Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

03/08/04

NEWS RELEASE
Friday, March 19 will be a Professional Development
Day in All Auburn Schools

In Auburn School District, Friday, March 19, will be a professional development day in all schools.  Students will not be attending school that day.

Each school will have specific training and curriculum and instruction planning that revolves around improving student learning:

1. Auburn Riverside High School will have three primary activities for the day:

   • Extensive staff review of the building School Improvement Plan (SIP).

   • Department related activities associated with WASL preparation.

   • The organization of students and support activities for the two-week WASL window.

2. Rainier Middle School will be hosting a presentation to staff by Jesus Villahermosa.  Mr. Villahermosa will present on school safety and bullying.  West Auburn High School and Cascade Middle School will also be attending.
   

3. Olympic Middle School will be focusing on reading.  Staff will receive training in reading strategies, the 20 reading targets, and item writing.  The 20 reading targets are the tested areas of Reading on the WASL.  Item writing refers to questions related to these targets based upon higher order thinking and application of skill.
   

4. Auburn High School is having 4P Pilot students present their portfolio/culminating projects.  The four Ps are a portfolio, presentation pathway, and plan.  This year there are approximately 80 students in the pilot.
   

5. Mt. Baker Middle School staff will receive training on WASL mathematics scoring, research findings, and correlation of mathematics to reading fluency.  The staff will also receive training on reading fluency, assessment, and direct instruction in literature.
   There will also be workshops on integrating curriculum across grade levels and on student interventions in the area of attendance, bullying, academics, behavioral, and social concerns.
   

6. Eight elementary schools will continue the Reading Links training that staff began last summer.  The participating schools are: Alpac, Dick Scobee, Evergreen Height, Gildo Rey, Ilalko, Lea Hill, Pioneer, and Terminal Park Elementaries.
   

7. Chinook Elementary School has designated the day as “Write From the Beginning” training and materials integration time.
   

8. Hazelwood Elementary will link the use of Thinking Maps training to the understanding of fiction and non-fiction text.
   

9. Lake View Elementary staff will participate in training on guided reading instruction using informational text.
   

10. Washington Elementary staff will focus on assessing student writing.
    
    For more information on elementary schools, contact Carol Ray, director of elementary student learning, at (253) 931-4950, and for secondary schools, contact Terry Cheshire, director of secondary student learning, at (253) 931-4903.