September 2024: The power of stories

Director’s Note

As you likely know, Hispanic Heritage Month started on September 15, though we know the rich stories of family, culture, and community are and should be celebrated all year long. In the spirit of that celebration and respect, I want to give a special nod to a senior program officer on our team who is helping us usher in Hispanic Heritage Month in epic fashion.

On October 1, Isabel Muñoz-Colón will chat with writer, artist, and philanthropist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez about how storytelling, representation, and culture inform his work. The virtual and in-person event is hosted by our Discovery Center and the Gates Foundation’s Latinos in Philanthropy employee resource group. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the stories of culture, care, and contribution that are elevated during Hispanic Heritage Month.

At the same time, I'm committed to focusing on the experiences and aspirations of Latino students and families year-round. Latino students make up 26% of our K-12 student population in Washington state. The next two newsletters will feature just a few of our grantees who are working to elevate their stories and empower future leaders.

Thank you to everyone who is focused on ensuring that all students in Washington state have access to the opportunities they need to design the future they want.

Support a local food drive for Latino communities

Alimentando al Pueblo, a grantee of our Community Engagement Team, is hosting their first-ever Latino Food Heritage Drive from September 15-October 15, 2024, the dates of Hispanic Heritage Month.

• Alimentando al Pueblo launched in 2020 to serve Latino families in South King County who were in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Co-founder and executive director Roxana Pardo Garcia told KING-5 News that the pandemic opened her eyes to a problem that needed a solution. "Why not have a food bank that provides people the food that they eat?"

• The organization continues today with a mission to cultivate healing through “comunidad, comida, and celebración.” (Their name translates to Feeding the People in English.)

The Comida y Corazón food drive’s goal is to feed 300 families from Highline and surrounding neighborhoods in King County.

• A percentage of donations will also go to WashMasks to aid in their efforts to feed farmworkers and their families.

There are four ways you can support their Comida y Corazón food drive:

• Shop at partner grocery stores and donate goods in-store

• Visit participating restaurants and fill your stomach for a good cause

• Host a food drive and activate your community

• Attend events Alimentando al Pueblo is co-hosting with partners

Learn more: Comida y Corazón food drive

WA state is implementing new national advising framework

The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) recently worked with partners to create a national advising framework to advance postsecondary success for students.

• The framework aims to help K-12 districts establish conditions that lead to enduring implementation of effective and equitable advising programs and practices.

• The College Success Foundation, based here in Washington state, was involved in this effort.

We’re proud that Washington state is a leader in this space and has already adapted this national framework to fit the needs and goals of our students and leaders.

• This Washington state framework was developed by Kinetic West in consultation with more than 150 district, school, and community leaders.

• This framework mirrors the principles called out in NCAN’s district enabling conditions framework.

• That includes a clear vision for postsecondary success, student involvement in advising programs, proper staffing and capacity to support students, partnerships between schools, postsecondary institutions, and community partners; and real-time data to track progress.

Learn more: A district framework for enabling postsecondary success

ERDC highlights dual credit reach and impact in new report

The Education Research and Data Center (ERDC) recently published its 2024 Annual Report on Dual Credit, which examines the K-12 academic performance of students enrolled in dual credit programs, their postsecondary credit earning rates, and the availability of dual credit by school district.

What ERDC found: In the 2021-22 school year, most public high schools in Washington state offered at least one type of dual credit, where students are taking college-level courses while still in high school and earning college credit. There were very few geographic areas where students had no access to dual credit.

• In other promising news, 91% of all attempted credits were earned at the K-12 level, which was about the same as non-dual credit courses for all students. Students are succeeding in these college-level courses.

• However, while enrollment in College in the High School (CiHS) courses has increased, not all students seek postsecondary credit for these courses.

Why it matters: Access to high-quality data like this allows school districts and state leaders to make important decisions about where to prioritize funding and resources to help more students succeed and reach their postsecondary goals.

• The state legislature’s decision to make CiHS free for all students, starting in the 2023/24 school year, will remove one potential barrier to students earning postsecondary credit.

• The data also uncovers important gaps in access. For example, as ERDC’s recently updated data dashboard confirms, Black, Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students are accessing CiHS programs at lower rates than the state average.

Explore more: 2024 Annual Report on Dual Credit

Maximizing federal funding in Washington state

Education Strategy Group (ESG) recently published a report that identified opportunities for Washington state to maximize the near and long-term impact of up to $10 billion in federal funding that could flow into the state.

• The Gates Foundation provided funding for this report, which specifically looked at grants and funding tied to Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

What ESG found: Washington’s historic investment in our education and workforce development systems should strengthen our competitiveness for these federal programs.

• However, we currently have labor shortages in the high-demand fields covered in these federal programs, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and technology.

• We need to help more students develop skills and earn credentials that align with these careers.

• ESG also discovered that Washington's education and workforce development systems have overlapping programs and unclear lines of accountability, which limits the state's ability to efficiently allocate resources and collaborate.

Why it matters: Research confirms that 70% of jobs in Washington state require some kind of postsecondary credential, but only around half of our young people currently enroll in a post-high school program after graduation.

• ESG recommends ways that our state can help more young people get the skills they need to be prepared for these high-demand jobs.

• That includes the roles business leaders, policymakers, and leaders of philanthropic and community-based organizations can play in bridging near-term workforce investments and long-term education strategies.

Explore more: Resource: Maximizing Federal Funding Impact on Workforce Development in Washington State