Recruiting, Retaining & Certifying Quality Teachers

Solve the Staffing Crisis in Your District!

Recruit New Teachers Master recruiting techniques to hire qualified teachers	Fill Critical Needs Implement specific strategies for recruiting and retaining hard-to-fill positions
Improve Educational Quality Hire the best teachers and devise professional development strategies for future needs	Keep the Best Teachers Retain your staff with successful teacher induction programs and mentoring strategies

February 25-27, 2004 - San Diego, CA - Radisson Hotel La Jolla

Agenda and Speaking Faculty
Day One: February 25, 2004
8:00	Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30	Keynote Address: Doing What Matters Most—Investing in Teacher Quality Studies show that teacher quality directly and significantly affects student achievement. Effective recruitment requires hiring teachers with adequate preparation and continuous investment in their professional development. This keynote session will discuss best practices and lessons learned in tackling critical vacancies and high attrition while working within limited budget constraints. Robert Weil, Deputy Director, Educational Issues Department, American Federation of Teachers
9:30	Leadership Panel: Short-Term and Long-Term Strategies for Dealing with Expected Teacher Shortages • Quicker and more responsive hiring processes • Developing new staffing management information systems • Increasing outreach to access more recruits Michelle Rhee, CEO and Director of The New Teacher Project, New York Marge Sasse, Associate Director of the Teaching and Leadership Center, Florida
10:30	Morning Break & Refreshments
10:45	Upgrading Recruitment Practices • Using technology to help in the recruitment process • Recruiting ethnically diverse teachers • Working with businesses and higher education communities Michelle Rhee, CEO and Director of The New Teacher Project, New York
12:00	Networking Luncheon
1:00	Recruiting Quality Teachers: Best Practices in Finding and Hiring the Best Teachers • Master effective recruiting techniques to market your teaching vacancies • Team with universities and community colleges to enhance recruiting • Creative solutions in overcoming challenges to hire the best teachers Mandy Hoke, Policy Associate, Southeast Center for Teaching Quality
2:00	Retention and Recruitment Methods for Urban and Rural Schools Urban and rural schools notoriously have staffing problems and high attrition rates. Bridge the gap of cultural and socioeconomic differences facing teacher candidates in urban and isolated rural school districts through specialized recruitment, commitment and retention activities. • Implement specific methods and strategies that will attract candidates to urban and rural schools • Design effective mentoring and co-teaching networks • Capitalize retention endeavors through professional development activities, classroom action research and school-wide school improvement initiatives Pixita del Prado Hill, Associate Director, Center for Excellence in Urban & Rural Education Buffalo State College
3:00	Afternoon Break & Refreshments
3:15	Case Study: Broward County’s Supportive Working Environment Recipient of the National Awards Program for Model Professional Development, Broward County is the fifth largest school district in the nation. Teaching a population of students from 159 countries, speaking 53 languages, the district has crafted a professional development system that successfully retains teachers while enhancing student achievement and teacher effectiveness. • Effective mentoring and induction programs • Creating a culture of support and respect • Exploring best practices and lessons learned by successful induction programs Marcia Beckford, Director of Instructional Support, Broward County, Florida Marge Sasse, Associate Director of the Teaching and Leadership Center, Florida
4:15	Adjourn

Day Two: February 26, 2004
8:30	Continental Breakfast
9:00	Highly Qualified International Teachers as an Alternative Hiring Practice International teachers are immediately available as an alternative source of "highly qualified" and experienced personnel. The Visiting International Faculty Program can provide you with the resources to access this hidden pool of talent and help fill district hiring needs while contributing to a culturally diverse staff. Norm Kirschenbaum, Western Regional Director, Visiting International Faculty Program
9:45	Certifying Quality Teachers: Alternative Certification and the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence Every teacher in core areas must meet the mandate set out by NCLB by the 2005-2006 school year. The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence meets the federal definition of “Highly Qualified” and is recognized in NCLB as an approved provider. • Discover innovative programs that certify both prospective and current teachers • Identify individuals with the comprehension and dedication necessary in order to succeed in the classroom • Develop a higher quality workforce and effectively impact student academic achievement Kathleen Madigan, President, American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence*
10:30	Morning Break & Refreshments
10:45	Best Practices in Induction Programs High quality induction programs improve teacher quality and student achievement. • Discover the nine elements of effective induction programs • Evaluate performance of induction programs: teacher retention, teacher quality and student achievement • Learn from model induction programs taking place in Arizona Dr. Patty J. Horn, Executive Director, Arizona K-12 Center, Northern Arizona University Heidi Blair, Coordinator of Grants and Best Practices, Arizona K-12 Center, Northern Arizona University
12:00	Networking Luncheon
1:15	Designing Effective Paraprofessional Programs • Discover the best ways to transition paraprofessionals into certified, quality teachers • Create professional development projects tailored to individual assignments • Apply best practices from around the country Carlos Sunderman, Unit Director, Paraeducator Preparation Project, Northwest Regional Education Laboratory
2:15	Teacher Mobility: How License Reciprocity and Pension Portability Keeps Experienced Teachers in the Classroom Veteran teachers are discouraged from seeking teaching opportunities in other districts or states by the lack of reciprocity in licensing, restrictions on pension portability and the unwillingness or inability of most districts to pay teachers for accrued experience. The Education Commission of the States project on teacher mobility effectively shows the significance of mobility to recruitment and retention. Esther Rodriguez, Director of Development, Education Commission of the States Charles Coble, Vice President, Policy Studies and Programs, Education Commission of the States
3:15	Afternoon Break & Refreshments
3:30	“Promising Practice”: The New Teacher Formative Assessment System Based upon the fifteen years experience of the Santa Cruz/Silicon Valley New Teacher Project, the New Teacher Center @ UC Santa Cruz, has developed a comprehensive and collaborative system of formative assessment for beginning teachers. Jan Miles, Senior Outreach Coordinator, New Teacher Center
4:30	Adjourn
Day Three: February 27, 2004: Post Conference Workshop
8:00	Continental Breakfast
8:30	Application Workshop: Crafting, Implementing and Evaluating Your Mentoring Programs and Retention Practices To best maximize teacher retention practices, schools must develop a support plan that is intensive, sustained and integrated into an overall district professional development plan. This workshop will provide you with the tools necessary to evaluate your teaching staff and develop a plan that keeps the best and the brightest. You will gain hands-on experience in needs assessment, resource allocation and program design. • Integrating mentoring with your professional development strategy • Training by mentors and in-class support • Establishing greater accountability and oversight Steve Sassaman, Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Region, Performance Learning Systems
11:30	Workshop Adjourns

Or by calling us at
703-894-0481

Venue

The 2004 National Summit on Recruiting, Retaining & Certifying Quality Teachers will be held at the Radisson Hotel La Jolla. A limited number of rooms have been reserved at the Radisson, please contact the hotel by January 23 to ensure you receive the discounted rate of $110. Use the number provided below to make reservations and be sure to ask for the Performance Institute conference rate. The hotel will ensure your conference experience is not only educational, but also comfortable and enjoyable in every aspect.

Radisson Hotel La Jolla
3299 Holiday Ct.
La Jolla, CA 92037
Tel: 800-333-3333
www.radisson.com/lajollaca

Tuition

The fees for attending the 2004 National Summit on Recruiting, Retaining & Certifying Quality Teachers are as follows:

Conference Only:	$1,095
Workshop:	$395

Group Discounts

Reduced tuition rates for delegates who attend in groups of three or more are available by calling James Simpson at 703-894-0481, or emailing him at [email protected].