Beginning Educator Support Team Grants

The Beginning Educator Support Team (BEST) grant opens biannually for application on a competitive basis for LEAs and ESDs. BEST grant applications are reviewed using the BEST Grant Rubric. We encourage interested, non-BEST districts to take advantage of other Beginning Educator Support Team support to develop their work, including:

Continuing BEST Grantee Requirements

Induction Program Components
  • A paid instructional orientation or individualized assistance before the start of the school year for novice educators;
  • A trained and qualified mentor assigned to each novice educator;
  • A goal to provide novice educators from underrepresented populations with a mentor who has strong ties to underrepresented populations;
  • Ongoing professional development designed to meet the unique needs of each novice educator for supplemental training and skill development;
  • Initial and ongoing professional development for mentors;
  • Release time for mentors and novice educators to work together, as well as time for novices to observe accomplished peers;
  • To the extent possible, a school or classroom assignment that is appropriate for the novice educator;
  • Nonevaluative observations with written feedback for novice educators;
  • Support in understanding and participating in the state and district evaluation process and using the applicable frameworks to promote growth;
  • Adherence to research-based Standards for Beginning Educator Induction developed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction;
  • A system of program evaluation that identifies program strengths and gaps using the Standards for Beginning Educator Induction, the retention of beginning educators, and positive impact on student growth for novice educators.

BEST Grant FAQs

How can I apply for the BEST grants?

When grants open, they are announced through the statewide grant notification system.

When are grant awards made?

Typically, BEST grants open for application in May and are open for about four weeks. Grants are then reviewed and awarded within the four weeks following the closing date. This timeline is subject to change.

2023-2024 Continuing Grantees

Districts
  • Bainbridge Island School District
  • Bellevue School District
  • Bellingham Public Schools
  • Bethel School District
  • Blaine School District
  • Bremerton School District
  • Burlington-Edison School District
  • Camas School District
  • Central Kitsap School District
  • Cheney School District
  • Chief Leschi Tribal Compact
  • Clover Park School District
  • College Place Public Schools
  • Dieringer School District
  • Eastmont School District
  • Eatonville School District
  • Edmonds School District
  • Enumclaw School District
  • Ephrata School District
  • Everett Public Schools
  • Evergreen (Clark) Public Schools
  • Federal Way Public Schools
  • Fife School District
  • Franklin Pierce School District
  • Granite Falls School District
  • Highline Public Schools
  • Kent School District
  • Lake Stevens School District
  • Lake Washington School District
  • Lyle School District
  • Marysville School District
  • Monroe School District
  • Moses Lake School District
  • Mount Vernon School District
  • Mukilteo School District
  • Nooksack Valley School District
  • North Kitsap School District
  • North Mason School District
  • Northshore School District
  • Ocean Beach School District
  • Orting School District
  • Pasco School District
  • Peninsula School District
  • PRIDE Prep Charter School District
  • Puyallup School District
  • Quillayute Valley School District
  • Quincy School District
  • Renton School District
  • Richland School District
  • Riverview School District
  • Seattle Public Schools
  • Snoqualmie Valley School District
  • South Kitsap School District
  • Spokane Public Schools
  • Steilacoom Historical School District
  • Sultan School District
  • Sumner School District
  • Tacoma Public Schools
  • Tahoma School District
  • Tukwila School District
  • University Place School District
  • Vancouver Public Schools
  • Vashon Island School District
  • Walla Walla Public Schools
  • West Valley (Yakima) School District
  • White River School District
  • Yakima School District
District Consortium

Bridgeport/Pateros

Lower Valley Consortium: Grandview, Toppenish, Wapato, Zillah

Impact Public Schools BEST Consortium

ESD Consortia - ESD 101

Central Valley School District

Chewelah School District

Colfax School District

Colton School District

Columbia (Stevens School District

Colville School District

Creston School District

East Valley (Spokane) School District

Endicott School District

Freeman School District

Inchelium School District

LaCrosse School District

Liberty School District

Mary Walker School District

Medical Lake School District

Nine Mile Falls School District

Northport School District

Oakesdale School District

Pullman School District

Reardan-Edwall School District

Republic School District

Riverside School District

Rosalia School District

Selkirk School District

St. John School District

Tekoa School District

Valley School District

Wellpinit School District

West Valley (Spokane) School District

Wilbur School District

ESD Consortia - ESD 105

Cle Elum-Roslyn School District

East Valley (Yakima) School District

Easton School District

Educational Service District 105

Ellensburg School District

Goldendale School District

Granger School District

Kittitas School District

Mabton School District

Mount Adams School District

Royal School District

Selah School District

Thorp School District

Wahluke School District

ESD Consortia - ESD 112

Battle Ground School District

Castle Rock School District

Centerville School District

Educational School District 112

Glenwood School District

Green Mountain School District

Hockinson School District

Kalama School District

Kelso School District

Klickitat School District

La Center School District

Longview School District

Mill A School District

Mount Pleasant School District

Naselle-Grays River Valley School District

Ridgefield School District

Roosevelt School District

Skamania School District

Stevenson-Carson School District

Toutle Lake School District

Trout Lake School District

Wahkiakum School District

Washington State School for the Blind

Washougal School District

White Salmon Valley School District

Wishram School District

Woodland School District

ESD Consortia - ESD 113

Chehalis School District

Elma School District

Grapeview School District

Hood Canal School District

Hoquiam School District

Lake Quinault School District

Mary M Knight School District

Montesano School District

Napavine School District

North Beach School District

North Thurston School District

Oakville School District

Ocosta School District

Olympia School District

Pioneer School District

South Bend School District

Southside School District

Taholah School District

Tenino School District

Toledo School District

Tumwater School District

Winlock School District

Yelm School District

ESD Consortia - ESD 114

Cape Flattery School District

Chimacum School District

Port Angeles School District

Port Townsend School District

Quilcene School District

Quileute Tribal School District

Sequim School District

ESD Consortia - ESD 123

Columbia (Walla Walla) School District

Dayton School District

Finley School District

Kennewick School District

Kiona-Benton School District

Paterson School District

Prescott School District

Prosser School District

Starbuck School District

Waitsburg School District

ESD Consortia - ESD 171

Brewster School District

Cascade School District

Cashmere School District

Entiat School District

Grand Coulee Dam School District

Lake Chelan School District

Mansfield School District

Manson School District

Methow Valley School District

Nespelem School District

Okanogan School District

Omak School District

Orondo School District

Oroville School District

Palisades School District

Pinnacles Prep Charter School

Soap Lake School District

Tonasket School District

Warden School District

Waterville School District

Wilson Creek School District

ESD Consortia - ESD 189

Concrete School District

Conway School District

Coupeville School District

Darrington School District

Ferndale School District

La Conner School District

Lakewood School District

Lynden School District

Meridian School District

Mount Baker School District

Northwest Educational Service District 189

Oak Harbor School District

Sedro-Woolley School District

BEST Grant Resources