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Today’s students
face new challenges and the increasing demands of the information
age. That’s why Seattle Public Schools is working to align
the activities of community organizations serving children with our
goal of every child achieving. Through partnerships with
preschools, before- and after-care providers, social service
agencies, higher education institutions, museums and cultural
organizations, we are creating a seamless system of education in
which students are learning everywhere, and all the
time.
Expanding
out-of-school time learning opportunities, minimizing barriers to
learning, and engaging families and community volunteers bring us
closer to our goal of helping all students meet achievement
standards whatever school they attend and whatever their economic
status or ethnic group. The Office for Community Learning works to
help the community understand the transformation under way in
Seattle Public Schools, and to get other partners involved in
advancing that mission. We also train school staff members to work
effectively with community partners and volunteers.
COMMUNITY LEARNING PROGRAMS
We focus on learning support services that align and
integrate the programs of before- and after-school care providers,
pre-schools and summer programs with school learning standards.
When we communicate and cooperate, our efforts complement one
another, and student learning is reinforced. Our key learning
initiatives are:
Before and After-school
Programs
Community Learning
Centers
School Readiness
We
build family and community participation in our
schools by recruiting, welcoming and training volunteers; advising
families on ways to create a home that’s conducive to
learning; encouraging them to join in leadership decisions at their
schools; and working to make school buildings into community
learning centers open after school for community organizations to
conduct classes and hold meetings for adults and children. Three
initiatives that build family and community participation
are:
Family Partnerships
Project
WHY NOW ?
• New needs.
It’s no longer enough for students simply to store up
information. New and rigorous academic standards, developed to help
students succeed in the 21st century, require them to demonstrate
that they can use what they’ve learned to solve problems in
everyday life. Beginning in 2008, high school seniors will have to
meet these standards on the Washington Assessment of Student
Learning to earn a diploma.
• New methods.
That’s why there’s a transformation under way in
Seattle Public Schools to ensure academic achievement for every
child. Diverse student needs and new ways of measuring what
students have learned call for new approaches to
teaching.
• New
partnerships. Schools are far more effective when they
get support from the families, youth groups and community
organizations that work with students when they’re not in
class. Part of transforming schools is recognizing our limits. By
their 19th birthdays, American children have spent 91 percent of
their time out of school. That’s why partnerships are so
vital.
• Removing barriers to
learning. During school time, students are affected by
their home life, health issues, friendships, cultural and religious
beliefs and a host of other outside influences. When problems arise
in those areas, students may have trouble learning. For that
reason, Seattle Public Schools and a broad array of community
partners are working together to address health and behavior
problems.
WHO PAYS FOR
IT?
Funding for the Office for Community Learning comes from the
Seattle Public Schools, the
City of Seattle, state and federal
governments, and grants from corporations and
foundations.
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