address unexpected and unprepared for challenges. Now more than ever, we need to come together and exchange our experiences, concerns and solutions in the context of the current circumstances. With this in mind, the 2021 Carnegie Foundation Summit on Improvement in Education has been designed to help you meet your ever-evolving challenges, deepen your improvement skills, gather new actionable strategies, and join in community with improvers and innovators from across the globe.
The 2021 Summit will be a virtual event. While we are taking this direction due to the pandemic, we also see it as an opportunity to offer expanded and innovative learning and networking opportunities.
The 2021 Summit will span two weeks. The first week, April 19–23, will be focused on pre-recorded sessions and posters that participants can view on demand. Pre-conference courses will be offered as standalone sessions on Sunday, April 25, and the live Summit—expanded this year with an extra day—will run Monday, April 26 through Wednesday, April 28. Check out the Summit schedule for more details.
Summit On-Demand Week: Monday, April 19–Friday, April 23
Summit Pre-Conference Courses: Sunday, April 25
Summit Live: Monday, April 26–Wednesday, April 28
Carnegie Foundation Summit
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Supporting Seniors' Transitions: From High School to Leaving the Nest
March 31, 2021 * 1-2:30pm (1.5 Clock Hours available) Join OSPI-WSAC staff in exploring strategies and resources for supporting this year’s seniors as they possibly return to their high school, prepare to graduate and take the needed steps to transition to their post-high school goal. Together, we will: 1.) ensure understanding of changes to Class of 2021 graduation requirements and strategies to transition seniors back into HS, 2.) explore an evidence-based strategy to help seniors ~ and any students, really ~ to overcome obstacles and reach their goals, and, 3.) provide information and resources around preparing seniors to transition from high school to college. REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND WEBINAR ON MARCH 31
REGISTER HERE FOR CLOCK HOURS FOR THIS EVENT
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Teamwork: The Agent of Hope School Counselors and principals Working Together to Create Hope for Kids
Join the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), OSPI and ESD’s 101, 112 and 114 for a second run through of this inspiring workshop designed to enhance collaborative leadership between school building leaders and school counselors and school social workers.
To attend and receive up to 2 clock hours:
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Register for the event using this link for Teamwork - the Agent of Hope! Watch your email for your own calendar invite and unique link from Zoom to join the meeting. Please do not give out the link as seating is limited.
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Register for clock hours using this link for Teamwork – The Agent of Hope - Clock Hours.
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Leading Through the Master Schedule from OSPI and abl.
Participants will be able to…
- Describe the three most important factors that predict college and career readiness.
- Understand current ALE initiatives and practices around CCR.
- Explore and evaluate ideas and opportunities for improving ALE programs, including identifying key barriers that may block success.
- Explore ALE scenarios that show a range of possibilities for improving ALE schools within existing resources.
Workshop series Schedule:
Session 2: Exploring Ideas for Improving ALE College and Career Readiness: Monday, March 22, 2021, 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Session 3: Exploring Innovative ALE School Designs and Possibilities: Monday, May 24, 2021, 9:00 am-10:30 am
Participants can register through the following Google Form:
Leading Through the Master Schedule registration
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 Data from Healthy Youth Survey can be used to help inform School Improvement Plans. See how questions on the survey have aligned with AWSP Leadership Framework.
Graduation Requirement Updates: Office Hours with OSPI and SBE
On March 10-11, the St. Board of Ed. (SBE) will consider adoption of the emergency rules that give districts the ability to grant emergency waivers of certain graduation requirements for seniors in the Class of 2021. In an effort to answer questions about these new rules, OSPI and SBE staff will provide weekly office hours that will include: 1.) a brief overview of the new emergency waiver rules and process, followed by 2.) as much time as possible for Q&A. Office Hours will occur every Wednesday from 1-2pm from March 17 - April 28 with the following exceptions: 3/31 - The same information will be covered at the OSPI-WSAC Webinar (see PD section of Newsletter) 4/21 - no office hour on this day Registration is not required. You can Join the Zoom Meeting and use the Passcode "Join" to come whenever is convenient.
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