A number of states have taken steps toward promoting student wellness, with many of their state boards of education in the middle of the action. This article contains some examples of states leading on student wellness by addressing physical fitness, social and emotional learning (SEL), and mental health supports. The Every Student Succeeds Act…

An increasingly prevalent type of program designed to address college attainment gaps are state-based financial aid programs that offer low-income middle school students a promise of funding for college in exchange for making a pledge to do well in high school, be a good citizen and not be convicted of a felony, and apply for financial aid to…

Considering the necessity to facilitate the optimal development of reading ability, and the cooperation of the community, family, school, student, and teacher, this paper presents Washington State's Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Reading as a way to encourage equal access to excellent reading instruction and opportunities to learn for…

Noting that increasing contact between people of different cultures heightens the need for clarity and understanding of the ethical responsibilities and consequences of communication, this paper presents Washington State's Essential Academic Learning Requirements in communication. Four charts outline standards and benchmarks regarding: (1) using…

Requiring and supporting the development of thinking skills, this paper presents Washington State's Essential Academic Learning Requirements for writing. It sees writing as an act of discovery, of communication, of joy, and as an essential part of a literate society. Four charts outline standards and benchmarks regarding: (1) writing clearly and…

In April 2002, Jeffrey Fouts (2002) presented a longitudinal study of student performance in Washington using Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) results from 1998 to 2001. Although constrained by the lack of individual student identification numbers at that time, he concluded that success on the WASL in the 4th grade was a strong…