Graduation Equity Webinar Series

Graduation: A Team Effort (GATE) Equity Webinars are an hour and a half long and an opportunity to learn from people trying innovative approaches across the state. Webinar topics include behavior and belonging, early warning systems, school climate, youth voice, college readiness, staff wellness, and more.

The National Equity Project defines educational equity as each child receiving what they need to develop their full academic and social potential. This aligns with our mission at OSPI.

Thank You

Thank you for your interest in the Graduation Equity webinars. Due to budget constraints, the 2025-2026 webinar series has been placed on hold. However, you may still earn Equity Clock Hours by viewing past recordings available on our YouTube playlist, and completing the Feedback Survey. Please note that clock hours are only available for webinars recorded within nine months of the live webinar. 

For questions regarding this policy or for any clock hour-related inquiries, please contact Ronnie Larson.

We sincerely appreciate your continued support and look forward to future opportunities to connect. 

To earn clock hours for watching past webinars:

  • Watch the video on our YouTube Channel.
  • Fill out our Feedback Survey. This generates an email to us that you have watched it.
  • You will be registered for the session in pdEnroller and awarded the clock hours within 2 weeks.
  • Note: We cannot offer clock hours for webinars that are more than 9 months past.

Archives

Check out past webinars on OSPI's YouTube Channel. Subscribe by clicking the bell to get alerts when we post new videos.

May 14, 2025 | Teacher Strategies for Supporting Mental Health in the Classroom 

Teacher Strategies for Supporting Mental Health in the Classroom 

Students come to school with experiences and perspectives that are shaped by their home lives. Integrating mental health literacy into classroom curriculum can go a long way to reduce stigma and promote mental health awareness. Social emotional learning standards can be integrated into any content with learning options that personalize lessons to student experiences. In this webinar you’ll get tips from Student Assistance Program and teacher staff who are using strategies to integrate mental health supports into classrooms. We’ll have resources to share that you can use and free Equity Clock Hours for participants.  

Presenters

Sara Ellsworth(opens in a new window), Clinical Director, True North Behavioral Health Program, ESD 113 Kaitlyn Puri(opens in a new window), Student Assistance Professional (SAP), Tumwater Middle School Mabel Thackeray(opens in a new window), Clinical State Supervisor, Elementary School Counselor, Forks Elementary Renee Cruickshank(opens in a new window), Teacher, Tumwater Middle School RISE Program Josh Kent(opens in a new window), Mental Health Literacy Program Supervisor, OSPI 

Resources

Teacher Strategies Presentation

May Resource Page

April 9, 2025 | Alternative Learning Options

Alternative Learning Options

A one-size-fits-all approach to K-12 education doesn’t work for everyone. Alternative learning options have become more widely available as schools expand their options be more student-centered. There are a lot of different models that allow for greater personalization. In this webinar we’ll be sharing with you a variety of program options with program and practitioners from Open Doors, online school programs, traditional alternative model, and mastery-based learning. You’ll get an idea of the various models different districts are using, how they work together for better customization, and aspects of what each program has to offer. We will have free resources and Equity Clock Hours for participants.  

Presenters

  • Rhett Nelson, Director of Learning Options, OSPI    
  • Brad Sprague, Executive Director, Washington Association for Learning Alternatives
  • Curt Scheidel, Principal, Heights Campus, Vancouver School District
  • Kathleen Paradis, Associate Principal, Heights Campus, Vancouver School District 
  • Carol Gift, ABE Lab Instructor/Open Doors Coordinator, YVC Step up to College Program, Stevenson and White Salmon
  • Brooke Wertz, Coordinating Teacher for Online Learning, Bellingham School District
  • Mace Edward Gratz, Principal, Seaview Academy & Lincoln High School, Port Angeles School District
  • Mandy Paradise, Associate Director of Open Doors Youth Reengagement, OSPI
  • Anissa Sharratt, Associate Director - Learning Options & ALE, OSPI

Resources

Alternative Learning Options Presentation Resource Page

March 12, 2025 | Peer Mentoring & Empowering Youth Voice 

Peer Mentoring & Empowering Youth Voice 

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Mentoring is about more than just pairing people together. We all need mentors to help us think through major decisions and help us to the next stage in our lives. In this webinar we’ll have Dr. Jean Rhodes, author of Older and Wiser: New Ideas for Youth Mentoring with us to share what she’s learned in her mentoring research. She'll share practices that make a difference and moves you can use with peer support programs that strategically put supports in the hands of the students that are socially positioned to connect their friends through programs like Natural Helpers and Hope Squad. We’ll have guests from Manson School District to talk about how the program has evolved with student voice as a driving force for its implementation and continued growth. Get free Equity Clock Hours.  

Presenters

Jean Rhodes, researcher, professor, author, University of Massachusetts, Boston Francesca Matias, Youth Engagement Program Supervisor, OSPI    Kayla Helleson, School Counselor, Manson School District Jim Broome, School Counselor, Manson School District

 

Resources

Peer Mentoring & Empowering Youth Voice Presentation

March Resource Page

 

February 12, 2025 | Culturally Responsive Practices & Policies that Help Students Attend & Engage 

Culturally Responsive Practices & Policies that Help Students Attend & Engage 

What gets students excited about learning? Engagement is often a result of meaningful connections. Relevant lessons that tie to students’ lived experiences and cultural identities can be powerful motivation. In this webinar we’ll be talking about options for asset and mastery-based learning practices, ways to leverage student strengths for greater engagement, and ways to support cultural activities and bereavement in partnership with families and without shaming. We’ll have Sui-Lan Ho’okano sharing her experiences with transforming school approaches and OSPI Office of Native Education and Learning Options department staff with us to share from their experiences across the state. Free Equity Clock Hours are available!  

Presenters

Bawaajigekwe Boulley, Native Success Program Supervisor, OPSI  Willard Bill, Assistant Director of Native Education, OSPI  Liz Quayle, Alternative Learning Accountability & Mastery-based Learning Program Manager, OSPI 

 

February Resource Page

Culturally Responsive Practices & Policies Presentation

Resources

 

January 8, 2025 | Artificial Intelligence Hacks for Leadership Teams

Artificial Intelligence Hacks for Leadership Teams

New technology can make people feel uncomfortable and is created to help us do our work more efficiently. Schools across the country are grappling with what it means to use artificial intelligence with school work. We know that students and teachers are already using it and it’s changing the way we write, learn, and offer supports. Washington has created guidance for artificial intelligence use in schools that’s becoming the model for other states. Join some of the authors of the guidance to talk about how you can use it with your teams and address concerns from your staff. We’ll have examples from the classroom and from Jethro Jones, author, podcaster, and founder of Transformative Principal to share examples from how he coaches school teams to use this new technology. Free Equity Clock Hours are available for participants. 

Presenters

Jethro Jones​, Founder​, Transformative Principal​ Jeff Utecht, Educational Consultant & Podcaster Aaron Makelky, History Teacher & AI Integration Consultant in Casper, WY Bre Urness-Straight​, Educational Technology Director, OSPI​

Resources

January Resource Page

Artificial Intelligence Hacks for Leadership Teams Slides

 

December 11, 2024 | Substance Use Prevention & Intervention Best Practices

Substance Use Prevention & Intervention Best Practices

Are you concerned about youth substance misuse in schools? 

Adolescence is a time of growth and opportunity for students. Brain development is being fine-tuned, and our adolescents are finding their way. As adults setting the tone for their immediate environments in our schools, our care and actions can turn down the heat in substance use numbers and keep this issue from boiling over past our ability to support. According to Healthy Youth Survey results, the students smoking and vaping are some of the most likely students to have experiences Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and to need additional supports. In this webinar we’ll walk you through how to use data-informed decision making to set up prevention strategies and examples of timely interventions. You’ll learn about culturally respectful practices to address substance use and specific ways to support Native American youth. We’ll have resources to help you get started. Free Equity Clock Hours are available for participants.

Presenters

Joe Neigel, Director of Prevention Services, Monroe School District, Rebecca Purser, Native Educator Cultivation Program Supervisor, Office of Native Education, Armando Davila, Student Assistant Professional, Lake Chelan SD, Brittany Spencer, Clinical Supervisor, ESD113, Brisa Sanchez Cornejo, Substance Use/Misuse Prevention & Intervention Program Supervisor  

Resources

November 13, 2024 | Empowering Students & Families with Varying Immigration Status

Empowering Students & Families with Varying Immigration Status

The path to post-secondary education is not often linear. This is especially true for our Multilingual and Newcomer Students. Although not all multilingual learners may be undocumented or come from mixed status families, these social identities often intersect. There may be students you currently serve grappling with the complexities of their own immigration status or their families. Please join Dr. Vanessa Delgado and our Panelists in learning more about how to best support your students and families on their path to post-secondary education.

Presenters

  • Vanessa Delgado, Assistant Professor of Sociology, WSU
  • Sarah Weiss, Director of College Access Initiatives, WSAC
  • Virginia Morales, Assistant Director of Multilingual Education, OSPI

Resources

October 9, 2024 | Harassment, Intimidation, & Bullying: Preventative Classroom Behavior Support Strategies

Harassment, Intimidation, & Bullying: Preventative Classroom Behavior Support Strategies 

Do you know when and how to intervene when it comes to harassment, intimidation, and bullying? This month we’re sharing what you’ll need to know about intervention, reporting, prevention, and response when it comes to bullying in schools. We will take a deeper look at the resources that are available to you and how to collaborate with families and students in regards to safety and prevention. We will share current reporting requirements and different scenarios so you can be prepared. Free Equity Clock Hours are available for participants.  

Presenters 

  • Eric Landers, Associate Professor, Elementary and Special Education, Georgia Southern University 
  • Briana Kelly, Assistant Director of Restorative Practices, OSPI  
  • Garaline Tom, Student Safety and Belonging Program Specialist, OSPI
  • Stacy Cho, HIB Compliance Coordinator & Truancy Officer, Student Title IX, HIB Coordinator/Nondiscrimination Officer, Issaquah School District  

Resources