CSS Toolkit: Coordinated Services Team
Melinda Johnson, Foshay Learning Center, and Frances James, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, Field Colleagues & Outreach Consultants; Gwendolyn Randolph, Field Colleague & Teacher, La Salle Elementary, Los Angeles USD, CA

What specific tasks are needed to develop an effective coordinated services team within your CSS program? How do you identify student needs that should be addressed? What internal and external resources will be needed? How do you mine for resources in your community? How do you conduct effective meetings? How do you evaluate whether the process is working well? How do you develop early intervention and collaboration with feeder schools/clusters?

Strand: CSS Toolkit
Grade Level: K–12

It Takes a Village
Jamie Hall, Executive Director, and Jodi Moreno, Trainer, Pathways in Education, CA

It Takes a Village will focus on the successful strategies used in Pathways in Education’s programming that promote community collaboration in dropout prevention and recovery programs. We will explore the aspects that make our collaborative programming effective—community connectedness, mentoring, service learning, and model programs. We will also share proven strategies and activities that have been successful in promoting partnerships to keep our youth connected and in school.

Strand: Collaboration
Grade Level: 9–12

SHINING STAR SCHOOLS—Academic Improvement, Attendance, ELA Growth, and School Goals
California Distinguished School Cherrylee Elementary, suburban San Gabriel Valley; Moreno Elementary, suburban San Bernardino County

These Shining Star schools present how they used the SB65 Comprehensive Student Support strategies to make impressive gains in academic improvement, attendance, ELA growth, and school goals. Cherrylee will also share how implementing CSS helped them to achieve California Distinguished School status.

Strand: Best Practices
Grade Level: K–6

SHINING STAR SCHOOLS—Academic Improvement, Attendance, and SST
California Distinguished Schools: New Lexington Elementary, suburban San Gabriel; Garvanza Elementary, urban Los Angeles Valley

These Shining Star schools present how they used the SB65 Comprehensive Student Support strategies to make impressive gains in academic improvement, attendance, and their SST process. Find out how implementing CSS helped them to achieve California Distinguished School status.

Strand: Best Practices
Grade Level: K–6

The Face of Test Stress: Teacher & Student Graphics & Test-Stress Solutions
Robert Rees, Director of Education, Institute of HeartMath, CA

Teacher and student drawings of their feelings about important tests reveal high levels of stress and even deeply disturbing emotions. Conversely, drawings by teachers and students who learn how to address stressful emotions associated with high-stakes tests show dramatically different feelings. This workshop provides graphic illustration of before- and-after emotional states related to high-stakes tests, and introduces specific tools and technologies to counter test stress.

Strand: Dropout Prevention Strategies, NEW!
Grade Level: K–12

Results-Based School Counseling & Student Support Guidelines
George Montgomery, Educational Programs Consultant, Learning Support & Partner Division, California Department of Education, CA

Counselors moving into the 21st century recognize greater demands placed on their performance and their time. A greater need for accountability, alignment with academic objectives, and providing more effective counseling interventions require a change in the way counselors operate. Anyone interested in learning about the national standards and the latest information on the development of the results-based school counseling and student support guidelines should attend this worthwhile workshop.

Strand: Dropout Prevention Strategies
Grade Level: K–12

Reaching and Teaching Homeless Students
Kate Bishop, CWA Coordinator, and Ellen Montgomery, Outreach Consultant, North Sacramento School District, CA

Learn how to comply with No Child Left Behind regulations and provide quality services to homeless students and their families. This session will focus on identification of homeless students, staff training, community collaboration, and providing appropriate services to children. Children living in homeless situations do not have to repeat the cycle. When we focus on resiliency-based strategies, these students can and do succeed!

Strand: Dropout Prevention Strategies, NEW!
Grade Level: K–6

Strategies That Build Rapport and Connections and Motivate Students to Stay in School
Nancy Blackwell, Md.E, Longevity of Success, CO

Eighty-two percent of teachers’ messages are nonverbal, especially when managing the classroom. Learn to positively influence the student relationship with practical application and practice. Become aware of the difference between the influence of power and the power of influence. Also, receive strategies such as music, modeling, paired shares, and discussions. Learn how to have more time to do what you entered the profession to do—teach.

Strand: Instructional Strategies, NEW!
Grade Level: 9–12

Rebels with Applause: Brain-Compatible Approaches for Motivating Reluctant Learning
Rick Smith, Author, Trainer, Keynote, Education Consultant, Conscious Teaching, CA

What does the current understanding of the brain suggest about our rebel students, who seem to have the hardest time paying attention and getting work done? This lively interactive session will provide K–12 teachers with dozens of practical brain-based strategies they can use to help get students of varying abilities and learning styles involved and motivated, and help them retain more.

Strand: Instructional Strategies
Grade Level: K–12

Inclusive Interactive Teaching Strategies
Andrew Stetkevich, Staff Development Specialist/Field Colleague, Riverside Staff Development Center, Riverside USD; Vicki Butler, Coordinator & Field Colleague, Corona-Norco Special Education, Corona-Norco USD, CA

This presentation will focus on best practices for meeting the needs of all students in order to bring up underperforming subgroups. Strategies for slower learners, second language learners, special education students, children of poverty, and other children who learn differently will be demonstrated and shared along with interactive teaching techniques. Come prepared to participate and activate your power to learn new and exciting ways to engage all students in mastering the state standards.

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

Moving Schools Beyond Risk to Resiliency: A Practical Approach to Protective Factor Enhancement for the School Community
Tim Burns, Director, Educare Institute, NM

This workshop brings the latest research on resiliency building and protective factors to a proven action-training format through which participants become more resourceful in creating the best possible environment for healthy development and learning. Staff and community come together to learn to reduce risks, build community, and foster greater social and academic well-being for students. The workshop framework is based on the premise that risk factors can be starting points for deep change.

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

The Importance of Humor in Education
Cristal McGill, Ph.D., Education Consultant, Impact Learning, Inc., CO

Humor strengthens the relationship between students, teachers, and staff, enhances communication, reduces stress, makes a course more interesting, increases retention of subject material, and could raise test scores. This interactive workshop will help you see, hear, and feel what effective strategies are all about. Combine these techniques to create a blast of positive energy that propels learners quickly and easily toward achieving the desired instructional objectives.

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

Developing Responsible Learners: Sharing Responsibility with Parents for Character Development, Student Success, and Academic Achievement
Janie Hamilton-Marchini and Marla Loew, Teachers, Pearson Elementary School, Modesto City Elementary Schools, CA

This interactive workshop links school, home, and community for student success and increased academic achievement. The Character Connection becomes a bridge to success, focusing on strategies for achievement where socioeconomic and cultural differences create challenges. It models how underperforming schools motivate and engage parents in the education of their children to meet state standards. Portfolios highlight diversity, patriotism, conflict resolution, and citizen projects. Activities are translated into Spanish.

Strand: Resiliency, NEW!
Grade Level: K–6

Proactive Solutions to Address Bullying and Reclaim your School
John Vandenburg, Coordinator of Student Support, Murrieta Valley USD Support Center, CA

This session looks at bullying through the lens of youth development and provides practical strategies to address aggressive behavior in youth from a strength-based perspective. This session will introduce you to proactive student-centered strategies that can help parents, teachers, and the whole school community reclaim their school and create a positive place for all students to thrive.

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

How to Identify Hate-Motivated Youth Gangs in Your School so You Can Prevent Violence
Terry Wilson, Detective Constable, New Westminster Police Service, DVRT and Hate Crime Unit, Canada

Hate-motivated crimes are on the rise, on the streets and in the schoolyard. There are haters all around us, of all ages, races, and genders. The effects of these crimes not only devastate victims but can cripple an entire student community with fear. This riveting and informative seminar will help school principals, teachers, and counselors accurately identify a hate-motivated incident, and will arm them with the skills they need to respond quickly, safely, and effectively.

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