e-Newsletter
February 12, 2015
Issue No.41
In This Issue
Upcoming Events & Key Dates
2/13 Proposals Due for Deep Dive 3: Community-School Partnerships

3/12 Executive Committee Meeting
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  ,

There is much exciting news to report! Be sure to save the date for a share-out on the first Race to the Top Partnerships Report. Seattle's Emerson Elementary has started a new partnership, and we are celebrating the success of the UW Dream Project. There is also great opportunity for CBOs to learn more about student data!  
Save the date! February 27 Race to the Top Partnerships Report Share-Out
One of the hallmarks of our Road Map Region Race to the Top grant is the strong partnerships we seek to build across districts and between community-based organizations and districts. The external evaluator for our Road Map Region Race to the Top grant, RTI International, is studying the ways Race to the Top has impacted partnerships. Over the last several months, RTI International has surveyed and interviewed many partners in our communities and districts to learn how partnerships are working and what can be improved.  

RTI will be releasing a report on its findings this month. We would like to invite you to a community and district meeting where RTI will share the results of this report, including the strengths and areas requiring deeper engagement.  

Please join us Friday, February 27 from 1-3PM at Puget Sound ESD in Renton. To help us accommodate the number of attendees, please RSVP by clicking here. Please contact Troy Prince with any questions you may have.

Thank you for your commitment to strengthening partnerships in the Road Map region!
Deep Dive Spotlight: Seattle
The Deep Dive 3 (DD3) Investment Fund starts and scales community-school partnerships. These partnerships aim to raise student achievement through intensive student-level interventions, both in school and out. By learning how to create and sustain effective partnerships, we will increase our knowledge across the Road Map Region of how to scale and replicate successful community-school partnership models supporting students in the opportunity gap.

One of the projects awarded funding in Round 1 of the DD3 Investment Fund is Seattle Public Schools' Literacy and Math Through Academic Support project. Students at Emerson Elementary receive literacy and math support during and after the school day. The project also provides intensive professional development for teachers in arts infused instruction focused on addressing math and literacy. By using art-focused math and literacy instruction, students stay engaged and learn in ways that are culturally relevant.

An on-site Cultural Navigator provides outreach and communication to East African families to connect them to supports, social services and resources and a mental health counselor helps meet the needs of students and families. It has resulted in a change in school, student and staff culture at Emerson.

For more information, please see our Deep Dive 3 page.
Study Finds UW Dream Project Results to be Promising
According to a recent report by RTI International, the overall results of the University of Washington Dream Project have been quite positive. The Dream Project, supported in part by Race to the Top in the region's high-need middle and high schools, pairs UW student-mentors with low-income middle and high school students to help younger students work on college applications, financial aid and scholarship paperwork. The aim of the peer-to-peer mentoring program is to improve college attendance and completion rates. 

The RTI study found that in 2012, nearly 80 percent of Dream Project participants who enrolled in college went to a four-year college or university; this is an important measure because students who go to four-year schools are more likely to finish their degrees. The study also found that of the students in Renton High School's 2007 Dream Project group who enrolled in college, 47 percent completed their four-year degree, compared with 35 percent of students district-wide in Renton. And of the students in Seattle's 2008 Dream Project cohort who enrolled in college, 63 percent completed their four-year degree, compared with 25 percent of students district-wide in Seattle.

The Dream Project was started 10 years ago by UW undergraduates and has been funded in large part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Race to the Top has allowed the project to expand into more schools and into middle schools.

For more information, please see the Education Lab blog or our Stay Strong webpage. We are excited to be a part of this important work!
Webinar: 5 Ways Community Organizations Can Ensure Effective & Responsible Student Data Use
Join an interactive panel discussion on Wednesday, February 18 to learn more about key areas to focus on to ensure effective and responsible use of student data.

Cradle to career partnerships, place-based initiatives, community schools efforts, and many other community based organizations rely on access to student-level data from school districts to identify ways to help students succeed and find out what really helps kids. However, use of student data comes with the responsibility to protect student privacy and earn public trust.

This webinar will feature experts on student data protection and use, including members of a national taskforce convened in 2014 to develop best practices for community organizations. Our own Matt Harris will be representing Race to the Top-District and work in the Road Map region. Panelists will discuss five ways community organizations can ensure effective and responsible use of student data, and share real-world examples of how these practices are helping communities improve education outcomes for kids.

Panelists include:
  • Chris Kingsley, Data Quality Campaign, Washington, D.C.
  • Theresa Pardo, Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany, New York
  • Matt Deevers, Summit Education Initiative, Akron, Ohio
  • Matt Harris, Puget Sound Educational Service District & The Road Map Project, Seattle, Washington
  • Greg Wong, Pacifica Law Group, Seattle Washington
  • Geoff Zimmerman, StriveTogether Staff, Cincinnati, Ohio

If interested, please be sure to register.
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-February. Click "Join Our Mailing List" on the left to receive future e-newsletters!

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