Showing posts with label school board. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school board. Show all posts

An Easy Way to Research your Shoreline School: 2015-2016 School Improvement Plans

Thursday, January 28, 2016

By Marianne Deal Stephens

In late 2015, Shoreline Schools posted School Improvement Plans (SIPs). In Washington State, every public school must come up with a School Improvement Plan that is “data-driven, promotes a positive impact on student learning, and includes a continuous improvement process” (Washington Administrative Code).

All SIPs generally follow a format of half the plan focused on literacy and half on math. The plans present data from state and local assessments, which vary by grade level. Assessments may include the following:


The results from these assessments are detailed by subgroups so that the school and district can identify achievement gaps. After the numbers, the schools present an action plan for student academic growth.

Action plan elements vary by level and location. At Ridgecrest Elementary, teachers will implement new reading curricula, increase the frequency of small group instruction for students not meeting standards, and use close reading strategies across content areas, among other measures.

At Highland Terrace Elementary, students in 3rd-6th grade will have access to additional math practice through IXL, and teachers will provide small group instruction to students who need it following whole group math lessons. In all schools, strategies include both broad measures affecting all students and targeted measures focusing on small groups or individual students.

Middle school strategies reflect the nature of the school structure. Among many other measures, Kellogg will achieve routine use of Cornell Note-taking in all applicable subjects (the note-taking method is an element of the all-school AVID program), and create a new SIOP model for ELL students. Einstein will provide interventions in classes and during support periods like Working Lunch and after-school Tiger Tutoring.

High School plans make it clear that literacy is not limited to English and math to standard math classes. Shorecrest High School involves several departments in the literacy effort: Art, Counseling, English, Social Studies, Leadership, Learning Resource Center, World Language, and Science. In the same way, various departments share the math goals: Directed Studies, Family and Consumer Science, Industrial Tech/ Business, Math, Music, PE/ Health.

Shorewood High School calls on all staff to “delve deeper into course failure rates” and to support students through targeted intervention.

Many School Improvement Plans have a component addressing community and family involvement, which has “a positive impact on student learning (Washington Administrative Code). Parkwood and Briarcrest Elementaries have monthly Cafecitos sessions for Spanish speaking families, and Meridian Park Elementary will host Family Nights for Kindergarten and First Grade to teach content strategies and games to support learning at home.

To support families who speak a language other than English at home, Einstein will train staff to use Language Line to engage families and increase the use of TransAct for sharing documents. Shorecrest will have family outreach to the Ballinger Homes area, including having Student/ Parent Conferences on site.

Parents and community members can access the School Improvement Plans on the District website  . Questions about the plans or schools can be directed to the building principals.

Elementary Schools
Middle Schools
High Schools


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Shoreline School Board meeting January 11, 2016: Cascade K-8, Home Education Exchange to relocate

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

By Marianne Deal Stephens

Prior to the meeting, a reception honored the Directors of the Shoreline School Board as part of the statewide School Board Recognition Month. Members of the community stopped in to say hello and offer thanks to Debi Ehrlichman, Mike Jacobs, Dick Nicholson, Richard Potter, and David Wilson.

Consent Agenda
The evening’s ten-item consent agenda passed unanimously. Of note:

  • Acceptance of several gifts:
    • $6,391.34 raised by Echo Lake PTA’s Walk-a-Thon for class enrichment, school equipment and 6th grade camp; 
    • $6,119. from Syre PTA for classroom grants, including “I Spy” Books for 1st grade and a Buddy Bench for the playground; 
    • $11,954.42 from Shorewood PTSA for classroom grants, including a visiting Spanish Artist/ Musician and a band uniform. 
  • Approval to extend the agreement with Puget Sound ESD for the Head Start Program housed at Meridian Park Elementary. Head Start is a federally funded program with an emphasis on social skill development and literacy.
  • Approval of Extended Field Trips, for:
    • Shorecrest and Shorewood Robotics students to Portland for NW Robotics Competition in April;
    • Shorecrest Track Team to Pasco for Pasco Invitational Track Meet in April;
    • Shorewood Leadership Students to Leadership Camp at Cispus Learning Center in Randle, Washington for Leadership Camp in August. 

Board President David Wilson publicly thanked Echo Lake, Syre, and Shorewood PTA chapters, saying that “these donations fill many needs and enrich our schools” and affirming that “the PTA is a tremendous partner”.

Observation of School Board Recognition Month
Referring to the Shoreline School Board, Superintendent Rebecca Miner asserted that

“there is no better example of a stellar, effective, and committed school board than here in Shoreline. We are extremely fortunate to have this group of individuals representing our educational community. Their insights, thoughtful decisions, and dedication to the cause of student achievement make them a truly outstanding Board.” 

Superintendent Miner presented certificates to Board Vice President Debi Ehrlichman and Board President David Wilson for ten years of service to the District.

January is School Board Recognition Month as proclaimed by Governor Jay Inslee. Superintendent Miner read the Governor’s Proclamation, which recognizes the State’s school directors as “outstanding volunteers and champions for public education” into the record.

First Reading of District Instructional Materials Committee (DIMC) Recommendations
Director of Teaching and Learning Teri Poff presented the committee’s recommendation that the district adopt the following materials, which teachers have requested and the committee has reviewed:

Social Studies Materials

The Creation of the U.S. Constitution by Michael Burgan, Capstone Press. 
Image: Amazon.com



These four books will be used primarily in SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol for English Language Learners) History Classes: Young People’s History of the United States; Split History of Westward Expansion in the U.S.; The U.S. Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation; The Creation of the U.S. Constitution.  

Language Arts Materials
The film Bowling for Columbine will be used in Junior English classes at Shorewood as part of a project on American Culture examining how to construct an argument.

Director Dick Nicholson inquired about the “R” rating of the film. Dr. Poff explained that rating is due to violence in the form of raw footage of actual events and not from language. Because of the movie rating, parent permission would be required. Students who opt out would have an alternative assignment.

These materials are scheduled to be adopted at the next regular Board meeting on January 25. See the DIMC Recommendation for details.

Comments from the Community
Bill MacCully of the Shoreline Rotary Club informed the Board about a recent service effort. Since 1998, the club has taken 25 Shoreline elementary students on a shopping spree to J.C. Penney during the holiday season. This year, 52 club members and volunteers took 28 students to the Alderwood Mall J.C. Penney before the store opened. In an hour, the volunteers and students chose items along with the help of store employees, who had prepared goodie bags for each of the students. After shopping, the Rotary took the kids out for breakfast at McDonald’s. Mr. MacCully, who coordinated the event, described the looks on the kids’ faces as they are wearing new coats, and said “this is a heart project”.

Cascade K-8 Parent Sharon Tapia thanked the Board for the partnership the Cascade community shares with the District. She is looking forward to the school’s upcoming changes.

At the end of the community comment period, President David Wilson recognized a large group in the audience. Students in Senior Civics are often asked by their teachers to attend a community or municipal meeting. Approximately twenty students stood while President Wilson thanked them for attending.

Adoption of Revisions to Policies 3250
The Board approved revisions to Policy 3250, which regards the release of student information. District Information Officer Curtis Campbell explained that the changes align our policy with best practices by expanding the definition of ‘directory information’ to include images, video, and email addresses as well as more traditional elements of student information. See Revised Policy 3250.

Adoption of Policy 2021
Director of Teaching and Learning Teri Poff stated that the new policy “clearly states the purpose of our library media centers” and outlines processes for selection and reconsideration of materials. Policy 2021 was approved.

Approval of Preparation of Classrooms for 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, and Relocation of Cascade K-8 Community School and Home Education Exchange to Aldercrest Elementary 

Deputy Superintendent Marla Miller introduced the long-awaited Classroom and Facility Planning Recommendation, which she described as the “culmination of many months of study”. Increasing enrollment and consideration of future measures to reduce class sizes led the District to undertake a study of long-term enrollment and a study of the condition of all of the district’s buildings, both in 2015.

Chrisy Francescutti, Director of Cascade K-8 Community School and Ron Jones, Program Coordinator for Home Education Exchange (HEE), joined the Deputy Superintendent to present the plan. The Cascade K-8 Community School and the Home Education Exchange will share the Aldercrest Campus owned by Shoreline School District. Mr. Jones thanked the Board, and said that HEE has enjoyed its time at North City. Ms. Francescutti described how Cascade K-8 is a “collaborate community” and she is excited to include “my staff, my students, and of course our wonderful parents” in the move. Both Mr. Jones and Ms. Francescuitti noted that they already work well together and, though they lead separate programs, the shared campus may lead to collaboration.

The Aldercrest Campus is currently occupied by Sound City Bible Church, and will be vacated by June 1, 2016. After June 1, the District will remodel the Aldercrest buildings over the summer, and the programs will begin the 2017-2018 school year in the new location.

Source:  Shoreline School District

Relocating Cascade K-8 to Aldercrest will free up some classrooms at Meridian Park Elementary, but the district will need more classrooms long-term. During the 2016-2017 school year, the District will remodel North City Elementary.

North City Elementary currently houses several preschool programs which received notice of lease termination several months ago. The preschools requested more time, and the District has changed the lease termination date to August 31, 2016 from June 1, 2016. Deputy Superintendent Miller mentioned that the District is talking with the preschools about the possibility of the programs leasing classrooms at Shoreline Center for a year while they look for permanent locations.

Source:  Shoreline School District

Deputy Superintendent Miller summarized the changes as follows: we are proposing the relocation of the two programs for 2016-2017, and the preparation of North City Elementary during 2016-2017 for the 2017-2018 school year. It is anticipated that North City would be ready for occupancy in August of 2017. 

Superintendent Miner has asked the staff, as part of the District’s continued review, to consider grade configurations as part of the larger picture. There is a possibility that configurations of K-5 and 6-8 would serve needs better than the current K-6 and 7-8 model.

The District will continue to monitor enrollment and buildings, and will consider the possibility of a February 2017 bond issue if the District determines that new building projects are needed. If a bond measure is called for, the District would need to ask for Board approval by June 2016.

When the Board unanimously approved the proposal, applause broke out in the meeting room. Staff and parents involved with Cascade K-8, the Home Education Exchange, and the various preschools appear to be pleased with the District plan. 
Board Reports and Communications

Director Richard Potter helped out with the Holiday Baskets event at Kellogg, watched the Fire Department do some training in the District, and caught another concert, which he always enjoys.

Dick Nicholson continues to lead KCDA as its President, and noted that the cooperative purchasing organization “established a record” in 2015 and has had “tremendous growth.”

Debi Ehrlichman went to the Girls’ Basketball game at Shorecrest last week, which was on the evening of “a difficult day” [when Shorecrest was evacuated due to a bomb threat]. She mentioned that Shorecrest staff and students and District communications and transportation staff handled the event very well.

Director Ehrlichman drew attention to the many Martin Luther King, Jr. Assemblies coming up and to Kinderfest, which is coming up on January 23 for the Class of 2029.

David Wilson praised the winter concerts, and mentioned the impressive finale of the Shorewood-Einstein Winter Concert with 125 students on stage. He also noted that the Power of One program, which places senior citizens in Shoreline Schools, was chosen as the Best Volunteer Program of the Year by the North Urban Human Services Alliance [see previous article].

Several directors attended the PTA Reflections Celebration on January 7 and complimented our student artists. [See previous story]



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Shoreline School District exploring Dual Language Program

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

By Marianne Deal Stephens

On December 7, 2015, the Shoreline School Board heard an update on the possible adoption of a Dual Language Program at the elementary level.

Dr. Ellen Kaje, Director of Categorical Programs, recounted that, in April 2015, the Shoreline School Board authorized an exploration of a Transitional Bilingual Instructional Program (TBIP), a system of instruction which “uses two languages, one of which is English, as a means of instruction to build upon and expand language skills to enable a student to achieve competency in English.”

Source: Shoreline School District

Dr. Kaje is working with several Shoreline Educators, including Briarcrest Elementary Principal Jonathan Nessan and Briarcrest teachers Michelle Holguin and Selena Killin, on this project. The four have: attended La Cosecha Dual Language Conference in Albequerque, New Mexico this fall; studied the programs; and created a possible plan for TBIP in the Shoreline School District.

Since Spanish is the top language in Shoreline ELL programs, and Briarcrest has a concentration of Spanish-speaking families with some support for those families already in place, Briarcrest is the anticipated location of a program.

Dr. Kaje explained that a dual-language program is two-way, with half Spanish and half English speakers. Literacy and content instruction is given to all students in both languages. Two teachers, one teaching in Spanish and one in English, will share one class. The program promotes academic achievement, bilingualism, and bi-literacy.

Academic benefits of a properly implemented program have been studied, and students in dual language programs not only outperform other ESL (English as a Second Language) models, but in high school, students who were in DLE programs in elementary school outperform their peers even though the DLE instruction does not continue into high school:
Source: Shoreline School District

Teacher Selena Killin spoke to the divergence in the achievement graph at 3rd grade. As she described it, at 3rd grade, you stop learning to read and begin reading to learn. The dual language programs also help overcome achievement disparities between low income students and the rest of a school population.

Source: Shoreline School District

As Principal Jonathan Nessan explained, the academic and cognitive benefits can be attributed to the timing of instruction during a period of great plasticity in children’s brains. Learning content in two languages leads to better connections in both languages, with longer working memory, greater attention span, and increased executive functioning, all of which have great benefits for kids.

Teacher Michelle Holguin detailed social benefits of greater understanding and tolerance for others, and a better sense of self which comes from seeing the native language and culture valued in the school community. Parents with students in the programs typically participate in the school community at greater rates.

The earliest the District would have a dual-language class would be in 2017-18. During this 2015-16 school year, the District will visit area districts with equivalent programs, engage in professional development, and gather input from stakeholders through existing parent groups at Briarcrest. Dr. Kaje anticipates asking the Board this spring for formal approval.

After approval, the District would plan and prepare during 2016-17 and then implement in 2017-18.
Source: Shoreline School District

While there would be some costs for materials and professional development, much of the funding for a Dual Language Program would come from State TBIP and Federal Title III programs. The District will also seek grant funding.

Dr. Kaje anticipates that staffing will be the biggest challenge. While the graduated phase-in (begin with one Kindergarten and one First Grade class and phase in one additional class per year) does not require significant numbers of staff all at once, there are very few teachers who are qualified for DLE programs. The District plans to work with Human Resources and local universities for recruitment.

Director Potter inquired about the transitions to middle and high school. The graph above shows results during 6-year [elementary] DLE and beyond as the students carry the cognitive and academic benefits into their secondary years. As Principal Nessan stated, there are no current plans to continue DLE into high school, “but it is exciting to think about teachers teaching Biology in Spanish.”

Students who go through the program and meet eligibility criteria would be able to obtain a Washington State Seal of Biliteracy on their high school diploma.

For more information:



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12-7-15 Shoreline School Board Meeting: Leadership Shift, Kindergarteners Doing Well, A High School Student Speaks Up

Monday, January 11, 2016

Directors Potter (from left), Jacobs, and Nicholson
take the oath of office at the 12-7-15 meeting
Photo by Marianne Deal Stephens

By Marianne Deal Stephens

Oath of Office and Reorganization of the Board
Once a year, the Superintendent of Shoreline Public Schools renews the Oath of Office. Board President Mike Jacobs, in his last official act as Board President, administered the Oath to Superintendent Rebecca Miner. She vowed to “support the Constitution of the United States and the State of Washington and will faithfully discharge the duties of the Office of the Superintendent of the Shoreline School District No. 412, in the County of King, State of Washington, according to the best of my ability.”

In turn, Superintendent Miner administered the oath for three Directors reelected in November: Mike Jacobs, Dick Nicholson, and Richard Potter. Following the oath, the Board quickly reorganized.

David Wilson became the new Board President, and Debi Ehrlichman assumed the office of Vice President.

Consent Agenda
The evening’s 21-item consent agenda included:

  • Acceptance of gifts from Echo Lake PTA ($6000 for class projects and student experiences), Meridian Park PTSA ($7197.88 for assemblies, 6th grade camp, and music), and Syre Elementary PTSA ($6050 for assemblies and field trip transportation).
  • Approval of the final SEA Certificated Salary Schedule.
  • Approval of Interlocal Agreement with Fircrest and DSHS for education of the students “through age 21 who have not met high school graduation requirements and reside at Fircrest.”
  • Authority and Project Budget for Feasibility/ Design Phase for: Ridgecrest Fire Alarm Replacement Project; Shoreline Stadium Field Replacement and Track Structural Coating Project; Shorewood High School Security Fencing.
  • Approval of Extended Field Trips: Shorecrest music students to All State in Yakima in February; Shorewood DECA students to the State Competition in Bellevue in March; Shorewood Drill to State Competition in Yakima in March; Shorecrest AVID students to four Eastern Washington colleges in April; Ridgecrest 6th graders to Warm Beach Camp in May; Echo Lake 6th graders to Camp Orkila in May.


President Wilson publicly thanked Echo Lake PTSA, Meridian Park PTSA, and Syre PTSA for their gifts, saying that “the common theme here is tremendous support” in the form of donations that “fill our needs and enrich our schools.”

Dual Language Program: Exploration Update
A summary of the District’s research and possible proposal will appear in a separate article. (Shoreline School District exploring Dual Language Program)

WaKIDS Assessment Results
Dr. Michael Power, Director of Assessment and Student Learning, offered a summary of the first Shoreline WaKIDS results. This assessment is a required part of the newly acquired State-Funded Full-Day Kindergarten at five Shoreline elementary schools. All ten Shoreline elementary schools offer full-day kindergarten, but state funding currently covers five: Briarcrest, Echo Lake, Lake Forest Park, Meridian Park, and Parkwood. In 2016-17, state funding for all day Kindergarten will expand to all elementary schools.

WaKIDS, the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills, is a State transition process “that helps ensure a successful start to the K-12 experience and connect the key adults in a child’s life” (OSPI WaKIDS).

Source: WaKIDS, OSPI

The WaKIDS Whole-Child Assessment involves teacher observation during usual class activities; kids are not pulled out and tested.

Source: Shoreline School District

Teachers assess six areas of development and learning: Physical; Social-emotional; Language (oral); Cognitive; Mathematics; Literacy (print). Since the observations include so many characteristics for each child, there are many pieces of data and the teachers’ work is intensive. The District provided some release time [substitutes were hired] for teachers. Meetings with parents at each school explained the process and the WaKIDS program.

While there is currently no state data for 2015, a comparison of Shoreline in 2015 to the state in 2014 shows that our kids are starting out well.

Source: Shoreline School District

Dr. Power pointed out that approximately 20-22% of our kids need some additional skills, and that the high percentage in literacy “is a testament to our families who provide language-rich homes.”

Over time, the District will use the information for planning purposes. Board Vice President Ehrlichman asked what the State plans to do with the information, and wondered if results would be shared with the early childhood programs. Dr. Power assured the Board that the information is primarily for the teachers, though the State does need proof that all day kindergarten is working in order to support the funding. One of the advantages of WaKIDS is that it “makes you look at the child, the physical child” and not only at the child’s work. Over time, the District will work with kindergarten teachers on how to use this data.

Revisions to Policy Regarding Release of Student Directory Information
Public Information Officer Curtis Campbell presented an update to Policy 3250, which concerns the release of student directory information. In its previous form, the policy “did not clearly state that photographs, video images, and email addresses are considered directory information.” Along with the policy change, the Opt-Out Form will be updated. This form allows parents to request that their student’s name, image, or other pieces of information not be released for any reason. Mr. Campbell noted that parents often, in the flurry of paperwork at the start of a new school year, sign the form without realizing its full ramifications.

Discussion about the policy led to a related but separate issue regarding volunteers and parents taking photos during the school day. The District will come out with photo guidelines in early 2016.

New Policy for Library Media Centers
Policy 2021 outlines the purpose of library media centers, which “will be used to support and extend the classroom program of instruction” and establishes procedures for selection of materials.

2014-2015 Year-End Financial Report
Director of Finance and Business Services and Deputy Superintendent Marla Miller presented the 2014-2015 Year End Financial Report. Though the District’s Fiscal Year ends August 31, the final reports come out in late fall after all transactions have closed.
Source: Shoreline School District
In addition to the items highlighted above, officials offered a few comments about particular budget variances:

  • The Children’s Center did better than in 2013-2014 because of higher enrollment;
  • Electricity and natural gas expenditures were under budget due to: the mild winter; a change in heating method at Shorecrest; and low energy prices;
  • Tax collections were higher than expected because of increased real estate activity.

The District submits a detailed year-end report to the State, which can be viewed on pages 175-249 of the December Meeting Packet.

Community Comment
Shorewood Senior Krystin Kalvoy has chosen the issue of the school year’s late start as her civic project. She described how the late start is “detrimental to all students taking AP courses, especially when Labor Day is late.” With East Coast schools 3-4 weeks ahead of us, “we have to cram the material”, and students must work through holidays. The calendar “causes additional stress” for teachers and means that “counselors are cramming along with us” to help students with college applications in the fall. Krystin realizes that “there are more elementary kids than high school kids” yet wonders if child care would be easier for elementary parents if the school year started earlier.

Shoreline Education Association President David Guthrie circled back to the WaKIDS presentation, wondering what will be done with the data, and expressing concern that this is part of “data-driven testing madness.” He commended the board for realizing that WaKIDS means a lot of extra work for teachers, and asserts that measures like WaKIDS are a factor in the looming teacher shortage. Mr. Guthrie spoke about teaching as “our [teachers’] deep joy meeting the world’s deep needs” and asserted that “we have a joy deficit.”

Board Requested Discussion
Director Richard Potter thanked community member Ray Koelling for his leadership of the Shoreline STEM Festival. Mr. Koelling will be moving from the area, but noted that since he will be traveling 300 miles to come back to attend the 2016 festival, he hopes that others will travel just a few miles to participate. The STEM festival grew from Mr. Koelling’s vision, and now has a steering committee and will be incorporated as a nonprofit. The 2016 STEM Festival will be held on May 14, 2016.

New Board President David Wilson thanked outgoing President Mike Jacobs with a Dodgers baseball cap since the two share a passion for baseball.

Action Item: Authorization to Pay off LGO Bonds
The Board adopted Resolution 2015-18 which allows the District to pay off LGO bonds early. Doing so will save the taxpayers in interest payments, and lower the District’s overall debt. The move has been thoroughly explored with financial advisors and the legal team.

Board Reports
Members of the Board praised several recent events, including: recent high school plays, the fundraising dinner put on by Shorecrest Culinary Arts, Highland Terrace’s Science Fun Night, and the Veteran’s Day celebration at Parkwood.

They also commended:




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Shoreline School Board Meeting Summary November 9, 2015

Thursday, November 19, 2015

By Marianne Deal Stephens
Education Reporter


Consent Agenda
Director Richard Potter made the motion to accept the evening’s Consent Agenda, which included:
• Adoption of DIMC Recommendations.
• Acceptance of Gifts:
    • $7650 from Cascade K-8 PTSA for educational enrichment and field trips.
    • over $5000 in equipment (10 iPads, 10 covers, and 1 charging station) from the Washington Dairy Farmers and Jackson Food Stores) to Lake Forest Park Elementary.
    • $11,550 from the Shoreline Public Schools Foundation for IXL Math Licenses for grades 4, 5 and 6.
• Approval of License Agreement for Graduation Ceremonies at XFINITY Arena on June 19, 2016.
• Approval of 2015-2016 Carl Perkins Grant Application for Career Technical Education. 
• Approval of Extended Field Trips: 
  • Shorewood Cross Country to attend the State Meet in Pasco in November;
  • Shorewood Music Honor Groups to attend All State in Yakima in February;
  • Einstein 8th grade orchestra to attend Northwest Orchestra Festival in Gresham in March;
  • Shorewood Aeolian Choir to perform in Anaheim, CA in April.

Shoreline Public Schools Foundation (SPSF) Report
SPSF Development Director Cindy Pridemore and President Ken Altena spoke to the Board about the work of the Shoreline Public Schools Foundation, which “raises funds to support academic excellence and expanded learning opportunities for all students in the Shoreline Public Schools.” The non-profit 501(c)(3) organization was started in 1992, and has an all-volunteer Board of Directors and two employees, Development Director Cindy Pridemore and Office and Programs Manager Charlene Carlson.  

Mr. Altena introduced the Foundation’s current three initiatives:
Source: Shoreline Public Schools Foundation

The Board and guests viewed a recently-produced video showing some highlights from Foundation-supported projects in the District. 

Source:  Image from Shoreline Public Schools Foundation Video
 
The Foundation recently completed its successful Fall Campaign, which raised over $50,000. More corporations, including Campbell Nelson, Wells Fargo, and Boeing, now contribute. Ms. Pridemore reaffirmed the Foundation’s dedication to the District, saying that “our community has the capacity and wants to do more” for the students of Shoreline. 

Negative Meal Balance 
Director of School Nutrition Jessica Finger and Deputy Superintendent Marla Miller presented a proposed administrative procedure for responding to “negative meal balance” situations. Student meals can be paid for in a few possible ways: the Federal school nutrition program if the family qualifies for free/ reduced lunches; parent deposits on account; cash. Occasionally, student accounts run low, run out, and begin to incur a negative meal balance. Director Finger researched procedures in other districts, and assembled a committee to review current procedures and develop a new protocol.

The proposal includes two procedures, one for elementary and one for secondary. The outlined steps are designed to discreetly alert families about a low account balance ahead of consequences. If a student’s account reaches zero and then the maximum negative balance (the equivalent of 7 meals for elementary and 3 for secondary), the student may receive a certain number of courtesy meals (5 for elementary and 3 for secondary). The procedures conclude with the following statement:  

“Counselors and Food Services staff should be fully aware and trying to resolve the issue with families well in advance of the maximum. The Director of Food and Nutrition Services should be notified by Food Services staff at this point to determine next steps.”  
        —Shoreline Schools Secondary Negative Meal Balance procedure. The elementary procedure is virtually identical. 

Following the presentation, the Directors and Ms. Finger discussed how to pay for additional lunches for students whose families cannot. Deputy Superintendent Miller explained that the District is not supposed to use funds for individual student lunches. Director Debi Ehrlichman hoped that community groups might hear of the need and organize to address the problem.

For more information, see the District’s Food Services page and the Free and Reduced Meal Program application . 

Note: Monthly enrollment reports (see the November report) include school-by-school Free and Reduced Meal Program percentages. Overall, 25.86% of students in the Shoreline School District are enrolled in the program. Students in the program receive more than meals: the secondary program includes discounts on test registration fees and more. 

School Improvement Plans
The 2015-2016 School Improvement Plans will be covered in a separate article. 

Board Reports
Director Richard Potter, along with Director Wilson, has visited seven schools plus the Children’s Center this year. They have heard good feedback about the K-5 reading curriculum. 

Director Debi Ehrlichman thanked the writer of these summaries for keeping the community informed.
Referring to a recent award, Director Ehrlichman congratulated Shorecrest Counselor Dr. Steve Hirsch, who was named 2015 School Psychologist of the Year by the Washington State Association of School Psychologists (see previous article). 

Director Ehrlichman is looking forward to attending the high school plays and the Shorecrest Holiday Dinner, which will feature food by the Shorecrest Culinary Arts students and help finance the Holiday Baskets effort.

Director David Wilson, referring to his recent school visits, praised our “great principals,” mentioning two in particular: Highland Terrace Principal Jacqueline Estephan and Cascade K-8 Principal Chrisy Francescutti. 

Director Wilson recently attended the Paying for College event put on by the After Shorewood Committee of the Shorewood PTSA. More than 100 people attended and presenter David Aramaki gave parents valuable advice. (see previous article).

Board President Mike Jacobs mentioned the great seasons of Shorewood women's soccer and volleyball teams.



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Summary of Joint Meeting Shoreline City Council and Shoreline School District Board of Directors

Monday, November 16, 2015

Shoreline City officials and Shoreline School District officials joint meeting
Photo by Marianne Stephens

By Marianne Deal Stephens
Education Reporter

On Monday, November 9, 2015 on the third floor of Shoreline City Hall, ten City of Shoreline officials and seven Shoreline Public Schools officials met to discuss topics of mutual interest. Mayor Shari Winstead welcomed everyone and opened the meeting.

Promoting Shoreline Project
City Economic Program Manager Dan Eernissee presented the project, which aims to “Introduce Shoreline to those who will invest in our community by making a home here for themselves and their business.” The project administered a survey to 600+ Puget Sound area residents living outside of Shoreline.

Source: City of Shoreline, Promoting Shoreline Update November 9, 2015

When respondents heard a description of Shoreline without hearing the name, 61% found it appealing. When they found out that it was Shoreline, the favorability dropped to 42%.

Mr. Eernissee described this perception problem. The drop in favorability was mainly from people who have lived in the Puget Sound area for a long time; they may associate Shoreline with Aurora Avenue, and not be aware of recent improvements. Newcomers, who largely did not have a drop in favorable perception, simply need an introduction to Shoreline.

Source: City of Shoreline, Promoting Shoreline Update November 9, 2015

Mr. Eernissee explained how the “nonspecific conception of Aurora as an unsafe and unsavory stretch of highway” is out of proportion to the actual crime statistics, and hoped that information will change this and other misperceptions of Shoreline.

Project Shoreline’s three recommendations:
  1. Reach those most interested where they already get their information.
  2. Debunk myths and generate positive buzz with those who dismiss Shoreline.
  3. Continue to invest in Placemaking (amenities and culture). 
In reference to the schools, Mr. Eernissee conveyed that “we hear over and over that people are here for the schools” and that the schools are important for recommendation #3, since the schools provide Arts and “add texture” to the community. Mr. Eernissee will work with Curtis Campbell from the Public Schools, and with Shoreline Community College in the effort to accurately portray and promote Shoreline.

Mayor Winstead summarized the effort as making Shoreline “a place you drive to instead of drive through.”

Shoreline School District Priorities
Superintendent Rebecca Miner presented the 2015-16 Board/ Superintendent/ District Priorities. See previous School Board Meeting Summary. When discussing Capital Projects, Superintendent Miner mentioned that since the District is at 99% capacity in elementary schools, “we need to adapt.” The rest of the District’s portion of the meeting related to the plans for adaptation.

2015 School Demography Study
Superintendent Miner explained that the District is using the “medium” enrollment projection from the recent Demography Study to plan both short and long term. (See a summary of the May 2015 Presentation). 

Source: Shoreline Public Schools

In response to increased enrollment in the elementary grades, the District has already discontinued boundary exceptions and distributed ELL programs to neighborhood schools.

2015 School Facilities Study
Deputy Superintendent Marla Miller presented results from the Facilities Survey which assessed the condition of all School District properties. This study, along with the Demography Study, will inform a Capital Projects plan. The middle schools are in need of major improvements, and the elementary schools, while well-maintained, require some attention. Cedarbrook, which is owned by the District but not used for District programs, is in the worst condition, followed by the Children’s Center.
Source: Shoreline Public Schools

Deputy Superintendent Miller noted that the District will need 10-15 new classrooms in the fall of 2016, and about the same number of additional classrooms the following year. New construction would take too much time (3+ years), so the district anticipates both “carving out space” in existing buildings and reclaiming leased properties for District use.

The group discussed demographic changes. Deputy Mayor Eggen asked wither the demographer took rezoning into account. Deputy Superintendent Miller answered affirmatively, though she explained that the anticipated housing may not draw families and so may not affect student populations. While student populations are increasing, they will not reach previous highs of 18,000; people still generally age in place in Shoreline. City Manager Tarry mentioned that 65% of Shoreline households have 2 or fewer people.

City/ School District Joint Use Agreement
Parks Director Eric Friedli discussed the Joint Use Agreement between the City and the School District. The most heavily used shared facilities are the Spartan Recreation Center, the Shoreline Pool, and Shoreline A / B Fields, though there are also other athletic fields, the cross country course at Hamlin Park, and tennis courts. The city would like more access to some of the facilities, and the pool and Shoreline A / B need to be upgraded.

Maintenance and scheduling are often worked out together. The District helped finance a new bulkhead for the Shoreline Pool, and the City delayed closure of the pool (for renovations) until after the swim team season.

RADAR Program
City Manager Debbie Tarry discussed the RADAR (Risk, Awareness, De-escalation and Referral) program in which police work with families who have mental illness or social interaction conditions to build trust. It is hoped that having knowledge and a relationship could prevent escalation.

When Manager Tarry expressed a desire to work with the School District to identify families, Board President Mike Jacobs explained that while “we can make knowledge of the resource available,” the District cannot share private information. Debi Ehrlichman suggested alerting the District’s Homeless Liaison and reminded everyone that it is not always those who have a particular identification who need assistance.

Homelessness and Human Services
Deputy Mayor Chris Eggen asked how closely the District works with local human services providers. Director Ehrlichman replied that the Family Advocates and nurses connect families with resources. Superintendent Miner added that the District has recently added a full-time counselor at every elementary school and a Director of Equity and Family Engagement.

In response to a question from Mayor Winstead, Superintendent Miner explained that the District has 375 homeless students, identified according to McKinney-Vento guidelines (see Shoreline Schools Homeless Education page). Councilmember Jesse Salomon pointed out that 375 means about one student per classroom.

Other circumstances that complicate communication were discussed: the District’s families speak 77 different languages, 18% speak a language other than English at home, and slightly over 6% access ELL (English Language Learning).

The meeting ended with a shared aim to address the needs of Shoreline families. Superintendent Miner related that when she speaks with community groups about the District’s challenges, and particularly about student homelessness, groups ask “what can we do?” Manager Tarry expressed that Shoreline has an “opportunity to make sure that our city programs and services are available to all residents.”



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Shoreline City Council joint meeting with School Board Monday

Friday, November 6, 2015

On Monday, November 9, the City Council will hold a joint meeting with the Shoreline School Board to discuss topics of mutual interest. 5:30pm, Conference Room 303, Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N.

Below are some topics that have been jointly identified as topics for discussion.

Promoting Shoreline
The Council funded a new marketing initiative in its 2015 budget with the goal of promoting Shoreline to new residents and businesses. This initiative will result in a new communications strategy that for the first time reaches outside Shoreline’s borders.

The initiative is approximately at the halfway point. The City is using the firm PRR and they have completed an online survey.

Based on the data gathered from an online survey, PRR is making three recommendations to guide the City’s efforts to reach new residents:

  1. Create a campaign for those who are most likely to find Shoreline appealing
  2. Debunk misconceptions about Shoreline held by those who would otherwise be receptive to living in Shoreline
  3. Continue work on city-building efforts with broad appeal for future residents

The survey revealed the importance of schools to future residents and the great reputation that the Shoreline School District has.

Shoreline School District
This year the School District Board and Superintendent have identified priorities that they want to address as a District. The District has been engaged in a two major studies to identify the long-term expected growth rate of the District and how this impacts the need for facilities now and into the future. The Superintendent will be sharing information from these three processes.

Partnerships: Existing and Future Opportunities
Joint Use Agreement: The City and the School District have started the process of reviewing the existing Joint Use Agreement and discussing potential changes.

Eric Friedli, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director and Marla Miller, Deputy Superintendent, are taking the lead on this process. The Joint Use Agreement is focused on joint use of fields, facilities, and programs.

RADAR program
The City has been awarded a grant for the RADAR project, which calls for Shoreline Police to engage with the community to more effectively respond to crises involving individuals with mental health issues or cognitive / intellectual deficits. (see previous article)



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Shoreline School District 2015 Summer School Review

Thursday, November 5, 2015

By Marianne Deal Stephens

At the October 26, 2015 Shoreline School Board Meeting, Director of Categorical Programs Ellen Kaje and Secondary Summer School Principal Rebbecah Emanuel reviewed the recent programs. Funding for summer school comes from:
  • established federal and state programs like Title I, ELL (English Language Learner), and LAP (Learning Assistance Program); 
  • student fees;
  • donations and grants from the Shoreline Public Schools Foundation and foundry10.

Dr. Kaje discussed the Elementary Summer School Program, which was held at Parkwood in July 2015 for 3 hours/ day for four weeks. The program served 215 students: 152 in the K-3 Reading Program, 40 in the 4-6 Math Program, and 23 in the ELL program. K-3 students were asked to participate based on their “intensive” needs in reading. [Note: some elementary assessments use four categories to help educators determine how to best address student needs. The categories are: intensive, strategic, benchmark, and advanced. For further explanation, see this Consortium on Reading Excellence Briefing Paper.]

K-2 students received small group reading instruction, while 3rd grade students had similar instruction plus an hour of Dramatic Arts. The literature-based Dramatic Arts program showcased the enjoyment of reading and helped develop reading and listening skills. Foundry10 provided instructors for this portion of the program, which seemed to boost turnout. Assessments at the end of the summer school intervention indicate a boost in student achievement. 


Of the 3rd grade summer school participants, 30% met benchmark, a marked increase over 2014, when only 12% of summer 3rd graders met benchmarks at the end of the program. Dr. Kaje attributed the difference to the Dramatic Arts program.

The grade 4-6 students, all who had “strategic” needs in math, received instruction based on Common Core math standards. [Note: strategic is the second category of learning achievement, above “intensive” and below “benchmark” and “advanced”. Dr. Kaje explained that the 20 days of the summer program is not an effective format to meet the needs of intensive learners.]

The ELL program had both social studies and science units, and integrated “GLAD” professional development for teachers. GLAD strategies—GLAD http://begladtraining.com/ stands for Guided Language Acquisition Design— promote language acquisition, academic achievement, and cross-cultural skills.

Secondary Summer School Principal (and Current Einstein Assistant Principal) Rebbecah Emanuel discussed the 2015 secondary program. Students in grades 7-12 participated in a several options.
  • 49 Students in Math Support classes
  • 57 Students in Reading Support classes
  • 148 Students in Apex Credit Recovery courses
  • 59 Students in Shoreline Virtual Learning courses (most in PE and math) 
Principal Emanuel explained that in the spring, counselors identified students who would benefit from the opportunities and families were invited to participate. In the past, attendance had been a problem, but this year, the staff and students created a culture that encouraged attendance. Only one student who began the program did not continue.


Two students shared about their summer school experiences. Senior Ronnie Gary was not required to enroll, but chose to take a math course to raise his GPA. The best things about summer school were that he had more one-on-one time with the teacher, and he was more prepared for his current math class. The worst thing was that the time seemed long [the summer school day is 4 hours, and many students take one class], and that some of his friends were on vacation.

8th Grader Fraol Debele came to Shoreline from Ethiopia two years ago. She described how she “was nervous on the first day” but got used to summer school and enjoyed it, especially hanging out with friends from other countries during breaks. She got an “A” in her reading class and would recommend the experience to other students: “It will raise your grade.”


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October 26, 2015 Shoreline School Board Meeting Summary

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

By Marianne Deal Stephens

Consent Agenda
The evening’s Consent Agenda consisted of several items, including:

Approval of an Interlocal Agreement with Seattle School District for Title I Services. Public school districts provide Title 1 services for eligible students attending private schools. Two young Shoreline residents attend private schools in Seattle and choose to receive Title 1 services through Seattle Schools. Shoreline pays the Seattle School District (last year’s amount was $2,656.50) to provide the services.

Acceptance of $16,855 in Gifts from Lake Forest Park Elementary PTA to fund the WatchDOGS Dads program, Math Olympiad, Sixth Grade Camp, and other programs.

Approval of an Extended Field Trip for Shorewood Volleyball to attend the State Volleyball Tournament in Kennewick.

After the unanimous vote to approve all Consent Agenda items, Board President Mike Jacobs expressed appreciation to the Lake Forest Park PTSA: “We really do appreciate all of the hard work. The enrichment you provide makes us [as a District] who we are.”

Summer School Review
Details of the 2015 Elementary and Secondary Summer School programs will be covered in a separate article.

Capital Projects Update
Deputy Superintendent Marla Miller led a review of the District’s Capital Projects along with Facilities Modernization Coordinator Dan Stevens and Accounting Supervisor Garnet Osborn. 

Mr. Stevens explained the status of several projects, including:
• a new roof for Brookside Elementary;
• a new fire alarm system for Lake Forest Park Elementary;
• new ball fields for Shorecrest High School
• driveway revision and garage remodel of Transportation Shop;
• asphalt upgrade for Shoreline Children’s Center;
• demolition of Aldercrest Annex.

Most of these projects, except Aldercrest Annex, are part of the 2006 Bond Measure, which also covers: 

All school facilities will eventually have new card-based entry systems which will increase security and limit keys. Building security, along with traffic safety, is a primary concern.

Money for Capital Projects comes from several sources:

Deputy Superintendent Miller explained that the planned capital projects may pause as the District addresses the need for increased classroom space. Board President Mike Jacobs, speaking about new elementary fields as well as other projects, said that “we have told communities that they are in the queue, and we don’t want to tell them that they have to wait while another generation of kids goes through and has to use terrible fields.” Other Board Members inquired about the life of alarm and entry systems, and about the plans for renovations. Superintendent Miller anticipates presenting a facilities renovation plan for increasing classroom space in January of 2016.

District Instructional Materials Recommendations
DIMC, the District Instructional Materials Committee, recently reviewed several materials. Director of Teaching and Learning Dr. Teri Poff discussed the following:
• Schindler’s List film as a supplement to Social Studies in Shorecrest Grade 10 World History courses
• Look Inside Space book as a Language Arts supplement for Kindergarten Highly Capable classrooms.
• Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, a play, as an enrichment for grades 4-6 at Lake Forest Park Elementary.

The committee recommends that a permission slip be required for student viewing of Schindler’s List, an “R” rated film. A meaningful alternative assignment will be available for students/ families choosing to not watch the movie. All committee members watched the movie, and consider the historical value to have a worthwhile educational benefit.

Financials and Enrollment Update
Deputy Superintendent Marla Miller and Director of Finance Mark Spangenberg presented the September and October numbers.

The September student headcount of 9261 is 119 more than in September 2014, but 144 below projections for this fall. October enrollment is 100 higher than October 2014. October is typically the month with peak enrollment, and the first month that Running Start students are counted. There are approximately 137 student FTE in Running Start, which represents 234 individual students.

The District operates on a September 1-August 31 fiscal year. The administration will finalize the 2014-15 books in the next two weeks. For 2015-16, the expenditures are running below expected levels; neither expenses nor revenues are steady throughout the school year. To view the monthly reports, see pages 101-112 of the October 26 Agenda Packet .

Board Reports
Director Richard Potter continues to visit schools, and attended STEM for Her at Shorewood. He enjoyed the Shorecrest Homecoming assembly, saying “my ears rang for a couple of days.”

Director Debi Ehrlichman visited her alma mater, Stanford University. Shoreline graduate Kelsey Josund is part of the Stanford Solar Car Project, and has been competing in Australia at the World Solar Car Challenge. See Ms. Josund’s October 23 blog post World Solar Challenge: Day Five.

Director Ehrlichman also commended several individuals and community groups:
• Cascade K-8 Teacher Rebecca Drury, who was named Washington Science Teachers Association Teacher of the Year for Middle School Education. See Shoreline Public Schools October 20 news release.
• Shorewood Teacher Colleen Kiyonaga, who was named a “Symmetry Hero in the Classroom”. See Shoreline Public Schools October 19 news release.
• Lake Forest Park Rotary for packing bags of food for needy kids every week.
• all of the often-unrecognized churches and community groups that support our families and schoolchildren.

Director David Wilson praised the Shorewood Math is Cool team for its recent win in the 9-10 Grade Division at the competition in Redmond on October 17, with a particular shout out to Advisor Corrie Crowder. See Shoreline Public Schools October 23 news release.

Director Wilson also drew attention to the Shorewood and Shorecrest fall productions, which are coming up. Shorecrest is presenting Once on This Island (tickets at brownpapertickets.com) and Shorewood is presenting All My Sons (tickets at brownpapertickets.com).

Director Dick Nicholson praised the “terrific management” of the Shorecrest Homecoming assembly, and noted that his eardrums are still intact. Director Nicholson is a member of Rotary, which has adopted Parkwood Elementary. Rotary is currently interviewing Shorewood students to give out senior scholarships.

Student Representative Areeya Tipyasothi noted that the first Kolus student newspaper came out on October 23rd. She is Editor of the Kolus, and is preparing for a review. Director Ehrlichman requested issues of the newspaper for the board.

Board President Mike Jacobs noted that ballots have come out and encouraged everyone to do their civic duty and vote.



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Shoreline School Board Meeting Summary October 12, 2015

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Board members discussed the Shorewood homecoming
Photo by Paul Villanueva

By Marianne Deal Stephens


Consent Agenda

The Board approved several items, including:
  • Authority to Issue Notice of Recapture of Leased Property. The District will provide official notice to tenants of Aldercrest and North City facilities regarding plans to use the space for school purposes.
  • Project Authority for Chemistry Wing Floor Replacement Project at Shorewood High School
  • Collective Bargaining Agreement with SEIU Local 925, Transportation Employees
  • Extended Field trips for: High School DECA Leaders to Downtown Seattle Sheraton in October; Shorewood UW Geology classes on 14th annual trip to Eastern Washington in November; Shorewood Orchestras to Northwest Orchestra Festival in March. 
New Director of Equity and Engagement

Executive Director of Schools Brian Schultz introduced Tanisha Brandon-Felder, Ed.D., the new Director of Equity and Family Engagement. Dr. Brandon-Felder has already begun her work in Shoreline leading efforts to boost equity throughout the District. She is a former Seattle Public Schools teacher, and a co-founder of The Race Forum: a safe space designed to have conversations about race.

Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA)
 
Director of Teaching and Learning Teri Poff introduced several of the many Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSAs) in the District. These teachers have partial or full non-classroom assignments “to continuously improve student learning and teacher professional practice”. The District has expanded the role of music specialists, and now has an art specialist. Each TOSA has several projects for 2015-2016; the list below mentions only one for each specialist.

Elementary TOSAs
Secondary TOSAs
  • Jennifer Etter, Literacy: focus on writing instruction and best practices.
  • Patty Gehlicher, Math: use research-based practices to close the achievement gap.
  • Lisa Chen, Science: let students look at real-world problems.
  • Siri Hulbert, World Languages: commit to utilize the language in the classroom so students can function in the language.
K-12 TOSAs
  • Robin Dowdy, Social Studies: introduce Since Time Immemorial http://www.indian-ed.org/ native curriculum to middle school. 
  • Leann Rozema, Music: ensure that every individual in large musical groups is growing. 
  • Laura King, Visual Arts: start to develop an aligned K-12 visual arts program. 
Technology TOSAs
  • Jackie Hubbard, Collaboration: lead a committee to determine the best online gradebook for secondary teachers.
  • Frank Kleyn, Curation: increase access to and increase proficiency with tools like Google Apps for Education.
  • Paul Witzel, Creation: help 3rd graders make digital storybooks with images, audio, and video.
Other TOSA Assignments
  • Melissa Sargent, ELL: increase awareness of communication with multilingual families. 
  • Peggy Thesing, Special Education: align the special education core curriculum to meet the needs of students.
  • Kye Hong, District Behavior Support: create a culture of proactive behavior support using “Think Positive, Proactive and Preventative” guideline. 
  • Mary Walters, District Autism/ Behavior Support: provide professional development in areas of autism, behavior supports and response, and coaching. 
Comments from the Community
  • Seven speakers addressed the District’s plans to change the use of the Aldercrest and North City buildings, where preschools and other programs currently rent space. Most of the speakers asked that the District delay the plans. 
  • Mary Kirchoff, the Executive Director of Wonderland in the North City building requested that the program be involved in district planning. Wonderland serves 65 developmentally delayed young children (ages 0-3), who “are Shoreline School District children.” 
  • Gillian Murphy, Shorenorth parent and board member, described how Shorenorth has provided advice and support for her whole family, and emphasized that “these places build stronger, safer communities.”
  • Cathy Childs, Director of North City Cooperative Preschool, drew attention to the 40-year relationship between the preschool and the District, and said North City Coop “would like to continue helping your get children ready for school.” She asked that the District reconsider the timeline and explore options other than relocation of the preschools. 
  • Jessica Gesinger, Shoreline Cooperative Preschool teacher and co-director and Shoreline School District parent, explained the role of preschools in developing ‘soft’ skills necessary for school success, saying “we hope to continue what we do … we need a home … we thank you for reconsidering the proposed timeline.” 
Board Reports and Communications
  • Director Richard Potter is currently in the midst of visiting all of Shoreline’s schools. He had visited three schools and planned to visit two more on October 13. 
  • Director Debi Ehrlichman attended the Shorewood Homecoming Assembly along with Superintendent Rebecca Miner, Board President Mike Jacobs, and District Information Officer Curtis Campbell. She also related how Lake Forest Park Rotarians were recently “blown away” by the quality of a breakfast made by Shorecrest Culinary Arts students.
  • Director David Wilson attended the October 6 session of the State Senate Listening Tour in Everett (see King 5 story). He said that the legislature “has a large mess to clear up” since the lack of funding has been going on for 40 years.
  • Areeya Tipyasothi, Student Representative to the Board, reported that Shorewood recently celebrated Homecoming. When asked by Board President Mike Jacobs, Areeya relayed that Shorewood students complained about the stronger enforcement of rules about appropriate dancing during the Homecoming dance on Saturday night.
  • President Mike Jacobs mentioned the many Homecoming activities, and that he has gotten a lot of feedback about the new rules being enforced at Shorewood.


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Shoreline Schools Smarter Balanced Assessment Results 2015

Sunday, October 11, 2015

By Marianne Deal Stephens

During the September 28 School Board Meeting, Dr. Michael Power presented a summary of results from the Spring 2015 Smarter Balanced Assessments and other standardized tests. Here is who took which assessments:

Click to enlarge graphics.

Source: Shoreline Public Schools

Dr. Power explained that we are in a transitional period with different sets of assessment requirements for different grades in high school. Soon the Smarter Balanced Assessments in English Language Arts and in Math will be standard requirements for graduation, and at some point a science assessment linked to the Next Generation Science Standards will become standard. 

Source: Shoreline Public Schools

As he reintroduced the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA), Dr. Power emphasized that previous assessments had no bridge between standards and years, and so educators could not track the growth of a particular group, and families could not track a student’s development from year to year. 

In the spring of 2015, test participation rates, particularly for 11th graders, were in the news. Statewide, the participation rate for the SBA was significantly lower at 11th grade than for the other grades. 
Source: Shoreline Public Schools

In the Shoreline School District, 11th grade rates were only slightly lower than the other grades, but still enough to affect overall results.
Source: Shoreline Public Schools

The SBA is more difficult than previous tests, but “not as much harder as we were afraid it was going to be” according to Dr. Power. Just as State score averages are significantly higher than the predicted scores (based on a 2014, multi-state pilot), so Shoreline results are “skewed to the high end” above state averages.
Source: Shoreline Public Schools Column numbers and explanations added.

In most years, the Shoreline School District sets target goals for assessments. Since the SBA is new, the District chose to have differentials, rather than raw score levels, as targets. If the District was 10% above State averages on a previous test, the District aimed to at least maintain that level of 10% above. A comparison of columns 4 and 5 above shows that the Shoreline School District is not only above state averages, but has significantly widened the spread in some grades. The differential in ELA ranges from 9-23%. 

Math SBA results are similar: 
Source: Shoreline Public Schools

On the Math SBA, Shoreline ranges from 11-25% above State averages. 

Background Note: Smarter Balanced Assessment scores fall into one of four achievement levels. According to the Smarter Balanced Consortium, these could be described as “novice, developing, proficient, advanced” (SBA Use of Scores and Achievement Levels). According to the rubric of achievement levels, a student at each level:
  • Level 1 has not met the achievement standard, and needs substantial improvement…
  • Level 2 has nearly met the achievement standard and may require further development… 
  • Level 3 has met the achievement standard and demonstrates progress toward mastery…
  • Level 4 has exceeded the achievement standard and demonstrates advanced progress… 
For more detail about content related to each achievement level, see:
Back to Dr. Power’s presentation: Though the Smarter Balanced Assessment will not be a graduation requirement for current seniors, it is slated to be a requirement starting with the Class of 2017, current juniors. Normally, the State would set a threshold score at the line between level 2 and level 3, since student scores in levels 1 and 2 are not quite at standard and student scores in levels 3 and 4 have already met standard. However, since the Smarter Balanced Assessments are new, and the Common Core Standards have not been in place during a majority of the years current high school students have been in the educational system, the State Board of Education set a score at approximately 2.6 in the levels, where “we will have the same percentage of kids qualifying for graduation”. 

Source: Shoreline Public Schools

This threshold or cut score may increase later as educators and students become more accustomed to the Common Core State Standards and familiarity with the new assessments increases. 

The Class of 2017 took the SBA English Language Arts test last spring as sophomores, and those meeting standard will not have to take the test again as juniors or seniors. 81% of Shoreline Public Schools students placed in levels 3 and 4. When the State-set threshold score is taken into account, 87% of the Class of 2017 who took the new SBA ELA met the requirement and will not have to test again. Students who did not meet the threshold score will have up to four chances to retake the assessment. 

Source: Shoreline Public Schools

Dr. Power finished the Smarter Balanced portion of his presentation with an explanation of how the scores can be used for college placement. The State has an agreement with 2- and 4-year public colleges in Washington in which students who score a 3 or 4 on SBAs will go directly into credit-bearing courses. Students who score at least a level 2 “can take a transition course (called Bridges) in 12th grade math and/ or English and get placed in college-level courses in 2-year colleges.” The District is already offering these classes. See Smarter Balanced Assessment Agreement and Smarter Balanced Agreement FAQ.



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