2009 Education Trust National Conference
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The 2009 Education Trust National Conference, "When the Going Gets Tough: Smart Choices and Bold Action to Raise Achievement and Close Gaps," November 12-14, 2009, in Arlington, Va.
Presentations From Concurrent Sessions
| 3:15pm - 4:30pm |
Aligning Curricula to State Standards: Lessons From a High- Performing Urban Middle School In education, we give much lip service to aligned curricula, but what do they really look like? In this workshop-style session, you’ll experience how 2008 DTM winner Roxbury Preparatory Charter School in Boston uses standardized state assessments and curriculum frameworks to develop an internal, aligned curriculum and assessment plan. Roll up your sleeves and take part in an exercise in which you analyze a state standard, translate it into “internal” standards accessible to students, and develop a year-long curriculum aligned with these standards. |
| 3:15pm - 4:30pm |
Creative Leadership for Collaborative Practice This interactive session is designed for principals, central offi ce administrators, and district leaders interested in implementing a new initiative or improving the way an existing program functions. Learn about “Actualizing Potential,” a three-step model focused on intention, connection, and information. A series of brief activities will allow participants to identify a problem area of practice, articulate a clear intention, analyze the connections necessary to bring the intention to fruition, and identify data necessary to measure the effectiveness of the process and the results. |
| 3:15pm - 4:30pm |
Helping Students Who Arrive Behind Catch Up Academically How do you help students who enter high school below grade level catch up? Join leaders of 2006 DTM winner Imperial High School (California) for a discussion on how the right supports have helped all Imperial students succeed in a collegeprep curriculum. Learn how Imperial staff sets goals for students who are behind to help them catch up before graduation and how staff identify which supports are appropriate for which students. |
| 3:15pm - 4:30pm |
Hot Policy Topics: Common Standards There has been a lot of discussion recently about states collaborating to develop a set of common K-12 standards. But what does this collaboration actually entail, and what will come of it? |
| 3:15pm - 4:30pm |
Improving Postsecondary Access and Success: The Chicago Experience With more high school students aspiring to get a college degree, why hasn’t the proportion of students who actually earn one changed much over time? Join a discussion with the Consortium on Chicago School Research on the barriers urban students typically face as they attempt to bridge the gap between their aspirations and reality. Learn about the schools’ role in shaping the college application and search process and ways they can help close the aspirations attainment gap. |
| 3:15pm - 4:30pm |
Keeping Your Mind on the Big Stuff It sometimes seems as though the job of a principal has become nearly impossible. Just as a principal sets off to observe a teacher, the ancient plumbing finally gives way and the bathroom ceiling collapses. How can school leaders keep from doing what one DTM award-winning principal calls “majoring in the minors”? In this session, the principal of 2007 DTM winner P.S./M.S. 124 Osmond A. |
| 3:15pm - 4:30pm |
School Redesign: Lessons From Hartford Turning around our nation’s lowest performing schools is at the forefront of the national agenda. Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut have taken this challenge head-on, opening 16 new or redesigned schools since 2008. Learn how district offi cials identify schools for redesign, assess school needs, and implement necessary reforms. District leaders will share the challenges Hartford has encountered along the way and the results the district has achieved. |
| 3:15pm - 4:30pm |
Teachers Matter - So Why Do We Treat Them Like Widgets? The nation’s indifference to teacher effectiveness is the focus of a new report from The New Teacher Project (TNTP), a nonprofi t dedicated to helping education leaders find, develop, and keep great teachers. |
| 4:45pm - 6:00pm |
A High-Impact Teacher Observation and Evaluation System Want to learn how teacher observations can drive instructional and school improvement? The principal and former principal of 2005 DTM-winner Elmont Memorial Junior-Senior High School in New York will introduce you to the teacher observation and evaluation system that has made Elmont a school where virtually every student graduates, each vacancy is flooded with applicants, and teachers grow into bona fide instructional leaders. |
| 4:45pm - 6:00pm |
Building the Will and Capacity for High-Performing Schools What does “developing capacity” look like in a school, a district, and a state? The Alabama Best Practices Center, a division of the A+ Education Partnership, helps teachers and administrators develop the competence, commitment, and courage to improve student learning. Need proof? Student learning has been on the rise in Alabama, where fourth-grade NAEP reading scores rose signifi cantly from 2005 to 2007. |
| 4:45pm - 6:00pm |
Cues from Alumni Help Schools Improve College Readiness If you asked your high school’s alumni how they were doing in college and why, what would they tell you? Would they say they were well prepared for the challenges of college? At the University Park Campus School in Worcester, Mass., a 2005 DTM winner, almost all graduates enroll in college, and 88 percent are either still enrolled fi ve years later or have graduated—dramatically outperforming their low-income peers. Hear what school officials have learned from alumni and how this has led to modifi cations in the curriculum and course structure. |
| 4:45pm - 6:00pm |
Engaging State Legislators in Education Reform How can state legislators and grassroots organizations partner to improve academic achievement for all students? Hear directly from state legislators about effective ways to collaborate on education reform in your state. Learn what grassroots organizations can do to engage state legislators. Discover the right approach that persuades lawmakers to act and allows organizations to help legislators effectively monitor the implementation process and beyond. |
| 4:45pm - 6:00pm |
How to Teach English Learners - and All Other Students, Too! This highly interactive session shows exactly what English-language learner (ELL) strategies look like inside real classrooms. Come learn ways to design and deliver grade-appropriate lessons for ELLs, make classroom English easier to understand, and embed English acquisition in all lessons, all day long. The session is not just theory: Presenters will model effective strategies and then teach a lesson to show what the practices look like. Attendees will serve as students and coaches, learning how to teach students and other teachers alike. |
| 4:45pm - 6:00pm |
Making a Difference in Connecticut: The Role of Advocacy in Closing the Achievement Gap The Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to closing the achievement gap, has a successful track record of advocating for state-policy reforms and partnering with districts to implement these reforms. Learn about ConnCAN’s three-pronged approach for crafting effective policy change through lobbying, building a movement, and forging strategic partnerships with organizations across the state. |
| 4:45pm - 6:00pm |
Success in Science: Curriculum and Professional Development Strategies Which approach leads to better science instruction and higher student achievement—investing in high-quality curriculum, teacher professional development, or both? Learn about new experimental research that found adapting curricula to local needs significantly increased student learning, and hear the reflections of teachers and administrators who have adopted this process. |
| 4:45pm - 6:00pm |
Using Student Data Effectively What does it really mean to use data to drive instruction? In this workshop-style session, experience how 2008 DTM winner Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church, Va., conducts its data meetings to ensure that each student successfully meets academic standards. Using spreadsheets with actual student data, you’ll learn the best ways to break down your school’s achievement data, discuss what the data tell you about your students, and discover strategies you might use as a result. |
| 8:30am - 9:30am |
Creating a Climate of Success for All Students Rapid and dramatic demographic and technological changes present our nation’s schools with enormous challenges. Among the most critical questions we face: What will students need to know to succeed academically? What skills and values must they possess? What strategies and best practices can educational leaders use, working together with parents and community leaders, to ensure rigor, elevate academic achievement, and support the success of all students? |
| 9:45am - 11:00am |
Bridging the College-Readiness Expectations Gap by Working Together In 2004-05, educators at Western Connecticut State University partnered with two school districts to decrease the number of students needing remediation in college. “Building a Bridge to Improve Student Success” seeks to ensure that university faculty, high school students, and their teachers are on the same page about college expectations. To date, the project has reduced remediation rates, increased the percentage of students enrolled in credit-bearing courses, and raised the university’s retention rates. |
| 9:45am - 11:00am |
Building Vocabularies and Background Knowledge to Drive Dramatic Improvement Students at George Hall Elementary School in Mobile, Ala., live in isolated, intergenerational poverty. They arrive at school with limited vocabularies and background knowledge. Only a few years ago, the school was one of the lowest performing in the city. Today, students at George Hall are among the top achievers in the state. Hear how the faculty and staff transformed the school—not by dreary teaching-to-the-test but by introducing greater structure into instruction. |
| 9:45am - 11:00am |
Changing Minds and Practices in a Changing District The demographics of many communities are changing rapidly, but schools often are slow to respond. Learn how Montgomery County, Maryland—a large, historically affl uent suburban district—is meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. It has succeeded by creating a sense of ownership and urgency around achievement-gap issues among educators and community members alike. |
| 9:45am - 11:00am |
Enacting Education Reform: Lessons From Washington State With the passage of a landmark education reform bill, Washington redefined basic education—for the fi rst time in 30 years—to include the tools educators and schools need to prepare all kids for college, work, and life. Hear how the efforts of the League of Education Voters, a nonprofit advocacy organization, helped the state pass this reform. Learn effective strategies to mobilize stakeholders in your state. Find out how to gauge the political landscape and engage key policymakers. |
| 9:45am - 11:00am |
Hot Policy Topics: Longitudinal Data Systems The focus on longitudinal data systems has never been stronger, with national, state, and local leaders championing their development and use. The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) is a national collaborative effort to encourage and support state policymakers to improve the availability and use of high-quality education data to improve student achievement. Learn from DQC staff what these systems are, why they’re important, and where states stand in building them. |
| 9:45am - 11:00am |
Increase Student Engagement to Support High Achievement Struggling with student engagement? Dig into findings from the High School Survey of Student Engagement, administered to more than 300,000 students in 30 states. Examine the different dimensions of engagement and the trends in engagement over time. Discuss how to analyze data on engagement and incorporate the results into planning and action. And explore ways you can create a culture of engagement among your students. |
| 9:45am - 11:00am |
Scaling Up Excellence In the racially diverse, economically depressed community of Wyoming, Mich., North Godwin Elementary is helping most students meet or exceed state standards. Now, administrators are tackling one of the biggest challenges facing educators today: how to scale one school’s successful practices districtwide. |
| 9:45am - 11:00am |
Too Good to Be Ignored: Reflections on Highly Effective Teachers Batelle for Kids has identified and studied teachers whose students consistently exceed achievement expectations. The teachers studied represent a range of grade levels and teach reading and mathematics to diverse student groups. Learn what behaviors these highly effective teachers say are critical to supporting and sustaining student growth and how these teachers adjust to the changing dynamics of classrooms to maximize engagement and learning. |
| 11:15am - 12:30pm |
Hot Policy Topics: Growth Models Growth models provide information on the progress in academic achievement that individual students make over time. Many policymakers are looking to these models as a fairer, more accurate way of holding schools accountable for student achievement and to support standard performance management in schools. A lead developer of Colorado’s growth model will help participants understand what growth models measure and what they do not. He’ll show how educators can use this information and discuss the supplemental data schools need to get a clear picture of school and student performance. |
| 11:15am - 12:30pm |
Learning the Hard Lessons The motto of Parks Middle School, in a low-income, African-American neighborhood in Atlanta, is “Closing the Achievement Gap,” and it has just about done that. But success hasn’t come without a struggle. Hear the school’s principal and staff discuss what they’ve learned in leading a chaotic school from a seventh year of “needs improvement” to a calm, purposeful place where just about all students meet or exceed state standards. |
| 11:15am - 12:30pm |
Multiple Pathways: Preparing All Students for College and Careers Programs that link a college-prep curriculum with student interests and career preparation can lead to higher graduation rates and increased post-high school success. Done right, “multiple pathways” can prepare young people for both college and a career by connecting strong academics with real-world experience in a wide range of fields, such as engineering, arts, and media, and biomedical and health sciences. |
| 11:15am - 12:30pm |
Organizing for Success Years ago, Luis Munoz Rivera Elementary School in East Harlem, N.Y., seemed stuck. Only about half the students—where 90 percent come from low-income families and most are Latino or African American—met state standards. But after a careful restructuring of instruction and by collecting and analyzing data and information, the school today is among the top-performing schools in the city. |
| 11:15am - 12:30pm |
Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons From Chicago Why do some schools improve while others struggle? Join the Consortium on Chicago School Research, University of Chicago, to learn why students in 100 elementary schools were able to improve substantially, while students in another 100 schools lagged. The session will discuss school organizational practices and the social resources in communities that make it more likely that school reform efforts can be sustained. |
| 11:15am - 12:30pm |
Reducing Summer Learning Loss: Evidence and Insights for Achieving Impact Summer learning loss exacerbates the achievement gap between low-income students and their counterparts, yet little data are available on programs that have proved effective in reducing that loss. In this session, a leading researcher will discuss fi ndings of a new report that reviews programs with evidence of results and identifi es key characteristics of successful programs. To discuss how to make a summer program a successful part of a school’s academic program, a national expert on summer learning and the leader of an exemplary out-of-school program will provide practical advice. |
| 11:15am - 12:30pm |
School Counselors as Student Advocates School counselors are uniquely positioned to advocate for students, particularly those furthest behind. Learn about College Avenue Compact, a K-12/higher education partnership aimed at establishing a college-going culture for all students. This exciting session will share the results of the work of school counselors and graduate students to provide a college-going curriculum, interventions, and data-driven activities for all students—including English-language learners and students with disabilities. |
| 11:15am - 12:30pm |
TAP: A Comprehensive Human Capital Strategy to Improve Student Achievement The System for Student and Teacher Advancement (TAP) is a comprehensive system of teacher and principal support and accountability aimed at drawing more talented people to the teaching profession—and keeping them there—by making it more attractive and rewarding to be a teacher. TAP aligns school-based professional development led by expert master and mentor teachers, rigorous classroom evaluation and coaching, opportunities for professional advancement, and performance-based compensation—all in the service of increased student achievement. |
| 12:30pm - 2:00pm |
Sustaining Leadership in Successful Schools Driving improvement and sustaining success at high-achieving schools requires cultivating future leaders. Pairs of school leaders from Dispelling the Myth Awardwinning schools will share their experiences of leadership succession. |
| 2:30pm - 3:45pm |
Ensuring Success With a New Crop of Teachers Every Year The most important job of a school leader is to ensure that every teacher is working at full capacity. But how can principals do this, particularly when a new crop of teachers arrives every year? And what can they do when nothing they’ve tried seems to work? Hear how school leaders at 2007 DTM winner Ware Elementary School work together to ensure teachers begin as competent reading and math teachers and improve over time, taking on leadership roles throughout the school. |
| 2:30pm - 3:45pm |
Follow-Up Concurrent Session to Luncheon Plenary: Sustaining Leadership in Successful Schools Join the panelists from today’s luncheon plenary session for further discussion about leadership succession. The panelists will share additional information and answer participants’ questions about their experiences cultivating future leaders at their schools. |
| 2:30pm - 3:45pm |
Getting and Keeping Students on Track to Graduation Graduation rates are at an all-time high in New York City. One reason is a new focus on the students furthest from graduating—the “overage and under credited” (OA/UC) youth in high schools. Learn about the extensive data analysis offi cials used to develop a clear picture of the problem—from profi ling the typical OA/UC student to analyzing their progression through high school. Analyzing the data enabled offi cials to understand when, why, and how students got off-track. |
| 2:30pm - 3:45pm |
Improving Achievement Through School Leadership: Delaware’s Story With support from The Wallace Foundation, Delaware’s initiative to strengthen school leadership is producing encouraging data and providing important lessons. New research from RAND explores how “cohesive leadership systems” can improve school leadership. The study highlights Delaware’s efforts to develop leadership standards, improve training, and provide support for school leaders. Learn about the implications of research findings for other states. |
| 2:30pm - 3:45pm |
Narrowing Achievement Gaps Viers Mill Elementary in Montgomery County, Maryland, has built a strong track record of narrowing achievement gaps. More than two-thirds of its students receive free or reduced-price meals, and more than half are English-language learners. In this presentation, faculty members will demonstrate how a consistent curriculum with team-designed and county assessments help more than 98 percent of all students meet or exceed standards. |
| 2:30pm - 3:45pm |
Ready for College, Ready for Work What does it take for students to be prepared to enter the workforce after high school? Join ACT in unpacking research that shows all students need comparable skills whether they’re entering a workforce training program or going directly to college. You’ll also hear representatives from the Elgin, Ill., school district and business community about their implementation of a system that blends WorkKeys, ACT’s Career Readiness Certificate, and several school practices and has led to more students graduating high school ready for college and careers. |
| 8:30am - 9:45am |
Building Coherent Instructional Practice in Low-Performing Schools and Classrooms Instructional practices and student performance vary more from classroom to classroom within individual schools than among groups of schools, especially low performing schools. Consequently, the teacher a student receives is much more important than the school he or she attends. Improving low-performing schools requires building a coherent instructional culture across classrooms, among adults and students within schools, and between schools and their communities. |
| 9:55am - 11:40am |
Analyzing Transcripts and Master Schedules to Promote College and Career Readiness for All Although all schools use master schedules and student transcripts, educators rarely analyze them to determine whether all students have access to a college and career-ready course of study and receive appropriate support. This interactive workshop will show how a careful analysis can reveal unexpected information about course offerings and participation, teacher distribution, and potential dropouts. |
| 9:55am - 11:40am |
Assignments Matter! Assignments Matter is a method of designing a course or curriculum around common assignments, or “anchors.” Participants will learn (1) a rationale for the critical role of classroom tasks in improving student achievement, (2) a common vocabulary for talking about classroom tasks and ways to identify and differentiate each type’s role and function, (3) a method for building a course or curriculum on a sequence of assignments and assessments, and (4) a method for transforming assignments into data to guide teaching and learning. |
| 9:55am - 11:40am |
But What Does the Research Say? If we looked to research to identify where we should take bold action, what would it tell us? In this workshop-style session, you’ll hear what research reveals about common beliefs in education (whether smaller classes lead to higher achievement, for example). You’ll also learn strategies for interpreting complex research findings and ways to be a good consumer of information presented in news sources. What’s more, you’ll learn where to go to fi nd helpful research summaries. |
| 9:55am - 11:40am |
Federal Education Policy: Where Are We Now? Where Should We Go from Here? With federal stimulus money aimed at supporting meaningful reforms, and conversations about No Child Left Behind reauthorization heating up, this is an exciting time for educators and policymakers alike. Ed Trust staff will provide an update on the latest policy developments and lead a conversation about how to take advantage of opportunities to strengthen federal policy to raise achievement, close gaps, and promote college and career-readiness for all students. |
