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Dear (Contact First Name),
From a visit with Senator Patty Murray to the launching of an influential summer reading program, the work of the Race to the Top District grant is well on its way! Please continue reading for details of our progress throughout the last few weeks and feel free to share this e-newsletter with others!
Race to the Top Website Launch
The Road Map Region's Race to the top website has officially launched! The website includes grant information, goal updates and how to get involved. As we move along, progress and results reports will be added. Additionally, it describes the individual projects and gives contact information for the project leads.
Please visit the website at roadmapracetothetop.org
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Senator Patty Murray Visits PSESD
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On May 29, Race to the Top leaders hosted an informational meeting for Senator Patty Murray on the progress of the region's work. Senator Murray, who provided a letter of support for the consortium during the grant application, specifically requested the meeting. Partners involved in the meeting included district representatives, the ESD, community organizations and teacher's associations. The group shared large pieces of work regarding the PreK-3rd grade system alignment, digital STEM tools, and career and college pathways.
Senator Murray asked clarifying questions and was excited about the group's projects, calling them "innovative and a model for the nation." Attendees agreed the meeting was productive and valuable for all in the room. The Senator requested continual updates as the work progresses.
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Let's Read! Summer Reading Program
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The Let's Read! Summer reading program has launched for Summer 2013, encouraging families of King County to read together during the summer.
Research shows that children who don't read during summer vacation fall behind their peers academically, a gap that increases dramatically from year to year. To learn more about this trend and why the Let's Read! campaign is so important Click here to watch a fascinating
YouTube video about the significance of summer reading.
UW Releases Comprehensive P-3 Framework
School districts and communities around the country are working towards developing Preschool-3rd grade approaches that will result in improved quality and coherence of children's learning experiences from early learning (ages birth-5) through grades K-12. Utilizing research and evidence based practices, these efforts can create systems leading to narrowed achievement gaps and improved child outcomes.
Recently, the University of Washington, in collaboration with the Center for Evaluation Innovation and the Harvard Graduate School of Education released the Framework for Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating PreK-3rd Grade Approaches (Kauerz & Coffman, 2013), a comprehensive document that will advise the public on questions like:
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What does a comprehensive P-3 approach include?
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What needs to be aligned?
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What kinds of changes need to take hold in adults' behaviors in order for improvements in child outcomes to occur?
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What responsibilities need to be shared among birth-5 programs, grades K-3 and communities?
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How can evaluation be given priority and be incorporated into the planning and design of P-3 approaches?
The Framework is a foundational tool that will be used in the implementation of Race to the Top Project 3A: Establish a High-Functioning PreK-3rd Grade System Region-Wide, as well as Project 3B: Investment Fund for PreK-3rd Grade Strategies and Systems at the Community Level.
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Stay Tuned!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the Race to the Top Grant e-newsletter! The next e-newsletter will be released in late June. Click "Join Our Mailing List" on the left to receive future e-newsletters!
Questions or Ideas for future e-newsletter topics?
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