School Board Approves New Student Assignment Transition Plan for 2010-2011
On January 20 the School Board took the next step toward implementation of the new student assignment plan with the approval of a transition plan outlining the assignment and transportation rules that will apply for the 2010-2011 school year. With new attendance area boundaries approved unanimously in November, the New Student Assignment Plan will be phased in, beginning with students at entry-grade levels-usually kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grades. As the plan will be phased in, a transition plan is required for next year. Highlights of the transition plan include a commitment to making every reasonable effort to accommodate as many kindergarten siblings as possible at the older sibling's school; transportation grandfathering for two years and a series of specific assignment rules.
Rest of story...

Open houses scheduled at all Seattle Public Schools; parents and guardians invited to visit as part of fall 2010 enrollment process
Seattle Public Schools will hold open houses at every school in the next few weeks. The visits are aimed at helping parents learn more about schools in their attendance area, as well as option schools open to their students under the School District's new student assignment plan. Weeknight open houses will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Saturday open houses will be held from 10 a.m.-noon, unless otherwise noted in the schedule. The intended audiences for these open houses are parents and guardians, so no child care will be available. For interpretation services, please contact the school three days before the scheduled open house date. Many of the open houses will include a formal presentation, so parents and guardians are encouraged to arrive at the beginning of the event. Click here for the full news release, which includes dates, times and addresses.

Levies: Please vote by February 9, 2010; brochure and video posted
Two replacement levies, a $442.7 million replacement operational levy and a $270 million replacement capital levy are on the Tuesday, February 9, 2010, special election ballot. Both levies provide critical funding support for our students through academic initiatives, building repairs and maintenance and technological upgrades. Detailed information about the levies is available in this Levies 2010 Information brochure. The operations levy would replace the three-year levy approved in 2007; it represents nearly one quarter of the District's day-to-day operating budget, and supports educational services not fully funded by the state. The six-year, $270 million capital levy, Buildings, Technology and Academics III (BTA III) replaces the Buildings, Technology and Academics II levy (BTA II) approved in 2004. The District has created a Report to the Community brochure that explains how taxpayer dollars have been spent on past and current levies. You can also click on this link to view a four-minute levies informational video presented by Dr. Maria L. Goodloe-Johnson, Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools.

School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at Cleveland: Open House January 23
Seattle Public Schools is committed to providing an excellent education so all students graduate from high school ready for college, careers and life. To help meet this goal, a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) school will open in fall 2010 at Cleveland High School. Cleveland has been designated an option school - which means that students from all across the district can enroll in this challenging and innovative program. Students who graduate from STEM will have access to college and career opportunities in areas such as biotechnology, software design and aeronautical engineering. STEM will offer an extended day, four years of math and science for all students, and project-based learning. Open enrollment for fall 2010 for all schools is March 1-31, 2010. Students who will be in grades nine and ten are welcome to apply during that time. An open house is planned for Saturday, January 23, 2010, from 10 a.m. to noon at Cleveland, 5511 15th Ave. S. Interpretation services will be available. More details about plans for STEM are available in this presentation given at a community meeting in December or visit the STEM Web site.

Proposed Memorandum of Agreement on Memorial Stadium
Joint Public meeting scheduled for February 2
Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Center will host a joint public meeting on the proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on redevelopment of the Memorial Stadium site. The agreement proposes turning the site into a green, integrated, multi-functional space that provides for year-round community and school activities. The public meeting will he held in the Fidalgo Room, Northwest Rooms, at the northwest corner of Seattle Center campus (south of Republican Street), on Tuesday, February 2, at 6:30 p.m. An earlier hearing was held on December 17.
Rest of story...

57 Seattle Public Schools teachers honored for national board certification; 174 teachers now nationally board certified
On January 20, the Seattle School Board honored 57 Seattle Public Schools teachers who earned their National Board Certification in 2009. Seattle now has 174 National Board-certified teachers, and more than 85 additional teachers are working toward certification in 2010. The National Board noted that Seattle Public Schools is among the nation's top 20 in terms of the number of teachers who achieved national certification in 2009, ranking 15th. Click on the link for the news release which includes the list of teachers.

Seattle Public Schools launches district-wide Performance Management system to boost achievement at every school
Seattle Public Schools is launching a district-wide performance management system which will provide the information and data needed to continuously improve the quality of education of all schools. A key strategy of our Excellence for All strategic plan, the performance management system is focused on improving performance at all levels of the district.
Rest of story...

Maintaining Safe and Healthy Schools
Seattle Public Schools is committed to providing an excellent education for every student and a safe educational environment at every school. The District is an active participant in the Families and Education Levy and the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. Our schools are part of the larger community; it takes a community effort to help prevent youth violence so that we can ensure that our city is safer for everyone.
Rest of story...

Review of District Central Administration Costs
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is committed to making continuous improvements in operations to focus maximum resources on instruction. That commitment means that as we develop the district's annual budget, we consider our strategic plan, Excellence for All, carefully review our priorities, and direct funds to support them. At the School Board Audit and Finance committee meeting on November 5, the Executive Director of Finance presented an analysis of the costs of central administration. The analysis shows that SPS Central Administration costs are 6% of the general fund budget - in line with other districts with more than 20,000 students and below the state average of 7%. In addition, central administration costs as a percentage of our budget have been relatively level over the past 10 years.
Rest of story...

New academic assessment gives teachers tools to shape instruction
Kindergarten to Grade 9 students at 76 schools will take MAP this fall
Seattle Public Schools' Strategic Plan, Excellence for All, sets teacher support and excellence in every classroom as a top priority. During September, teachers will begin implementing Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) for students in kindergarten through Grade 9 in 76 schools across the District.
Rest of story...

College Readiness is a top priority for Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Public Schools' central goal is to provide an excellent education for every student so that each student graduates ready for college, careers and life. College Readiness for all students is one of the major goals of Seattle Public Schools.
Rest of story...

BEX III Projects - Project Updates

Building Excellence III (BEX III), a capital bond, was approved by voters in February 2007. The bond funds renovation or replacement of four high schools, two middle schools and one K-8 school; and provides for other capital improvements. For more information on BEX III Projects, visit the BEX Web site. Illustration on right shows an artist's rendering of the Denny/Sealth campus.

For the latest news from around the District and schools, read School Beat, our District e-newsletter
School Beat, an electronic newsletter covering District and school-based news, is published twice a month during the school year for the staff and community of Seattle Public Schools. School Beat includes news and information on School Board meetings, student and staff accomplishments, school and community news, and upcoming events. The Public Affairs Office is always looking for stories on interesting classroom projects, inspirational people, or events in our schools to share with the greater Seattle community. If you have a unique story to share, please send your ideas to goodnews@seattleschools.org.