The final two Certified Board Leader (CBL) courses being offered before fall, Presentation Skills and Focusing Your Board on Student Achievement are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 31 at the Raritan Valley Academy, Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission in Piscataway.

Presentation Skills Does the thought of getting up in public make you sweat? Do you want to become better at presenting to groups? If you are getting ready to run for reelection, present your budget or referendum, or just deliver good news about your district, and wondering how you will be received, this is the program for you.

As a result of participating in this workshop, attendees will be able to:

• Assess their audience
  
  
• Set goals and objectives
  
  
• Plan their presentations and materials
  
  
• Involve their audience (no matter its size)
  
  
• Deliver their messages effectively

To participate, attendees are required to deliver a 10-minute presentation. Registration deadline is March 27, but March 23 is advised, so attendees can receive instructions to prepare their presentations in time for the program.

Student Achievement is the most important issue for a school board. Experts will teach how to measure achievement, evaluate and realign curriculum to meet expectations, and make student achievement a regular part of board business.

Presenters include:

• Willa Spicer, newly named deputy commissioner for the state Department of Education, will lead participants through defining achievement and measurement tools as they relate to state standards, and assess student achievement beyond test scores.
  
  
• Dr. Antoinette Rath, superintendent of the Mount Laurel School District, will engage participants in a discussion about the relationship between curriculum and expectations, and what curriculum changes can be made to address achievement gaps.
  
  
• Dr. John Kazmark, superintendent of the Mountain Lakes School District, and Susan McCusker, president of the Mountain Lakes Board, will help participants develop a formula for making student achievement a cooperative effort for local school district administration and school boards.

Registration for each course is $125. To register, have your business administrator contact Heidi Bullock of the NJSBA Business Department at (888) 886-5722, ext. 5217, or (609) 278-5217.