Conference Sessions

Thursday, February 7

Session A 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

Session B 1:15 AM–3:15 PM

Friday, February 8

Session C 9:30–10:45 AM

Session CD 9:30 AM–12:15 PM

Session D 11:00 AM–12:15 PM

Session E 2:15–3:30 PM

Saturday, February 9

Session F 9:30–10:45 AM

Session FG 9:30 AM–12:00 PM

Session G 11:00 AM–12:00 PM

Session E

E1

Curriculum Collaboration: The Key that Turns the Education Engine
Tami Strege, LA Coordinator; Christine Lord, Science Coordinator; Cory Shinkle, Math Coordinator, Glendale Union HSD, AZ

This presentation will highlight the collaborative structure of one district that focuses on teachers, building administrators, and district office personnel to ensure student success on both local and state outcomes and assessments. Attendees will participate in activities designed to allow them to analyze their current structures’ strengths and identify areas where collaboration could improve. Participants will leave the session with a plan to increase collaboration in their own school systems.

Strands: Collaboration, NEW!

E2

Law Enforcement Academy or Bust
Jim Wiswell, Lead Counselor, La Puente High School, Hacienda La Puente USD, CA

Come hear a remarkable story of the evolution of the Law Enforcement Academy, the second largest academy at La Puente High School.We will give you the tools to start your very own Law Enforcement Academy. The presentation will include a PowerPoint that will glue you to your seat, pair sharing, and handouts. A list of exciting books will also be presented so you understand the foundation of our learning.

Strands: Collaboration, NEW!

E3

Guiding Student Research: An SLC Cross- Curricular, Integrated Approach to Enhancing Student Inquiry
Martin Shapiro, Ed.D., Educational Consultant, Past President, CAT Prog. Coord., National Consortium for Specialized Schools of Math., Science & Tech., FL; Pete Oberg, SLC Coordinator, Center for Advanced Technologies, Lakewood High School, FL

This session is for every teacher who leads students to ask a question, to seek a new and novel solution to that question, and to communicate that discovery to the world. It is the intent of the presenters of this session to provide a roadmap that will lead to the development of research skills and enhance research opportunities for their students using a cross-curricular approach.

Strands: Support for Teaching and Learning, NEW!

E4

Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives: Motivating Students for Higher Academic Achievement
Wendy Bingham, Certified Trainer, Academic Innovations, UT

Making a successful transition from middle school to high school is critical to a student’s lifelong success.Wendy Bingham explores how schools across the country integrate comprehensive guidance into the 8th or 9th grade without sacrificing achievement, academic rigor, or content standards. She’ll discuss and distribute the NEW Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes from George Washington University—an invaluable planning resource for your high school redesign efforts.

Strands: Support for Teaching and Learning

E5

Crossroads: A Ninth Grade Transition Course Featuring the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Mary Holden, Resource Teacher; David Holden, Instructional Coach, Mar Vista High School, Sweetwater Union HSD, CA

Crossroads is an award-winning, yearlong transition course for ninth graders. Its basic purpose is to help students do better in school and provide them with direction, decision-making skills, and purpose. The class is focused on Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. During this session, you will learn about the importance of having a freshman transition course and how we designed and implemented Crossroads.

Strands: Support for Teaching and Learning

E6

Professional Learning Communities: A Key Strategy for Affecting Student Learning and Achievement
Keith Greer, Principal, Casa Grande Union HS, Casa Grande Union HSD, AZ

Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are an Conference sseessssiioonn EE ddaayy t 2wo 16 2:15–3:30 P.M. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2008 session E 17 effective, cost-efficient way for educators to learn what changes are necessary to improve their classroom practice. This presentation will review how a “low performing” large rural high school affected student achievement and staff interaction through a highly focused school-wide PLC.

Strands: Support for Teaching and Learning, NEW!

E7

Using Assessment to Increase Student Achievement & Close the Achievement Gap
Grant Chandler, Director, K–12 School Reform, Kalamazoo Public Schools, MI

Find out how to incorporate an assessment program that teaches teachers how to measure student learning and motivates students to high levels of academic achievement. Teachers in Kalamazoo’s Freshman Academy frequently measure student performance compared to content standards and address deficiencies and mastery collectively on a daily basis. Participants will learn how the collection and use of this data allows student needs to be met before they slip through the cracks.

Strands: Functional Accountability

E8

Systematic Supports for High-Quality Teaching and High Achievement in SLCs
Rose Owens-West, Sr. Project Director; Ralph Baker & Gerald Wolfe,WestEd, CA

This session will guide the participants to think about systems for information, finance, personnel, communication, and technology and why these are important for supporting teaching and learning. Participants will engage in table discussions about their current systems and receive strategies on leading teamwork to improve their systems. They will also be provided background readings and resources to take with them.

Strands: Support for Teaching and Learning, NEW!

E9

Alternative Schedules to Support Increased Student Achievement
Larry Tash, Director, Office of School Redesign, Los Angeles USD, CA

This is a practical presentation with field-tested materials that will help you, your school, and your district to move toward new ways of using instructional time. Your active participation in this presentation will be a worthwhile learning experience.

Strands: Identity, NEW

E10

Building Support for Reluctant Adopters of Change
Robin Shrode, Co-founder, American Alliance for Innovative Schools, TX

This session will share a systemic framework for supporting the Early Adopters,Wait-and-See Adopters, and the Reluctant Adopters through the implementation of new structures and strategies of high school redesign. This session will include those successful strategies used in the initial stages of implementation of SLCs at three large comprehensive high schools, as well as strategies used to sustain the momentum once the vast majority of stakeholders were on board.

Strands: Identity

E11

Imagine a School Where Nobody Fails: Personalized Interventions for Struggling At-risk Students
Jill Long, SLC Project Director, McMinnville High School, McMinnville School District #40, OR; Ken Jupp, Director, Kenn Jupp & Associates, UK

The Listening Book is a guided process in which the teacher/SLC team and struggling student collaborate to personalize interventions and support, improve and sustain relationships, develop a network of peer support, and foster ownership of teaching and learning and the learning community. In addition to creating personalized interventions, the Listening Book process provides valuable feedback on how the school is performing and how it can improve. 2:15–3:30 P.M.

Strands: Personalization, NEW!

E12

High School Advisory: How It Works!
Gale George, SLC Coordinator/Teacher; Karen Myers, SLC Coordinator/Teacher, Serrano High School, Snowline Joint USD, CA

Come and see how you can integrate an advisory program into your school. Learn the process to make the curriculum specific to your site and how to involve teachers and students in the development of advisory curriculum. Discover ways to incorporate other school-related issues into the advisory program to relieve core subjects from the impact of outside activities. Develop a lesson that will be effective at your site.

Strands: Personalization

E13

Relationship Building in SLCs: Defining the Third R
Michael Butler, Executive Vice President; Marcell Gilmore, Public Works, Inc., CA

This session will provide participants with an overview of evaluation results from SLC grantees in LAUSD, focusing on personalization. The conference session will include presentation of student and staff survey results tied to personalization, as well as evidence on structural supports and strategies employed to enhance adult-student relationships as part of SLC implementation in the nation’s second largest school district.

Strands: Personalization

E14

Personalization Advisories: What, When, How
Bob Daniel, Principal; Bill Pickett, Teacher; Jana Parsells, Teacher; Kisaundra Harris, Teacher; Sharon Cassidy, Teacher, Tascosa High School; Teresa Railsback, Curriculum Specialist/SLC Grant Coordinator, Tascosa/Palo Duro High School, Amarillo ISD, TX

Our team will share the triumphs and tribulations of implementing a schoolwide advisory.We will use PowerPoint®, music, photographs, and anecdotes to give participants a roadmap of our journey.We have a separate focus for each of our four-day-per-week program.Monday: advising and skills; Tuesday: reading day;Wednesday: activity day; Friday: video announcements and teacher activity choice. All activities and articles are provided for teachers.

Strands: Personalization

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