Pre-Conference Workshop ONE
Reinventing In-School Suspension:  Helping Students Achieve, Stay in School, and Graduate

Jim Lawson
Teacher, A. Crawford Mosley High School, Panama City Beach, FL

Student achievement in a safe, structured learning environment should be the mission of all ISS personnel in America’s schools. The purpose of this presentation is to teach school administrators, counselors, ISS program administrators, and other persons of influence, the effective strategies the presenter has developed and implemented at schools throughout the U.S. When implemented, these strategies have significantly increased student achievement, reduced out-of-school suspension rates, and improved graduation rates.

Pre-Conference Workshop TWO
The Kids Left Behind…Building Plans to Successfully Intervene with Underachieving Children

Robert Barr
College of Education, Boise State University, Boise, ID

Findings from 18 state and national studies of high poverty/high performing schools indicate that a common pattern of improvement design and intervention clearly exists. Each of these schools successfully improved aspects of their district and or school leadership capacity to better target and serve low SES students. Specific topics will include improvements in leadership, curriculum, instruction, assessment and data literacy, reorganization of time, space and transitions, understanding poverty, targeting interventions and parent and community engagement. This session will provide participants with the opportunity to compare the work of high achieving schools with their own efforts and to build action plans.

Pre-Conference Workshop THREE
From At-Risk to Academic Excellence:  What Successful Leaders Do

Franklin Schargel
President, The Schargel Consulting Group, Albuquerque, NM

Most schools/programs dealing with at-risk learners fail. The ones that are successful have focused, directed leadership. We asked 200 schools and programs dealing with high poverty, and high minority populations from all grade levels and from suburban, rural and inner city schools why they have been successful. We asked how they got their parents, staff, and community involved. Since schools have so many; fires to put out, we asked how they prioritized. Their answers form the basis for this seminar. This seminar is designed for current and potential school leaders.

Pre-Conference Workshop FOUR
Reality and Gangs

Daryl Macaluso
Durham Police Department, Durham, NC

This is a "train the trainer type course". Participants will be given a class outline and power point presentation that may be used and/or modified for use within their own jurisdictions. This ANTI GANG program focuses on teaching kids and families the truth about gangs and violence while dispelling the myths often associated with gangs. It gives kids a real life look at gangs (compared to the media portrayal) and offers suggestions on how to avoid gangs or to get out of a gang.

Pre-Conference Workshop FIVE
Developing Leaders As Agents of Change

Lew Smith
Lew Smith, Associate Professor and Director,Center for Educational Research and Leadership, Fordham University, Bronx, NY

Michele Hancock
Chief of Professional Development and Diversity, Rochester City School District, Rochester, NY

What does it take to successfully lead significant school change? This session will look at change through the lens of human dynamics, using examples of schools that have been nationally recognized for dramatically improving. Building on relevant research, participants will explore the characteristics of leaders who served as agents of change and be given real-life scenarios to resolve.