Curriculum News - August 2

Dear Principals,

Welcome to a time of preparation as we prepare to open the doors wide to another year of learning! Thank you for your faithful commitment as a witness of the Good News in preparing your school buildings, your faculty and staff, and your volunteers to receive the gift of our students in just a few more precious weeks.

OSPI’s Movement towards the Common Core State Standards Initiative: As you know, we are living in interesting times as the call for Common Core Standards is a conversation very much alive nationally. The information included is intended to assist you in building a background regarding Washington State’s involvement in this new thrust. Will there be implications for our Catholic schools? YES! The Catholic School Superintendents’ of Washington Stateand the Washington State Catholic Conference are keeping abreast of the standards and assessment movement occurring at OSPI and have actively engaged in on-going quarterly meetings with Washington State Superintendent Randy Dorn and key members of his administrative team. This level of communication and involvement is assisting the Catholic Schools Department to better understand the educational direction that is being designed at the state level at this time.
The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is a collection of states that have been working collaboratively since December 2009 to develop a student assessment system aligned to a common core of academic content standards to apply for a Race-to-the-Top Assessment grant. As of June 17, the Consortium comprises 31 states submitting the grant application to the U.S. Department of Education.


and inform instruction, provide accurate information about what students know and can do, and measure student achievement against standards designed to ensure that all students gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college and the workplace." SBAC will submit an application for a federal grant that would develop a student assessment system aligned to a common core of academic standards. Washington is the applicant state on behalf of the consortium.
Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) for download/print
Map of 31 SMARTER Balanced States


TEACHER WORKSHOP: Giant Washington State Map Activities Mini-session on Washington Geographic Alliance
Time: August 16, 2010 from 9 am to 12pm Location: St. Francis of Assisi School, Seahurst

Organized by:

• Meghan Hoyer, 6^th Grade Teacher, St. Philomena School and
• Pat Leroy, 5^th grade teacher, St. Francis of Assisi School

The Washington Geographic Alliance invites K-12 classroom educators to attend a Washington state focused workshop! Experience the giant Washington State Map activities and learn how you can bring this outstanding educational tool to your school. Attend a comprehensive mini-session introducing you to a multitude of websites and resources that can be used to enrich your geography curriculum.Cost: None! Clock hours are available - gratis upon request. See more details and RSVP on Washington Geographic Alliance: http://www.washgeo.org/events/event/...g_invite_event


WASHINGTON AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM: Washington Ag in the Classroom (WAIC) is a school-based education program aimed at enhancing agricultural literacy in K-12 students and educators. It is not a vocational agriculture program and does not promote products or political points of view. WAIC’s goal is helping teachers, especially those with little knowledge of agriculture, integrate the study of this vast industry into existing curriculum. Check it out at: http://www.waic.net/index.htm




Respectfully submitted,