e-Newsletter
January 14, 2016
Issue No. 59
In This Issue
Upcoming Events & Key Dates
1/15 Project 1 Round 3.2 Information Session

1/19 White Center Education Initiative Meeting (Deep Dive 2)

1/21 Executive Committee Meeting

2/8 Project 1 Round 3.2 Letters of Intent Due (Required)

3/10 Executive Committee Meeting

3/15 Project 1 Round 3.2 Proposals due  
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 share inspiring increases in graduation rates in Highline and Tukwila! In addition, the 2016 Kindergarten registration campaign is gearing up. Finally, a new Race to the Top survey is gathering perspectives and priorities from our partners; if you have received the survey, please fill it out so we can include your feedback!   
Wins for Road Map
Race to the Top! 
Road Map Graduation Rates Soar
Recent statewide achievement data showed significant increases in the graduation rate in Tukwila and Highline! The graduation rate at Foster High School in Tukwila jumped almost 15 percentage points overall and more than 30 percentage points for Hispanic and Special Education students. Highline Public Schools had a graduation rate over 70 percent, climbing 7.4 percentage points in the past school year.

Race to the Top grant funds played an important role in this progress. With the support of the Race to the Top College and Career Readiness investment fund, Tukwila implemented a number of initiatives, including:  a credit recovery summer school; targeting students placed at risk of failing a course through weekly pulls of data; dropout reengagement programs; and the expansion of Advanced Placement courses, among others. Likewise, over the last several years, Highline has implemented a number of targeted strategies aimed at improving graduation rates by supporting ninth-graders through an Early Warning System and Freshman Success Monitoring Tool, a blended-learning credit recovery program, and various expanded learning opportunities.

For more information, please see related articles related to Highline, Tukwila, and our College and Career Readiness page. Congratulations to the students, teachers and staff involved!
2016 Kindergarten Registration Gearing Up!
We're excited to share that the 2016 Universal Kindergarten Registration Campaign will soon kick off across all seven Road Map districts. The common Kindergarten registration aims to encourage families to register their incoming Kindergarten students beginning as soon as the Tuesday after MLK Monday. (Registering in winter or spring allows families to get connected to various high-quality early learning opportunities they can engage in before Kindergarten to ensure they enter the school year ready for success.) All seven districts offer some type of programming for kids and families such as Play & Learn groups, Jumpstart, and Ready for K!, all of which can increase school readiness for kids and strengthen parent-to-parent and school-to-family relationships.

To find out more, please contact PreK-3rd Grade Systems lead Mary Waldron, or find related registration tools on our website.
Race to the Top Survey Underway
Race to the Top partners have recently received a survey from RTI International, a non-profit research organization which has been contracted as the external evaluator of the RTT-D grant. The survey includes questions about participation in Race to the Top projects, challenges and successes in closing the achievement and opportunity gaps, and about which efforts should be sustained in the coming years. Feedback received through the survey will allow Puget Sound ESD to strengthen the Consortium in order to best support the region's collaborative effort to dramatically improve education in the RTT-D region.

It is vital to include the voices of those who are doing this work in order to sustain what is working well and work towards removing barriers. Any questions regarding the survey can be directed to Jay Feldman.
 
Please note that this survey is different from the Road Map Project survey recently sent out, and is specific to Race to the Top. Thank you in advance for your time and feedback!
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 later this month. Click "Join Our Mailing List" on the left to receive future e-newsletters!

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