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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW INVESTMENT FOR BELLEVUE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL CREATE K-12 CURRICULUM WEB SITE
TO SERVE AS STATEWIDE AND NATIONWIDE MODEL
Web-based Curriculum Resource to Allow for Easy Access and Adaptability,
Linking Classroom Learning to College-Ready Standards
BELLEVUE, Wash., November 16, 2006 -- The Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF) has been awarded a $1.9 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to
develop a Web-based curriculum to improve student achievement within the Bellevue School District (BSD). Designed to be universally adaptable, the Web curriculum has the
potential to serve as a model guide for other school districts in Washington state and across the nation.
The Internet-based system will be accessible to students, parents, and teachers, and will provide information about courses, units and lessons, and resources to strengthen
curriculum, instruction, and classroom learning so that all students graduate with the skills necessary for success in college, work, and life.
"On behalf of the 16,500 students in the Bellevue School District, I thank the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Bellevue Schools Foundation, and Bellevue business
and community partners for providing the right environment for this Web system and its funding," said Dr. Michael Riley, Bellevue Schools superintendent. "When fully
completed, it has the potential to help fulfill the promise of a high-quality high school education preparing students with the skills necessary for college success —
not just for a few students, but all students."
Under the leadership of Dr. Riley, the BSD is consistently ranked as a top school district nationwide. Over the past decade, Dr. Riley has overseen the implementation of
programs aimed at preparing every student for success in college and beyond, including a rigorous K–12 math curriculum aligned to the highest international standards,
and the "Today's Biology" program, a Web-based high school biology curriculum. Additionally, BSD's focus on curriculum has positioned the school district in the top one
percent nationally of student participation in advanced level courses.
Despite the district's progress in many areas of student achievement, more work remains. Starting with the class of 2008, students will need to pass the Washington
Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) to graduate, however three out of ten Bellevue students in 2006 failed the math section. Among minority groups, three–fourths
failed math, almost a quarter of African–American and nearly one–third of Hispanic students failed reading, and one–third of African–American and
two–fifths of Hispanics failed writing.
"While we have been successful implementing programs to raise the bar in the district, we need matching levels of support to help reach those goals," said Sherry Ladd,
executive director of the Bellevue Schools Foundation. "This grant not only brings curriculum to the Web for students, teachers, and parents to access, but it also works to
complete the curriculum alignment effort that Dr. Riley has made a focus of his tenure as Bellevue School District superintendent."
This grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will work to enhance the strategic use of technology in the classroom and provide the following benefits to student
learning:
- Construct an on–line curriculum framework and enhance learning continuity across grade levels
- Enable teachers to improve instructional rigor through a shared knowledge of the curriculum, collective classroom practices and teaching methodologies
- Disseminate course and lesson changes to all classroom teachers without delay
- Identify students needing intervention quickly and effectively
- Provide an access point for students and parents to review curriculum and lessons that support learning and help with homework exercises
- Incorporate contemporary learning theory throughout the district's curriculum, as defined in How People Learn by Dr. John Bransford with the University of
Washington.
"Technology can help us address educational challenges, like K–12 curriculum alignment, with inventive solutions that reach beyond individual schools or districts,"
said Steve Seleznow, program director of education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "By using the curriculum Web to better support students, teachers, and
parents, the Bellevue School District has the potential to serve as a model to others striving to graduate all students with the skills and the support they need for
college and the workplace."
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is focused on improving the nation's low high school graduation rates. To date, the foundation has invested more than $1 billion to
expand educational options for high school students by supporting the creation of more than 1,800 high-quality high schools in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
About the Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF)
BSF is a nonprofit partnership comprised of business and community leaders, parents, and members of the Bellevue education community. BSF was created in 1979; its mission
is to promote and help fund the best possible learning opportunities for all students of the Bellevue School District. In 26 years, BSF has raised over $12 million for
programs that reach over 16,000 students every year. BSF depends on individual, foundation, and corporate donors to fund its school programming. In partnership with the
Bellevue School District, the Bellevue Parent-Teacher Associations, the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, and school educators and administrators, the BSF helps Bellevue's
public school students achieve academic excellence. For more information about the Bellevue Schools Foundation or to make a donation, please contact BSF at 425.456.4199,
by email at info@bsfdn.org, or by logging on to www.bsfdn.org.
About the Bellevue School District
The Bellevue School District serves over 16,000 students from Bellevue and the outlying communities of Clyde Hill, Medina, Hunts Point, Yarrow Point and Beaux Arts, and
portions of Renton, Issaquah, Redmond and unincorporated King County. The school district connects student curricula across grade levels, and anchors the high school
curriculum to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses providing a high quality college preparatory education. Bellevue School District encompasses 16
elementary schools, seven middle schools (two alternative), and six high schools (two alternative).
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Media Contact:
Dr. Michael Riley
Superintendent, Bellevue School District
Tel: 425.456.4172
rileym@bsd405.org
Sherry Ladd
Executive Director, Bellevue Schools Foundation
Tel: 425.456.4199
sherry@bsfdn.org
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Last updated Thursday, November 16th, 2006.
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