by Sarah Barnes, School & Community Liaison / Academic Success Coordinator

Academic achievement does not typically characterize the students who are served by the High School Success Class at Chelan High School. That usually changes by the time they finish 9th grade. Freshman Nathan improved his GPA last year from 0.9 to 3.3. “This year I made a big change including changing my habits and studying for tests. My mentor is influential because she helped me with my work and kept me in a good mood so that I could focus better. I will use the experience of having a mentor into becoming one for kids who need it most.”
Josh, who increased his GPA from 2.9 to 3.5, reflected, “Having a mentor made me work even harder by CLICK HERE to continue reading

WATCH NOW: 

Share with us on social media!

Q: How are you building relationships with your 9^th graders?

Q: Are you running a summer school bridge program? We want to learn what you’re doing and how it’s going!

Q: What are you doing that is helping 9^th graders stay on-track?

Q: Do you have a 9^th Grade Success Team? Tell us about it!

@waOSPI  #waOSPI

by Kaaren Andrews, Director of the Center for High School Success

The Center for High Schools Success (CHSS), part of Stand for Children, launched this fall with the goal of increasing the number of 9th graders on track for high school graduation and college and career readiness. We are proud to already have partnerships in the Yakima Valley (six districts), South King County (two districts), and in Spokane (one district and a public charter school). The work we’re doing helps bring CLICK HERE to continue reading

10 Strategies to Increase Family Engagement of American Indian, Alaskan Native, and or Native American Families

1. Make physical spaces reflective
2. Emphasize community connections
3. Embrace Indian and Treaty Law
4. Connect with tribal calendars
5. Connect habits of mind to a culturally appropriate narrative
6. Celebrate successes, especially in Tribal priority areas
7. Use culturally appropriate mechanisms to engage families
8. Be transparent with policies
9. Ensure policies support student learning
10. Connect to ancestral language and culture efforts

Learn More…..

GATE Equity Webinar December 11th:
101: Youth Engagement Strategies with Greg Williamson from DCYF
201:The Science and Theory of Hope: Creating Meaningful Pathways for Youth with Chan Hellman, PhD Oklahoma University

School discipline, substance use, and restraint and isolation training, ESD 105, November 20

WSSDA Annual Conference, Bellevue, November 21-24

WERA Conference, SeaTac, December 4-6

GATE Advisory meeting: Hope, ESD 113, December 10

GATE Equity Webinars, January 8

School discipline, substance use, and restraint and isolation training, ESD 112, January 16th

GATE Advisory meeting: English Learners, ESD 113 February 11

GATE Equity Webinars, February 12

MTSS Fest, SeaTac,  May 4-5

Chelan High School’s Academic Success: A Washington peer-mentoring program to grow social-emotional learning.

University of Chicago Freshman Success Inventory: Assess your success on beliefs, administration, and your success team.

University of Chicago Freshman Success Framework: Roles for Principal, Team Lead, and Success Team.

University of Chicago Freshman On-Track Toolkit: A comprehensive guide of evidence based practices.

Washington Middle School’s Peer Mentoring Program video: ESD 113’s Teacher of the Year on her amazing mentoring program for students with disabilities.

Behavior Modules: Learn the basics of a functional behavior assessment and how to create a behavior intervention plan.

Watch last year’s 9^th Grade Success GATE Equity Webinar Recordings: 9th Graders On-Track: Insights from Chicago Freshman Success Institute & Building Inclusion Into Culture: Mentoring Students with Disabilities

Advisory Rubric: How is Your Advisory Supporting Your School Improvement Plan Goals? Use this to self-assess.

Washington College Access Network: College Knowledge by Grade: Check out these checklists for relevant monthly topics for your advisory class! Multiple languages available.

 NCS: Freshman Success Inventory

Washington Recovery Help Line

Transitioning Young Adolescents from Elementary to Middle School

9^th Grade Success page

Use of Early Warning Indicators to Improve Chicago Public Schools: Foundational article on 9^th Grade on Track and how it is driving grad rates up in Chicago.

Success Team in Action: North Grand High School (video): Check out what a success team can do!

Healthy Youth Survey – Check your data for school protective factors using the QxQ analysis.

School Discipline, Substance Use, and Restraint and Isolation Policy and Proactive Approaches to Support Positive Behavior
Trainings across the state happening now through March 2020 Information and registration here

Sexual Abuse Prevention Training, Free, 4-hour Training, includes clock hours
Nov 15 - Spokane: https://www.pdenroller.org/ospi/catalog/event/99465
contact Andrea Wessel with questions

by Jason Boatwright, Dual Credit Program Supervisor
One of the most common themes we hear from historically underserved students about why they choose not to take a dual credit course is that, “they aren’t for me”. They feel the other kids don’t look like them, don’t seem like them, or are smarter than them. Based on known gaps between different student groups, there is a good chance that they may not look like anyone participating in dual credit. The gaps for historically underserved students persist. Only by our encouragement, and increasing access to these options, can we make a difference and increase equity within dual credit. For more information on increasing equity and student mindset, what options are available, and other resources, please check out our updated dual credit webpage

Adapted cover from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish copyright Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P. All rights reserved. Used here pursuant to Fair Use

Research shows again and again that the implementation of a multi-tiered behavioral framework like School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) improves school climate by helping schools operate in a more effective, efficient and equitable way to improve social, emotional, and behavioral student outcomes resulting in safer, more consistent learning environments.

However, some of the common barriers to district wide PBIS implementation are buy-in from staff and contextualizing implementation components in the high school setting.

Here are five resources specific to implementing PBIS in High School:

1. Using Outcome Data To Implement Multi-Tiered Behavior Support in High Schools
2. Fidelity of SW-PBIS in High Schools: Patterns of Implementation Strengths and Needs
3. High School PBIS Implementation: Student Voice
4. High School PBIS Implementation Staff Buy-In
5. Monograph on SWPBIS Implementation in High Schools: Current Practices and Future Directions