Washington Math Standards Move Forward
It has already been a busy year for those involved with Washington’s new math standards. There have been multiple rounds of edits and revisions. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has held numerous public hearings. And, at the end of the legislative session, oversight of the math standards process was transferred from OSPI to the State Board of Education.
Last Friday, however, the State Board moved the standards one step closer to the finish line. After receiving several rounds of public comment, the State Board approved state consultant Strategic Teaching’s “Edited Expectations” report on the new K-8 math standards with three final requests:
- Add more examples to requirements
- Provide more explicit language concerning calculator use, and
- Give the document a good proofread.
Otherwise, they agreed, the new standards “provide greater clarity about what is expected of students in each grade, give more explicit guidance to educators about what to teach when, and increase the rigor of math to ensure more Washington students succeed.”
In accordance with SB 6534, the State Board now plans to ask OSPI to use Strategic Teaching’s suggestions to complete the revision of the K-8 math standards and begin work on professional development for teachers. This complex process looks to be completed on April 28, when the State Board will decide whether or not to adopt the new K-8 standards set to go into effect next year.
To learn more about Washington’s math standards, please visit the following resources.
The State Board of Education – For updates on the latest standards drafts and revisions from Strategic Teaching.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction – For resources for educators, including podcasts by State Supt. Terry Bergeson on the standards revision process.
The College Work Ready Agenda’s Frequently Asked Questions about Math – For information about why a good foundation in math is so important.
Don't Miss Kati Haycock at the Seattle Public Library
Next week, Kati Haycock, executive director of The Education Trust, will be back in Seattle to present on the power of high standards for all students. Hosted by the League of Education Voters and sponsored by Partnership for Learning and others, Haycock will focus on what Washington can learn from other successful school systems and the policy we can implement to create more opportunities for all Washington students. The event is free, open to the public and one that you won't want to miss!
During her visit last December, Haycock spoke of the incredible turnaround potential of school systems that address achievement gaps, institute rigorous curriculum and ensure that quality teachers are in classrooms. She also firmly cut through age-old policy discussions with advice that, in education, "we need to focus on what we can do rather than what we can't."
A truly inspirational speaker and one of the nation's leading education reform advocates, Haycock will share her thoughts on what is really needed to give all students as many opportunities as possible to succeed in life.
Kati Haycock and Eric Liu
(view the invite)
Monday, April 28 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Seattle Public Library, Microsoft Auditorium
Please RSVP by Friday, April 25th
New College Bound Scholarship Breaks Down Barriers for Low-Income Students
Washington currently ranks 32nd nationally in the percentage of low-income students who participate in postsecondary education, at a time when the state's need for highly educated and highly skilled workers is growing rapidly.But a new scholarship sponsored by the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) hopes to turn this trend around in Washington state with the College Bound Scholarship.
The scholarship will cover the cost of college tuition, fees and books for those who sign a pledge in 7th or 8th grade promising to graduate from high school with at least a 2.0 grade point average and demonstrate good citizenship. Their family income must also remain at 65 percent or less of the state's median income by the time of high school graduation to permit a scholarship award.
There are more than 56,000 Washington students potentially eligible for this scholarship. Are you one of them or do you know someone who is? The deadline for application is June 1, 2008 for 8th graders and June 1, 2009 for 7th graders. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! Visit the HECB website for more information.
Partnership for Learning Announces New Executive Director
We are pleased to announce that Larry Ehl has joined the Partnership for Learning team as executive director. Larry is a seasoned communicator with more than 24 years of experience in strategic advocacy and government relations and, as we're finding out, is pretty serious about his music collection.
Previously the director of government relations for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Larry used to drive 3 ½ hours a day from Edmonds to Olympia and back.
"I have nearly 20,000 songs in my iTunes (including a lot of, um, Grateful Dead). So while the drive did give me time to listen to a lot of music, it's great to now be a part of efforts that will make a positive difference in children's lives and educators' work--and spend more time with my family," said Larry, who has three teenage daughters in Edmonds Public Schools.
As WSDOT's government relations director, Larry established effective relationships with legislators and the Governor's office, assisted in developing department advocacy and communication strategies and helped elected officials and the public better understand good transportation policy. He also represented Washington's transportation interests to Congress as a federal relations manager and secured funding for transportation projects that were important to communities.
Larry's also served six years on the Edmonds School Board, which was named under his tenure as the Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) School Board of the Year and given the WSSDA Diversity Award for outstanding efforts to promote diversity and multiculturalism. He also served as a past executive director of the University of Washington's Experimental College.
"Partnership for Learning has a great track record and reputation for working collaboratively in championing education reform efforts to better prepare our children for success and improve support for educators," said Larry. "I'm excited about the opportunity to devote my skills and energy to helping the business community, parents and educators improve our education system."
We're certainly happy to have a fellow music-lover and colleague devoted to Washington public education on board. So please join us in welcoming Larry to the Partnership and look forward to hearing from him soon!