Projects

Alaska

Education Challenge

Project Lead: Tamara van wyhe, Amy jo Meiners

This project supports the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development in a statewide effort to build strategic coherence through evidence-based implementation of change initiatives focused on the 5 priorities of Alaska's Education Challenge

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) is in the process of re-engaging stakeholders around the Three Commitments and Five Priorities of Alaska’s Education Challenge, initially launched in 2017. Region 16’s Alaska project supports DEED in a statewide effort to build strategic coherence through evidence-based implementation focused on four key initiatives.

Through carefully crafted and aligned initiatives focused on School Improvement, Alaska’s Standards in ELA and Math, Assessment and Data Literacy, and Evidence-Based Reading Instruction, R16CC will support DEED to engage stakeholders, build strategic coherence across the system, and scale evidence-based instructional and leadership practices that, when taken together, will result in systems change and improved outcomes for students as envisioned in Alaska’s Education Challenge.

Ongoing and close communication and collaboration between R16CC staff, Alaska DEED Executive Leadership, program leads within the department, and project consultants has resulted in a State Service Plan that builds on the previously established foundation and scales specific initiatives to directly impact educators statewide and, ultimately, improve student learning.

The pandemic has exacerbated many of the existing challenges we must tackle in Alaska to close the opportunity gap and increase equity:

Early literacy
Effective evidence-based instruction
Assessments and data literacy
Standards alignment and grade- level instruction
School effectiveness improvement
Relevant educator support and professional learning.

Supporting all students to read at grade level by the end of third grade is a key priority of Alaska's Education Challenge and serves as the foundation for our initiatives and actions.

Through this project, Region 16 Comprehensive Center will address top priorities within the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development’s (DEED) ARP ESSER State Plan, specifically:

Implement strategies to reduce learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic
Support high-quality, standards aligned instruction for all students
Address the academic impact of lost instructional time
Engage the education ecosystem to bring coherence through strategically aligning with the Alaska
Education Challenge
Build strong approaches to evidence-based improvement practices across the systems
Implement evidence-based practices for teaching and learning

This project will also provide significant support to the priorities of Alaska’s Education Challenge. Region 16 and DEED will collaborate to close opportunity and equity gaps and build strategic coherence.

Oregon

AI / AN Education

Project Lead: Bernie sorenson

Assisting the Office of Indian Education in Oregon in the revision of the American Indian / Alaska Native state plan, and support of the support the Tribal Education Alliance

Region 16 and ODE’s Office of Indian Education (OIE) will assist in the development of a research and analysis plan for the implementation of a state-curriculum designed to support educators in the implementation of culturally responsive teaching that includes the teaching of Oregon’s history of the local tribes.

The program, established in 2017 by the legislature under SB113, is entitled Tribal History/Shared History . The evaluation will provide OIE data on the implementation of the Tribal History/ Shared History programs currently being implemented across Oregon. Additionally, Region 16 will provide technical assistance on a data justice project that will support OIE in the development of an accurate accounting of every American Indian/Alaska Native student needing services to support the closing of opportunity gaps.

For years, Oregon has been missing a critical opportunity to fully leverage the strengths, assets, and contributions our American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students bring to their communities. The lack of accurate and complete curricula, as well as clear, transparent, and accurate data relating to their needs and challenges, may contribute to persistent opportunity gaps experienced by AI/AN scholars.

The rate of AI/AN students on track to graduate fell from 74.4 percent in 2019 to 57.6 percent in 2021. At all levels, the Oregon educational system does not adequately serve and support Native students, families, and communities.

Region 16 Comprehensive Center will provide intensive support to the Office of Indian Education (OIE) through facilitation, coaching, content expertise, and critical problem-solving in the implementation of the AI/AN strategic plan. Region 16 will use evidence-based, culturally responsive practices for implementation and evaluation. Region 16 will also employ best practices for engaging tribal communities and elders throughout the project, including a focus on further and more impactful implementation of statewide Tribal History/Shared History curriculum.

Additionally, Region 16 will support ODE in an effort to more inclusively, accurately, and transparently develop data reporting systems that ensure that all AI/AN scholars have access to culturally affirming education and the supports they need to succeed.

Equity

Project Lead: Bernie sorenson

Sustaining equity by ensuring that all levels, people and programs in an organization are receiving training and implementing systems of equity for further understanding equity needs, creating organizational equity plans, and implementing training and systems for equity practices

Region 16 and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) are proud of the first phase of implementation of the 2021-24 Equity and Racial Justice Strategic Plan. Region 16 will continue to provide high-quality technical assistance and capacity building to ODE as they begin phase II of the 2021-24 Equity and Racial Justice Strategic Plan during the 2021 - 22 project year. Through evidence-based practice related to Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEL), Region 16 will continue to strengthen and support the development of:

Cross-agency alignment of community-specific equity plans
Data justice research and policy analysis
Strategic communications training and coaching
Training modules

R16CC will continue to provide professional learning, coaching, and mentoring to executive leadership and key project leads. R16CC will also continue to partner with ODE to provide technical support for American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III).

The scope will include a pilot project focused on the development of cross-agency communities of learning and practice. The project will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our SEA clients and their stakeholders both internally and externally.

Equity continues to be a primary focus in Oregon’s education system. Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Colt Gill shared, “COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Latinx and Pacific Islander communities; students experiencing disabilities; and students and families navigating poverty, houselessness and foster care.” These student populations are not being adequately served under the current system.

To that end, ODE developed a multi-year strategic plan that centers strategies for eco-systemic change to improve equity and racial justice across Oregon’s educational landscape.

The approach to capacity-building services will continue to focus on the development of a more equitable system with a clearly articulated vision and a strategy for internal agency improvements and statewide dissemination and implementation of what it takes to create an equitable education system that supports every student in Oregon schools and districts. Region 16 will facilitate and coach ODE staff in:

Conducting a comprehensive situational analysis
Establishing a clear commission
Launching project team(s)
Launching plan initiatives
Reporting and reflecting on progress and results

Region 16 will continue to support ODE in increasing external partnerships to align approaches, planning, professional learning, and interagency initiatives to increase use of equity practices.

Washington

Tribal Education

Project Lead: Beth Geiger

Partnering with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, their Office of Native Education, and Tribal education leaders to strengthen relationships and enhance resources in order to better serve our Native American and Alaska Native students

The Region 16 Comprehensive Center is partnering with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, their Office of Native Education, and tribal education leaders to strengthen relationships, identify needs, and enhance resources in order to better serve Washington’s Native American and Alaska Native students.

This year, building on the successful foundational relationship and capacity building of years one and two, R16CC will be maintaining our most popular and respected work as well as expanding our offerings in alignment with what we have learned from Native families and partner organizations throughout the last two years.

R16CC will continue our series of webinars to hear directly from Native parents and families, where we respond to needs and requests accordingly, to give greater agency and ownership to Native families in Washington. Additionally, work will be done to develop an education system more understanding of and responsive to the needs of Native students and families, including continuing to build tribal sovereignty and consultation training for educators statewide and developing ways to best address data collection and management shortfalls.

We must address the opportunity gaps impacting American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) scholars.

Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native committees are critical partners to include in the local planning and implementation of improvement practices for
Native students. In 2019, 24.1% of Native students dropped out before graduating (compared to a state average of 11.2%).

Washington’s education systems, at all levels, do not adequately serve Native families and students.

Washington State Superintendent Chris Reykdal and OSPI staff have identified strategic priorities in the Office of Systems and School Improvement Coordinated Service Agreement 2019-2020 (CSA) that focus on leveraging, coordinating, and bringing to scale targeted efforts across the state regarding engagement among school districts, parents, and Tribal communities.

intensive capacity-building services will be tailored to the context and needs of the interactions and relationships within Washington and will include close collaboration with:

OSPI
The OSPI Office of Native Education (ONE)
The Washington State Native American Education Advisory Committee (WSNAEAC)
AESD
Tribal schools
State-Tribal education compact schools (STECS)
Native communities

Requests for quotes & PROPOSALS

We can't do this work alone. We work in community or partnership with individuals, groups, and organizations across the Pacific Northwest to better serve students regionwide.

Native student support database

RFQ Closes September 26, 2022

R16CC seeks to build and launch an online, ADA- and 508-compliant database of programs and organizations that provide support or services to Native students. The database will be made publicly available for students, families, educators, and other community members to search for programs and organizations based on their needs or interests. This database may also help foster connections between program and organization leaders and regional or local education agencies.

Learn more and submit your quote