About CES
The Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) is a network of schools and centers engaged in redesigning schools to raise student achievement. CES was created by Ted Sizer in 1984 to support his research on school reform presented in the trilogy: Horace's Compromise, Horace's School and Horace's Hope. CES schools share a commitment to a set of beliefs about whole school change called the Common Principles which emerged from Sizer's studies.
After a decade of work CES decentralized into regional centers to better serve the growing number of schools. The Northwest Center was formed in 1996 as part of this reorganization to serve CES schools in Washington and Oregon. CES National remains as the national presence of the organization as well as to support regional centers and schools in areas without a local center. CES National provides a national opportunity each November, the Fall Forum, for all CES schools in the country to come together to share work.
All of these units are guided by the Common Principles of the Coalition of Essential Schools. A Governance Board, who oversees the financial affairs and hires and evaluates the Director of the corporation, governs CES Northwest. CES Northwest is led by Director Rick Lear and is funded in part by fee for service and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
About SSP
The Small Schools Project was created in 2000 to promote the understanding and development of small schools committed to providing rigorous, relevant learning experiences for all students, based on powerful relationships that support this learning. We provide support and assistance to high schools and districts committed to high school redesign and graduating all students college- and work-ready.
The Project offers a range of services, including school and district coaching and professional development activities for educators and administrators. We publish a variety of publications about small schools and produce hands-on tools to use in the classroom, school, district, and community. For more information about the Project, to subscribe to this newsletter or print a copy, please visit www.smallschoolsproject.org.
About NSRF
Our Center of Activity is affiliated with the National work of NSRF in creating collaborative school cultures focused on equity and excellence. This collaboration is developed in Critical Friends Groups (CFGs), which are diverse groups of 8 to 12 teachers who meet monthly to share and tune their teaching practices. Our center provides 4-day trainings for coaches of CFGs. We have a staff of 10 trainers who work all year on their facilitation skills to conduct the coaches training for beginning and continuing leaders of CFGs. The CFG training is offered during the summer and throughout the school year. It costs $450 and clock hours and college credit are available. See our web page for current dates of trainings or the NSRF web page for more information: www.harmonynsrf.org
About the CESNW Service Learning Network
During August 2006, the Coalition of Essential Schools Northwest Center received a three-year grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service as part of the Learn and Serve federal grant program.
The goals of the grant include:
- Implementing service learning across all of the disciplines,
- Developing formal partnerships with community groups to address community needs, and
- Increasing academic engagement of students
As part of this grant, CESNW sub-granted to the following schools because of their commitment to service and previous service learning accomplishments:
- Centennial Learning Center, Portland, Oregon
- Clover Park High School, Lakewood, Washington
- Commodore Options School, Bainbridge, Washington
- Nathan Hale High School, Seattle, Washington
- Friday Harbor High School, Friday Harbor, Washington
- Heritage High School, Vancouver, Washington
- Riverdale High School, Portland, Oregon
- Windward High School, Ferndale, Washington
During the next three years, CESNW will provide the grantee schools with a school coach, professional development, and networking opportunities. We also plan to disseminate our learnings as well as teacher-developed service learning projects through our website, newsletter articles, and conferences.
For more information about this grant program, contact Mary Beth Lambert at marybeth@cesnw.org.