Educational Resources Digest – Week of April 27

Resources to help you continue to support learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

 

To Parents and Colleagues

There has been a burst of energy for curating, creating, and distributing resources and opportunities to support learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with regularly scheduled programming. We’ve created a digest of what has come through Washington STEM’s inboxes during the past week. As remote learning continues, we will provide additional resource lists as we find them.

Please note that we work with a diverse set of partners, and these opportunities and events are not tailored to any particular audience or partner. Please review each opportunity to decide if it’s relevant to your needs.

— Cheers and be well!

Upcoming Programs and Webinars

Happening in May

Opening May 1   OSPI K-12 Open Educational Resources Project Grant

When: Applications open May 1, 2020
OER Project Grant Walkthrough is May 5, 3:00 pm PT

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are free to use, adapt, and share. OSPI’s K-12 OER Project Grant targets the development of OER instructional materials, especially in content areas currently lacking in standards-aligned OER (e.g., Health and Physical Education, Arts, World Languages)

This competitive grant opportunity for 2020-2021 will open on May 1 in iGrants (FP 730). In the meantime:

5/7 – 6/11  System & School Improvement Peer Learning Network

When: Thursdays, 2:00 pm PT
Where: Online via Zoom

Hosted by the Office of System & School Improvement from Washington state’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Have you ever wondered what other districts are doing right now? Do you want a chance to talk about it? We want to connect you with education leaders across the state in a virtual meeting space!

Dates & Topics:

  • May 7: Early Warning Systems to Drive Supports – with Sunnyside School District’s Dave Martinez
  • May 14: Supporting Graduation – with Federal Way Public Schools’ Dr. Pfeiffer and Sammy Anderson
  • May 21: Supporting Transitions with Goals, Pathways, & Agency – with Dr. Chan Hellman
  • May 28: Family & Community Engagement & PBIS at Home – with OSPI’s Joanna Brown
  • June 4: The Power of Language to Promote & Support Equity – with OSPI’s Timmie Foster
  • June 11: Youth Engagement – with OSPI’s Emily Maughan

By 5/8  2020 #PlanYourPathWA Student Video Contest

When: Application Deadline May 8, 2020

Ready Washington is launching our fifth annual video contest to get high school students thinking and talking about their education and career goals. If you are a Washington public high school student (or if you know one), please keep reading!

Ready Washington believes every student in our state should graduate high school prepared for a successful future––on the education and career path they choose––and we offer tools and resources to support them on that path. The goal of this contest is to amplify student voice and motivate all students to think about their futures and consider the people and resources that are available to help.

5/19 Toppenish Inclusionary Practice Virtual Demo

When: Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 1:00 pm PT
Where: Online via Zoom

This online learning session will feature staff sharing how they implement inclusionary practices including: differentiated curriculum planning and instruction, inclusive vision and mission, collaboration. This webinar is open to all educators and administrators.

OTHER RESOURCES

Career Connected Learning Professional Development Series for Administrator and Educators

Cost: FREE
Result: 15 STEM Clock Hours

This 5- module series of online professional development courses will introduce teachers and administrators to Career Connected Learning in Washington and provide guidance on the four stages of career connected learning. The content is specific to the Career Connect SW Network programs and services, but all educators in Washington will find resources and information applicable to their own district work.

These courses are intended for ALL K-12 teachers and administrators! For more information, please contact vickei.hrdina(at)esd112.org

Washington Student Achievement Council: Student & Family Messaging

Colleges Adjust Requirements and Deadlines in Response to COVID-19

In the face of COVID-19, Washington’s colleges and universities are being flexible about course requirements, test scores, deadlines, and more. Contact admissions offices directly if you have special circumstances or questions about how to meet requirements and deadlines during COVID-19.

Some colleges are modifying admissions requirements:

  • Many colleges have extended the deadline to officially decide where you plan to enroll. Many have also extended the deadline to make deposits.
  • Some campuses have gone test-optional, meaning you do not have to submit scores from standardized tests like SAT and ACT.

If someone in your family has lost a job or is working less, colleges may be able to provide more financial aid:

  • If you’ve already filed a 2020-21 FAFSA or WASFA, talk to the financial aid office about your situation.
  • If you haven’t applied for financial aid, it’s not too late. Submit your application, then follow up with the college.

Many colleges are offering virtual campus tours you can do online from home. Remember, it’s not too late to apply! Many of Washington’s four-year public and private, not-for-profit colleges and universities are still accepting applications for fall 2020.

To receive WSAC Student and Family messaging guidelines directly to your inbox (roughly weekly) subscribe here.

Student Learning & Grading Guidance: FAQ

Since releasing Student Learning & Grading Guidance on April 21, 2020, OSPI has collected questions and pulled answers together into a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document. The questions apply specifically to courses with high school bearing credit. Questions are addressed broadly with the goal of maintaining the ability of local school districts to better understand the emergency rules and apply the guidance to respond to local needs.

Student Grading: Emergency Rules

Emergency rules filed today, April 29, 2020, establish the terms and conditions governing local education agencies’ (LEAs’) entitlement to receive basic education apportionment allocations during the 2019-20 school year when the LEAs could not offer the statutory minimum number of school days or annual average total instructional hour offerings due to emergency closures. The emergency rules also address standards for continuous learning for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. The emergency rule language is posted to the OSPI website.

2020 Graduation Pathways: FAQ

This document covers frequently asked questions related to flexibility in graduation requirements for the Class of 2020, graduation pathways, pathways for students with disabilities, and the Expedited Assessment Appeals (EAA) waiver.

Supporting Well-Being during the COVID-19 Crisis

A List of resources for connecting with your children in the midst of changes associated with COVID-19. Curated by the Center for Child & Family Well-Being at University of Washington.

Council of Presidents Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Info and Resources

This page was created to share relevant COVID-19 information from our member institutions, our partners, and state leadership. COP is working with state authorities to monitor ongoing developments, coordinate and share information, and provide further guidance. We will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.

Articles

The 2020-21 School Year Is Coming Into View (and It Doesn’t Look Great)

Parents are getting a firsthand glimpse of the work involved in overseeing a child’s education, all while simultaneously juggling their professional responsibilities—or worse, the very real prospect of unemployment. Understandably, there’s enormous demand for schools to reopen so that teachers, parents, and school-aged kids can return to some semblance of productive normalcy. That’s not going to be easy. Early reports suggest that behind closed doors, school leaders are debating whether it’s safe to reopen schools at all this fall. Read the article featured in edutopia.

State Preschool Programs at Risk of ‘Long-Term Damage’

States spent $8.7 billion on preschool last school year — a 3.5% increase over the previous year — but publicly funded early-childhood education programs are at risk of experiencing “long-term damage” due to the pandemic’s effect on the economy, according to leaders of the National Institute for Early Education Research. (Source: Education Dive, April 22)

Promising Evidence for Addressing Teacher Shortages in Washington State

Like many states, Washington faces a growing teacher shortage. Sun Young Yoon and Jason Greenberg Motamedi describe a recent REL Northwest report that found nearly 70 percent of limited certificated teachers surveyed were interested in becoming fully certified. Survey respondents also listed a range of supports they would need in order to pursue full certification. The study findings show promise for addressing teacher shortages, filling hard-to-staff positions in certain subject areas, and promoting a more diverse teacher workforce.

You’ll Probably Forget What It Was Like to Live Through a Pandemic

Is it too soon to consider the fact that we’re living through a major historical event? What will we remember about this time? How will we think about it when it’s far in the rear-view mirror? (Source: Vice, ~11 min.)