Mid-Year Report

COMPETENT, EFFECTIVE, ETHICAL & VISIONARY LEADERSHIP

 Build a structure to identify, recruit, train, mentor, and retain high-quality leaders of instruction.

1. Continued support to help link mentors with new superintendents.
2. Provided the WASA New Superintendents Workshop in July with 33 superintendents in attendance.
3. In partnership with AWSP, the Washington State Leadership Academy has begun to take shape with financial support from the state and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
4. Continued to monitor the implementation of the new professional certification process for principals.
5. Provided direct assistance to individual superintendents and members on specific leadership issues.

Expand diversity in development and selection of leaders.

Considered diversity in all appointments to PEABs, boards, and committees.

Partner with other professional organizations to enhance educational leadership capacity.

1. Continued to expand the discussion with our Coalition on Full Funding partners (AWSP, WEA, WSSDA, and PSE) to include leadership issues.
2. Partnered with AWSP, OSPI, WSSDA, and the ESDs on the WASA/AWSP Summer Conference, OSPI/WASA Special Education Workshop, WASA/WSSDA Legislative Conference, and the New Superintendent Workshop.
3. Provided oversight and support services for several professional associations that provide leadership training such as WSASCD, ERNN, and SIRS.
4. Continued to partner with OSPI and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to refine and implement a three-year leadership-training program for District Improvement Facilitators.
5. Continued on-going partnerships with OSPI and the ESDs to provide the Washington State EduPortal at minimal cost with free regional training.
6. Continued to work with OSPI, the ESDS, and higher education to focus on addressing math issues in the state. 
7. Worked with the Washington State Leadership Academy Board consisting of WASA, AWSP OSPI, the ESDs, and higher education representatives to assist in creating and implementing the Leadership Academy.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF SYSTEMS TO ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING

Promote continuous improvement in school systems focused on equity and excellence.

1. In collaboration with AWSP, WSSDA, WEA, and PSE a position letter was submitted to the State Board of Education (SBE) recommending that they first focus on determining the outcome vision of a high school diploma.
2. Under the leadership of Superintendent Larry Nyland, WASA developed a discussion paper and survey entitled “WASL and Beyond” to gain insight and recommendations from our members as we engage with others in the discussion of issues associated with moving forward with education reform in our state. 
3. Created a forum with the SBE executive director and members at the WSSDA Annual Conference to discuss issues regarding a “meaningful diploma.”
4. Worked with the Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD) to develop a state- wide system to support school districts.
5. In collaboration with AWSP, WEA, WSSDA, and PSE developed a common agenda to support fully funding education in the 2008 legislature. Introduced the Rubik Cube concept as a process for the Coalition.

 Create a member network for research and current practices to increase student success.

1. Provided research, review, best practices, and perspectives through SIRS Leadership Information, including a specific focus on math instruction and fully funding basic education.
2. Continued provision of training to districts on the use of the School System Improvement Research Guide (SSIRG) and presented at statewide conferences.
3. Continued leadership, support, and expansion of the Washington State EduPortal.
4. Continued to incorporate district improvement rubrics into the Management Review process.

Develop and disseminate, as appropriate, position papers regarding issues that affect student learning.

The following discussion and position papers have been written and disseminated:

1. Coalition on Full Funding position letter to the SBE on a meaningful diploma.
2. The “WASL and Beyond” discussion paper and survey.
3. ELL/Poverty—Yakima Valley paper.
4. Changing the Graduation Requirements: Threat or Opportunity?” discussion paper.

Provide professional development opportunities for administrative instructional leaders to improve teaching systems.

1. Provided opportunities for members to share successes and challenges at WASA meetings and conferences.
2. Supported members in all roles through consultation and networking.
3. Provided professional development opportunities, state and regional meeting presenters, and local district experts to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of professional leadership.

Advocate for effective instruction practices.

1. Effective instructional practice is one of the foundational principles of the Washington State Leadership Academy.
2. Focused on quality, effective instructional practices at summer and fall conferences.
3. Supported (ongoing) the regional learning communities that are developing within the state.
4.  Supported higher education, the ESDs’, and OSPI’s focus on mathematics.

Explore other states’ accountability models related to educational employees’ responsibility for student achievement.

WASA requested information on state accountability systems related to employees’ responsibility for student achievement from state professional association executive directors from states with collective bargaining laws. Received limited information from the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York.

Work with the Governor’s office to ensure that performance incentives are tied to student achievement.

Discussion with the League of Education Voters regarding their focus on a teacher salary schedule built on a combination of steps and mini Professional Standards Board type assessments.

LEGISLATIVE & COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Support the simple majority for levies.

1. WASA played a major role in passing the Simple Majority; we did it!!!
2. Maintained the Simple Majority website throughout the campaign.
3. Continued to work and strategize with the legislators and 28 organizations that made up the steering committee to sponsor the simple majority campaign.

Maintain an active leadership role in formulating policy and legislation related to education, sharpening the focus on amply funding our public schools, and resisting unfunded mandates.

1. Members continued to serve on commissions, boards and subgroups including the Professional Educator Standards Board, Superintendent Bergeson’s Superintendents’ Advisory Committee, OSPI’s Administrators’ Certification Committee, Alternative Assessment Work Group, as well as several committees established by the legislature.
2. Provided input to OSPI, the Governor’s office and the education and budget committees, advocating for adequately funding K–12 in the 2007–09 Washington State Operating Budget.
3. Continued to expanded our partnerships with other associations through our contract lobbyists for the Alliance for Education Associations (AEA), WASBO, WAPT, WAMOA and WSNA, and the Educational Service District Board of Directors (AESD).
4. Provided special editions of TWIO to update members on work to pass the simple majority.
5. Continued to work with the Governor’s office on the need to provide adequate funding for implementing the English language learners strategies proposed by the superintendents of highly impacted districts with ELL students.
6. Supported and promoted more direct funding for the ESDs.

Work politically with AASA to effect changes in ESEA (NCLB) and IDEA that will sustain benefits to students while eliminating negative impacts of the law.

1. Heard from AASA’s Mary Kusler on the work AASA is doing in regard to the reauthorization at the WASA Fall Workshop.
2. Continued to work with AASA on the reauthorization of ESEA/NCLB.
3. Appointed two of WASA’s AASA representatives to the Legislation and Finance Committee.

Develop a compelling vision of what students need to be able to do in the global society and an assessment system that supports the vision.

1. WASA is working with a legislative committee established by Representative Quall to develop a plan for the future.
2. Our Coalition on Full Funding (WASA, AWSP, WSSDA, WEA, and PSE) submitted a position letter to the SBE that the first priority of their work should be to develop a shared vision of what a student should be able to do when he/she completes high school.
3. The Coalition also agreed to work collaboratively on recommendations for Washington’s K–12 Accountability system.

Develop a “common message” communication plan that includes a toolkit to educate communities to gain support for public education and its importance to a democratic society.

1. Developed a “Statement of Shared Priorities for the 2008 Legislative Session” with WSSDA, AWSP, WEA, and PSE of Washington.
2. Continued to work with other associations to provide a common message to the general public and legislators about the need for more and ample funding for our schools.
3. Continued to support the Generations of Progress presentations.