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P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI |
A D V I S O R Y EVENT: WORKSHOP 2008 DATE: TUESDAY, OCT. 28 to THURSDAY, OCT. 30 LOCATION: ATLANTIC CITY CONVENTION CENTER CONTACT: Frank Belluscio(fbelluscio@njsba.org) Workshop 2008, the major conference for New Jersey's local school board members and school administrators, will take place in Atlantic City from Tuesday, Oct. 28 through Thursday, Oct. 30. About 10,000 people are expected to attend the event to hear national education experts and to choose from approximately 190 training and information sessions. The learning opportunities will include programs on these and other topics:
Workshop 2008 is sponsored by the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators and the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials. Reporters will have numerous opportunities for news and feature stories and to gain in-depth background on trends and issues in public education. Most Workshop programs will take place in the Atlantic City Convention Center. Attendance at Workshop 2008 programs is free for credentialed news staff of print and broadcast media. Services for news media: Throughout the conference, a newsroom will be set up for reporters in the Atlantic City Convention Center. Press kits, telephones and Internet access will be available. Upon arrival at the Convention Center, reporters should register at the Workshop Newsroom on the second floor, outside Exhibit Hall A. The newsroom telephone number will be (609) 449-3943. If you plan to attend or would like additional information, contact Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org) or Mike Yaple (myaple@njsba.org) at (609) 278-5202. Lodging: For information on hotel accommodations in Atlantic City, contact A.C. Central Reservations at www.acrooms.com or call (866) 400-3999 or (888) AC ROOMS. Workshop program highlights include: (All programs are in the Atlantic City Convention Center unless otherwise noted) TUESDAY, OCT 28 Effective Autism Programs – The autism rate has increased dramatically, and now affects one of every 90 births in New Jersey. More school districts, faced with staggering costs for out-of-district programs, are looking to create effective autism programs in their own schools. (9:15 to 10:45 a.m., Room 411) What to Expect for 2009-2010: The New School Funding Formula – How will New Jersey’s new school funding formula affect public education in the 2009-2010 school year? This program covers all the details, from the 4% levy cap to waivers and adjustments. (9:15 to 10:45 a.m., Room 412) The Impact of School District Leadership on Student Achievement – Recent research provides compelling evidence that effective local leadership in schools has a powerful impact on student achievement. This program highlights the traits of effective superintendents. (3 to 4:30 p.m., Room 412) Getting Closer to the CORE Requirements – School districts face a myriad of new regulations stemming from the recent CORE and School District Accountability Acts. This program looks at restrictions, requirements, and the state’s plans for regionalization. (3 to 4:30 p.m., Room 411) WEDNESDAY, OCT. 29 Nancy Giles – An actor and CBS Sunday Morning commentator, Giles is a product of the New York City school system. She will share stories of teachers who inspired her, her volunteer work with children, and the lessons learned from both during her address, “Teaching Matters.” (1 to 2:30 p.m., Hall A) Do School Boards Matter? – Dr. Thomas Alsbury, a researcher and associate professor at North Carolina State University, will use studies to answer whether local school governance has any measurable effect on student achievement. (2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., Room 312) State Legislative Update – Assembly Education Committee Chairman Joe Cryan will lead a group of lawmakers in a discussion of education issues on the Legislature’s agenda. Cryan is also state Democratic party chairman. A question-and-answer session with local school officials will follow. (3 to 4:30 p.m., Room 303) Consolidation and Regionalization – Because of a law passed last year, voters in many communities are expected to decide proposals to regionalize or consolidate their school districts. This program will help school officials understanding the fiscal dynamics of regionalization. (9:45 to 11:15 a.m., Room 412) Closing the Achievement Gap – Experts from the Educational Information and Resource Center in Sewell and the University of Pennsylvania will discuss strategies that can reduce the gap in academic performance among various racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. (9:45 to 11:15 a.m., Room 401) Micromanagement vs. Governance – Some may consider a board’s particular actions to be effective oversight, but others might call it micromanagement. A team including a psychologist, superintendent and board president will address the fine line between management and governance. (9:45 to 11:15 a.m., Room 411) Shared Services – Municipal and school officials from Lyndhurst will talk about how they were able to build partnerships to benefit the community. Working with county officials, they were able to construct a facility that neither entity could build alone. (9:45 to 11:15 a.m., Room 408/409) High School Redesign: Impact and Implications for All Students – The state’s High School Redesign Steering Committee has proposed a single set of courses for every student seeking a New Jersey high school diploma. A panel of educators from vocational and suburban districts, as well as from higher education, will address the impact of the proposal. (10 a.m. to noon, Room 418) Overcoming the Achievement Gap Among Disadvantaged and Special Education Students – Educators will teach methods to help disadvantaged and special-education students overcome the achievement gap, including data driven planning, curriculum alignment, and regular assessments. (2:45 to 4:15 p.m., Room 411) Teen Driving Safety – The first 24 months of driving are the most dangerous for young people. School officials will learn how they can help reduce traffic accidents among young people by implementing new guidelines from the Teen Driver Study Commission. (2:45 to 4:15 p.m., Room 412) Student Uniforms – Bayonne officials will discuss their district’s experiences – including the legal challenges – when the school board implemented a school uniform policy in its elementary and high schools. Also discussed will be benefits and obstacles of such a policy. (2:45 to 4:15 p.m., Room 401) THURSDAY, OCT. 30 Tierney Cahill – When Halle Berry portrays a person’s real-life experiences in a film, you know they’ve got a great story to tell. Cahill is a teacher who wrote a book about her candidacy for Congress to prove to her sixth-grade students that ordinary citizens can indeed run for public office. Her story will be featured in the upcoming motion picture, “Class Act.” (3:15 to 4:30 p.m., Hall A) In Defense of Small School Districts – As the state funding system squeezes small school districts to the point where they might consider regionalization, educators from one small school district will discuss whether consolidation is the right approach for students and taxpayers. (9 to 10:30 a.m., Room 412) Barriers to Effective School Leadership – Successful schools need effective leaders. This forum, sponsored by the Urban Boards Committee, will explore barriers to autonomy – both real and imagined – that principals face in their quest to provide successful leadership. (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Room 402) Education Foundations – Can education foundations provide local school districts with $100,000 or more a year? The president of the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Education Foundations will explore the five practices that lead to effective foundations. (9 to 10:30 a.m., Room 411) Gifted Education in New Jersey – Presenters from the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children discuss important topics such as state requirements to provide a gifted education program, the Governor’s School of New Jersey, and recent legal cases. (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Room 412) Current Issues in School Law – Two of NJSBA’s attorneys will present an update on the most recent legal issues affecting public schools, such as freedom of speech among students and teachers; ethics; labor issues; and a brief overview of Accountability Regulations. (1:15 to 2:45 p.m., Room 412) Preschool Expansion – Preschool has become a major state initiative in New Jersey, and a state Department of Education official will examine the state’s preschool expansion aid for 2009-2010. (1:15 to 2:45 p.m., Room 411) Reducing Bullying – Bullying is a destructive problem faced by all school districts. Consultants from the Moorestown School/Community Kindness Education Program will showcase the School-Parent-Community system, a new option to address bullying. (1:15 to 2:45 p.m., Room 404) ********
The New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of district boards of education, advocates the interests of school districts, trains local school board members, and provides resources for the advancement of public education. ###
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