2010-2011 ISF Program Investments

Advancing Academic Achievement

TEALS (Technology Education And Literacy in Schools): Currently students across the District have the opportunity to learn AP Computer Science and Web Design at Issaquah High School through a partnership funded by the Foundation and the District. TEALS is a grassroots effort that started entirely by Microsoft employee initiative. The program trains the employees to be classroom teachers and provides continuing support to the TEALS teachers and school districts to help expand their technology literacy and computer science curriculums. The current plan is for this program to expand to Liberty and Skyline High Schools in the 2011-2012 school year.

Financial Literacy for all students is a goal of the Issaquah School District.  Through a six week curriculum and culminating field trip to the Jr. Achievement Finance Park in Auburn, every 8th grader in the District gains knowledge about a wide variety of personal finance topics including: financial institutions, credit cards, getting a loan, taxes, budgeting and spending, insurance, investing, and protecting against identity theft.

Robotic Clubs are supported by ISF at every middle and high school in the District.  At middle school, students typically build and compete using Lego Mindstorm Robotics Kits and some also participate in an underwater submersible robot competition.  At the high school level, ISF provides each team with $6,500 which provides the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics building kit and entry into one regional competition.  It is estimated that over 75% of students participating in the high school robotics clubs pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math upon graduation.

After-School Homework Labs at all middle and high schools give over 7,300 students access to free tutoring from classroom teachers and a supervised location to study or use the computer after school.

Academic Enrichment Grants up to $10,000 provide teachers with funding for projects that enrich education, enliven learning and fill unmet needs. Comprised of Classroom Enrichment Grants and Kateri Brow Big Idea and Biggest Need Grants, the Academic Enrichment Grants program has also become an incubator for innovation.

PSAT Scholarships launch 10th and 11th grade students on their college journey by ensuring that they have the opportunity to take this critical pre-college board exam. The PSAT pinpoints students’ areas of strength and weakness, connects them to colleges across the country and enters them into the National Merit Competition. The number of students taking the PSAT has grown 150% since the Foundation helped to bring the test to students during the school day.

Curriculum Support helps the District accelerate the State’s 17-year curriculum adoption timeline and purchase new text and materials at 7-10 year intervals, ensuring that our students learn from relevant materials that align with state and national standards.  In 2009-2010 the Foundation assisted the District in updating the Chemistry curriculum and is currently working to fund the Elementary Science Initiative.

Supporting Struggling Students

VOICE Mentoring Program pairs caring community volunteers with students in need of academic and/or personal support. Mentors meet with students for one hour per week throughout the year with transformational results. Visit the VOICE website for more information.

Nurses Fund support fulfills the need of the District’s most vulnerable families and students. Our annual investment represents over half of the Fund’s annual budget and helps cover the costs of rent, groceries, eyeglasses, clothing, school supplies and more.

After-School Homework Labs at all middle and high schools give over 7,300 students access to free tutoring from classroom teachers and a supervised location to study or use the computer after school.

Promoting Professional Development

National Board Certification scholarships of up to $1,500 aid teachers in pursuing this rigorous and highly regarded professional development program. The benefits of National Board Certification on classroom achievement have been well documented as the process requires applicants to reflect on the effectiveness of their methods and become well versed in teaching to different learning styles. Since the Foundation began granting scholarships, the number of National Board Certified teachers has soared from 2 to 81.

CTE Scholarships provide forgivable loans for Career and Technical Education teachers to receive additional training and certification in areas that provide our students with real world application in the classroom including: Sports Medicine, Video Production, Business and Marketing, Theater Production, Culinary Arts and Forensic Science.

GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition by Design) gives teachers best practice strategies to reach students who benefits from a wide range of teaching styles including visual, auditory and kinesthetic. With GLAD support this year focused on elementary schools, every elementary will have a GLAD building leader who can provide coaching and mentoring to newly trained teachers.  In addition, GLAD lessons will be developed over the summer to support the new Elementary Science Initiative.

Last updated: July 31, 2011