Washington State

Washington State has built support for international education across education, business, and community sectors in the state. Here are highlights of a few of the activities that the Washington State Coalition for International Education (Coalition) (www.internationaledwa.org), working closely with partners throughout the state has helped launch or support:

Surveying languages taught in the state: In spring 2004, members of the Coalition collaborated with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT), and the University of Washington (UW) to carry out a statewide World Languages & Technology Survey. That initial survey has now expanded into the "Mapping and Enhancing Language Learning" (MELL) project at the UW (http://depts.washington.edu/mellwa/), which is continuing to research and map the distribution of languages taught in K-12 schools and colleges across the state. The work has received ongoing funding from several Title VI Centers at the UW Jackson School of International Studies.

Growth of Chinese language learning in the state: In January 2006, the International Education Leadership Summit: Expanding Chinese Language Capacity in Washington State launched a Chinese Language Core Team to organize professional development and policy support to accelerate the development of Chinese language programs with a goal of having 10% of students in Washington learning Chinese by 2015. That effort led to the establishment of the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington (http://confucius.washington.edu), a partnership of the University of Washington, Seattle Public Schools, the Governor's Office, and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Increased awareness of and opportunities to learn world languages: In 2008, thanks to the advocacy efforts of the Coalition and WAFLT, for the first time in nearly twenty years, the legislature funded a full-time position for world languages program supervisor at OSPI. One of the key responsibilities of this position has been the expansion of programs for visiting and exchange teachers.

In November 2008, the Coalition partnered with the UW Jackson School of International Studies Outreach Centers, UW Language Learning Center, UW College of Education, and OSPI, WAFLT, and Global Washington to hold Washington's first World Languages Summit: PK-20 Pathways to Language Learning. The summit helped prioritize work to be done in the areas of world language standards, proficiency assessment, K-16 articulation, credit for proficiency, and teacher certification.

Multi-state collaborations: Since February, 2009, two program supervisors from OSPI have participated in the EdSteps workgroup for Global Competence, a project sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

In August, 2010, the Coalition co-sponsored a Global Competence Institute in Vancouver, WA, in collaboration with two other states, NJ and WV, funded by a Longview Foundation grant for Multi-state Initiatives on Critical Issues.

Afterschool programs integrating global education perspectives: School’s Out Washington, a global learning & afterschool/youth development program has been incorporating and promoting global literacy & resources through various channels including, a regional conference in Spokane in March 2011, and Puget Sound in April 2011. In addition in 2010-11 they have promoted global learning assessment tools to programs across the state; and they have incorporated Global Learning Resources into a Trainer Apprentice Project which runs from Oct. 1, 2010 through Sept. 30, 2011.

Contact information: Michele Anciaux Aoki michele.aoki@k12.wa.us

Updated September 2011