23rd Annual National Dropout Prevention Network Conference

You are invited to attend the 25th Annual National Dropout Prevention Network Conference, November 3-6, 2013, at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta, Georgia. The National Dropout Prevention Network, Georgia Department of Education, the Georgia Regional Educational Service Agencies, and Communities In Schools of Georgia are pleased to provide a dynamic professional learning opportunity for school board members, superintendents, counselors, https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrators, educators, and other youth practitioners. Over 100 different sessions, including a special school board and leadership track, will be presented by experienced professionals and practitioners. The conference will provide an opportunity to gain knowledge and practical skills that can enhance the performance of individuals, teams, schools, and educational systems.

Conference Strands

(1) literacy; (2) school climate; (3) data assessment; (4) curriculum and instruction; (5) college and career pathways; (6) leadership, policy, and governance; (7) student support services and interventions; and (8) student, family, and community engagement

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Keynote Speakers

 

Bill Bennett
Author, Political Theorist, Radio Host, former U.S. Secretary of Education
http://www.billbennett.com

 

 

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Bill Milliken
Founder and Vice Chairman, Communities In Schools
http://www.communitiesinschools.org

 

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Student Panel

Usher’s New Look Foundation
http://ushersnewlook.org

 

 

 

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Special Leaderships Track:

Karen Pittman
Founder & CEO Forum for Youth Investment
http://forumfyi.org

 

 

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You are invited to attend the 26th Annual At-Risk Youth National FORUM, “Providing Hope and Support in and Beyond the Classroom,” to be held Sunday, February 16, 2014, through Wednesday, February 19, 2014, at the Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

This year’s FORUM is designed to enhance the leadership skills of all adults who are seeking to strengthen interventions among school, community, and families, especially to assist those in at-risk situations.

Conference Strands

During the FORUM, innovative, skilled presenters who have excellent ideas, proven programs, and evidence-based research will share in the areas of (1) science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, (2) juvenile justice and law enforcement, (3) educational alternatives, (4) connections and engagement, (5) interacting with specific populations, (6) leadership, policy, and governance, and (7) future teachers in action.

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Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Mark Wilson
2009 National Principal of the Year
Dr. Mark Wilson is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Kennesaw State University. Previously, in his position as Principal of Morgan County High School in Madison, GA, Mark was named 2009 National Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Mark has served as the President of the Georgia Association of Education Leaders and has been honored by the Georgia House of Representatives, the Georgia Senate and invited to the Governor’s Office. In his soon-to-be-released book, “Up! The Direction of Success”, Dr. Wilson provides a proven strategy for high school students in their quest to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills needed for success in the real world.

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Ms. Donna Tyson
Motivational Speaker and Author
Donna Tyson is known across the country as a powerful motivational speaker, author of an inspiring children’s book on self-esteem entitled The Red Bow, former radio and television show host, and community leader. Donna is a monthly featured writer on work/life balance issues in the South Carolina Woman Magazine. She designed and taught certification classes for Myrtle Beach Hospitality Association on “Outstanding Customer Service” and “Management to Leadership.” Donna was voted 2008 Best of the Beach Inspirational Speaker by the Myrtle Beach Herald. She is currently based out of Haiti where she has taken on a mission based ministry out of her love to help the Haitian people.

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Dr. Willie Kimmons
Motivational Speaker, Author, and Educator
Dr. Willie Kimmons is currently serving as an Educational Consultant for Pre-K-16 schools, author of five books and as a motivational speaker. He provides consultant services for public and private schools, two and four year colleges and universities throughout the country in the areas of Title I programs; parental involvement; teacher and https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrative training; management; budget development; strategic and long range planning; collective bargaining; contract negotiations; human resource development; and stress management. Willie is the 2003 recipient of the Furthering Rights, Investing in Equality and Nurturing Diversity Award and the 2006 recipient of the National Alliance of Black School Educators Lifetime Achievement Award.

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The 2014 National Forum on Dropout Prevention for Native and Tribal Communities, “Building Engaging Educational Communities for Native Students,” is a professional development activity sponsored by The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N), in partnership with The National Indian Education Association, the Minnesota Department of Education, the South Dakota Department of Education, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the Alaska Staff Development Network, the University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration, the National Johnson O’Malley Association, Foundation for the Advancement of Culture and Education, Leech Lake Tribal College, and Augsburg College.

The Forum will feature nationally known keynote speakers as well as professional educators. Presentations will emphasize a variety of strategies that work with native students who are at risk of dropping out of school before high school graduation.

Conference Strands

(1) addressing the opportunity gap, (2) instructional strategies to increase learning, (3) emotional supports, (4) school climate: safety and student wellness, (5) service-learning and restorative justice, (6) digital communication and engagement, (7) reengagement and recovery strategies, and (8) culture and language.

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Keynote Speakers

Dr. Marcia Gentry
Director of the Gifted Education Resource Institute
Professor Educational Studies at Purdue University

Marcia is Professor of Educational Studies and director of the Gifted Education Resource Institute at Purdue University. Her research has focused on the use of cluster grouping and differentiation; the application of gifted education pedagogy to improve teaching and learning; student perceptions of school; and on non-traditional services and underserved populations, including Diné, Ojibwe, and Lakota youth. Marcia developed and studied the Total School Cluster Grouping Model and is engaged in continued research on its effects concerning student achievement and identification and on teacher practices. She is past chair of the AERA SIG, Research on Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent, actively participates in NAGC, frequently contributes to the gifted education literature, and regularly serves as a speaker and consultant.

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Mr. Bill Mendoza
Executive Director
White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education

William (Bill) Mendoza was appointed as Executive Director of the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education in December 2011. Bill, Oglala-Sicangu Lakota,grew up on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux reservations in South Dakota.

Bill has experienced, firsthand, through his professional and life experiences, the multitude of challenges facing American Indian students, educators, and tribes. In addition to being a teacher and principal, Bill has worked at the school, professional and community level to help foster leadership development and civic engagement among American Indians. Integral to his professional and academic capacity has been his experiences as a tribal college student at Haskell Indian Nations University, Sinte Gleska University, and Oglala Lakota College.

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Dr. Anton Treuer
Executive Director
American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University

Dr. Anton Treuer is Executive Director of the American Indian Resource Center at Bemidji State University. He has a B.A. from Princeton University, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is Editor of the Oshkaabewis (pronounced o-shkaah-bay-wis) Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language and author of 9 books: Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, Ojibwe in Minnesota (“Minnesota’s Best Read for 2010” by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress), The Assassination of Hole in the Day (Award of Merit Winner from the American Association for State and Local History), Ezhichigeyang: Ojibwe Word List, Indian Nations of North America, Awesiinyensag: Dibaajimowinan Ji-gikinoo’amaageng (“Minnesota’s Best Read for 2011” by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress), Living Our Language: Ojibwe Tales & Oral Histories, Aaniin Ekidong: Ojibwe Vocabulary Project, and Omaa Akiing.

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Rev. Dr. Michael Oleksa
Instructor
Alaska Staff Development Network

Father Michael Oleksa, Ph.D., was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He came to Alaska in 1970 from St. Vladimir’s Seminary in New York at the invitation of the Alutiiq village of Old Harbor on Kodiak Island. Over the next three decades he served as a Russian Orthodox priest in over a dozen Alaska Native villages. In 1988 he completed his doctoral degree at the Orthodox Theological Faculty in Presov, Slovakia, with an emphasis in Native Alaskan History during the Alaska Russian period (1741-1867).

Recognized as an “Elder” by the Alaska Federation of Natives, a Distinguished Public Servant by the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska, and honored by the Alaska State Legislature and the National Governors Association, Dr. Oleksa is a storyteller who seeks to foster greater understanding across boundaries of race and culture.

 

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Summary

Diploma Plan Institute is an opportunity for teams of school and/or district https://dropoutprevention.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/C.W.-Gardenhire-pic.jpgistrators to consult with contracted field experts to develop customized, practical, and local plans to prevent dropouts and increase graduation rates.Teams will be guided through the development of a realistic plan based on a template provided by the National Dropout Prevention Center (NDPC/N). NDPC/N has a 27 year history of providing quality resources and assistance to states, districts, and schools seeking to increase graduation rates.

Benefits of Quality Planning

• Clarifies direction and priorities for all involved
• Creates ownership: those who carry out the work determine the work.
• Defines direction for resource allocation
• Replaces random acts and effort with focused work
• Improves efficiency by aligning mission, priorities, resources, and effort
• Minimizes frustration and futility of wasted effort
• Provides the ability to track results

Key Conference Speakers

Mr. Jamey Moore
Dropout Predictive Data
Gainesville City Schools, Georgia
Director

 

Using the Right Combination of Data to Drive Your School’s Dropout Prevention Plan

Jamey Moore, Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Gainesville City Schools in Georgia, will lead school-site prevention teams in identifying and using the right combination of data to analyze, monitor, and make decisions as to next steps in tackling the dropout rate issue.

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Dr. Beth P. Reynolds
Instructional Leadership
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Executive Director

Student and Staff Learning: Ensuring Viable and Aligned Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction to Engage ALL Students and Build Staff Capacity

Dr. Reynolds will lead teams during this interactive session in looking at the impact of aligned curriculum and assessment in combination with student engagement strategies in boosting learning for all students, particularly those who struggle.

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Dr. Mark Wilson
School Climate
2009 National HS Principal of the Year
Mark Wilson Education
Madison, GA

 

Climate and Culture: Planning and Establishing a Dropout Prevention Climate for Your School

Dr. Mark Wilson will address the significance of school climate and culture in dropout prevention and the role of the principal and school leaders in establishing a high-graduation-rate climate that is safe, orderly, inviting, and nurturing for all students, especially those at risk. Dr. Wilson will offer specific strategies for climate enhancement that may be included in school dropout prevention plans and methods for assessing climate improvement.

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Mr. Robert Eichorn
Alternative Methods/Programs
National Alternative School Associtation
President
Manassass, VA

 

Securing Support of the School Board and Community in Your Dropout Prevention Initiatives

Mr. Tom Wilson, Superintendent of Anderson School District Five, will address the importance of securing and maintaining community and system leadership support for dropout prevention initiatives that are addressed in the collaboratively developed school plan.

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DPI Schedule

June 18-20, 2014

Wednesday, June 18, 2014
1:30-2:00 pm	Introduction and Overview
2:00- 2:45 pm	Using the Right Combination of Data to Drive Your School’s Dropout Prevention Plan
2:45-3:30 pm	Guided Team Plan Development
3:45-4:45 pm	Ensuring Viable and Aligned Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction
Thursday, June 19, 2014
9:00-9:30 am	Securing Support of the School Board and Community in Your Dropout Prevention Initiatives
9:30-10:30 am	Guided Team Plan Development
10:45-11:30 am	Identifying and Using the Right Combination of Measures
11:45-12:30 pm	Guided Team Plan Development
1:30-2:15 pm	Climate and Culture: Planning and Establishing a Dropout Prevention Climate for Your School
2:15-3:15 pm	Guided Team Plan Development
3:30- 4:30 pm	Guided Team Plan Development and Identification of Monitoring Measures
Friday, June 20, 2014
9:00-9:30 am	Effective Use of Alternative Schools and Programs in Dropout Prevention
9:30-10:30 am	Guided Team Plan Development
10:45-12 noon	Team Progress Reports/Sharing
12-1:30 pm	Lunch, Feedback and Closing Remarks by NDPC/N Leadership

Conference Strands

Literacy • School Climate • Data Assessment and Continuous Improvement • Curriculum and Instruction • College and Career Pathways • Leadership, Policy, and Governance • Student Support Services and Intervention • Student, Family and Community Engagement • New Literacy, Media and Technology • Common Core and the At-Risk Student • Alternative Pathways

Conference Partners

The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
Kentucky Department of Education
Kentucky Educational Collaborative for State Agency Children
Jefferson County Public Schools
Kent State University
National Center for Families Learning

Special Features

Administrators’ Track • Featured Presentation by the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Unified School District

The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network in partnership with Communities In Schools of North Carolina and South Carolina, Inc.; South Carolina Department of Education; North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; University of North Carolina Wilmington Watson College of Education Dropout Prevention Coalition; T.O.O.L.S. Training Associates, LLC; Coastal Carolina University, William L. Spadoni College of Education; and The Citadel School of Education would like to invite you to register to attend the 2015 At-Risk Youth National FORUM, Success Within Reach: Strategies for At-Risk Youth.

Conference Strands

Juvenile Justice and Law Enforcement • Student, Family, and Community Engagement • Interacting With Specific Populations • Leadership and Policy • Literacy for Life Success • Behavioral Support • Digital and New Ways of Learning • Career and Transitional Preparation

Conference Resources

Dr. Jay Smink Powerpoint
Dr. Sandy Addis Powerpoint

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Hope 4 The Wounded, LLC and the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network team up to provide a valuable professional development opportunity focused on needs and strategies for reaching wounded students. The conference, held in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country, will feature updated research on wounded students, strategies to reach and transform wounded students, and shared stories of success. Effective strategies for classroom management and reaching the bottom third of students will be discussed. Presenters will also discuss suggestions for building a “No Failure School,” and strategies for increasing graduation rates.

One hour of graduate credit through Ashland University will be available for attendees. Attendance at all sessions is required to be eligible for the credit. The cost of the credit will be an additional $175 and should be paid directly to Ashland University at the end of the conference.

Conference Features

Seven Ways to Transform Wounded Students • Case Studies Geared to Develop Successful Strategies for Wounded Students • Suggestions for Helping Withdrawn Wounded Students • Updated Research on Wounded Students • Shared Stories of Success • Strategies to Increase Graduation Rates • Suggestions for Building a No Failure School • Approaches for Reaching the Bottom Third of Students • Plans to Increase Student Achievement • Developing a Classroom Mission Statement • Classroom Management Strategies

 

In Partnerships With:

The 2015 National Forum on Dropout Prevention for Native and Tribal Communities, “Building Engaging Educational Communities for Native Students,” is a professional development activity sponsored by The National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N), in partnership with The National Indian Education Association, Alaska Staff Development Network, Iowa Department of Education, Minnesota Department of Education, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, South Dakota Department of Education, South Dakota Board of Regents, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, University of Minnesota Institute on Community Integration, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Leech Lake Tribal College, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Prairie Island Dakota Community, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.

The Forum will feature nationally known keynote speakers as well as professional educators. Presentations will emphasize a variety of strategies that work with native students who are at risk of dropping out of school before high school graduation. The conference strands are (1) addressing the opportunity gap, (2) instructional strategies to increase learning, (3) behavioral supports, (4) family and community engagement, (5) school climate: safety and student wellness, (6) service-learning and restorative justice, (7) digital communication and engagement, (8) reengagement and recovery strategies, and (9) culture and language.