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WASHINGTON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
March 2015In this issue:• LetterfromtheExecutiveDirector• Dualcreditlook-uptooldecipherscredit-by-examprograms
• Newleadershipteamtrainingputsthepepin“TPEP”
• WSAClaunchesFAFSAcompletionportal• Materialshelpclarifylearningstandardsandassessments
• LearnmoreabouttheGETprogram• IntroducingAlanHardcastle
Letter from the Executive DirectorBy Gene Sharratt, Ph.D.
The2015LegislativeSessionhasofferednumerousopportunitiesforWashingtonStudentAchievementCouncilmembersandstafftosupportpoliciesthatwillimproveoutcomesforWashington’sstudents.ManyofthosepoliciesalignwiththeCouncil’sStrategicActionPlan(SAP),whichincludesrecommendationstohelpWashingtonmeetitseducationalattainmentgoals.Inadditiontosupportingthesepolicies,theCouncilremainscommittedtoacontinuumofeducationalfunding,fromearlylearningthroughpostsecondaryeducation.
BoththestateHouseandSenatecontinuetodemonstrateacommitmenttoincreasingeducationalaccess,support,andattainmentforWashingtonians.Withsessionabouthalfwaythrough,progresstodateisencouraging.AdditionalinformationandmaterialsrelatedtotheCouncil’slegislativeeffortsareavailableonourwebsite.
TheCouncilisalsocontinuingitsworkwiththeGovernor’sSTEMEducationInnovationAlliance,whichisfocusedonaligningthestate’seducation-andcareer-trainingsystemswiththeworkforceneedsofWashington’seconomy.TheallianceprovidescounseltotheGovernorinthedevelopmentandimplementationofpoliciestoadvanceSTEMeducationinWashington.Thiscollaborativeeffortamongbusiness,labor,andeducationalleaderswillworktoclosethegapbetweenidentifiedSTEMworkforcepositions,currentandprojected,andworkforceandeducationaltrainingprogramsdesignedtofilltheopenings.Theprojectisfundedthroughatwo-yeargrantfromtheNationalGovernorsAssociation.
WSAC Launches FAFSA Completion Portal
Inordertobetterassistschooldistrictpersonnelworkingwithcollege-goingstudents,theWashingtonStudentAchievementCouncil(WSAC)nowoffersanonlineportaltoaccesscompletiondatafortheFreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid(FAFSA).Theportalprovidesup-to-dateFAFSAcompletiondataforWashington’s12thgradestudents.Counselorswillbeabletofolloweachsenior’sprogress,provideindividualsupport,andtargetservicestohelpstudentscompletetheFAFSA.
TheFAFSAisrequiredforstudentsseekingfederalorstateaidforpostsecondaryeducation.FAFSAcompletionisacriticalindicatorofwhatstudentsplantodobeyondhighschool.Studieshaveshownthatover90percentofstudentswhocompletetheFAFSAenrollatpostsecondaryinstitutionswithin12monthsofhighschoolgraduation.Formanystudents,completingtheFAFSAisthefirststeptakeninpursuitoffinancialaidandhighereducation.
WSACisabletoofferthistoolaspartoftheStudentAidInternetGatewayeffort,ajointinitiativefromtheU.S.DepartmentofEducationandthestates.ItishighlightedintheFirstLady’sReachHigherinitiative,anefforttoinspireeverystudentinAmericatotakechargeoftheirfuturebycontinuingeducationbeyondhighschool.InFebruary,all295schooldistrictsreceivedinformationonhowtoaccesstheportal.Ifyouhavequestionsorneedmoreinformation,pleasecontactSarahWeiss,AssistantDirectorofCollegeAccess&Support,[email protected].
Materials Help Clarify Learning Standards and Assessments
TheReadyWashingtonCoalition,inpartnershipwiththeImprovingStudentLearningatScale(ISLS)collaborative,providesseveralresourcestohelpeducatorsandparentsbetterunderstandtheCommonCoreStateStandardsandSmarterBalancedassessments.
• TheUsing Smarter Balanced Scores to Chart Your PathinfographicdetailshowthenewSmarterBalancedAssessmentscorescaninformastudent’spathwaytohighschoolgraduationandbeyond.Schoolsanddistrictsareencouragedtoprovidecopiestocounselorsandteachersforuseasadvisingtools.
• Afour-minutevideoaccompaniestheinfographic.Usingthecontentfromtheinfographic,thevideotellsthestoryofonestudent’spathtograduation.
• ReadyWashingtonalsoreleasedaparent-friendlyhandoutthatexplainsthemovetohigherstandardsandhowthestandardscanhelpstudentsbemorepreparedforourglobaleconomy.
FormoreinformationoncollegereadinesseffortsinWashingtonState,pleasevisitreadywa.orgortheWSACwebsite.
Learn More About the GET Program
TheGuaranteedEducationTuitionprogram(GET),nowinitsseventeenthyear,continuestohelpWashingtonfamiliessaveandprepareforcollegecosts.GEThaslaunchedanewwebsitethatprovidesonlineaccountaccess,informationabouttheprogram,andawidevarietyofhelpfulresourcesforcurrentandprospectivecollegesavers.
LearnmoreaboutGETbyreadingthelatestissueoftheirquarterlynewsletter,perusingtheir2014annualreport,ortakingaglanceattheiraward-winninginfographic,whichmapsoutimportantmilestonesinachild’sdevelopmentandthebenchmarksforfamiliesseekingtosaveforcollege.
ThelastdaytoopenanewGETaccountforthe2014-15enrollmentperiodisMay31.
Council Welcomes Alan Hardcastle, Director of Research
TheStudentAchievementCouncilispleasedtowelcomeAlanHardcastleasournewDirectorofResearch.AlancametotheCouncilfromWashingtonStateUniversity,whereheworkedforsevenyearsasaseniorresearchassociateattheWSUEnergyProgram,leadingtheorganization’sworkforceandeducationresearchteam.AlanhasaPh.D.inhighereducationfromUCLA,amaster’sinorganizationalpsychologyfromCaliforniaStateUniversity-LongBeach,andabachelor’sdegreefromWesternWashingtonUniversity(WWU).
Whatrolehaseducationhadinyourlife?Educationhashadahugeimpactonme.IgrewupinasmalltowninAlaskawheretheopportunitiesforgrowthwerelimited.Ihadmanyinterestingjobs—inasawmill,doingconstruction,asacrewmemberonaseiner,andasatugboatdeckhandandcook—butIwassearchingforsomethingmore.AttendingWWUwaslife-changingforme;itturnedmeontolearningandopenedmanynewdoors,andIjustkeptgoing.
Howdoesresearchcontributetopolicymaking?Accurate,meaningfulinformationandanalyticsarefundamentaltogoodpolicymaking.Lackingdata-drivenanalysisandrecommendations,importantpolicydecisionsaretooeasilyinfluencedbyspeculationorpoliticalconsiderations.Goodresearchprovidesananchorforpublicpolicydiscussionsandcansystematicallydriveeffectivedecision-making.
WhatisyourfavoriteplaceinWashingtonStateandwhy?Oneofmyfavoritethingstodoistohikeandfly-fishtheforksandtributariesoftheSkokomishRiverinthesoutheastcorneroftheOlympicNationalForest.Thesceneryisstunning,thetrout-fishingischallenging,andtheremote,naturalbeautyoftheareaprovidesatranquil,restorativesanctuary.
Next Council Meeting:
April 8, 2015Capital Event Center @ ESD 113
Olympia917 Lakeridge Way SW • PO Box 43430 • Olympia, WA 98504-3430
www.wsac.wa.gov • 360.753.7800 • [email protected]
Our Mission: We advance educational opportunities and attainment in WashingtonInpursuitofourmission,theWashingtonStudentAchievementCouncil:• Leadsstatewidestrategicplanningtoimproveeducationalcoordinationandtransitions.• SupportsWashingtoniansthroughtheadministrationoffinancialaid,acollegesavingsplan,andsupportservices.
• Advocatesfortheeconomic,social,andcivicbenefitsofpostsecondaryeducation.
Dual Credit Look-Up Tool Deciphers Credit-by-Exam Programs
Washingtoncollegesanduniversitiesofferavarietyofoptionsforstudentstoearncollegecreditduringhighschool.Amongthesearecredit-by-examprogramssuchasAdvancedPlacement(AP),InternationalBaccalaureate(IB),andCambridgeInternational.Theamountofcollegecreditawardedvariesbytesttypeandscore,whichcanresultinacomplicatedarrayofoptionsforstudentsweighingcollegechoices.
Toalleviatetheconfusion,theWashingtonStudentAchievementCouncilhasdevelopedaninteractivedualcreditsearchtool.ThisresourceallowsstudentstosearchandcomparehowtheirhighschoolAP,IB,andCambridgeexamscoreswillapplyascollegecreditatvariouspublicandprivateinstitutionsinWashingtonState.Studentssimplychoosethetypeofexam,selecttheirexamsubjectarea(s),enterascore(s),andselectuptofivecolleges.Theresultingtablewillshowhowtheselectedcollegesawardcreditforeachexamandprovidealinktotheschool’swebsiteforfurtherinformation.
Overall,thissearchtoolwillcreatemoretransparencyforstudentsandfamiliesabouthowcredit-by-examcourseswillbeawardedcollegecredit.
New Leadership Team Training Puts the pep in “TPEP”By Caroline Brumfield, Marketing and Publications Manager, Association of Washington School Principals
Recentchangestotheprincipalevaluationprocesscanbechallengingtoworkthrough.That’swhytheAssociationofWashingtonSchoolPrincipals(AWSP)hasteamedupthisyearwiththeWashingtonAssociationofSchoolAdministrators(WASA)andtheAssociationofEducationalServiceDistricts(AESD)tobringbuildingleadersandtheirevaluatorsabrandnewworkshopseriesdesignedtoaddressthe“how”ofusingtheAWSPLeadershipFrameworkforprincipalevaluationandtheFramework’ssupportinguser’sguide.
Theworkshopseriesisuniqueinthatitisspecificallydesignedforteamsofprincipals,assistantprincipals,andtheirevaluators,andfocusesonimplementingtheAWSPLeadershipFrameworkasanadministrativeteamforeffectiveevaluationofbuildingadministrators.Thecontentoftheseriescoverstopicssuchaswritingandevaluatingstudentgrowthgoals,havingeffectiveconversations,lookingathumanresourceissues,andworkingasateamtoimproveteachingandlearningforallstudents.
Workshop1tookplaceJanuary20,21,and22inSpokane,Tumwater,andEverett,respectively.Allthreelocationswerehighlyattended;theTumwaterlocationsoldout.
“Thefirstsetofworkshopswassomuchfun,”reportedPaulaQuinn,AWSPDirectorofProfessionalDevelopment.“We’regoingtohavetobooklargervenuesforworkshops2and3toaccommodatealltheteamswhoareinterestedinattending.”
“Thebestpartoftheworkshopwasthegiftoftime,”saidScottSeaman,AWSPProfessionalDevelopmentSpecialistandDirectorofHighSchoolPrograms.“Districtteamshadtimetogethertodiscussanddesignhowtosupporttheprincipalgrowthprocess.Thiswasnota‘sitandget’training.Participantswereengagedinguidedtableconversationsthroughouttheentireday.”
Workshops2and3aretakingplaceinMarch,April,andMay.LearnmoreaboutthetrainingontheAWSPwebsite.
