Our vision for the future of Woodland Schools is:
Woodland Public Schools, in partnership with families and the community, will create a PreK-12 system that serves and supports ALL children — and ensures that EACH child has FULL access to, is engaged in, and obtains an excellent education that prepares them for responsible citizenship and a future of adaptability and success in life and their chosen endeavors.
This work session will be an opportunity for the board to hear student voice that focuses on the key part of this vision [A] system that serves and supports ALL children — and ensures that EACH child has FULL access...
Woodland Public Schools offer diverse programs and supports that serve a diverse population of students. Our goal is to provide equitable access to all. The board and leadership team will have the opportunity to rotate between five different groups of students and support staff representing different programs that aim to provide equitable access.
Diverse Supports Program (DSP) & Partners in Transition (PIT)
We offer programs for students with disabilities between the ages of three and twenty-one. The services range from occupational therapy, physical therapy, and learning supports for students with mild disabilities; to more intensive near full time supports for students with more significant disabilities. Our students range from those with speech articulation challenges to those who are non-verbal and require full-time nursing care. Our Diverse Support Programs and Partners in Transition serve many of the students who have moderate to severe disabilities and who have learning goals focused on development of life skills that will support their transition into successful adulthood. The board will have the opportunity to engage with a group of students at the WHS DSP and the PIT program that serves students from 18-21.
PASS
"Educators are increasingly focusing on the ninth grade as the year that determines whether a young person will move on or drop out of school. According to research published in the journal Education, ninth graders have the lowest grade point average, the most missed classes, the majority of failing grades, and more misbehavior referrals than any other high-school grade level. Ninth grade has increasingly become a “bottleneck” for students: A joint report from Princeton University and the Brookings Institution found “in 1970, there were 3 percent fewer tenth graders than ninth graders; by 2000, that share had risen to 11 percent.” Source: The Atlantic
Last year the Woodland High School team implemented a program called PASS that focuses on the freshmen at WHS who are most at risk of failure in their freshman year. The program has expanded and continued this fall. Initial results are positive for students. The board will have the opportunity to visit with Freshmen and Sophomores who have been, and are being, impacted by the PASS program.
ELL
Roughly 1/4 of our students are of Hispanic ethnicity. Many of these students come from homes where the primary language is Spanish. In addition, we serve students whose first language is Ukrainian, Russian, and (last year) French. Students who learn English at a young age (preschool through primary grades) acquire a facility with the language relatively quickly. We have other students who begin learning English as middle and high school aged students. Their language acquisition is typically slower, but we provide supports for all students K-12 to support the acquisition of the English language. The board will have the opportunity to meet with students who have been, or are being supported by the English Language Learner (ELL) program. Serving as a translator for the students will be our outreach specialist Maribel Ramirez, a former WHS ELL student.
A/P & College in the Classroom
Students who are academically successful at Woodland High School have the opportunity to gain college credits at Woodland High School through Lower Columbia College and Central Washington University. Additionally, they have the opportunity, beginning in their Sophomore year, to take challenging Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, that many universities accept for college credit. Students who are in these programs will be present to discuss these opportunities and how these have supported their learning at Woodland High School.
TEAM
The structure and culture of the traditional high school does not work for every student. TEAM has long provided an alternative for students who, for a variety of reasons, desire an alternative to the traditional high school. Over the last few years, there have been significant improvements to the education TEAM provides. Noticeable improvements to accountability and rigor among them. Students from TEAM will be ready to engage about the ways in which TEAM has helped them access a quality education.