Out of school suspensions are on the rise across the country, and even one suspension can increase the chances of a student dropping out entirely. At Shuksan Middle School, in the Bellingham School District, administrators focused on establishing a system of restorative justice to provide students with learning and restitution... Read more >
Low-income students often drift through high school or drop out, while their higher-income peers prepare for college. The College Readiness Initiative helped students understand the value of college and work toward getting there. Over a nine-year period, College Spark worked to improve the college readiness of low-income students in Washington... Read more >
Ask middle school students if they’re going to college, and more than 90% will respond yes! They are definitely going to college. (Harris Interactive Poll) Their parents are on the same page, with nearly the same percentage stating that a college education is very important for their child. In spite of... Read more >
College Spark Washington and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) launched the Guided Pathways Initiative in 2016, a comprehensive eight-year effort with a budget of $7 million. This initiative involved ten community and technical colleges across Washington, with two cohorts of five colleges each participating in 2016... Read more >
As they enter college, many students derail, discouraged by remedial coursework, overwhelmed by the rigor of college courses or unsure of how to ask for help from instructors and peers. Recognizing that Washington has a strong community college system that is worth investing in, College Spark provided more than $10... Read more >