Students from Komachin Middle School testified before the Washington State Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee regarding the school's success in improving science proficiency through a STEM focus.

The Legislature passed HB 2621 in 2010 to create STEM Lighthouse Schools. This bill created grants to designate up to three middle schools and three high schools to serve as resources and examples of how to combine the following best practices:

•  Small, highly personalized learning communities;
• An interdisciplinary curriculum with a strong focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) delivered through a project-based instructional approach; and
• Active partnerships with businesses and the local community to connect learning beyond the classroom.

The designated middle and high schools will serve as lighthouse programs and provide technical assistance and advice to other middle and high schools and communities in the initial stages of creating a learning environment focused on STEM.The designated schools must have proven experience and be recognized as model programs.

State budget reductions reduced the total appropriation from $150,000 to $75,000, which was awarded to three schools/districts:

• Aviation High School - The grades 9-12 high school is a magnet and enrolls students from several Puget Sound area school districts. Staff and students are engaged in integrated project based learning.
• Komachin Middle School - To individualize learning, the school is divided into three "dens" that are identical in terms of core subjects. One is immediately impressed with the utilization of professional learning communities and the degree to which departments function as teams. The school has been inventive in providing experiences that expand beyond the classroom.
• Mead and Mount Spokane High Schools - Mead School District Recognized for systemic adoption of engineering and biomedical sciences courses through Project Lead the Way, Mead High School and Mount Spokane High School have exceeded their own expectations regarding enrollment in these courses. In the first year of offering biomedical sciences, over 300 ninth graders enrolled in the course.

Recognized for honorable mention were:

• Delta High School, Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland School Districts.
• Brier Terrace Middle School, Edmonds School District.

Please take a moment and check your Course Approval/Re-Approval status in the EDS system. 

There are several courses sitting in the system as "created," but not "submitted." Please remember you must hit the "submit" button in order for the application to be received by OSPI program supervisors. Once your application is "submitted", its status will become "Pending Admin Action."

Submission statuses:

• Approved - approved by OSPI. This is the only status that allows a district to claim funding for a course.
• Created - district draft. OSPI will not review.
• Pending Admin Action - waiting for OSPI review.
• Pending User Action - OSPI reviewed the application and asked for district action on application.
• Rejected - OSPI reviewed the application and rejected the application.
• Expired - application is past the approval cycle, or is pastthe  user action timeline, or the district has discontinued the course.

Also, consider this as a reminder that new course approvals for fall 2011, must be submitted by April 15, 2011.

If you have questions regarding your course approval/re-approval status, please feel free to contact any program supervisor at (360) 725-6245 or Betty Klattenhoff, CTE Director, at (360) 725-6243.

To learn more about the course approval process, visit the CTE website's course approval page.

Evergreen Public Schools is offering a workshop to teachers to assist in bringing contextual learning to life in CTE programs. The workshop will be May 24-25, 2011, and it is free.

Email [email protected] before May 16, 2011, to register. Space is limited to the first 40 participants. Call (360) 604-4068 for more information.

On June 25, 2011, join teachers and engineering educators from Canada and the United States at the Vancouver International Convention Centre, 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver, BC. "Collaboration Can Improve Engineering Education," the 8th annual American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), will engage participants with best practices, new contacts and practical tools for implementing K-12 engineering education.

An overview of the workshop is available at http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/workshop. Advanced registration begins April 1. For more information and to register, please contact Libby Martin, K-12 meeting coordinator, at [email protected].

Peninsula College is offering professional development opportunities including a hybrid train-the-trainer course, predictive maintenance and hybrid battery rebuilding. For more information, contact Trudy Robbins, program coordinator, at [email protected] or (360) 417-6452.

Registration is due by May 1, 2011.

Join technology experts from around the country at the Innovative Education Forum, July 28-29, 2011, in Redmond.

Apply to participate in the forum if you are:

• Educators and teams of educators leading class projects that use technology to positively impact student learning.
• School leaders directing programs and initiatives that use technology to enhance engagement throughout the school community.

Learn more about the application process at www.microsoft.com/education/usief.

Visit the Spokane Skills Center on April 20, to learn more about the latest welding technologies, welding machines, and educational materials. There will be presentations given by area firms.

For further information, contact the skills center at [email protected] or visit http://www.aws.org/sections/spokane/index.html.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and the Governor's Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board present Construction Safety Day, which includes exhibits, equipment displays, demonstrations and safety workshops.

The event will be held at the Enumclaw Exposition Center on May, 4, 1011, from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

See www.wagovconf.org/events/construction-safety-day/ for more details and register on line at www.regonline.com/wagovconf-csd.