Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022 1 - 3 PM
Presented by Claire Pearson Walker from ESD 112
The Community Engagement Board training will show you how you can put together a board that fits your needs and the needs of the students that you serve. The Community Engagement Board will provide tools and skills that will assist districts in building a board. The training will teach districts how to start a board, recruit volunteers, sustain volunteers, and refresh boards they already have running. The training will also introduce districts to Attendance Workshops and how to run boards virtually.
Register for this virtual training through pdEnroller.
See WAC 392-550-040 for more information on the requirement for a community engagement board.
The 2022 legislative session has begun! The Alternative Learning Department is closely monitoring a variety of bills. You can find more information on these bills via the links below.
- Expanding access to dual credit programs.
- Concerning high school graduation credit and pathway options.
- Concerning enrollment stabilization funding to address enrollment declines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More information about the 2022 legislative session including committee schedules and hearing agendas can be found on the Washington State Legislature website.
Reimagine Education Project
PURPOSE
Grant funding to investigate innovative approaches to learning through in-person settings and instructional or social emotional practices through Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) settings.
BACKGROUND
More students than ever are continuing to request remote or online learning. Stakeholders are also pressing for in-person learning to look different than the pre-pandemic model, yet we lack evidence on effective practices in these non-traditional settings and systems to support educator-led innovation at the district level. OSPI wants to capitalize on the significant latitude educators from all settings have been given this past year to accelerate learning recovery and rethink what works in education.
Grant funds will financially support local pilots, provide regular professional learning and networking, collect evidence on successful practices, and lead to the development of a menu of innovative practices to support continued transformation of our education system and inform future policy and funding decisions.
DETAILS
- Grant applications are currently being accepted through the Reimagine Education Project Application form. Applications are accepted through two methods:
- Complete a traditional written application
- Provide some brief details and request a short (no more than 20 minute) virtual conversation with the review team
- A rolling review of applications began on January 12, 2022. Applications for this grant program will be accepted until all funds are allocated.
- If you are interested in this grant program, visit the Reimagine Education Project website for more information.
- Questions? Contact the Alternative Learning Department at ALDInfo@k12.wa.us.
ALE Accelerating Unfinished Learning
PURPOSE
Grant funding to support universal screening and addressing COVID related learning gaps through an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) model.
BACKGROUND
Many students have unfinished learning and exacerbated social emotional needs due to the COVID pandemic. Universal screening can identify a student’s unique academic or social emotional needs, and ALE can address those needs through individualization and acceleration. However, many districts face a variety of barriers to providing individualized scheduling and learning plans due to scheduling constraints and funding formula disparities, thus forcing students to retake entire courses or transfer out of district.
This grant opportunity encourages accelerated learning recovery through academic and social emotional screening, individualizing a response via ALE, and providing the funding for school districts that would otherwise be financially disincentivized to offer ALE. This will reduce the impacts of retaking entire courses, create an opportunity to keep students enrolled at their current school, and get students back on track with their peers in an accelerated timeline.
DETAILS
Digital Equity & Inclusion Grant
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND
The purpose of this bulletin is to announce that the Digital Equity & Inclusion Grant created from HB 1365 is now live in iGrants. The grant application is available in iGrants under Form Package 188. Full grant details, assurances, terms and conditions, eligible entities, and supporting documents are available on the Digital Equity & Inclusion Grant webpage as well as in the iGrants application. Applications are now being accepted. Final applications are due in early May of 2022. This grant application will be for the fiscal year 2021/2022. A second window will open in the spring of 2022 for the fiscal year 2022/2023. Each year requires a separate application. Grant awards not used by the end of each fiscal year do not carry over, so applicants are encouraged to apply early.
GRANT SUMMARY
OSPI recognizes that not every classroom or student has access to a high-speed Internet connection and other up-to-date teaching and learning technologies. An essential part of implementing OSPI’s educational technology standards is advocating for sufficient funding for all districts to help close opportunity gaps related to educational technology. Through the legislative support of House Bill 1365, OSPI is providing grants focused on digital equity and inclusion to support these standards.
The Digital Equity & Inclusion Grant aims to:
• Support digital learning environments
• Grow and support 1:1 device programs
• Provide access to training in inclusionary practices
• Support English Language Learners and Special Education with adaptive technologies
• Support students in accessing high-quality learning environments without physical
limitations
• Provide sustainability by creating frameworks, allowing for more staffing and
professional development for equity and inclusionary practices
INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE
For questions and details regarding the grant or grant application, please contact KC Merchant, Digital Equity & Inclusion Program Supervisor, at 360-918-4565 or email
kc.merchant@k12.wa.us.
Reminder to Claim Your Additional OSSI Funds by Feb. 28
Additional funds are available for schools and programs with existing iGrants in form packages 871, 873 and 874 - those identified as eligible for comprehensive and comprehensive graduation rate supports per the 2017 WSIF. The funds are purposed to support the priority goals of the school’s improvement plan. The deadline to claim these funds is February 28.
All you need to do is create a budget revision to claim the additional money – no new application is necessary. After February 28, all unapplied for additional funds will be redistributed and no longer available.
For more details or questions, contact Mary Adams, OSSI Continuous Improvement Program Supervisor at mary.adams@k12.wa.us or (360) 764-0198.
K-12 Open Educational Resources 2022-2023 OER Adaptation and Implementation Grant
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are free to use, adapt, and share. This grant opportunity will increase the number of high-quality OER units on the Washington OER Hub in high need areas indicated by school districts and promote their implementation.
Apply now for this 15-month grant – iGrants FP 13 (proposals due 3/3/2022)
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Review the detailed grant announcement
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See work by previous grantees
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Visit the OER Project Grant website
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Register for the OER Grant Walkthrough (2/9 at 3:30 pm)
Questions?
Contact Barbara Soots
OER and Instructional Materials Program Manager
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Check next month's newsletter for a new Compliance Corner article!
It should take students 15 to 20 minutes to complete and schools will get their results from the survey in April.
The survey asks questions like:
- In the past school year, how often have you felt a sense of belonging at your school?
- If you have been absent in the last 30 days, please select the reasons why you have been absent.
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Think back over this school year so far. How often did feel the schoolwork you were assigned was meaningful and important?
- In the past school year, how often have you felt safe at school?
You can find all the questions that are asked on the survey here.
Schools can register now and get the survey link right away to share with their students. Schools have until February 28th to administer the survey to their students.
If you have any questions, please contact Emily Maughan; Emily.Maughan@k12.wa.us 360-725-6030.
Leaders of Learning Alternatives (LOLA) Focus Area Network
The purpose of the LOLA Focus Area Network is to support collaboration between ESDs and OSPI/OSSI to organize and support regional networks for alternative learning leaders, including: 1) Advancing understanding of best practices; 2) Collaborating with, and learning from colleagues, as well as ESD/OSPI partners; 3) Exploring tools for establishing equity-based, anti-racist, and student-centered school communities; 4) Learning strategies for strengthening data use to inform continuous improvement and system change; and 5) supporting regional reengagement programming.
Overarching Goals for Leaders of Learning Alternative Network
- Maintain, increase, diversify attendance LOLA meetings to provide networking opportunities.
- Use evidence-based practices as a guide to assess progress and guide PD offerings.
- Examine equity relative to processes/practices and student outcomes.
- Support and enhance regional reengagement programming.
- Washington Association for Learning Alternatives (WALA)
The WALA Spring Conference is scheduled for February 24-26, 2022 in Spokane. Register here.
- Washington School Counselor Association (WSCA)
The WSCA Annual Conference is scheduled for March 2-4, 2022 in Seattle with in-person and virtual attendance options. Register here.
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GATE Equity Webinar Series Regular monthly webinars. Information and registration available through the GATE website.
Contact Us!
For more information about Alternative Learning, please contact us at ALDInfo@k12.wa.us, or visit our OSPI Learning Alternatives website.
For specific questions, contact us by email:
ALE Programs: Anissa Sharratt
ALE/Reengagement Compliance: Liz Quayle
Online Learning: Nicole González
Grant and Contract Specialist: Shannon McAtee
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