WVSD to receive additional funds from Gates Foundation

The West Valley School District will receive an additional $511,000 investment from the Washington State Achievers Scholarship Program, district officials announced.

The Achievers Scholarship program was established five years ago by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with the Washington Education Foundation. Its goal is to create smaller “learning communities” within existing schools and to provide scholarships for low-income students.

West Valley is one of 16 high schools in the state, selected in 2000, to be part of the Achievers program. A total of 238 West Valley students have received a collage scholarship through the program.

The three-year expansion grant is part of the Gates Foundation’s $4.3 million grant to continue to support the refinement of smaller student learning communities, which will help not only West Valley Achievers scholars, but students districtwide.

The changes in teaching and learning are designed to ensure that students are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in college and the workplace by focusing on better relationships between teachers and students. This makes the coursework more relevant and increases the level of rigor expected by students.

Research shows that the learning communities, along with a supportive academic environment, increase graduation rates and the number of students going to college.

This is the fourth grant that the district has received from the Gates Foundation. In addition to the original Achievers Grant and the three-year Expansion Grant, the district received grants from the foundation for West Valley City School and Orchard Center Elementary School.