CSS Toolkit: Resiliency
Sandra Roberts, Principal & Field Colleague, Sunset Elementary, Hacienda La Puente USD; Lydia Carswell, Educational Consultant & EAN Board Member, Duarte, CA

Resiliency has been described as the ability to bounce back from challenging situations and events. Use of humor and connection with a caring adult are key. Learn techniques that build the resiliency of staff and interventions to use with students, building the staff’s capacity to participate in transforming the climate of the school.

Strand: CSS Toolkit
Grade Level: K–12

Actively Involving Parents - The Key to Success
Parent Project, CA

In this interactive session we will learn specific tools we can use to actively engage parents as part of the solution. We'll relook at the problems parents face raising kids today, discuss strategies to motivate and retain parents' involvement, and look at several skills we can quickly teach moms and dads to help them to support their children's school attendance and performance. This approach is designed specifically for helping parents of strong-willed, or out of control children.

Strand: Collaboration, NEW!, Marketing Session
Grade Level: K-12

SHINING STAR SCHOOLS—Academic Improvement, COST, SST, and Student Support
El Camino Elementary, suburban San Bernardino County; Reed Elementary, suburban Santa Clara County

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

Strand: Best Practices
Grade Level: K–6

The Ninth Grade: A Model Intervention Program for Dropout Prevention
Brandi Lopez, Support Teacher, Ninth Grade Academy; Mark Anderson, Language Arts Teacher; Rebecca Tourellotte, Administrator K–12 Alternative Programs, Azusa USD AEC/Sierra High School, CA

The Ninth Grade Academy has been designed to prevent dropout by giving academically at-risk students specialized attention in a small, caring learning environment during their ninth grade year. This session will provide an overview of a model program, complete with handouts of the Academy’s policies and data to support its effectiveness. Participants will be inspired to implement a similar program in their own districts.

Strand: Dropout Prevention Strategies, NEW!
Grade Level: 9–12

Attention 2 Attendance
Jeff Owens, Product Manager, School Innovations & Advocacy, CA

School Innovations & Advocacy’s Attention 2 Attendance™ featuring eTruancy™ is a web-based product that enables school districts to meet compliance standards while offering an in-depth approach to attendance recovery. Come learn our approach of letter notification, habitual truancy management, data analysis, early detection of students at risk of dropping out, and in-depth consulting. With API, AYP, and the high school exit exam, attendance improvement has never been more critical.

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

REFOCUS™: A Powerful Solution to Problem Behavior
Greg Solomon, Instrumental Music Teacher, Vista Heights Middle School, Moreno Valley USD, CA

At the core of the nationally acclaimed Time To Teach! program is the strategy of REFOCUS™, the most powerful solution to problem behavior ever developed for the classroom teacher. By using REFOCUS™ the classroom teacher will have fewer disruptions, more time to teach, and more energy and fun than ever before. When behaviors are addressed early and consistently, without multiple requests or repeated warnings, your classroom will run more smoothly than you thought possible!

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

High School English and Math Tutorials
Susan Dorner, Director; JoJean Vicioso, Assistant Director, Learning Plus Associates, CA

This session will demonstrate the use of Standards Plus® English and Math tutorials. These tutorials were designed for students who have been unable to demonstrate sufficient progress toward passing the mathematics and English portions of the CAHSEE. These tutorials can be used as benchmark, strategic, or intensive interventions. The use of these tutorials based on a comprehensive reform model implemented schoolwide has been an important element in helping schools continually reach their AYP targets.

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

What Is So Special about Special Education?
Judy Geske, Director, Student Services/Special Education, Banning USD, CA

What is special education, and which students are eligible for individualized services? How do efficacy and high-stakes outcomes play a role in these specialized programs? Why are laws so strict about special education, and what are the results of special education services for students who are struggling in school? This session will examine the complexities of special education and attempt to unlock the hidden meaning of the role of services for children.

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

Service Learning/Cal Serve
Michael Brugh and Terry Shorey, Educational Consultants, Learning Support & Partner Division, California Department of Education, CA

This presentation will acquaint participants with the Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, DC. Learn and Serve America, the K–16 arm of the corporation, is a federal grants program that promotes the instructional strategy known as service learning, in which youth address community needs in the areas of education, public safety, the environment, health, and human needs as they learn the content standards. Model programs will be examined.

Strand: Resiliency
Grade Level: K–12

Cyberbullying and Internet Safety
Steve Wolf, Field Training Officer, Irvine Police Department, CA

Learn how to protect your students on the web at this interactive Internet safety workshop. Participants will gain practical strategies to implement safety standards at school regarding My Space, chat rooms, instant messaging, interactive chat, California Education Codes, and more. Steve Wolf will discuss online dangers and what teachers, parents, students, and school communities can do to protect children.

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

Improving Academic Achievement for Foster Children
Michelle Lustig, ACSW Coordinator, San Diego County Office of Ed/Foster Youth Services, CA; John Halcón, Professor, College of Education, CSU San Marcos, CA

Foster children bring an array of academic, social, and emotional problems into the classroom. Unfortunately, responses to their educational needs are inadequate and often inappropriate, due to an almost universal misunderstanding of foster children among teachers and educators (Altshuler, 2003). This presentation will address strategies that we use to promote their academic achievement.

Strand: Foster Youth