Conference Sessions
Strands
Friday, February 20
Session A 9:30 AM–10:45 AM
Session AB 9:30 AM–12:15 PM
Session B 11:00 AM–12:15 PM
Session C 2:15 PM–3:30 PM
Saturday, February 21
Session D 9:30–10:45 AM
Session DE 9:30 AM–12:00 PM
Session E 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
Session E
E1
Advisory Programs: Personalization and Achievement for Every Student
Brooke Merryfield, Outreach Coordinator, Wildwood School, CA
Advisory programs create a personalized middle and high school environment that enhances students' academic achievement and social/emotional growth. In this interactive presentation, participants will learn from nationally known experts the key components of creating a successful advisory program. Discover how to implement or expand an advisory program at your school that will support your school's mission and goals and enhance the learning experience for every student.
Strand: Middle School to High School Transition
E2
Advisory Programs for Student Success
Pam Carter, Principal, Santa Susana High School, Simi Valley Unified School District, CA; Sara Leibman, Assistant Principal, University Charter Middle School, CA
Research shows that the highest-performing high schools in the U.S. provide effective and meaningful student support programs that connect each student with an adult advocate. While advisory programs come in all shapes and sizes, they will, if executed effectively, transform the culture of your school and trigger major gains in student achievement. Learn how two educators led the effort to create an advisory program for their high school and how the program has contributed to a significant rise in test scores and student success. You will walk away from this session with tools to create a program customized to the needs and interests of your school, along with rationale and research to take back to your staff. You will also be provided with lessons and activities to get you started.
Strands: Smaller Learning Communities & Small School System Redesign, NEW SESSION
E3
Dual High School/College Credit Program
Jill Long, SLC Project Director; Kris Olsen, Principal; Tony Vicnair, Director of Curriculum, McMinnville High School, McMinnville School District, OR
Students who graduate high school having already acquired a college transcript are more likely to enroll and persist in post-secondary education. Over the last five years, McMinnville High School has collaborated with post-secondary partners to offer an extensive dual credit program. Last year, we offered 55 dual credit classes. Students earned over 3,200 college credits, resulting in a savings to families in excess of $160,000. In this session, participants will learn how to develop and grow a dual credit program that is integrated with other reform initiatives such as smaller learning communities and career pathways.
Strand: College and Career Education, NEW SESSION
E5
Building Support for Reluctant Adopters of Change
Robin Shrode, Founder/Consultant/Co-founder AAIS (American Alliance for Innovative Schools, Inc.), TX
This session will share a systemic framework for supporting the early adopters, wait-and-see adopters, and 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.
Strand: Smaller Learning Communities & Small School System Redesign