e-Newsletter
March 25, 2015
Issue No.44
In This Issue
Upcoming Events & Key Dates
3/25 Read To Succeed Work Team Meeting (Deep Dive 1)

3/31 White Center Education Initiative Meeting (Deep Dive 2)

4/9 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  ,

We had an outstanding turn-out for our recent Stay Strong Convening, with almost a hundred participants sharing promising practices that support college and career readiness. In addition, counselors recently gathered from around the Road Map Region for the third Counselor Professional Development workshop of the year provided by Race to the Top. The session focused on postsecondary advising for students with Special Needs and English Language Learner students. Thank you to all our partners who participated in these events! 
Road Map Region Celebrates Stay Strong Efforts
Close to 90 staff from across the region came together on March 3 to share promising practices supporting college and career readiness at the Race to the Top Stay Strong Convening.  Participants touched on a range of efforts including broadening access to rigorous courses, enhancing guidance counseling and promoting regional participation in the College Board College Readiness Assessments (including ReadiStep, PSAT and SAT).

Dr. Phil Ballinger, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions at the University of Washington served as keynote speaker.  Dr. Ballinger provided a background about the university's holistic admissions process and the sweeping demographic changes that have affected Washington over the past 10 years.  Superintendents Apostle, Herren, MacLean and Rieger then reflected on cultural changes in their districts that have led to increases in student readiness for their lives after high school.  Led by each of the seven Race to the Top school districts, breakout sessions touched on successes and key lessons learned through implementing changes to college and career readiness practices.  University of Washington Dream Project College and Career Readiness Assistants closed the event with stories about returning to work in the buildings where they attended high school.

The Race to the Top Stay Strong Team will follow up by creating an online repository of the resources and tools that districts have created. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Counselor Workshop Focuses on Special Needs and ELL Students
On March 5, 30 counselors gathered from around the Road Map Region for the third Counselor Professional Development workshop of the year provided by Race to the Top. The session focused on postsecondary advising for students with Special Needs and English Language Learner students. We were fortunate to have a group of parents who are working with One America to elevate their voices within the education system and help ensure that schools and districts are more reflective of diverse demographics.

A group of five parents and one recent high school graduate joined counselors for a dialogue about what they dream for their children, what they need from schools and how they would like to be involved. A theme from counselors was that they want to know how to better serve students in immigrant families, and a theme from parents was frustration about not getting information they need to support their children on the path to postsecondary education. Counselors and parents both expressed gratitude for the opportunity to begin this open dialogue, and we plan to continue it into the future, giving parents and counselors the opportunity to work together to provide more equitable and comprehensive advising to students in our region.
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 April. Click "Join Our Mailing List" on the left to receive future e-newsletters!

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