Keynote Addresses
The skills, knowledge, and attitudes today's learners bring to our schools and the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they will need to be successful in the technological, globally- driven world in which they will live and work have changed dramatically. Dr. Daggett will describe how the nation's most rapidly improving schools are transforming what and how they teach to address these needs and offer specific recommendations on how participants can successfully position their schools to better prepare their students for this changing world.
Over the next three years, our schools will face a series of challenges and opportunities that will have a major impact on both students and teachers. Fueled by states moving to the Common Core State Standards and, more importantly, the new assessments tied to these standards, schools must make a fundamental shift in both what is taught and how it will be taught. Students will be assessed on standards that are far more rigorous and much more applied than in the past, and therefore teachers will need to match their instruction to those higher levels of rigor and relevance. This session will lay out why these changes are being made, the impact they will have on curriculum and instruction, and ways that the nation’s most rapidly improving schools provide a blueprint to meet the challenges successfully.
What are we pretending not to know? Even knowing that the future aches for a new kind of learner, thinker, and problem-solver, all the dollars and time spent on techno gadgets still have changed little more than pockets of classrooms for kids. We need to seek higher ground for our visions and our results. Each generation of young people becomes an investment in the only future we will have - how can we escalate the reshaping of learning NOW! Enjoy a whimsical look at simple but effective strategies that focus technology’s possibilities towards shifting schools into extra H.O.T. 21st Century practices that will power up your students' future today.
Under the ongoing demands of No Child Left Behind to meet yearly federally-mandated assessment benchmarks, principals must first examine the prevailing climate and culture of their schools to determine whether or not both are conducive to academic success. In this high-energy and highly interactive workshop, Principal Kafele provides school leaders with strategies toward developing a school climate and culture that are conducive to high academic performance. Principal Kafele contends that regardless of the skill and ability levels of the teachers and administrators in the building, if they are operating within a toxic school environment, the probability for the school to perform at an optimal level diminishes exponentially.
Workshops
Integrating Instructional Tech
Technology uses magnifies and makes visible all that is working about schools and all that needs to work better for students.
Bernajean Porter, 1997
Technology accelerates something! What is the SOMETHING being targeted in your schools that will maximize Return-On-Learning (ROL) with technology investments? Using blink-like observations, school leaders learn how to observe, code, and record “cognitive” snapshots of technology uses onto hand-held devices. These snapshots create a “mosaic-like” pattern of strengths and weakness of instructional practices and learning values that forms the school’s pedagogical culture and results. The data validates or redirects the use of technology resources in supporting school-wide goals. Participating in the process along with reflecting on the findings ensures new initiatives are rolled out with more success; existing curriculum and pedagogy is refined and revised; staff development goals are targeted; and a continuous dialogue is sustained on expectations for technology resources to directly support student results. Participants will practice three categories of technology uses that shape goals, staff development, curriculum, and focus student achievement on results school-wide. The H.E.A.T. (Higher Order Thinking - Engaged Learning - Authentic Tasks and added-value Technology Uses) framework of high-yielding instructional strategies for increasing rigor and relevance with technology resources will be explored as a school-wide initiative to power up your student's future today.
Anna Surratt, Sixth-Grade Math Teacher, Lynnhaven Middle School
Shelley Labiosa, Eighth-Grade English Teacher, Lynnhaven Middle School
Chris Jones, Math Teacher, Green Run High School
The 21e Teacher Initiative in VBCPS has transformative power for change, especially when embraced and supported by site-based school leadership. This workshop defines the goals of this initiative and how they align and support Compass to 2015.
You will experience how 21eTeacher training helps teachers effectively use instructional technology to move students from passive content consumers to engaged producers, synthesizing learning and enabling them to be productive members of an ever-changing workforce. Learning plans developed by VBCPS 21eTeachers modeling the use of student-centered collaboration, creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem solving will be shared.
How can you support, encourage, and empower the digital-age education leaders in your buildings? As a result of this training, you and your colleagues will consider how 21eTeacher's philosophy of embedded professional development can be used to spark change within your building.
Have you ever wondered, "Now that I have the data, what do I do with it?" With so many reporting options available, do you know which one to use to for which purpose? This session will look at the wealth of reporting options available in Classrooms (formerly known as Align). The Classrooms section of Schoolnet enables districts to efficiently deploy a standards-aligned, district-wide curriculum and scope-and-sequence through centralized creation, management, and dissemination tools. For teachers, it presents a comprehensive dashboard, conveniently packaging their class rosters, daily instructional plans, and standards-aligned student performance reports into a single interface. This course will deliver an overview of the features and benefits included in the solution. Participants will learn how to track the instructional progress of their classes and students by standard and use diagnostic assessment data from multiple sources to analyze student achievement through standards mastery, item analysis, and trend reporting.
Have you ever wondered, "Now that I have the data, what do I do with it?" With so many reporting options available, do you know which one to use to for which purpose? This session will look at the wealth of reporting options available in Classrooms (formerly known as Align). The Classrooms section of Schoolnet enables districts to efficiently deploy a standards-aligned, district-wide curriculum and scope-and-sequence through centralized creation, management, and dissemination tools. For teachers, it presents a comprehensive dashboard, conveniently packaging their class rosters, daily instructional plans, and standards-aligned student performance reports into a single interface. This course will deliver an overview of the features and benefits included in the solution. Participants will learn how to track the instructional progress of their classes and students by standard and use diagnostic assessment data from multiple sources to analyze student achievement through standards mastery, item analysis, and trend reporting.
Balanced Assessment
Supporting teachers in developing their practice of embedded formative assessment requires new kinds of teacher learning, and new models of professional development. In this breakout session, participants will learn why five key elements—choice, flexibility, incrementalism, accountability, and support—are essential, and how these can be enacted through the creation of building-based teacher learning communities.
This session will focus on how school leaders can use data to create a culture of action and inquiry within the constructs of the school environment. Participants will be provided ready to use strategies and tools to use data to inform, to create action, to rethink and reconstruct professional knowledge and to change practice within the context of a learning organization.
The Classroom-Focused Improvement Process (CFIP) is a six-step process for increasing student achievement that is planned and carried out by teachers meeting in grade-level, content, or vertical teams as part of their regular lesson planning cycle. The six steps in the process, when used by a collaborative team, will favorably impact the most direct determinant of student performance results: the curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices through which the students are taught.
The training provided in these sessions is the first phase of the Schoolnet Data Coach Team training and gives participants a clear understanding of the key concepts. Data Coach team training provides participating schools with a critical mass of instructional leaders who will:
- Establish a pervasive culture of data use and continuous improvement.
- Create a collective commitment to, and responsibility for, the learning of every student.
- Model a climate of self-efficacy throughout the staff that each individual can make a difference for every child with whom they have contact.
- Establish the school as a true learning community where the improvement of teaching practice in response to student performance is a daily focus.
Outcomes:
- Participants will understand why and how the paradigm for teaching and learning currently in use must change dramatically and the implications of that change for their own teaching practice.
- Participants will develop an initial level of understanding of the Classroom-Focused Improvement Process (CFIP), a collaborative data dialogue protocol that is the core element of the Schoolnet Data Coach Team training.
Participants in this session will learn the skills of responsive facilitation and learn and practice some essential tools of critical friendship to support the creation and implementation of a balanced assessment system. Together we will explore the relationship between student learning and teacher evaluation and feedback to support and enhance student learning, and the use of various data to inform the work of assessment.
Over the past 10 years, the assessment landscape has changed dramatically – mostly driven by the desire to use assessment results to inform instructional decision making. Are you struggling with how to quickly assess what students know about a particular topic? Are you interested in learning how to leverage your Schoolnet solution to collect classroom assessment data? Join us for an informative session focused on the benefits of Classroom Assess.The first part of this session will include a demonstration of the variety of ways users can create classroom assessments using Schoolnet. We will also simulate administering a classroom assessment. Participants will be invited to take a sample test using clickers, and users who bring their laptop can participate in taking an online test. Finally, we'll share best practices for creating and administering classroom assessments. In the second part of the session, we will focus on accessing and using classroom assessment data. Then we will explore the connection between assessment data and Schoolnet's materials recommendation engine. Think Amazon for educators! Come prepared to learn, have fun, and share how you are leveraging classroom assessments to inform instruction.
Responding to Student Needs
Who the students are; culturally, racially and linguistically and what they bring to the teaching learning process is an essential element to teaching differentiated instruction. This interactive workshop will share specific teaching approaches to integrating student’s interests as a means to teaching rigor. Participants will be provided planning templates and instructional strategies to teach in diverse ways to meet the needs of the diverse learners. A lesson design template will be shared and specific classroom activities will be provided to implementing culturally conscious teaching.
The Classroom-Focused Improvement Process (CFIP) is a six-step process for increasing student achievement that is planned and carried out by teachers meeting in grade-level, content, or vertical teams as part of their regular lesson planning cycle. The six steps in the process, when used by a collaborative team, will favorably impact the most direct determinant of student performance results: the curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices through which the students are taught.
The training provided in these sessions is the first phase of the Schoolnet Data Coach Team training and gives participants a clear understanding of the key concepts. Data Coach team training provides participating schools with a critical mass of instructional leaders who will:
- Establish a pervasive culture of data use and continuous improvement.
- Create a collective commitment to, and responsibility for, the learning of every student.
- Model a climate of self-efficacy throughout the staff that each individual can make a difference for every child with whom they have contact.
- Establish the school as a true learning community where the improvement of teaching practice in response to student performance is a daily focus.
Outcomes:
- Participants will understand why and how the paradigm for teaching and learning currently in use must change dramatically and the implications of that change for their own teaching practice.
- Participants will develop an initial level of understanding of the Classroom-Focused Improvement Process (CFIP), a collaborative data dialogue protocol that is the core element of the Schoolnet Data Coach Team training.
What does it mean to teach with equity at the center of our practice? How can we ensure that our school is culturally aware and responsive on behalf of all our children? Participants in this session will learn the skills of responsive facilitation and some essential tools of critical friendship to support a school-wide focus on equity and the achievement of equitable outcomes for all students.
What is an efficient way to track intervention for both individual and groups of students? Interventions, Schoolnet’s comprehensive Response to Intervention (RTI) software solution empowers educators to evaluate the needs of students, identify those who are struggling (or excelling), and create targeted intervention plans to guide them toward success. Leveraging the wealth of information available in the Schoolnet Instructional Management Suite (IMS), Interventions makes it easy for districts to design and implement consistent RTI processes. By centrally organizing all RTI data, the system automates student screening, streamlines intervention plan creation and progress monitoring, and provides detailed reports and dashboards that gives teams the tools they need to implement successful RTI programs.
In this session you’ll learn how to identify students for both individual and groups plans. On a training site you will set up a team meeting, select interventions and learn how to quickly record tasks. You’ll see how to track progress, both at the student and school level.
Schoolnet National Users Group
Schoolnet is pleased to present our newest product offering, the Educator Development Suite! Schoolnet's EDS aligns multiple measures of educator effectiveness including classroom observations, student growth and student perception, with professional development opportunities to personalize learning for every educator. In this session we will present our new solution and engage in a discussion on emerging district educator effectiveness needs and strategies.
In an ideal world, and in the Schoolnet Product Development Office, who is the Schoolnet Teacher and Schoolnet Administrator? How does the ideal Schoolnet Principal and Teacher use Schoolnet functionality to support both the strategic and daily activities that lead to improving instruction and ultimately, student outcomes? Please join this demo and discussion to learn about the education context from which we determine our products and functionality. NOTE: This workshop will be followed by a discussion about real life Schoolnet districts and educators, and the best practices they’ve discovered through their journey to becoming a data-informed districts.
The Schoolnet product team will present the company's 2011-2012 product roadmap, including a sneak peak at some of the key concepts under consideration for June 2012. This interactive discussion will cover Personalized Learning and Response to Intervention, Balanced Assessment and Performance Tasks, and Measuring and Improving Educator Effectiveness.
(This session is a continuation of The Day in the Life of an SN Educator)
The Schoolnet Client Services team will share best practices and provide real life stories and examples of how our client districts are implementing and using Schoolnet. No matter where you are in the life cycle of implementation and transformation, you can benefit from this session. Join us to hear how other districts have leveraged Schoolnet to support reaching their instructional goals.
Come prepared to learn, have fun, and share promising practices from your District!
Case Studies
Integrating Instructional Tech
Charles H. Foster, Principal, Kemps Landing Magnet School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
To integrate technology effectively, schools will undergo stages of development that include the preparation, implementation, and determination of their future role in instruction and school culture. Within the preparation stage, schools will assess staff knowledge and readiness and lay the groundwork for the implementation stage. In the implementation stage, schools will embed technology into curriculum and instruction while avoiding common pitfalls. In the final stage, schools will collect data to determine the most effective path to fully integrate technology into the school culture.
Greg Furlich, Principal, Kingston Elementary School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Participants will be introduced to the journey of two Vanguard Instructional Technology elementary schools as they worked to help teachers effectively integrate technology into instruction. The presentation will examine the role of leadership and its importance in motivating and focusing teachers; the necessity for a job-embedded professional development model; and the strategic steps taken to plan for, implement, and sustain success. Participants will come away with knowledge and strategies to fill your instructional technology balloon with more than just hot air.
"At no time in the history of American Education has there been a more opportune time for innovated school leaders to introduce new pedagogy, new school designs and new classroom structures that understand how to education today’s child more so than now." - The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning; Jan.’11 Horn, Staker, Hernandez, Hassel and Ableidinger
With current trends in technology, teaching and learning focused on how to deliver more with less, coupled with an increase in how Digital Natives will grow into the future leaders of tomorrow, the call for a new school model is needed. A model dedicated to the understanding of what is possible when you link individual student interests, strong instructional pedagogy, outstanding facilitation of learning, democratic principles, and the freedom to think. Join us to learn more about the emerging field of blended learning and how Simple School Design centered on personalized learning will transform American Education through the effective use of new educational pedagogy utilizing technology as an effective tool for educational attainment and advancement of all children.
Dr. Patricia C. Slaughter, Principal, Trantwood Elementary School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
In order to achieve 21st Century Technology Integration, we need to turn up the H.E.A.T. We modeled this after Bernajean Porter’s philosophy of H. – Higher Order Thinking, E. - Engaged Students, A. - Authentic Tasks, and T. -Technology Uses. Learn how we recognized the obstacles and continue to address the challenges to meet the needs of our 21st Century Learners.
Dr. Cheryl Zigrang, Principal, Thoroughgood Elementary School
Presenters from Birdneck and Thoroughgood Elementary Schools will share the lessons they learned and describe the surprising results experienced during their first year as part of Virginia Beachs Vanguard Technology Schools Cohort I. These two socioeconomically different schools will discuss the similarities and differences of their experiences, and how a renewed focus on technology integration led to improved, more effective staff collaboration as well as an increase in the students' development of 21st century skills.
Patti Shaw, Division Coordinator for Instructional Technology, Manassas City Public Schools, VA
Manassas City Public Schools sought to align the 3-year beginning teacher/mentor program with newly adopted instructional technology initiatives being implemented in the division. The primary goal of this case study was to redesign, deliver and evaluate a three-year professional development program that would capitalize on the strengths that our newly hired technologically savvy Millennials bring to the learning environment. The secondary focus was to enhance the knowledge and skills of Baby Boomers and Generation X teachers who are less inclined to embrace new technology initiatives that result in change in instructional practices.
Balanced Assessment
Lisa D. Hannah, Principal, Three Oaks Elementary School
In order to implement the Vanguard initiative in Virginia Beach City Public Schools, eight schools were tasked with developing a balanced assessment system within their schools. This balanced assessment program should provide students with opportunities to demonstrate achievement in curriculum that is embedded with 21st century skills. The question that we focused on was Why is it important? Is it the goal or the means to the goal? This case study is a summary of the steps taken by two schools to begin this work. The successes, failures, and challenges encountered along the way will be discussed.
Robin D. Davenport, Principal, Creeds Elementary School
In order to prepare students to successfully utilize 21st century skills at all levels of education and beyond, elementary schools must develop performance-based assessments appropriate to the readiness, needs, and abilities of their students in order to ensure they are prepared for more intense challenges at the secondary level. As students matriculate from elementary to middle school, middle grades educators must develop performance based assessments designed to capitalize on and continue the development of the essential thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills embedded in children during their early years.
Dr. Ann Zingraff-Newton, Academy Coordinator, Ocean Lakes High School,
Allison Graves, Gifted Resource Teacher, Ocean Lakes High School
When Ocean Lakes High School became a Balanced Assessment Vanguard School, we knew that practicing what we preached would lead us to our desired outcomes. We became convinced that the Understanding By Design framework would serve as a cornerstone as we grappled with the necessary paradigm shifts that would redirect our focus from teachers’ teaching to students’ learning. How could we use preassessment to tailor training for our staff? How could we design a relevant, outcome oriented performance task that would lead to student learning? How could we create a rubric that would communicate our desired balanced assessment outcomes? What formative data can we draw from this year’s experiences to improve next year’s training? In this case study, the Ocean Lakes Vanguard team will explore our answers to these key questions.
Melanie Lee, Assistant Principal, First Colonial High School
With Virginia Beach City Public school’s implementation of a new strategic plan, Compass to 2015, First Colonial High School realized a need to rethink the way we discussed instruction, selected teacher leaders, and asked questions about student learning. Over the course of three years through collecting data during classroom learning walks and teacher peer observations and identifying true teacher leaders, a process emerged for not only changing our mission but also starting on our journey to change culture. Based on our work, First Colonial was selected amongst other elementary, middle, and high schools to review and build upon current assessment practices with hopes of developing an understanding and practice of a balanced assessment system. In this case study, two assistant principals will discuss the challenges and successes of the work that took place, will highlight plans to transfer our work from a small group of instructional leaders back to the building, and will address future plans and continued efforts towards change and the integration of a balanced assessment system.
Dr. Sharon Shewbridge, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Strategic objective that is part of Virginia Beach City Public Schools' Compass to 2015 strategic plan is to create a balanced assessment system that provides students with opportunities to demonstrate achievement linked to curriculum standards. This case study presentation will describe the development and facilitation of a collaboration procedure within two elementary schools used to guide teachers to a greater understanding of the curriculum objectives and to focus on assessment while ensuring equity across classrooms.
Sha Burdsal, Principal, Travis Elementary, Midland ISD, Midland, TX
For the past three years Travis Elementary has been an unacceptable campus in the Texas accountability system. Additionally, Travis entered Stage 1 of of federal Annual Yearly Progress oversight this past year. After enduring multiple leadership changes as well as an extremely high teacher turnover rate for the past three years, Travis has finally embraced transformation with established systematic leadership, implementation of a balanced assessment system, focused professional development for teachers in data disaggregation and literacy as well as making the connection between data and student learning in a rapid and positive manner. From this focus Travis is projected to meet state accountability standards this year as well as meet Annual Yearly Progress through the use of safe harbor (required improvement).
Responding to Student Needs
James M. Pohl, Principal, Princess Anne High School
While staying focused on your school’s Plan for Continuous Improvement (PCI) goals and incorporating your Vanguard initiative, job-embedded professional development is imperative. Regardless of your level – Elementary or Secondary – participants will leave with an understanding of how to create a comprehensive professional development (PD) plan that is embedded throughout the year. Discussions will focus around differentiating your PD plan, how to utilize technology in organizing your program, the importance of developing a needs assessment for PD, integrating Virginia Beach City Public School’s Compass to 2015: Strategic Objective 3 and Responsiveness to Student Needs into your PD program, and how to schedule courses during the school day while accounting for contractual obligations.
Norma French, Assistant Principal, Strawbridge Elementary School,
Christa Markert, Computer Resource Specialist, Strawbridge Elementary School,
Sean R. Walker, Principal, Alanton Elementary School,
Jacqueline Sargent, Assistant Principal, Alanton Elementary School,
Melissa Taylor, Mathematics Specialist, Alanton Elementary School
What do we want students to know, understand, and do while we respond accordingly? Participants in this session will examine how specific Learning Plans were created that integrate preassessment, utilize interactive flip charts, align to curriculum standards, and infuse tiered activities. In addition, the session will include activities that demonstrate how to evaluate lessons and provide feedback using the 21st Century Continuum. The focus will remain on Virginia Beach City Public School's Compass to 2015: Strategic Objective 3 and Responsiveness to Student Needs. Throughout the session, participants will utilize these questions: "How will we respond when students are not learning?" and "How will we respond when some students already know the information?"
This case study addresses the outcomes, benefits, and challenges of implementing a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework utilizing a "Plan-Do-Study-Act” decision making model. Albemarle County Public Schools has utilized SchoolNet to ensure that Tier I (General Core Curriculum) is the foundation of the RTI framework. The goal for Albemarle County Schools was to radically shift "traditional” eligibility and service delivery practices in order to address longstanding issues plaguing special education programs (i.e. overidentification and disproportionality) through RTI. Participants will learn how Albemarle County Schools implemented RTI, the outcomes of the implementation, and how RTI has re-defined special education's role in assessment and instruction.
David C. Swanger, Director, Technical and Career Education Center
Participants will learn how a traditional middle school and a technical center for high school students have utilized both academic support and mentoring to address student mastery of course content as measured by grades and course-related state assessments and industry credentials. While this two-tiered approach responds to the needs of all students, a particular emphasis on closing the achievement gap between African Americans and non-minority peers will be presented.
Steven Scarcelli, Principal, Red Mill Elementary School,
Kimberly S. Hobbs, Assistant Principal, Red Mill Elementary School,
Ann Hobbs, Second Grade Teacher, Red Mill Elementary School,
Terry Ritzel, Math Specialist, Luxford Elementary School
Vanguard - Responsiveness to Student Needs means different things to different schools. Every school has many strengths and some weaknesses in the ways that they respond to student, school, and community needs. Therefore, the plan to address those needs has to be unique and designed specifically for that school. While one school focused on school climate and the second school focused on academic achievement, both were successful. This session will address how these two very different schools created plans that addressed the varied needs of their schools and their student populations.