Kathe Taylor, Director of Early Learning Assessment Gretchen
Stahr Breunig, Professional Development Coordinator Sharing What
Works in WaKIDS Winter-Spring 2015
Slide 2
Districts discover how to implement WaKIDS effectively The Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation provided $100,000 of one-time funding
for districts to deepen their involvement in WaKIDS by piloting new
strategies. Nine districts were awarded grants.
Slide 3
WaKIDS Competitive Grants test ideas from districts of all
sizes In September 2013, the WaKIDS Work Team reviewed applications
from 48 districts with over $600,000 in requests. 9 districts
received grants. 3 large districts (serving more than 250
kindergartners)-- up to $20,000 3 medium districts (serving 51 to
250 kindergartners)-- up to $10,000 3 small districts (serving up
to 50 kindergartners)-- up to $5,000
Slide 4
ESDs convene districts to share ideas In all 9 Educational
Service Districts, school and district leaders gather to share what
works: Enhance connections of WaKIDS classrooms, families, and
early learning partners Plan and share results of effective
strategies
Slide 5
Hopes for our time today Recognize strategies to implement each
component of WaKIDS Help leaders from districts of all sizes
understand what makes WaKIDS work Inspire YOU to try new approaches
with WaKIDS to: Engage families Inform instruction Document student
growth and outcomes Address the opportunity gap Create a smooth
continuum of Prenatal to 3 rd grade school-family- community
partnerships
Slide 6
What Works with Family Engagement? Home visits for Family
ConnectionLopez Family Nights for kindergarten familiesRiverside
Parent survey and Family Engagement Community Board Quincy Parent
outreach and Parent evenings with preschool families Carbonado
Lopez Riverside White Pass Preschoolers visit kindergarten on the
school bus Lopez Parent education and resources Quincy
Carbonado
Slide 7
Lets take a look at a deeper approach with families of
kindergartners Lopez Island kindergarten teacher, Becca Hamilton,
conducted home visits for her Family Connection conferences. Grant
paid for: Certificated salary of kindergarten teacher to visit
families, develop new report card, and create resources
Instructional supplies
Slide 8
Riverside built relationships with families of kindergartners
Riverside School District Hosted family evenings, each planned by
the kindergarten teachers using the Pete the Cat books Provided
dinner free of charge for families and teachers to get to know each
other Shared classroom curriculum and provided take-home activity
kits, including one of the Pete the Cat books
Slide 9
Teachers helped families understand kindergarten Grant to
Riverside School District paid for Supplies for the take-home kits
to support classroom curriculum. Staff time for kindergarten
teachers to plan the four evenings and take-home activities Reading
Math Writing Transition to K/ 1st grade
Slide 10
Two rural districts reached out to families with children
younger than five The Carbonado School District Invited families to
use district early learning resources Built an early learning web
page Welcomed families into the school before their children
entered kindergarten Grant paid for: Staff time Substitutes to
release kindergarten teacher Administrative Assistant time to phone
families
Slide 11
Two rural districts reached out to families with children
younger than five Quincy School District Conducted a family survey
Established a Parent and Family Community Engagement Board Provided
READY! for Kindergarten for parents of four to five-year-olds
Offered Love & Logic classes Classes offered free of charge in
English and Spanish.
Slide 12
Quincy matched WaKIDS grant with other resources Grant paid for
staff coordinator time and funding to host family events LAP funds
paid for READY! for Kindergarten and Love & Logic curriculum
and instructors
Slide 13
Guiding Questions for Family Engagement What key activities
build on Family Connection and engage families all year? What can
schools do to help families build their kindergartners strengths at
home? How can kindergarten teachers and schools deepen their
understanding of their families needs? What can schools do to
support families with children younger than five? What can schools
do to sustain family connections as students enter first
grade?
Slide 14
What Works with the Whole Child Assessment? Alignment and
analysis of WaKIDS scores and other assessments Spokane Lopez
Quincy Use of WaKIDS data for high-quality Response to
InterventionBellingham Use of WaKIDS data to monitor student growth
in an aligned report card Bellingham Lopez Professional learning
circles White Pass Lopez Coaching kindergarten teachers in
observational assessment Bellingham White Pass Collaboration of
rural districtsWhite Pass
Slide 15
Spokane studied student growth toward end-of-year standards The
Spokane Public Schools Analyzed the fall checkpoint scores on GOLD
language and literacy items in correlation with grade level reading
scores at the end of kindergarten on the Developmental Reading
Assessment (DRA) Shared findings and follow-up research questions
with district and early learning leaders
Slide 16
Bellingham specialists used WaKIDS data to individualize
instruction Bellingham School District Coached each group of
specialists Used the WaKIDS GOLD data to redesign kindergarten PE
curriculum Individualized their instruction with high-quality
Response to Intervention
Slide 17
Grant provided time for teams to learn together and
individualize instruction Specialists and kindergarten teachers
convened to determine ways to use WaKIDS assessment results : PE
teachers Music teachers School psychologists Resource room teachers
(special education) Occupational and Physical Therapists Speech and
Language therapists and teachers Specialists working with English
Language Learners Title One teachers
Slide 18
WaKIDS teachers in rural districts collaborated in Professional
Learning Circle With only one kindergarten teacher, White Pass
needed ideas and support from WaKIDS teachers in neighboring rural
districts: Mossyrock, Morton, and Onalaska. Created Professional
Learning Circle (PLC) of WaKIDS teachers and elementary principals,
facilitated by the ESD WaKIDS Trainer
Slide 19
PLC helped teachers understand what works in WaKIDS
Professional Learning Circle Shared instructional ideas Analyzed
classroom data Created WaKIDS Facebook page Grant paid for:
Substitutes for kindergarten teachers Facilitator from ESD 113
Slide 20
Guiding Questions for Whole Child Assessment How can districts
support teachers to use WaKIDS data to inform instruction? WaKIDS
provides a common language about students strengths and areas of
challenge. What can districts do to encourage specialists to use
WaKIDS data? What would districts need to consider in order to use
GOLD reports for family conferences in lieu of report cards? What
kindergarten assessments: complement the WaKIDS Whole Child
Assessment? duplicate WaKIDS Whole Child Assessment?
Slide 21
What Works with Early Learning Collaboration? Cross-site visits
Carbonado Lopez Rochester White Pass Reviewing WaKIDS data in team
meetings Lopez Rochester Spokane Shared professional
developmentQuincy
Slide 22
WaKIDS teachers built understanding of early learning programs
Carbonado School District team Visited early learning programs in
neighboring communities Shared successful instructional approaches
Invited early learning teachers to attend Come and See kindergarten
transition night
Slide 23
WaKIDS teachers built understanding of early learning programs
The Quincy School District Enlisted help from the local Child Care
Aware Created partnerships to support early learning initiatives
Offered READY! for Kindergarten (for children ages 2-5) Grant
provided compensation for a parent/family & community
engagement coordinator, kindergarten teachers, and early learning
providers to attend READY! for Kindergarten
Slide 24
WaKIDS teachers built understanding of early learning programs
Rochester School District Built relationships between kindergarten
teachers and early learning teachers Learned about child
development from birth through kindergarten Observed instruction in
early learning classrooms Reviewed WaKIDS data Discussed trends of
characteristics of entering kindergartners
Slide 25
Guiding Questions about Early Learning Collaboration How does
your district plan for developmentally appropriate learning
environments that support growth for all entering kindergartners?
What strategies enable kindergarten teachers to understand more
about instructional environments for children younger than five,
and vice versa? What approaches could foster relationships among
early learning teachers/ providers and kindergarten teachers in
your neighborhoods? How can schools and early learning programs
work together to align educational opportunities in classrooms,
community-based organizations, and homes?
Slide 26
Its your turn! What are your thoughts and ideas? Using these
guiding questions, talk about what ideas you have for your school
or district. What ideas would work for your students and families?
What ideas could your district share with other WaKIDS
districts?
Slide 27
Conclusion Like WaKIDS students, the WaKIDS system is evolving
developmentally. YOU, your students, your teachers, and your
families are partners in this work!
Slide 28
Contact Information Director of Early Learning Assessment,
Kathe Taylor, [email protected]@k12.wa.us
Professional Development Coordinator, Gretchen Stahr Breunig,
[email protected]@k12.wa.us Administrative
Assistant, Susan Swanberg,
[email protected]@k12.wa.us