Managing student misbehavior at school is a reality today's school staff must be prepared for. Researchers and practitioners have been implementing a variety of strategies to support students with challenging behavior; however, the opportunity gap for specific students continues to exist. The number of students who are excluded, suspended, or…

Digital inequity has been a long-standing issue in the education community. A lack of home internet and technology devices can not only hinder students' ability to access educational resources at home, but can also have a detrimental effect on student achievement. Education agencies have taken steps over the past decades to address digital…

This guidance is designed as a companion resource to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's (OSPI's) "Reopening Washington Schools 2020: District Planning Guide" (ED606044), issued June 2020. The goal of this companion document is to provide guidance, best practices, resources, and unique considerations for supporting…

Several years ago, the Legislature adopted significant amendments to the basic conflict of interest statute for local elected officials, primarily in the area of financial thresholds, but also in the area of scope of enforcement. This is an important area of the law for board members and superintendents, so a current and thorough knowledge of the…

An elected school director works every day as an advocate for public education in his community. At each board meeting, crucial decisions that affect the lives and education of children are made as he determines the needs of the students and families he is accountable to. But are those needs being communicated to his elected representatives in…

Governing public schools is one of the most important responsibilities a citizen can undertake. School board members work on behalf of all the families in their community, with fellow board members and with other community partners, to ensure that each student has equal and ample opportunities to reach his or her greatest potential. This guide…

Parent involvement is widely acknowledged as a central component in both overall school success and the academic success of individual children. Recognizing this, the federal No Child Left Behind Act mandates that states, districts and schools make extraordinary efforts to enhance effective parent involvement. Now, more than six years after the…

Middle and high school students experiencing homelessness often face challenges in accruing credits. Class offerings, methods of calculating credits, and graduation requirements can vary greatly among school districts. Students who change schools late in high school can find themselves suddenly in danger of not graduating due to differing class…

This report discusses how to safeguard affirmative action on college campuses. Section 1, "Threats to Affirmative Action," discusses Congressional action; state actions; and anti-affirmative action studies and reports. Section 2, "Affirmative Action Works," includes research findings; leaders' beliefs about affirmative action…

Nearly every legislative session in the last decade has changed state law in a way that requires school board members and superintendents to be more highly sensitized to conflict of interest issues, regardless of the size of their district. Prior state law simply forbade most opportunities for financial conflicts of interest, especially those…

Washington's state plan for the education of homeless children is presented in compliance with provisions of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. The plan is comprised of a background statement, nine sections, and addenda. The first section presents facts on homelessness in Washington State. The second section describes the…

Growing numbers of colleges and universities are making the leap to renewable energy. Some are not only saving money--they're making money on their renewable energy purchases. This guide, written by two energy consultants, walks readers through the process of evaluating the various technologies, ownership options, relationships with utilities, and…

The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) of the state of Washington is charged with the responsibility for approval of new degree programs to be offered by public four-year institutions. It is responsible for the review and approval of both on- and off-campus programs, including branch campus offerings. This report offers guidelines and…

This study provides background information and recommendations for administrators pertaining to collective bargaining in the Washington State Community College System. It begins with a brief overview of the history of the laws and statutes relating to negotiations in the community colleges of Washington, followed by an inventory of the contents…

This report presents a plan for nursing education in the State of Washington that would help in alleviating the shortage of nurses in the state. The plan addresses the current status of nursing education and critical issues pertaining to the following: (1) the geographic availability of nursing education and training programs; (2) curriculum…