2007 Fall Conference Sessions

NOTE: The following does not represent the full program. The keynote sessions by Dr. Elgart and Dr. Jacobs and their breakouts will be posted soon.

Academy Culture at Pike High School: Academy Advisory Periods/Freshman Mentor Program—Connecting Academies to the Curriculum

Academies are a way of breaking down a large school into smaller learning communities; academies are a way of reinventing the way we deliver education to students in a large structural setting. At Pike High School and Pike Freshman Center, every student is a member of an academy. Each academy at Pike High School has a designated focus. The presentation will consist of an explanation of the current structure and the journey along the way. Information and examples will be provided on how we implemented our Freshman Advisory Program as well as activities employed during our Academy Advisory Periods. In addition, we will provide examples of differentiated projects that have been integrated into the curriculum at various levels.

Presenters: Jeanne Burroughs, Dan Kuznik and Sheila K. Anderson

Institution: Pike High School and MSD Pike Township

Room:

Interest Level: High School

Career Pathways: Success Through Relevance

This presentation is from Columbia City High School. Over the past 12 years Columbia City developed a program that has grown to include career classes, internships, on the job training, and post secondary activities while enrolled in the school program. Each student at CCHS has a carefully thought out program of career choices that culminates in courses selected for high school and the first two years of post high school education. Share the process and success of this premier program located in a small rural community in North East Indiana.

Presenter: Steven Doepker and Judy Moore

Institution: Columbia City High School

Room:

Interest Level: High School

Cornell Notetaking

Cornell Notetaking is a versatile notetaking system that can be used for capturing information from lectures, from reading or from both. There are adaptations that can make it universal to use across the curriculum. This presentation will give background information on graphic organizers and the many ways Cornell can be adapted for use.

Presenter: Rachel Sparks

Institution: Northview High School

Room:

Interest: Middle/High School

Developing a Caring Community of Thoughtful Readers and Writers

This session addresses the challenges of teaching reading comprehension and writing while building a caring classroom community in grades K-8. The presenter will share lessons that use fiction and expository texts to promote students' ability to comprehend at a deep level and to create texts of their own. Through video, teacher anecdotes, and other examples of students' thinking and writing, participants will explore the importance of talk and responsibility, the value of cooperative structures in helping students become thoughtfully literate, the importance of using authentic literature to inspire young readers and writers, and ways to foster prosocial development.

Presenter: Linda Rourke

Institution: Developmental Studies Center

Room:

Interest Level: K-8

Developing a Team to Lead School Improvement (2 Part Session)

The presenter will detail how to develop effective teams to lead school improvement efforts, will provide an overview of the book, Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni and will offer specific strategies on developing a team that can lead school improvement efforts effectively. The presentation increases the capacity of a school district to plan and stay focused as a team on school improvement. The presenter will extend the session on developing a quality team to lead school improvement by teaching the use of quality tools to facilitate decision making and working as a group

Presenter: Phyllis Amick

Institution: IU

Room:

Interest Level: All

Differentiated Instruction to Reduce Achievement Gaps

This presentation will focus on using instructional methods to foster student use of strategies to acquire a reading vocabulary.

Presenter: Marie McNelis

Institution: Crooked Creek Elementary

Room:

Interest Level: All

District Accreditation: An Introduction

Are the buildings in your district functioning as independent contractors? Ever wondered what it would be like to work together as a true school system, working as a K-12 organization to achieve common goals and a shared vision for success? Come to this session to find out more information about this systems approach that could make the accreditation process work for you, for your schools, and for the community.

Presenter: Mark Elgart

Institution: AdvancED

Room:

Interest Level: All

The Effective Inclusion Classroom

In an effort to effectively meet the needs of all students in a least restrictive environment, many schools have considered or implemented inclusion classrooms that have both general education and special education students learning together. There are some key ingredients necessary for this classroom to work successfully for all students. Two regular education teachers and one special education teacher share their philosophy, their organization, and the in’s and out’s of how their Language Arts classroom works.

Presenters: Beth Mallery, Jamie Misch and Kristen Wall

Institution: Ossian Elementary

Room:

Interest Level: Elementary School

Empowering Teachers to Continuously Improve Their Practice

This session provides a framework for a more individualized professional development model. The focus is on inquiry and action research. Each teacher is given the opportunity to write their own inquiry question which then provides self-reflection, collaboration, and modification of instructional practices. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be shared illustrating the impact personalized professional development can have on instructional practices which ultimately impact student achievement.

Presenter: Lynn L. Lupold

Institution: Indiana Department of Education

Room:

Interest Level: All

Finding What You Really Need in All the Stacks of Data

Is your office or classroom filled with notebooks, stacks, and file folders of data? Do you need help finding the data that will help you track the achievement of students and assess the effectiveness of instructional strategies and programs in your school? The presenter will demonstrate how to review the reports, identify the specific data you need for your goals, convert the data into standard units, and interpret the results. Examples will be provided from ISTEP, Norm-Referenced Achievement Tests, NWEA, DIBELS, Accelerated Reading, Locally Developed Assessments, and more. Handouts will include a variety of charts that you can use to present and share your data with others. It is easier than you think!

Presenter: Marilyn Mulligan

Institution: Retired Principal

Room:

Interest Level: All

Get Your Students Excited About Reading and Writing with the Workshop Model!

Helmsburg Elementary School in Brown County has been using the writing workshop philosophy of instruction for the past 3 years and have seen their writing scores soar! This session will emphasize raising student achievement in a school with a 60% poverty rate. Attendees will be shown the journey of a school that realized reading and writing instruction needed a complete overhaul and the workshop methodology was the path to make that happen!

Presenters: Laura Hammack and Michelle Joy

Institution: Helmsburg Elementary School

Room:

Interest Level: K-6

Going for the Gold Star: A Model for Excellence in Staff Development and Student Achievement

This session will focus upon improving the culture of the school through standards-based staff development. The model being used in this session is based on the National Staff Development Council’s Standards of Professional Development. Participants will learn how to utilize the Gold Star rubric to identify the processes, contexts and content that the school currently uses as well as learn the next step toward developing more effective ways for students and staff to learn. Participants will leave the session with knowledge about the Gold Star rubric and how to use it at their school. Participants will engage in reflective thinking as well as receive effective ideas for creating positive change within their school.

Presenters: Jetta Tarr, Betty Ayers and Teresa Godsey

Institution: Sycamore Elementary School

Room:

Interest Level: All

Helping Teachers Use Data to Improve Student Achievement

Teachers need practical strategies to use national, state, and local data effectively. An 18-month program was developed by the National Study of School Evaluation with Bloomingdale Illinois Schools to help staff develop knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes toward data use. This program included professional development, training, data coaching, and school level data teams. Take away strategies that can help teachers become “data users” to improve student achievement. Handouts include Data Readiness Inventory and Displaying Data.

Presenter: Rosemary Jacot

Institution: AdvancED

Room:

Interest Level: All

HOT Classrooms!!

Educators know and continually are challenging themselves to provide opportunities for their students to understand and think at higher levels. Bloom’s Taxonomy is alive and well…but still does not offer specific strategies for teachers. Thinking Maps has the potential to respond to this challenge in a powerful way. Based on the way our brains works, Thinking Maps provide a common visual language for transferring thinking, integrating learning and assessing progress.

Presenter: Debbie Fish

Institution: CIESC

Room:

Interest Level: All

How Effective is Your Professional Development Program?

When educators submit professional development plans to an agency for approval (and often, funding), they provide cursory – and often incorrect – measures for evaluating the effectiveness of the professional development activities they list. This presentation will discuss some specific ways to assess the degree to which professional development initiatives have a positive impact on student performance and ultimately on school improvement.

Presenter: Phil Roth

Institution: Division of Accreditation, Assistance and Awards, IDOE

Room:

Interest Level: All

Improving Reading Comprehension with Shared Inquiry

Participate in a Shared Inquiry discussion and discover how in-depth discussion and focusing on interpretive issues help improve students' reading, writing and thinking skills at all grade levels. See how the open stance and teacher questioning strategies of this method of learning differentiate instruction and enable students of varying proficiencies grapple with and make sense of challenging texts. Learn why the National Staff Development Council and other educational review panels have recognized Great Books programs as "what works" for increasing student achievement.

Presenter: Michael Wolfkiel

Institution: Great Books

Room:

Interest: All

Improving with Moving and Music

This presentation will focus on brain research and strategies for incorporating movement and music in the classroom. Participants will leave with a variety of engaging activities and techniques, as well as handouts, for practical application. Basic brain functions and development will be discussed to improve a better understanding of the importance of movement and music to facilitate the learning process. Specific approaches and examples will be presented, with easy to apply activities for your classroom. Be prepared to get up and move!

Presenters: Sue SanGiacomo and Angie Harpenau

Institution: Pleasant Lake Elementary School

Room:

Interest Level: All

Increasing Student Success through Differentiated Instruction

Participants will discover the importance of differentiating instruction effectively to meet the needs of all learners. Differentiation strategies will be discussed for ELL, Title I, Special Education, Accelerated, and at level learners. Information will be provided about how Central Elementary School has met with success by differentiating using visualizing and verbalizing techniques, DIBELS, and vocabulary instruction.

Presenters: Lisa Gahimer and Jeanie Sienkowski

Institution: Central Elementary School

Room:

Interest Level: Elementary/Middle

Indiana’s Strategic Adolescent Literacy Plan

Learn more about this important plan to assist Indiana schools in developing literacy in the intermediate, middle school, and secondary levels. A review of the target areas, resources, and implications for educators at various levels, including content-area teachers. Learn how your school can use this plan to address adolescent literacy as a diagnostic/planning tool, a self-evaluation of program strengths and weaknesses, a reference for writing PL221 plans, an aid in writing RFP’s for funding, and way to create and support system for parents and communities in building cultures of literacy.

Presenters: Deanna Wagoner and Greta Gard

Institution: Center for Innovation in Assessment

Room:

Interest Level: N/A

I Read It, but I Didn’t Get It: Comprehension Strategies to Enhance Reading in the Content Areas

Research shows that explicit teaching of comprehension strategies leads to higher reading comprehension in below-level readers in middle school to grade 12. In this session, participants will learn how to help adolescent readers develop reading comprehension skills in content classrooms and learn classroom-tested note-taking and summarization techniques for both individual assignments and group activities across content areas.

Presenters: Cathy Hart-Walls and Sheila Anderson

Institution: MSD of Pike Township

Room:

Interest Level: Middle/High School

ISTEP+ and Depth of Knowledge - Elementary

This session is an introduction to Depth of Knowledge (DOK), including classroom examples and how DOK is applied in the creation of ISTEP+ assessment items in both English/language Arts and math. Teachers are encouraged to bring Teacher’s Scoring Guides for reference during this presentation. These will be used to determine DOK levels for past items.

Presenters: Charity Flores and Kelly Connelly

Institution: Indiana Department of Education

Room:

Interest: Elementary (3-6)

ISTEP+ and Depth of Knowledge - Secondary

Presenters: Jim Mirabelli and Jen Oliver

Institution: Indiana Department of Education

Room:

Interest: Secondary (7-10)

ISTEP+ Scores: Basic Analysis for Teachers

Learn how some teachers are looking at ISTEP scores to bring about student improvement. Schools in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis are looking at scores to determine which students are improving and in what areas so that they can provide directed instruction for continued growth.

Presenters: Debbie Perkins, Martha Render and Kathy Mears

Institution: St. Barnabas School and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Room:

Interest: All

Is This Good? Demystifying “Good” Writing for Students

This session will briefly identify the six ingredients of all quality writing-- the 6-Traits. Then going beyond simply introducing the traits, this session will offer teachers strategies to teach the traits. Attendees will obtain classroom-tested, mini-lesson ideas that they could take back to their own classrooms and apply immediately.

Presenter: Kristina Smekens

Institution: Smekens Education Solutions, Inc.

Room:

Interest: Elementary and Middle Schools

A K-12 Coaching Model: Improving Student Learning by Empowering Teachers

The academic needs of students are increasingly more diverse, making the demands of teachers greater than ever. Initiating a unified “best practice” approach, utilizing available data, and implementing Standards-Based curriculum and assessment were the initiatives launched to address these diverse needs in the MSD of Pike Township. Effective support for teachers is the key to enhancing professional practice and student achievement. Participants will see how Instructional Coaches provide the support by delivering services in a variety of ways: large group trainings, small group trainings, one-on-one coaching and helping identify and provide the foundation to empower teacher leaders within school buildings. Data collected since coaches have been employed will be shared to illustrate the effectiveness of services.

Presenters: Kristin MacBain and Julie Sigmund

Institution: MSD Pike Township

Room:

Interest Level: All

Kids Count on the Money Bus!

Is it ever too early to reach children with financial literacy education? Some have argued that it is important to wait until teens face the prospect of employment and the resulting increase in financial independence. While it's true that credit card applications, pay stubs, and automobile loans are not relevant to young children, Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University believes that to get to the foundations of financial literacy, one must dig deeper and earlier. This workshop will introduce teachers to an exciting initiative for youth in 3rd through 5th grades, a mobile classroom and curriculum, called the Kids Count on the Money Bus^SM , that introduces kids to the building blocks of financial literacy: budgeting, saving, earning and giving.

Note: The Money Bus will be onsite all day in addition to our proposed concurrent session so that educators might experience the on board activities first hand.

Presenters: Sandra Brigando/Shauna Roberts

Institution: Networks Financial Institute at Indiana State University

Room:

Interest Level: Elementary and Middle

Learning Curve: Professional Development Networks As Communities of Practice

Frankfort High School has developed a new professional development model with an emphasis of implementing professional learning communities of practice, in which learning and teaching are interwoven in social networks. This new model embraces the idea that teacher learning should endure over time, build on teachers’ knowledge and experiences, provide opportunities for critical dialogue and inquiry, and foster the public sharing of practice and understandings leading to raising student achievement and documenting successful practices. This session will share the framework used by the presenters in implementing this promising new program with the staff at Frankfort High School.

Presenters: Dr. Kay Rozzi Antonelli and Dr. Charles Hobbs

Institution: Frankfort High School and Indiana Wesleyan University

Room:

Interest Level: All

Literacy Environment Matters!

The literacy environment of a school is any place that provides evidence of literacy learning and conveys the message that reading and writing are the foundation from which we learn. From original student writing displayed throughout hallways to literacy-rich classrooms that have high-quality, reading materials suitable for children of every skill level and experiential and ethnic background, a school’s literacy environment should send a message to students, parents, and others in the learning community that reading and literacy are our number one priority! In this session, the presenters will share results of their school-based research using the Literacy Environment Audit (LEA)—an observation, interview, and data-collection process utilizing a set of research-based tools for evaluating the literacy environment of a school. Participants will see and explore evidence of how the LEA process has helped educators: (1) identify literacy environment gaps, (2) define data-driven steps, and (3) set short- and long-range school improvement goals to improve the literacy environment in order to positively impact reading and learning.

Presenters: Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Ms Linda Cornwall

Institution: Learning Unlimited LLC

Room:

Interest Level: All

One School Corporation’s Approach to District-Wide Accreditation

In 2006-2007, Brownsburg Community School Corporation (BCSC), a growing and diversifying suburban school district of approximately 7,000 students near Indianapolis’ west side, continued the process of seeking district-wide accreditation. Throughout the school year, administrators, operations directors, and teacher leaders met monthly to identify the School Corporation’s identity and to develop a plan for its comprehensive improvement.

This presentation will clearly summarize that process and provide practical examples of how the committee functioned, the meetings were conducted, the plan was developed, and committee actions were communicated to and implemented throughout BCSC’s schools and community.

Presenter: Dan Shepherd

Institution: Brownsburg Community School Corporation

Room:

Interest Level: All

P²: Proficiency & Progress

Learn how the Archdiocese of Indianapolis is putting into practice a reliable three step value added (Sanders) data analysis approach to develop, implement and document student proficiency (achievement) and progress (growth). Through a backward planning model, the presenters will demonstrate how they use student achievement data (ISTEP+) to align the written, taught and tested curriculum to close the achievement gap for all students through a statistical analysis of results both at the subject and standard level.

Presenters: Dr. Ron Costello and Kathy Mears

Institution: Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Room:

Interest: All

Persistent Problems in School Improvement and How to Solve Them

NCA and the Indiana Department of Education have read thousands of plans in recent years and worked with schools throughout the state on their school improvement efforts. Both organizations have noticed similar problems with the process that appear to plague many schools. This session will provide an opportunity for school improvement teams to learn about how others are handling situations they may also have encountered as well as getting their own questions answered.

Presenters: Leslie Ballard and Phil Roth

Institution: Indiana NCA and Division of Accreditation, Assistance and Awards, IDOE

Room:

Interest: All

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

This presentation is geared toward administrators and teachers serving on School Improvement Committees. What do you want your community to know about your school? What do you think your community wants to know about your school? What do you wish your faculty knew about your school? What do you wish your bosses knew about your school? This presentation will show you how to tell your story in simple and practical ways. People are busy. You will only have their attention for 30 seconds or less. Do you know how to prepare a simple, colorful data display that will communicate a clear and compelling message in 30 seconds or less? Simple processes will be shared for determining the message you want convened and the data you want to use for conveying it. Multiple examples will be used for demonstration.

Presenters: Dr. Mark Stock and Dr. Robert Cockburn

Institution: Wawasee School Corporation

Room:

Interest Level: All

The Power of Positive Communication

One of the most essential aspects of being an effective educational leader is being able to communicate successfully. Understanding what to say and how to say it are critical components in building relationships with parents, students, and other educators. This workshop will help you to develop and to refine your communication skills as well as to guide/mentor others in the development of these critical skills. Session participants will leave with specific tools to handle challenging people, initiate communication more confidently, and self-evaluate their personal communication ability.

Presenters: Todd Whitaker and Terry McDaniel

Institution: Indiana State University

Room:

Interest Level: All

The Power of Using Skills and Strategies To Comprehend Informational Text

Learn about research revealing difficulties students experience in comprehending informational text in Indiana textbooks. Find out how to beat the “fourth-grade” slump. The Informational Text Reading Inventory (ITRI) teaches students in grades 3-5 research-based strategies that develop skills leading to comprehension of informational text. ITRI is a standards-based resource provided by the Indiana Department of Education.

Presenters: Deanna Wagoner and Greta Gard

Institution: Center for Innovation in Assessment

Room:

Interest Level: Elementary School

Preparing for the Quality Assurance Review

Join Indiana state office personnel to find out about the nuts and bolts of the new Quality Assurance Review process. The presenters will describe the Standard Assessment Report and provide tips for analyzing evidence and writing responses. Participants will also get a clear idea of what the visit will entail and how to deal with the resulting feedback. Time for Q & A will also be provided.

Presenters: Joyce Fulford

Institution: Indiana NCA

Room:

Interest: All

Productive Collaboration

Hear how one high school faculty uses built-in collaboration time that results in improvement in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The audience will gain ideas for collaboration topics and procedures along with staff accountability. Benefits of professional collaboration as well as real and potential pitfalls will be shared. The presenter will describe the school’s journey from no use of formal professional collaboration to non-productive formal collaboration to present-day productive collaboration. The process of developing professional collaboration time within a low-budget and limited time environment will be presented. Learn how common assessments, curriculum alignment, best practices in instruction and assessment, and expectations fit into the whole process of collaboration.

Presenter: Deborah Neumeyer

Institution: Carroll High School

Room:

Interest Level: All

Quality Assurance Review Roundtable

This informal session will enable chairs and vice chairs who will be visiting schools in 2007-08 to review their work, have their questions answered and learn about any new tools and resources. This session is open only to those who have trained as QAR Chairs in 2007.

Presenter: Leslie Ballard and Joyce Fulford

Institution: Indiana NCA

Room:

Interest Level: Quality Assurance Review Chairs/Vice Chairs

Redesigning Indiana’s High Schools

This session is an overview of the current work going on in the state of Indiana regarding high school redesign. The session will provide insights into the state efforts and other supportive redesign efforts throughout the state. Specific topics will include: drop out prevention, guidance redesign, reshaping schools for the future and on-line learning. Participants will be able to listen and share how redesign can impact the ultimate goal of raising student achievement.

Presenter: Lynn L. Lupold

Institution: Indiana Department of Education

Room:

Interest Level: High Schools

School Improvement and Accountability

Description forthcoming.

Presenter: Gary Wallyn

Institution: Division of Accreditation, Assistance and Awards, IDOE

Room:

Interest Level: All

School Improvement: One Principal/Teacher at a Time

Refusing to allow our challenges (90% poverty) to become excuses, Harwood Middle School made Adequate Yearly Progress for the first time in school history. This school hired a new principal and used strategies presented in this presentation to make dramatic improvements in student achievement and school improvement. It took approximately 13 months to achieve student success using these strategies outlined by the principal. This focus will be on practical methods to build capacity in your staff and students in order to create true instructional leaders and increase student achievement at the Middle level. The presentation will focus on sharing practices for school personnel that can be used to create a positive learning environment that focuses on improving student achievement. The presentation will include lecture and audience participation during this session.

Handouts will be available.

Presenters: Franzy Fleck

Institution: Harwood Middle School

Room:

Interest Level: All

Secondary Reading Comprehension Strategies

A plethora of strategies will be given that can be used to enhance reading comprehension skills across the curriculum. The focus will be graphic organizers, KWL, KWHL and KIM just scratch the surface of what can be used.

Presenters: Rachel Sparks

Institution: Northview High School

Room:

Interest: Middle/High School

Serving as a Member of a Quality Assurance Review School Visit

What does it mean to serve on a QAR visit? What are the expectations? This session will provide an overview of the value and potential of the Quality Assurance Review. The responsibilities of the review team and expectations for individuals serving on them will be presented. Insights on how team members can make meaningful contributions to the entire process will be discussed.

Presenter: Mary Jo Rasmussen

Institution: AdvancED

Room:

Interest: All

The Six Traits of Writing ® Model: Connecting Instruction and Assessment

The 6 Traits of Writing Model has been used successfully to shift emphasis in writing instruction from a holistic to an analytic approach. This shift in turn enables teachers and students to improve writing performance. This session will highlight ways in which a school can implement the model to impact instruction and student achievement.

Presenter: Herb Budden

Institution: Indiana Teachers of Writing (ITW) Project.

Room:

Interest Level: All

Social Class: The Invisible Elephant in the Schools

This presentation is about social class, which affects every student, teacher, and administrator in P-16. Social class affects us all while poverty only directly affects some of our students. Research shows us that social class is the most significant factor in determining P-16 students’ performance on high stakes standardized tests, student academic achievement, student and teacher career aspirations, educational leadership, and parent-teacher, student-teacher, and student-student interactions. This presentation will use research, theory, and best practice to help participants develop a language to talk about social class to more effectively work with the social class diversity we find in our schools.

Presenter: Will Barratt

Institution: Indiana State University

Room:

Interest Level: All

Sputnik to NCLB ………Facing the Facts Over 50 Years…..What’s Next in Math?

What gains have we made over the last 50 years in mathematics education? Have all of our efforts and hard work paid the dividends that we have expected? Have we closed the achievement gap in mathematics education? How do we improving mathematical fluency in the next decade? These are the questions that will be investigated by the audience. At least two activities will be distributed.

Presenter: Bob Trammell

Institution: Mathematics Consultant

Room:

Interest Level:

Student Quality Data Notebooks

This session will explore ways students use their own data to make decisions about their learning. Student use of various quality tools in the classroom will also be explored. Samples of student data notebooks and a video clip of students talking about their Quality Data Notebooks is also included.

Presenter: Mary Jo Rasmussen

Institution: AdvancED

Room:

Interest: All

Success for New Teachers: Mentoring That Works

Do you need guidance in providing a top-notch teacher mentor program for your new teachers? All beginning teachers must be mentored and create a portfolio which is mandated by the state. This session will address Indiana requirements for a New Teacher Mentoring Program as well as highlight mentor programs in a small rural district and a small urban district. State approved trained teacher mentors and a district administrator will highlight their programs and provide helpful information.

Come to our session to receive helpful tips about what all beginning teachers need to know and how to coach them to be the best they can be in the first 2 years. After leaving the session you will have an idea of how to begin, what to do, and an outline of curriculum to follow.

Presenters: Kenna Jones and Aleasia Stewart

Institution: Mt. Pleasant School Corporation and Richmond Community Schools

Room:

Interest Level: All

A Taste of Differentiated Instruction

Participants will learn what differentiated instruction is and is not. They will learn the compelling why of DI. They will learn the essential elements of the concept: 1) the qualities of an effective DI teacher, 2) the teacher’s role in a DI classroom, 3) the principles of developing a DI environment, 4) the types of groups in a DI classroom, 5) the importance of assessment in a DI classroom, 6) the variety of strategies used in a DI classroom. Participants will receive a power point handout with this information as well as a sample packet of strategies.

Presenter: Stephanie Franklin

Institution: Suncrest Elementary School

Room:

Interest: All

This Year’s P.L. 221 Revision

Exactly what is involved in this year’s review and revision for P.L. 221? Come learn about what school improvement team’s should be doing to prepare for the submittal of your most recently revised plan due to the Indiana Department of Education in June 2008. This session will provide team’s with a clear direction of what they need to do to satisfy the state requirement, but most importantly, to make the school improvement process as meaningful as possible in their own buildings.

Presenters: Leslie Ballard and Gary Wallyn

Institution: Indiana NCA and Division of Acreditation, Assistance and Awards, IDOE

Room:

Interest: All

3 Structures to Engage Students in Learning

Attendees will learn 3 different ways of structuring their classes to engage students in learning. Differentiation, strengthening student vocabulary, and student self-monitoring will be modeled in different lesson formats.

Presenter: Jim Mirabelli

Institution: Indiana Department of Education

Room:

Interest: All

Training Teachers to Differentiate for Incarcerated Students with Special Needs

When Carol Tomlinson advocated differentiated instruction for all children in all environments, she probably did not think about how critical that is for children with special needs in juvenile detention facilities. This presentation will cover how teachers are trained to determine the instructional needs of incarcerated students with special needs in a locked juvenile detention center. (Their school is within the facility.) Topics and activities include how teachers are trained to 1) keep the focus on broad concepts, emphasizing understanding and sense-making, not memorization and application of fragmented facts demanded by formal testing, and how to use learning to be positive and confront toxic environments they cannot control when they are released; 2) use both academic and social/emotional assessments required for learning, identify students who need more intervention than others, and how to transition students to an outside environment; 3) differentiate in an environment where materials are not plentiful or “common” for teachers to use; and 4) help students set personal goals that entwine education and problem solving.

Presenter: Dr. Marty Meyer

Institution: Butler University

Room:

Interest Level: Middle/High School

Using the 8-Step Process for Improved Math Performance

Two high school math teachers use the model brought to education by the Brazosport Independent School District in Texas to improve student achievement. When they noticed that over 60% of their students were not passing, they knew that something needed to change. Despite having the highest percentage of special needs students in the school, they believed all students could learn, they just needed to explore best practices they could utilize. These teachers looked at the data and began to collaborate to develop a systematic approach to student improvement. Their students have experienced great progress in mathematics, and they have the data to prove it.

Presenters: Chris Kozy and Jeanette Gray

Institution: George Rogers Clark MS/HS

Room:

Interest Level: Middle/High School

What Do You Do With All That Data?

How do teachers use the data to provide improved instruction? How do they find the time? How do they determine what to do once they analyze the data? This session tells one school’s journey of how the teachers examine data and use it to bring out student improvement every day.

Presenters: Rita Parsons and Heather Hacker

Institution: Holy Spirit School

Room:

Interest Level: All

What’s New with NCA and AdvancED?

Participants in this session will learn about the recent changes in the accreditation process and what these changes mean to schools. The presenters will also discuss the resources available to help schools as they work on their school improvement plans. Bring your questions!

Presenters: Leslie Ballard and Joyce Fulford

Institution: Indiana NCA

Room:

Interest: All

Who Said, “Math Is Not Fun”?

I will describe Center Grove High School’s version of Math Lab, share data and some success stories of our program.  I will share activities that will help the dreaded math minutes go faster.  With Math Labs emerging, ideas need to be shared.  Interactive activities will help students work cooperatively, challenge students, increase classroom involvement and motivation.  This session will be geared toward Algebra I but the activities can be adapted to all levels.  I’ll be introducing new activities that I have not presented before!!  Black line masters provided!

Presenter: Heather Hart

Institution: Center Grove High School

Room:

Interest Level: Middle/High School

The Workshop Way: A Framework for Maximizing Student Achievement

The Workshop Way is a focused instructional framework that engages students in meaningful learning and enables them to maximize achievement. Adjusting the environment and delivery of instruction will be the first step in impacting student achievement. The workshop has three distinct components; concept development through focused instruction, authentic practice, and reflective closure. This session will overview all of the components of workshop instruction and share specific strategies to implement it across all disciplines. The Workshop Way is one way to differentiate instruction, work toward closing the achievement gap, and support current research in best practice instruction.

Presenter: Autumn Vavoso

Institution: Growing Strong Teachers, Inc.

Room:

Interest: All

Writing Instructional Tool that Supports Process of Improvement

The CriterionSM Online Writing Evaluation service is a web-based, instructor-driven, comprehensive instructional tool that helps students plan, write and revise essays. Instructors can create their own topics or select from the Criterion topic library at any level from fourth grade through upper-level college. The system provides annotated diagnostic feedback and a holistic score to both student and instructor within 20 seconds so that students can quickly review, revise and resubmit essays. Instructors can also provide their own feedback within the system, as well as view summary reports of Criterion feedback.

Presenter: Kate Henry

Institution: ETS

Room:

Interest: Intermediate - High School