As we end the school year, we want to thank our school leaders, teachers, and staff for their work in helping students grow as readers, writers, thinkers, and learners.
Across grade levels, educators focused on strengthening literacy instruction, supporting students’ voices and identities, and helping students build skills they can use across classrooms, subjects, and grade levels.
Supporting Young Writers in Elementary School
At the elementary level, educators are working together to strengthen writing instruction across the school year. This year, elementary educators focused on creating a shared vision for how writing is taught in Highline.
A part of this work is looking at student writing samples together. By reviewing student writing, teachers can see what students are doing well, what they need next, and how skills from one type of writing can support another. For example, spring opinion writing can show how students share ideas, explain their thinking, use details, and organize their writing.
Looking ahead, elementary teachers will continue using planning and professional learning time to connect writing skills from spring to fall. This helps students build on what they already know and supports a more consistent writing experience from grade to grade.
Helping Secondary Students Read, Think and Talk
This year, teachers and school leaders worked together to strengthen reading instruction across all subject areas. The main focus was reading-focused discussion and accountable talk, which helps students have meaningful conversations about what they read.
This work builds on two earlier focus areas: helping students stay engaged while reading and learning important vocabulary. Together, these practices help students understand what they read, explain their thinking, and learn from one another.
Across schools, we saw students reading more, talking more, and sharing their ideas with more confidence. Students also practiced using evidence from texts to support what they think.
During a classroom visit at Innovation Heights Academy, one student shared, “When we read this way, it gets in my brain better.”
Growing Teacher Leadership
Teacher leader cadres across schools helped support this work and shared successful practices with colleagues.
This year, cadre members:
- Looked at classroom evidence to understand what was working and where students needed more support.
- Led professional learning for staff at their schools.
- Supported teacher teams as they worked on improving student reading.
- Shared successes and challenges with educators from other schools.
- Helped make sure this work could continue over time.
Because of their leadership, more schools have educators who can support strong reading instruction and help other teachers continue to grow.
Supporting Students’ Voices, Identities and Experiences
Strong literacy instruction is also about helping students connect what they read to their own lives, cultures, languages, and communities. Teachers explored ways to include students’ experiences and perspectives in reading, discussion, and learning.
Educators focused on:
- Helping students share their thinking and learn from one another.
- Making sure students see themselves and their communities reflected in what they read.
- Creating classrooms where students feel safe to participate and take academic risks.
- Valuing different viewpoints and ways of understanding the world.
- Moving beyond simple participation so students can truly engage with ideas.
When students feel a sense of belonging, they are more likely to take part, share their ideas and grow as learners.
Learning from Native Ways of Knowing
Our learning this year also included Indigenous perspectives and Native Ways of Knowing. Educators reflected on how learning can happen through relationships, community, listening, observation, and connection to place.
Participants explored ideas such as:
- Learning through relationships and community.
- Understanding the connections between people, place, history and knowledge.
- Listening and reflection as important parts of learning.
- Honoring different ways students show what they know.
This learning helped us think more deeply about whose knowledge is included in classrooms and how we can better honor the experiences, wisdom, and strengths students bring with them.
Looking Ahead
Next school year, we will continue helping students grow as readers, writers, speakers, and thinkers from elementary through high school. At the elementary level, teachers will continue strengthening writing instruction and helping students build on what they already know. At the secondary level, educators will continue supporting students as they read, discuss, build vocabulary, use accountable talk and use evidence to explain their thinking across subject areas.
Across all grade levels, we will continue creating classrooms where students’ voices, identities, languages and communities are valued.
Our goal is for every student to feel that they belong, that their voice matters, and that they can use reading, writing, speaking, and learning to better understand the world and shape their future