National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality What Works Conference
Advancing Student Achievement Through Effective Teaching and Leadership
National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality What Works Conference
November 5–7
The Fairmont Washington, DC
Agenda
Download an Adobe® Reader® PDF version of the Advancing Student Achievement
Through Effective Teaching and Leadership Agenda (204 KB).
| Monday, November 5 | ||
| 4:00 p.m. | Conference Registration Opens | Grand Ballroom Foyer |
| 4:30 p.m. | Regional Comprehensive Center (RCC) Teacher Quality Meeting(Closed Session for RCC TQ Liaisons and State Managers)
During this preconference meeting, RCC teacher quality liaisons and their state managers will meet with National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality staff to share capacity building successes and stories, become oriented to their role as a regional and/or state team facilitator, and collaborate across regional centers. |
Lindens Suite |
| 6:00 p.m. | Preconference Dinner | Ballroom II |
| 7:00 p.m. | Dinner Keynote—
Getting Started: New Public School and Teacher Perceptions of Training and First Months on the Job (
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Ballroom II |
| Tuesday, November 6 | ||
| 7:30–9:00 a.m. | Registration and Continental Breakfast | Grand Ballroom Foyer |
| 8:00–9:00 a.m. | Regional Team Meetings and Planning Session—
Adding Value to Your Conference (Closed Session)
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Ballroom II |
| 9:00–9:15 a.m. | Welcome and Introduction
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Ballroom II |
| 9:15–10:15 a.m. | Opening Plenary—Connecting Teaching and Leading
With more than 1,400 schools, New York City has more public schools than any other school district in the country. New York City Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein will discuss his historic Children First school reforms during our opening plenary session. Please join us to learn about how New York City is building the capacity of its teachers and principals, creating new management and support structures, bringing accountability to its schools, and, increasingly, achieving success.
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Ballroom II |
| 10:15–10:30 a.m. | Break | |
| 10:30–11:45 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions I A. Assessment of Teachers and Leaders— Ballroom II Assessing Effectiveness in Teachers The focus on teacher effectiveness in the classroom, rather than teacher qualifications outside of the classroom, is garnering increased national attention as a means of improving student academic achievement. The challenge is how best to evaluate teacher effectiveness. This session will include a presentation and discussion on two of the primary methods used in teacher evaluation systems: value-added measures of student performance and in-class observation of teachers. The expert presenters will present the challenges and benefits of these methods as well as discuss the types of supportive systems and processes that must be in place to use them effectively.
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Ballroom II |
| B. Creation of Effective Systems—
Teacher Attitudes and Aspirations
Research and survey data on teacher quality illustrate links between teacher attitudes about their working conditions and their opportunities for leadership. Yet, these links do not appear to be a straight line connecting teacher effectiveness, teacher retention, principal leadership, and student achievement. What leadership and empowerment opportunities make a difference in teacher working conditions, in retaining teachers in hard-to-staff schools, and in creating viable pathways for teacher leadership? Listen to expert presentations about teachers' attitudes and aspirations, including perceptions of novice and veteran teachers and what these findings mean for the profession at national and state levels.
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Dumbarton Suite | |
| C. Special Challenges—Recruiting and Retaining Highly Qualified Special Educators and Other Related Service Personnel (Adobe Reader PDF 3 MB) One of the largest challenges facing public schools in America is the challenge of recruiting, hiring, and retaining special educators and related personnel. This panel will focus on the current policy and research that illuminates this crisis and how NCLB and IDEA impact district and state decision-making and planning. In addition, best practices that states and districts are putting into place to alleviate this situation will be discussed. Finally, the presenters will offer insights about how institutions of higher education and other alternative programs that prepare special education teachers and related personnel can take proactive steps to address the chronic and growing shortage. National as well as state perspectives will be discussed.
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Benjamin Latrobe Room | |
| D. Sustaining the Development and
Implementation of Your State's HQT Plan—
A Focus on Data
Sustaining the development and implementation of state HQT plans continues to be an important goal for most states. One aspect of that work includes gathering, analyzing, and reporting useful and meaningful data related to high quality, experienced teachers and the distribution of those teachers across classrooms, schools, and districts. The presenters will discuss a variety of topics related to teacher quality data and data systems, including building political support to develop and use longitudinal data systems.
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Lord Culpeper Room | |
| E. Building Capacity to Advance Alice Longworth Room Teacher Quality and Leadership Quality— Moving From Compliance to Innovation (Adobe Reader PDF 8 MB)
The next frontier for American education is raising the quality of education to prepare all students for the knowledge economy. With 70 percent of the nation's schools in compliance with NCLB standards, including the highly qualified teacher provisions, it is time for educators to begin thinking about the next step: moving states, districts, and schools beyond a compliance mentality and thinking about leading for innovation. This session will provide contemporary thinking on teacher quality, leadership concepts, and innovation in education.
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| 11:45 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Break and Move to Lunch | |
| 12:00–2:00 p.m. | Luncheon Plenary— Coteaching: Classroom Partnerships for Student Success (Adobe Reader PDF 34 KB)
The school reform initiatives of the past several years have had the positive effect of prompting a careful reexamination of the relationship between general education and special education and pressure to create a single comprehensive system to meet the needs of diverse learners. However, this relatively simply stated goal is fraught with complexities. The purpose of this session is to outline several of these issues, including those related to ensuring teacher quality: What is a highly qualified general or special education teacher? What knowledge, skills, and dispositions do both groups need in their initial professional preparation to ensure they can meet the expectations and manage the realities of today's schools? Perhaps most importantly, how can leaders in the field of special education help to develop an adequate pool of special educators so that students with disabilities receive the education to which they are entitled?
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Ballroom II |
| 2:00–2:15 p.m. | Break and Move to Working Sessions | |
| 2:15–3:30 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions II A. Assessment of Teachers and Leaders— Measuring Principal Effectiveness in a Performance-Based System The research is clear that any serious change for the better in education will depend on effective leadership at the school and district level. Despite an emerging consensus around the characteristics of effective leadership, how to measure performance remains an elusive problem. Researchers at Vanderbilt University are on the "leading edge" of developing new measures of principal effectiveness and understanding the challenges facing states and districts struggling to implement a performance-based system focused on improved student outcomes. This panel will discuss the results of a comprehensive review of leadership evaluation instruments being used across the country, introduce new evaluation models being pilot-tested, and discuss the role of policy to support effective leaders.
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Sulgrave Suite |
| B. Creation of Effective Systems—
Working With Unions to Advance Teacher Quality
In many cases, a strong union/district partnership is a vital component of any plan aimed at advancing teacher quality goals to assure a high-quality education for all students. There are few examples, however, as to how that kind of partnership develops and thrives over time. Panelists will provide a state-level context and then share specific union/district partnership stories from two districts, Clark County School District and Chattanooga City Schools. The panel will include state, district, and union perspectives.
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Dumbarton Suite | |
| C. Special Challenges— Preparing Teachers for Challenging Assignments and Student Populations
This concurrent session will include four distinct perspectives on preparing new teachers for challenging assignments and how to work with special student populations. The presentation will offer insights based on emerging research about how new teachers are prepared academically prior to entering teacher preparation; it will showcase how to best prepare new teachers for rural schools and communities—those serving native American students in particular; it will detail strategies for preparing new teachers for urban schools and communities; and, finally, it will offer insights on how issues related to special education teacher certification affect recruitment and hiring for those wanting to work with students with disabilities for all communities. Although these topics are each unique—from teacher academic preparation research and rural and urban key preparation practices to special education certification policy levers—together they provide a broad overview of key issues that face those who prepare and support teachers and those who design policy for public schools across the country.
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Benjamin Latrobe Room | |
| D. Sustaining the Development and Implementation of Your State's HQT Plan— A Focus on Equitable Distribution
Sustaining the development and implementation of state HQT plans continues to be an important goal for most states. A high priority of that work is each state's equity plan, which is to ensure that poor and minority children are not taught at higher rates than other children by inexperienced, unqualified, and out-of-field teachers. This panel will allow participants the opportunity to hear perspectives about developing and sustaining teacher equitable distribution plans from the federal level, from research, and from state-level planning and implementation.
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Lord Culpeper Room | |
| E. Building Capacity to Advance Teacher Quality and Leadership Quality— Innovation Configurations
Quality teachers in the classroom start with quality teacher preparation. Innovation configurations have been developed to improve teacher preservice preparation and professional development in the critical areas of scientifically based reading instruction (SBRI), classroom organization and behavior management, and inclusive practices. This session will present the scientifically based reading instruction innovation configuration, a tool designed to analyze and evaluate teacher preparation coursework and professional development programs. In this session, participants will engage in evaluating teacher preparation syllabi and continuing professional development offerings in scientifically based reading instruction through this innovation configuration.
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Alice Longworth Room | |
| 3:30–3:45 p.m. | Break and Move to Working Sessions | |
| 3:45–5:00 p.m. | Regional Team Working Sessions
Full regional and state teams will meet in designated breakout rooms to discuss conference themes and share ways in which these themes reflect priority areas in their state or region. Working session materials will support the teams in collaborating on issues of teacher quality and leadership. |
Assigned Breakout Rooms |
| 5:30–7:00 p.m. | Reception | Colonnade |
| Wednesday, November 7 | ||
| 7:00–9:00 a.m. | Continental Breakfast | Grand Ballroom Foyer |
| 7:30–8:15 a.m. | Early Bird Session—Teacher Quality and Leadership Indicators
Research suggests that teacher quality is the most important factor influencing student achievement, but what can states do to better attract, develop, and retain a high-quality education workforce? Grab a cup of coffee, and come talk with Education Week editor Lynn Olson about how the newspaper is rethinking its indicators on human capital for the 2008 edition of Quality Counts, an annual report card on public education in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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Roosevelt Room |
| 8:30–9:30 a.m. | Morning Plenary—
NCLB Reauthorization and the Aspen Institute Report: Key Recommendations for Teaching and Leading
The current draft proposals of NCLB legislation continue to focus on teacher quality as a critical component to transforming our nation's schools. Join Alex Nock as he presents the current context and factors regarding the reauthorization of NCLB and how the NCLB Commission's recommendations on teacher quality and leaders are influencing discussions in Congress.
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Ballroom II |
| 9:30–9:45 a.m. | Break and Move to Roundtable Sessions or Panel Presentation | |
| 9:45–10:45 a.m. | Panel Presentation—
Defining a Highly Effective Teacher: A Practitioner View
During this panel presentation, three outstanding educators will provide their insight, grounded in personal experience, as to what defines an effective teacher. Jason Kamras, National Teacher of the Year 2005; Andrea Peterson, National Teacher of the Year 2007; and Justin Minkel, Arkansas Teacher of the Year 2007, will share their views from their own unique classrooms. Attend this session to learn about the perspectives of some of the country's best teachers on one of the most challenging questions facing modern-day educators: What is an effective teacher?
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Executive Forum |
| 9:45–10:45 a.m. | Roundtable Sessions
In an informal setting, conference participants will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss initiatives, tools, and resources designed to support and advance teacher quality and leadership for the benefit of enhancing student achievement. Each roundtable session will last for 25 minutes so participants can take part in two different roundtable discussions during the hour. Seating at each of the roundtables is unassigned and limited, so please plan to arrive early to secure seating within your first choice topic area. Assessment of Teachers and Leaders
Creation of Effective Systems
Special Challenges
Overview of the Minnesota Induction Program for SpecialEducators ( Adobe Reader PDF 239 KB)Sustaining the Development and Implementation of Your State's HQT Plan
Building Capacity to Advance Teacher Quality and Leadership Quality
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Ballroom II |
| 10:45–11:00 a.m. | Break and Move to Roundtable Sessions or Panel Presentation | |
| 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Roundtable Sessions (Repeat)
In an informal setting, conference participants will have the opportunity to learn about and discuss initiatives, tools, and resources designed to support and advance teacher quality and leadership for the benefit of enhancing student achievement. Each roundtable session will last for 25 minutes so participants can take part in two different roundtable discussions during the hour. Seating at each of the roundtables is unassigned and limited, so please plan to arrive early to secure seating within your first choice topic area. |
Ballroom II |
| 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Panel Presentation—Defining a Highly Effective Teacher: A Practitioner View (Repeat)
During this panel presentation, three outstanding educators will provide their insight, grounded in personal experience, as to what defines an effective teacher. Jason Kamras, National Teacher of the Year 2005; Andrea Peterson, National Teacher of the Year 2007; and Justin Minkel, Arkansas Teacher of the Year 2007, will share their views from their own unique classrooms. Attend this session to learn about the perspectives of some of the country's best teachers on one of the most challenging questions facing modern day educators: What is an effective teacher?
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Executive Forum |
| 12:00–12:15 p.m. | Break and Move to Lunch Working Sessions | |
| 12:15–2:00 p.m. | Luncheon | Ballroom II |
| Regional Teams Working Session
Full regional and state teams will debrief in designated breakout locations about the two-day conference and plan specific next steps for action. Teams will use an action planning tool provided by National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality to connect state HQT plans, National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality tools and resources, and conference session materials. |
Ballroom II Lindens Suite Potomac Suite |
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| 12:45–2:00 p.m. | Concurrent Optional Panel Presentation— Educator Quality in the Press
No Child Left Behind included specific guidance to states and districts on communicating with parents and communities about the performance of schools and districts as well as about teacher quality. Come hear a spirited discussion among several representatives of state and national media outlets as well as a state education agency communications director as they debate the challenges of reporting on issues of educator quality based on state and federal reports. The pressure on the media to report accurately in a 24-hour news market; challenges to interpreting data that are often self-reported by states and districts; and highlighting aspects of "quality" in reporting about educators are all topics this panel of experts will address.
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Executive Forum |
| 2:00–2:15 p.m. | Break and Move to General Plenary Session | |
| 2:15–3:30 p.m. | General Plenary Session— Ballroom II What Is the Role of the Federal Government in Supporting Highly Effective Teachers and Leaders?
With federal legislation playing an essential and influential role in establishing standards for student achievement and teacher quality, educators, policymakers, the media, and the public are engaged in a nationwide conversation about teacher effectiveness and quality. Some of the fundamental principles of specific federal legislation, such as those included in NCLB and IDEA, have changed the course for America's teachers and their leaders. Join panelists who will share different perspectives on the implications of federal legislation for teachers and leaders.
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| 3:30 p.m. | Closing Remarks
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Ballroom II |
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