CSS Toolkit: Community Involvement
Bonnie Mooney, Montclair Family Service, Montclair Community Collaborative, Ontario-Montclair School District, CA

California’s CSS programs bring in an average of $180,000 in funds and resources to their schools. Specific examples will suggest ways to involve the community, including mentoring programs and developing relationships with local sponsors.

Strand: CSS Toolkit
Grade Level: K–12

SHINING STAR SCHOOLS—Academic Improvement, Resiliency, COST, SST, and Student Behavior
Lincoln Elementary, suburban San Bernardino County; Grandview Elementary, San Gabriel Valley, Los Angeles County

These Shining Star schools present how they used the SB65 Comprehensive Student Support strategies to make impressive gains in academic improvement, resiliency, coordinated services, SST, and student behavior.

Strand: Best Practices
Grade Level: K–6

Data to Draw Dropouts out of the Shadows
David Kopperud, Educational Programs Consultant, Fontana District Office, Fontana USD, CA

Two data-collection tools used for dropout prevention will be demonstrated. The first tool tracks student interventions from the SST level to the court level and is used in California as part of our school attendance review board (SARB) process. The second tool is required in all states under the Uniform Management Information and Reporting System (UMIRS). UMIRS collects truancy rates and suspension/expulsion data at the school level, as well as school climate data.

Strand: Dropout Prevention Strategies
Grade Level: K–12

You Can’t Make Me! Managing the Oppositional Defiant Student
Ernest Mendes, Consultant/President, Mendes Training & Consulting, Inc., CA

Procedures and approaches that usually work with most kids don’t work with the ODD child. This interactive session is for educators interested in better understanding the ODD student. ODD will be addressed in the context of the emotional intelligence competencies required on the part of the adult to effectively manage ODD in the classroom. Teachers will learn to flow with resistance through a specific set of environmental and interpersonal strategies designed to reduce defiance in the ODD child.

Strand: Instructional Strategies
Grade Level: K–12

Skills for Bridging the Emotional and Academic Connection
Brian Kabaker, Associate Director, Institute of HeartMath, CA

There are direct links between a student's ability to self-manage emotions and academic performance. In this visually rich presentation, participants will learn scientifically validated techniques and specific strategies that can be used to boost students’ learning capacity. Participants will learn about neuroscience research findings that have new implications for educators who are seeking to reduce student at- risk behavior, improve higher-order thinking skills, and foster emotional health. Handouts included.

Strand: Resiliency, NEW!
Grade Level: K–12

How to Involve Parents in the School Community
Candice Gregory, District Coordinator & Field Colleague, Alisal USD, CA, Sandra Roberts, Principal & Field Colleague, Sunset Elementary, Hacienda La Puente USD, CA

PART I:
When parents get involved, children’s performance in school improves. Districts have developed innovative programs for parents that may spark ideas for your school. The team will answer questions about:

• district-wide parent patrols to keep children safe
• Koffee Klatches
• community activism resisting a liquor store near a school
• support group for families dealing with life-threatening illnesses
• School Site Council, parents’ association
• school events: multicultural day, fundraisers for field trips
• side-by-side learning

Grade Level: K–12

PART II:
Sunset Elementary and Orthopedically Handicapped (OH) School is two sites in one. This site also houses a California Children's Service Unit, which provides occupational and physical therapy to children from infancy through age 21. Sunset School stresses the TEAM approach, which stands for Together Everyone Achieves More. Our team includes parents, students, staff, community, and partners from business and industry. Together we are making a positive difference in the lives of our children.

Strand: Collaboration
Grade Level: K–6

Creating a Shining Star School
Panel facilitated by Marco Orlando, Consultant, California Department of Education & CSS Colleague

This panel of principals of effective schools will share their secrets for moving a school from low-performing, high-priority status to being a model of improvement for the state. Principals will give you practical strategies for improving your school based on their experience.

Strand: Best Practices, NEW!
Grade Level: K–12

Strategies Ensuring Poor and Minority Students Achieve
William Parrett, Director, and Robert Barr, Senior Analyst, Center for School

Improvement and Policy Studies, Boise State University, ID Recent research by the Education Trust, the U.S. Department of Education, and Regional Educational Laboratories has found low- performing schools serving poor, at-risk students that have become high- performing schools. This session by the authors of The Kids Left Behind will report on the processes these schools have used to improve the performance of all students—especially lower quartile of achievement. Case studies will be included.

Strand: Dropout Prevention Strategies
Grade Level: K–12

Research-Based Strategies to Connect Expository Reading and Writing
Carolyn Hood, Literacy Coach, Learning Headquarters, San Diego County Office of Education, CA

This exciting session features research-based strategies to incorporate expository reading and writing into your existing curriculum. Help students identify key information in expository texts and transform this knowledge into higher-level vocabulary, powerful sentences, paragraphs, summaries, and essays.

Strand: Instructional Strategies
Grade Level: K–8

It Is Possible! All Students Can Write Successfully at Standard
Linda Fisher, Principal on assignment, Learning Headquarters, San Diego COE, CA

Imagine transforming your school into a data-driven learning community where teachers are motivated and students are actively engaged in standards-based writing. A Milken National Award-winning principal will lead you through the process, strategies, and research- based tools that have proven successful in transforming schools. Learn to raise achievement and create a success-oriented school for ALL students, including those at risk of dropping out.

Strand: Instructional Strategies
Grade Level: K–8

Empowering Struggling Writers with Framing Your Thoughts: A Student-Friendly Writing Program
Andrew Stetkevich, Staff Development Specialist & Field Colleague, Riverside Staff Development Center, Riverside USD, CA

Participants will learn a metacognitive, multisensory approach to teaching writing. The presenter will demonstrate how to apply these strategies to help students succeed in class and state writing prompts. Work samples will be shared, and video excerpts will help participants understand how to use the strategies across grade levels and content areas. Teachers and support staff will leave with practical strategies to engage students in the writing process and help them to become independent writers.

Strand: Instructional Strategies, NEW!
Grade Level: K–12

Thinking Maps™: Guaranteed to Improve ALL Students’ Critical Thinking, Test Scores, & Writing Skills
Bill Deeb, Principal/Educational Researcher & Field Colleague, Creekside Elementary School, Alisal Union ESD, CA

Hundreds of schools across the nation are using Thinking Maps™ to revolutionize their approach to teaching higher-order thinking skills, writing skills, vocabulary, and reading comprehension across the curriculum. Each Thinking Map™ mirrors an essential thinking process that forms the basis for success in school, at work, and even at home: describing, sequencing, comparing and contrasting, and illustrating cause-and-effect relationships. Handouts provided.

Strand: Instructional Strategies, NEW!
Grade Level: K–12

Brain Gain: Priming the Brain for Engaged, Enlivened Learning
Tim Burns, Director, Educare Institute, NM

Change the state of the brain and everything changes in its wake: perception, concentration, learning, achievement, and health. This workshop covers several of the most significant and scientifically supported ways to enhance learning while building a better brain. Come prepared for an enjoyable and engaging romp through some great research and several fun, practical activities. Be prepared to leave with things you can use immediately for your own well-being and in your classroom!

Strand: Resiliency
Grade Level: K–12

Empowering Bystanders: Challenging Schools and Teens to Stand Up to Bullying and Violence
Rick Phillips, Executive Director, and Sally Fleishmann Ember, Ed.D., Outreach Coordinator, Community Matters, CA

Students see and know things adults don’t, and can intervene in ways adults can’t. Come learn about a research-based, field-tested model for engaging students as Safe School Ambassadors—socially influential students who notice cruelty and violence, use powerful nonviolent communication and intervention skills to work with their peers to prevent and stop such acts, and create a campus where all feel welcome and can perform at their best.

Strand: Safe Schools
Grade Level: K–12

Mindfully Resolving Conflict: Facilitation Training for Diversity Issues
Rainbow Markell, Diversity Trainer

This experiential professional development workshop involves discussion, role play, and training vignettes/exercises designed to build skills in facilitating community diversity. Participants enhance their visual and auditory acuity by observing keywords, intent and impact, and nonverbal messages inherent in communication, as well as nuances of multicultural communication. They learn conflict resolution skills, replacing adversarial/defensive statements with culturally receptive responses; and skills to train others in group process, conflict mediation, and a variety of cross-cultural communication techniques.

Strand: Safe Schools, NEW!, Marketing Session
Grade Level: K–12