North Central Alliance
Mechelle LeLanne
Alliance Director
North Central ESD
PO Box 1847
430 Olds Station Road
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Voice: 509-654-8804
Fax: 509-662-9027
mechellel@ncesd.org
Kris Johnson
Administrative Assistant
North Central ESD
PO Box 1847
430 Olds Station Road
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Voice: 509-665-2653
krisj@ncesd.org
Darlene Robbins
Refurbishment Center Specialist
North Central ESD Refurbishment Center
3306 5th Ave. S.E.
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Voice: 509-888-1912
darlener@ncesd.org
North Central Washington is a region comprised of twenty-nine school districts ranging geographically from Oroville on the Canadian Border to Wilson Creek in the center of the state, from the Bavarian mountains of Leavenworth on the western edge to the high desert of Grand Coulee Dam to the East. Nineteen of those districts have come together to form the North Central Washington LASER Alliance. We have little doubt about our numbers growing soon as interest is already high. North Central Washington is highly diverse with districts as small as Stehekin (14 students) and as large as Moses Lake (7,000). But, we have many special concerns in common. A large percentage of our students are highly mobile, ESL/ELL, and most of our schools have a majority of FARM students. These challenges and our geographic disparity have brought us together to accomplish what would be difficult to do individually.
The vision of the Alliance/Consortium is simple:
Member districts, in league with the NCESD, working together to ensure success in science education for all students.
- Working together is defined as collaborative pooling of resources including time, energy, ideas, personnel, expertise and funds.
- Success is defined as:
- Science literate students understand and can articulate and apply science concepts according to state and national standards.
- Students use science as the context for learning and excelling in math, reading, writing and other disciplines.
- Students become life-long learners who enjoy and are excited by the study of science.
- Students become citizens who can apply science knowledge and skills in real life to solve problems and make informed decisions.
Toward this vision, the Alliance has established short and long term goals to include:
- Adoption of a regionally-standardized K-5 curriculum supported by collectively purchased standards and inquiry-based materials, refurbished at a regionally centralized location.
- Development of a teacher leadership cadre across the region for later use in professional development and the development of excellent support materials, assessments and teaching strategies.
- Excellent grade level and materials specific professional development that includes strong elements of inquiry, literacy, and alignment to state strategies.
- Development of regionally standardized classroom based assessments, rubrics, and the sharing of the data from those assessments to inform strategies and teacher practices which lead to student success.
- Growth of curriculum, scope and sequence, teaching practices, and materials provided to include grades six through eight and, eventually, a well-integrated high school component.
From Spokane Area (approximately 163 miles)
- Go west on I-90 about 128 miles
- Take Washington 281, exit number 151, to Quincy.
- Go through Quincy following the big, green highway signs to Wenatchee.
- As you leave Quincy, you will be on Highway 28, for about 29 miles, which leads directly into East Wenatchee.
- Turn left at US-2 W/US-97 S
- Take the US-97 Alt N exit toward Entiat/Chelan
- Turn left onto Euclid Avenue.
- Take the 1st left to stay on Euclid Avenue.
- Euclid Avenue turns slightly right and becomes Olds Station Road.
- North Central ESD is on the right.
From Seattle Area (approximately 138 miles)
- Go east on I-90, about 82 miles, over Snoqualmie Pass.
- Take the Wenatchee exit (just past Cle Elum).
- You will be going north on Highway 97 (a two-lane highway that
takes you over Blewitt Pass about 60 miles.) - At the stop sign, (junction of Hwy 97 and Hwy 2) turn right, to be driving South on Highway 2 towards Cashmere/Wenatchee.
- Go about 15 miles to Wenatchee.
- Exit right to merge onto US-2 E/US-97 N toward Okanogan/Spokane.
- Turn right toward Easy Way.
- Turn right at Easy Way
- Take the 2nd left onto Olds Station Rd.
- North Central ESD is on the left.
Contact Staff for additional information regarding the Alliance.