The presenter will discuss how high schools can assess student readiness and help students prepare for college-level mathematics. One strategy is to offer catch-up mathematics courses in grades nine and 12. This session will share the SREB design.

For students to truly understand mathematics and relate it to the real world, they need to apply what they have learned in a variety of contexts. This session will explore strategies for incorporating numeracy into all areas of the curriculum and preparing students for further studies.
Handout: Integrating Numeracy

The presenters will share the experiences and outcomes of instituting an 11th grade interim mathematics assessment program to prepare students for state testing. The plan is based on assessing prior mathematics skills and remediating instruction to ensure student success.
Handout: Using Interim Assessments to Build Mathematics Skills

A career/technical center enhanced its reading curriculum to include real-world connections through a cross-curricular unit integrating mathematics, social studies and science content. Learn how this approach increased interest, raised overall scores, built self-esteem and gave students access to a wider academic experience.

This session will showcase successful classroom projects that integrate academics with real-world applications into the career/technical program. Most of the projects are low-cost and easily implemented. Participants will receive samples of classroom projects and handouts containing brief descriptions of successful collaborations.

Presenters will describe their school's emphasis on motivating students to complete a more rigorous mathematics curriculum in preparation for further studies. The school requires all students to take either a mathematics, physics or electronics course in their senior year.

Indiana business and marketing teachers have been developing project-based materials for real-world student projects for 12 years and have integrated national and academic standards to assess the projects. Lean how to create materials for your students. A CD with 475 project ideas will be distributed. ( Contact Rita if you would like to view the CD.)
Handout: Enhancing Instruction Through Project-Based Learning

Learn how to use PowerPoint to enhance and preserve the intellectual wealth of your mathematics instruction for later use. The session will include demonstrations of proven techniques for increasing student engagement and comprehension.

To master algebra, students must do and understand algebra and experience relevant applications of algebra. Participants will learn innovative and effective teaching strategies for increasing students' success in algebra. Mathematics topics will include those typically taught in the first semester of Algebra I.

By review NAEP mathematics achievement data from the last 30 years and ACT data from the last 15, the presenter will describe needed changes in mathematics instruction. Participants will discuss Robert Marzano's best instructional practices.
Handouts: Sputnik to NCLB; Categories of Instructional Strategies; Sputnik to NCLB; State Results vs. NEAP 8th Grade Math; Voting Methods Make A Difference

Hear from a high school teacher who has found that covering less content in greater depth can help students perform better on standardized tests and achieve more success. Participants will practice strategies to help students understand mathematics concepts on a deeper level.
Handouts: Reciprocal Leaning; Concept Attainment; Inductive Learning Strategy; Mathematical Terms; Partner Hints for Problem with Land; HSTW Conference PowerPoint; Concept Attainment Practice; Inductive Reasoning Practice; Reciprocal Learning Practice

World Studies: Connecting With the Past Through History and Literature (Session 97)

Social studies teachers can contribute to school wide literacy campaigns by meeting the HSTW literacy goals in their classrooms. The presenter will tell how to develop reading lists, reading and writing strategies, and ways to get all students to write weekly and complete research papers.
Handout: Supporting the HSTW Literacy Goals in Social Studies

Participants will learn a variety of strategies for incorporating new technology into the classroom. Traditional lessons can be transformed into technology projects that will give students more choices for individualizing their learning and preparing for the workplace.
Handout: Using Technology in the Social Studies Classroom

Today's social studies classroom is about more than memorizing facts. Learn how one middle grades school has implemented active learning strategies that enhance content reading, connect learning to writing and generate higher- level thinking. A new study unit, EMpires of the AMericas, links these elements to an effective and manageable product.

The presenter will Assist teachers and administrators in developing appropriate rubrics that are both horizontal and vertical. Participants will leave with and understanding of the difference between a rubric and a scoring guide.
Handouts: Developing Quality Rubrics; Rubric For an Intervention Report; Understanding Rubrics; Using Rubrics in Middle School; All About Rubrics; Sample Rubric

Teachers in this school district have adopted a "Not Yet" grading policy that requires students to redo work until it meets acceptable, grade level standards. Learn how to emphasize the need for rigorous high quality work without neglecting the importance of deadlines.
Handout: "Not Yet" Grading

Maximize information and minimize grading time by designing effective classroom assessments. Data usefulness is directly proportional to test quality. Item-writing techniques will enable teachers to create clear and focused response questions that require less time to grade.
Handouts: General Guidelines for Writing Classroom Assessments; Guidelines for Writing Multiple, Matching and Completion Items; Guidelines for Short Answer and Essay Questions; Recursive Nature of Instruction and Assessment; Analytic-Trait Rubric for Graphic Display of Data; Holistic Rubric for Graphic Display of Data

Participants will receive models and planners to use in creating effective practices for measuring student engagement. One way to assess the effectiveness of lessons, projects or project-based assessments is to ask the students. Data will demonstrate the outcomes of using this process to connect student to courses and assignments.
Handout: Measuring Student Engagement

Inconsistent grading practices often leave educators, students and parents wondering what grades really mean. Participants will receive practical suggestions for beginning to discuss grading practices among staff, including how to identify grading issues, determine the meaning of grades and reach consensus on grading procedures.
Handouts: Common Grading Practices; What's an A?; The Final Word; How to Analyze Data and Failure Rates

Participants will review developing standards-based units and analyze a sample unit with engaging lessons. The analysis will be based on a list of questions, developed from the HSTW/MMGW unit template, that teachers can use to improve lessons in their own schools.
Handouts: What Are the Questions to Ask?

In the first of four sessions, the presenters will show the relationship of career clusters, pathways and programs of study to the HSTW Key Practices and to the new Perkins legislation. Learn how to ensure that students receive quality CTE.
Handouts: Session 1: Career Clusters 101: An Introduction to Career Clusters, Pathways and Programs of Study

School reform stakeholders are hungry for specific, cost-effective actions they can take to improve school culture. The presenter will share ways that align with HSTW. Participants will leave with information to implement the ideas.

This fourth and final presentation on use of career clusters and career pathways in developing programs of study will focus on using the pathways as a systemic framework for school improvement. Concepts from the League for Innovation in the Community College and the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education will be presented.
Handouts: Session 4: Critical Components of Cluster Implementation

Participants will identify three leadership needs in their schools, brainstorm how to increase the number of school leaders and learn why distributed leadership is so "hot" in contemporary school structure. The sessions will include an overview of the training design and a discussion of how schools can benefit from a distributed leadership model.
Handouts: Modules for School Teams: Improving the School as a System

A Resume Alone Won't Get You the Job You Want! (Session 129)

Beyond good grades and graduation, students will need to market themselves and demonstrate skills to stand out from the competition when seeking employment. Participants will learn to help students get noticed and remembered with student-managed portfolios, mini-folios, attributes cards, personal brochures and "leave behinds",

The presenter will describe ways to make every situation a teachable moment for at-risk students and will tell how to create alternative teaching styles to increase student achievement and graduation rates. Leave with the skills necessary to develop a positive, safe learning environment for students who need emotional healing to achieve academic success.

Parental involvement is one key to improving student achievement. Learn ways to increase parent and community involvement in your school. The presenter will provide a full deck of 52 proven ideas to help your school address this issue quantitatively and qualitatively.

Teachers in this school district have adopted a "Not Yet" grading policy that requires students to redo work until it meets acceptable, grade-level standards. Learn how to emphasize the need for rigorous high-quality work without neglecting the importance of deadlines.
Handout: "Not Yet" Grading

Worried that the teacher shortage will hit your school? Staff members say recognition and appreciation are important reasons they stay in their jobs. The presenter will show fun, simple low-cost ways to recognize the best efforts of staff and create a pleasant work environment.

Learn how to deal with the fear of judgment, failure or criticism; use coping skills to manage anxiety and pressure; and maintain emotional and physical well-being. Participants will learn to reframe their thinking to maintain a healthy balance between professional commitment and overall health.
Handout: No Teacher Left Behind

Work-based learning enables students to try out their dream occupations in low-risk, high-paycheck settings. The presenters will give examples of student experiences and portfolios. Participants will learn how cooperation with local businesses and local chambers of commerce can maximize opportunities.

The Senior Experience program provides an opportunity for seniors to attend an unpaid internship in a career-focused area of study one day per week. On-site mentors play an active role, and a school coordinator monitors the process from the initial learning plan to the culminating presentation at a senior exhibition.
Handouts: Englewood Public School School Experience; Senior Experience

Handout: PAWS: Student Advisory Programs

A Louisiana career/technical center supports the accountability efforts of high schools in its service area through collaboration. By addressing the "other performance indicators" components of the Louisiana High School Diploma Endorsements, the center and the schools work to ensure that each student meets state academic standards.
Handout: Career & Technical Education Supporting High School Accountability

This presentation will focus on the planning and implementation of interdisciplinary teaming in grade nine. It will include practical insights on the benefits of teaming, including parent conferences, student motivation, content correlation and implementation of redo and extra-help policies.
Handouts: Interdisciplinary Teaming at the Ninth Grade Level PowerPoint Presentation; Interdisciplinary Teaming is a professional approach to teaching . . .; Structuring for Success; Teaming Forms

This session features Kagan Structures for success in the science classroom. Participants will learn step-by-step procedures to increase student motivation, reduce discipline problems, improve academic outcomes and enhance students' social skills.

Standards-based reform of science education began with a well-articulated set of specific content standards, including state standards and benchmarks. However, that is no longer enough. This presentation will address future efforts and the strategies that are necessary for further progress to be made in science education.

One high school science unit employs forensic techniques to solve the "murder" of a staff member, bringing a real-world aspect to science instruction. Participants will go from the discovery of the body to the "culminating assessment" at the courthouse. Receive directions for recreating the unit and additional resources.