This toolkit is designed to help Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) create and maintain effective strategies with multilingual families. We explore and model best practices for the use of technology in teaching, as well as for assessing and communicating with diverse adults. The following guide is applicable for face-to-face, blended, and online instruction, and can also serve as a toolkit.

Este conjunto de herramientas está diseñado para ayudar a las Agencias Educativas
Locales (LEA, por sus siglas en inglés) a crear y mantener estrategias efectivas con las
familias multilingües. Exploramos y modelamos las mejores prácticas para el uso de la
tecnología en la enseñanza, así como para evaluar y comunicarnos con adultos diversos.
La siguiente guía es aplicable para la instrucción presencial, combinada y en línea, y
también puede servir como un conjunto de herramientas para tal efecto.

An online training for school staff to recognize and respond to student emotional and behavioral distress.

Image by lisa runnels from Pixabay

The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has teamed with the Civic Learning Council and the National Constitution Center to provide this professional development opportunity on resources and tools for helping students engage in discussions of controversial issues.

Download the video file here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jefvmk5tv6t0zoa/OSPI_CLC_CIVICS-BridgeTheDivide-FINAL.mp4?dl=0

This learning resource will engage you and your colleagues in learning more about the importance of learning and teaching climate science as part of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). You will hear from multiple stakeholders about the importance and impact of learning about climate science, as well as engage with learning tools and reflection questions to deepen your learning and position you to take action in your setting. We envision this professional learning taking place in an ongoing community of practice. We encourage you to determine and proceed at your own pace that reflects the needs of your team.

Image by ejaugsburg from Pixabay

Effective and relevant computer science education is essential to achieving our vision that “every student is ready for college, career, and life.” While attention to computer science education has increased in recent years, a lack of awareness about its content and potential impact is widespread. The Washington State Computer Science K–12 Learning Standards are designed to enhance teacher understanding and improve student learning so that students are better equipped for college, career, and life.

Washington is committed to implementing high-quality computer science instruction to:

* Increase the opportunity for all students to gain knowledge of computer science.
* Introduce the fundamental concepts and applications of computer science to all students, beginning at the elementary school level.
* Make computer science at the secondary level accessible, worthy of a computer science credit, and/or equivalent to math and science courses as a required graduation credit (see Level 3B of computer science standards).
* Offer additional secondary-level computer science instruction that allows interested students to study facets of computer science in depth and prepare them for entry into a career or college.

Learning standards describe what students need to know and be able to do. Standards are worded broadly to allow flexibility at the district, building, and classroom levels.

The Family Engagement Guidance and Toolkit was developed to support districts, schools, and classrooms with planning for implementation of positive family engagement and participation practices. Each section begins with guided questions that were compiled from considerations and concerns raised by workgroup members.

Washington’s Basic Education Act requires that school districts provide opportunities for every student to “understand the importance of work and finance and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities.”

Financial education attends to the development of short-term and long-term skills and competencies for academic and personal growth. Financial education supports students’ academic performance in several subject areas and plays a major role in preparing students for college, career, and a life of financial stability and well-being

What does formative assessment look like during distance learning? Without proximity, how can teachers gather and act on “in-the-moment” information – the behaviors, emotions, and situations that affect learning and inform instruction?
This resource provides explanations, sample questions, and possible actions to implement formative assessment during distance learning scenarios.

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay

The KNOW Curriculum is one of several HIV/STD curriculum options available to school districts in Washington state. The following documents provide school districts with resources to assist in identifying and/or developing an effective HIV/STD prevention program for their students. Included in the OSPI-developed curriculum are HIV/AIDS prevention materials and considerations for teacher selection and training as well as parent and community involvement.

Available documents:
Grades 5-6, English and Spanish
Grades 7-8, English and Spanish

The Early Literacy Pathway was created to support educators, caregivers and families in understanding and supporting Washington children’s development in literacy and beyond. This document will support and enhance the conversation of how best to support every child’s future.

This document features progression pathways for the development of numeracy concepts. It can be used as a quick reference to isolate children’s learning along a particular pathway and determine the next steps in learning that would move children forward along a particular pathway

Modeling Our World With Mathematics (MOWWM) is a five-module mathematics course developed locally by OSPI with input from educators across Washington, and is designed to follow Geometry. It contains career-connected thematic units where students use high school mathematics to analyze everyday life and work. The content and instructional strategies support increased attainment of the common core high school content standards while developing the standards for mathematical practice.

Arts and Music
Finances for Life
Digital World
Civic Readiness
Health & Fitness

Washington state has developed a set of civics assessments that are multi‐stepped tasks or projects aligned to specific state standards, which target skills and knowledge necessary for engaged, informed citizenship.

The Social and Emotional Learning in Washington State Schools: Building Foundations and Strategies module is designed to be a part of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's (OSPI) professional learning constellation of topics. It can be used by Washington Educational Service Districts (ESD) and LEAs for administering clock hours. Clock hours are not available to individuals who take the course on their own.

Intended Audience
This module is designed for educators, administrators, school staff, others professionals and parents who interact with youth as a means to help them build and improve their understanding of social emotional skills.

Structure of the Module
This online module has been designed in six distinct learning segments.
Learning Segment 1: Introduction to SEL
Learning Segment 2: Embedding SEL Schoolwide
Learning Segment 3: Creating a Professional Culture Based on SEL
Learning Segment 4: Integrating SEL into Culturally Responsive Classrooms
Learning Segment 5: Trauma Informed Social Emotional Learning
Learning Segment 6: Identifying and Selecting Evidence-Based Programs
Although the online module can be completed by an individual, the learning is significantly more impactful if it is done collectively by those who will be implementing SEL. Throughout the online module, suggestions on ways in which to engage in the learning in a group setting are provided.

Completing the Module
Registration on the OSPI Moodle is required to take the course.

Cover image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Educators need civics curriculum that informs and engages students. Teaching Elections in Washington State is written in partnership with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Washington teachers to do just that.
For more resources visit:
Civics Education | Washington Office of Secretary of State - https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/civics/
Elections and Voting Teaching Resources Toolkit | Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

As schools work to increase success for all students, it is important to recognize the impact of bias in classrooms, instructional materials and teaching strategies. Bias in general may be identified by determining whose interest is being portrayed and whose interest is being excluded. Evaluating for bias requires us to learn about others and to respect and appreciate the differences and similarities. This evaluation guide includes components on gender/sex, culture/ethnicity, socio-economic status, disability/status, and family structure.

A Statewide Arts Advisory Team developed this Entry Points document to support teaching the arts, whether remotely, using a hybrid model, or fully in-person. This document is organized by arts discipline and is intended to use in communication with students and their families as well as educators.

In this update to the 2008 standards, Washington is adopting the 2016 Technology Standards for Students
released by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). These standards were developed
collaboratively with teachers, administrators, subject matter experts, state and national associations, and
stakeholders in educational technology. Teams of Washington teachers, technology integration
specialists, and teacher-librarians have reviewed these standards to ensure they effectively meet the
needs of Washington students.

These standards emphasize the ways technology can be used to amplify and transform learning and
teaching, and they resonate with our state’s aspiration to empower connected learners in a connected
world. In addition, they complement statewide efforts to enhance instruction in digital citizenship and
media literacy, which are critical elements of preparing our students for careers, post-secondary
aspirations, and beyond.