e-Newsletter
January 15, 2015
Issue No.39
In This Issue
Upcoming Events & Key Dates
2/12 Executive Committee Meeting

2/13 Proposals Due for Deep Dive 3: Community-School Partnerships
Quick Links


About the Road Map Region Race to the Top Grant

In 2012, seven King County, Washington, school districts joined forces and won $40 million in federal Race to the Top funds over four years. The participating school districts are Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle and Tukwila. The districts dubbed themselves The Road Map District Consortium, a reference to their participation in the Road Map Project, a community-wide effort in South Seattle and South King County to drive major educational improvement with a focus on personalized learning.

Dear  ,

We are excited to note that the common kindergarten information date for the Road Map region is coming up on January 20! We continue our highlights of our Deep Dive projects with a look at Renton. Congratulations to Midway Elementary School in Highline for being recognized recently for its blended learning work! Finally, applications for the US Department of Education's Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellowships are due by January 20.  
Common Kindergarten Information Date - January 20
The seven Road Map districts (Auburn, Federal Way, Highline, Kent, Renton, Seattle, and Tukwila) are leading a common kindergarten  information date beginning January 20. The early information date will greatly aid in identifying 2015 kindergarten students, promote sharing of information between schools and families, and help to prepare children for a successful transition into elementary school.

The agreement for a common date is an outcome of the work of the Race to the Top grant. The Road Map Region Race to the Top Consortium is focused on Pre-K through Third Grade systems work through a "Start Strong" effort.  "Start Strong" supports the establishment of a robust region-wide PreK-3rd Grade system to ensure students are kindergarten ready and are successful learners through third grade and beyond. For more information, and for related promotional material, please see related information on our Resources page.
Deep Dive Spotlight: Renton
One of the projects awarded funding in round 1 of the Deep Dive 3 (DD3) Investment Fund is Renton School District's Literacy, Kindergarten Readiness and Family Engagement project. Renton School District staff and community partners coordinate extended learning opportunities with a focus on literacy interventions and a STEM enrichment program (after-school and summer), along with parent/guardian leadership development, support groups and counseling for families and students of Honey Dew and Highlands Elementary schools.

The Parent Academy for Student Achievement (PASA) program enables parent/guardian leaders within the district to learn how to navigate school systems, advocating for their child's success while influencing decisions of the school and district. Renton's PASA program is customized and launched in partnership and collaboration with parents and school staff, with additional support from Kent School District and the University of Washington. Parents/guardians teach classes in multiple languages with supporting resources and materials, including translation and interpreters. In addition to this parent leadership program, families connect to educational and family support resources including family and student counseling, parenting classes, and literacy and English language learning classes.

Renton's DD3 partners include: YMCA, Renton Area Youth and Family Services, St. Vincent de Paul, Girls and Boys Club, King County Library System, City of Renton Recreation Division, Guided Pathways, Community in Schools of Renton, Renton Housing Authority, Renton Educators of Color Network and Renton Education Association.    

For more information, please visit our Deep Dive 3 page. Congratulations to Renton for this important work!
Midway Elementary Recognized for Blended Learning
Midway Elementary School in Highline was recently recognized by the Getting Smart and EdSurge websites for its work in blended learning.

Highline participates in the BlendEd personalized learning initiative that is funded by the Gates Foundation and led by Puget Sound Educational Service District and Pacific Lutheran University. Through BlendEd, Midway researched blended learning in 2013-2014 by visiting other schools and deciding how to implement a station rotation model with devices. Midway uses Netbooks, Chromebooks, and iPads in grades K-2 and 1:1 Chromebooks in grades 3-6.

Congratulations to Midway and Highline!
Principal and Teaching Ambassador Fellowships - Apply by January 20
Applications for the US Department of Education's Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellowships are now open! Positions are paid and available on a full and part-time basis for one year.

Since 2008, the Department has employed 87 outstanding teachers on a full- or part-time basis through the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship program. Last year, a Principal Ambassador Fellowship was piloted that brought three highly-talented principals to work for the Department of Education on a full- and part-time basis. Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows are outstanding educators, with a record of leadership in the school community, strong communication skills, and insights on education policy based in their school and classroom expertise.

The deadline for applications is January 20, 2015. For more information about the application process, visit the Department of Education's Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows program pages.
Please visit the Race to the Top Website!
Please remember to share the Road Map Region Race to the Top website with friends and colleagues! We regularly update content and add new resources. To access the website click here!
Stay Tuned!
Thank you for taking the time to read the Road Map Region Race to the Top grant e-newsletter! The next e-newsletter is planned for late-January. Click "Join Our Mailing List" on the left to receive future e-newsletters!

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