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2020 National Lessons Conference for K-12 Schools 3

Dear Lessons Learned Conference Participant:

On behalf of the National Dropout Prevention Center and the Successful Practices Network

we want to welcome you to Charlotte, NC, and the National Lessons Learned Conference.

You are joining hundreds of colleagues from schools, districts and youth development

organizations that are all focused on supporting ALL our children to be successful in and out

of school.

So, why “lessons learned?” This approach is rooted in a part of life from when we were very

young, when learning was second nature to us. We watched others do things we wanted to

do and then we tried it. We were curious when we were young, and we took risks and tried

new things.

Over the course of our careers in education and serving youth, many of us have been blessed

to be challenged and supported by fellow educators that have shared strategies that have

both worked and those that did not. We as professionals have learned from both winning

and failing experiences. This type of learning has made us who we are today as professionals

and has resulted in success for our students.

The goal of this conference is the spirit of sharing and learning together. We hope to nurture

learning through collaboration, reflection and practice, while building a community of

educators that inspire the joy of learning.

Over the next three days you will hear from thought leaders, researchers, practitioners,

teachers and leaders that have learned from their experiences and applied those lessons

to their daily work. It is our hope that you will not only connect and learn while here in

Charlotte, but also bring these lessons learned back to your daily work to positively impact

the trajectory of the students you serve.

Please stop by our Registration and Solution Center areas in Grand Promenade if our team can

be of any assistance or you want to learn more about our work throughout the conference.

Thank you for all you do for students every day,

Ray McNulty, President

Successful Practices Network

Dr. Sandy Addis, Executive Director

National Dropout Prevention Center

A division ofSuccessful Practices Network

4 2020 National Lessons Conference for K-12 Schools

When does the conference begin?The Conference begins with an opening keynote session at 8:30 am on Monday, February 17 in Grand Ballroom C/D.

When are registration hours? Registration will take place in the Grand Promenade area on the second floor of the Westin Charlotte.

Sunday, February 16: 4-7 pmMonday, February 17: 7 am-4:30 pmTuesday, February 18: 7:30 am-4 pm

What is the dress code?

Business casual

Frequently Asked Questions

Our team is available throughout the Conference to assist with any questions you may have. Please stop by the Registration Area and the Solution Center anytime.


Sunday, February 16, 2020

4 pm-7 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registration opens

Monday, February 17, 2020

7:30 am-8:30 am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Continental Breakfast

7:30 am-4:30 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registration and Solution Center opens

8:30 am-10:15 am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Session—Ray McNulty & Dr. Sue Szachowicz

10:30 am-11:30 am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concurrent Sessions

11:30 am-1 pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lunch (on your own)

1 pm-2 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concurrent Sessions

2:15 pm-3:15 pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concurrent Sessions

3:30 pm-4: 15 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Session

Tuesday, February 18, 2020


7:30 am-4:30 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registration and Solution Center opens

8:30 am-9:45 am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Session—Dr. Bill Daggett

10 am-11 am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concurrent Sessions

11:15 am-12:15 pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concurrent Sessions

12:15 pm-1:30 pm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lunch (on your own)

1:30 pm-2:30 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concurrent Sessions

2:45 pm-3:30 pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Session

Wednesday, February 19, 2020


7:30 am-Noon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Registration and Solution Center opens

8:30 am-9:30 am . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concurrent Sessions

9:45 am-10:45 am. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Concurrent Sessions

11 am-Noon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Closing Session

Conference at a Glance

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2020 National Lessons Learned Conference 9


Monday Sessions

Continental Breakfast —7:30 am-8:30 am—Grand Promenade

Registration —7:30 am-4:30 pm—Grand Promenade

General Session—8:30 am-10:15 am—Grand Ballroom C/D

Why Lessons Learned?Presenters: Ray McNulty, President Successful Practices Network / National Dropout Prevention Center and Dr. Sue Szachowicz, Senior Fellow Successful Practices Network This conference is about “Lessons Learned” in K-12 education. Why? Mainly because there are schools and districts that have been standing still for the last 50 years, and some that chase every new shiny object. So, how do we increase effectiveness, efficiency and results for our learners? In this keynote, Ray and Sue will share concepts and strategies to help build on both best and next practices, while insuring success by design, not by chance.

Concurrent Sessions—10:30 am-11:30 am

Collective Efficacy—An Integrated Systems ApproachEffective Strategy: Individualized Instruction • Grand Ballroom C/DPresenter: Dr. Ken Wallace, Superintendent Maine Township School District 207, ILWhile some educators believe that “Collective Efficacy” is a mythical idea that is unattainable, nothing could be further from the truth. All great organizations have elements of collective efficacy. The very best have a recursive learning process that drives improvement and innovation. This session provides a playbook into the research and integrated strategies that are proven to work if schools make the shared commitment. Levels of collective efficacy explain student achievement MORE THAN socioeconomic status (Goddard, Hoy, & Hoy 2000). Simply put, there is no more powerful pursuit for any school or district than collective efficacy to improve outcomes for students. Attendees will access the playbook that Maine Township High School District 207 used to help drive student performance to all-time highs despite rising poverty and diversity among its students.

An Alternative School or Alternative Option? -MECHS Effective Strategy: Alternative Schooling • HarrisPresenters: Dr. Joe Cash and Steve Bartlett, Mountain Education Charter High (MECHS) is an innovative educational opportunity for Georgia’s high school students. This session will highlight the key strategies that have made our students successful. Participants will gain an understanding of this alternative model and leave with takeaways on alternative methods for success. Our curriculum features a self-paced, mastery-based framework in which students work until concepts are mastered before progressing. By intentionally building relationships with students, our teachers and student services team members create an atmosphere where all students are supported. Whether a student currently feels left behind or would like to get ahead, this alternative model has shown to be a pathway to success.


National Dropout Prevention Specialist Certification ProcessEffective Strategy: Special Topics • Grand APresenters: Dr. Sandy Addis, Executive Director NDPC and Lynn Dunlap, Director NDPCNDPC Executive Director Sandy Addis presents the requirements, benefits and applicability of both the National Dropout Prevention Specialist (NDPS) certification program and the NDPC Trauma-Skilled Specialist certification program. Sample Field Projects submitted as a requirement for NDPS certification will be available. Sample Trauma-Skilled lesson plans, a requirement for Trauma-Skilled Specialist certification, will also be available during the session. A question and answer session will follow the presentation and application to each program, if desired, can be facilitated.

Daring to Dream, Learning to Fail, Leading to InspireEffective Strategy: School-Community Collaboration • Grand BPresenters: Dr. Sam Houston, President and CEO, NC Science, Mathematics and Technology Ed. Center and Mariah Morris, 2019-2020 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NC Teacher of the YearCome share the journey of how Mariah Morris, 2019-2020 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year, reimagined the possibilities of her classroom as a way to truly engage all of her diverse learners. Mariah will share how she transformed her students’ engagement by embracing the 4Cs of 21st century learning: collaboration, critical thinking, communication and creativity. By integrating STEM into her curriculum as a vehicle to deliver cross-curriculum standards, Mariah has been able to excite her students to take ownership of their learning in a meaningful way. In this session, you will hear how she became an educational leader who hopes to inspire a new way of thinking about 21st century learning.

Lunch (on your own) —11:30 am-1 pm

Map of area lunch options are included in program

Concurrent Sessions—1 pm-2 pm

How Do You Become Future Focused in Our Schools?Effective Strategy: Professional Development • Grand Ballroom C/D Presenter: Ray McNulty, President Successful Practices Network / National Dropout Prevention CenterIf we are going to educate all learners for the future they will live in, we must be future focused. Do we abandon our current best practices to try unknown strategies? How do we research whether a new strategy works? In this session, Ray McNulty will share the concept of “Controlled Innovation” and the need to balance the culture in our systems to embrace both the tradition of our core work and the need to innovate and create a different future for our learners.

Leadership Lessons Learned: Creating a Culture for Success for ALL StudentsEffective Strategy: Active Learning • Grand B Presenter: Dr. Sue Szachowicz, Senior Fellow, Successful Practices NetworkEffective leadership is essential to school success. But what does instructional leadership actually look like, and how does it occur in the midst of the many demands faced daily by school leaders? How does a leader create a positive school culture that values the academic success of ALL students and makes the students and adults feel valued and empowered? Join Sue in this session for answers to these questions as well as ideas and strategies that can promote a positive school culture for all.

Monday Sessions


Maximizing Student EngagementEffective Strategy: Individualized Instruction • Grand A Presenter: Bernadette Lambert, Author and Literacy ConsultantHow do we know if students are engaged or just compliant? Let’s talk about what real engagement looks like. We will explore ways to hold all students accountable for participating, structure the learning environment to enhance engagement, and empower students to become agents of their own learning.

How Does Culture and Climate Impact Drop Outs, Pushed Outs, and Pulled OutsEffective Strategy: Systemic Approach • Harris Presenter: Chris Riddick, Director, Fort Worth ISDDo we truly understand of the power of culture and climate when engaging students, faculty and community. “This session will increase awareness of the impact of culture and climate on students. Participants will be prepared to take action on their culture upon returning to their work.”

Concurrent Sessions—2:15 pm-3:15 pm

Stopping the School to Prison Pipeline: Successful North Carolina School-Justice PartnershipsEffective Strategy: School-Community Collaboration • Grand Ballroom C/D Presenters: Dr. Janna Robertson, Professor UNCW and Judge J. Corpening, Chief District Court Judge, State of North Carolina, 5th DistrictIn 2015, New Hanover County Schools entered a partnership with courts, law enforcement, mental health, social services and others to limit referral to law enforcement for minor school-based offenses. After the success of our program, our model was mandated for the entire state of North Carolina in the newly enacted (December 1, 2019) Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act. Find out about our four-year results, the inclusions of a Title IX director, and the challenges we are facing locally, regionally and statewide. Chief Judge J. H. Corpening has been consulting statewide and nationally on how school districts can start their own partnerships and we can share information on the progress in NC. We have an online toolkit and a lot of resources to share, as well as opportunities for further assistance.

Teaching Amplified—How #coaching4all Supports Collective Efficacy and Improves Student SuccessEffective Strategy: Individualized Instruction • Harris Presenter: Dr. Ken Wallace, Superintendent Maine Township School District 207, ILImagine a school in which every teacher, every year, has an instructional coaching plan to help create what John Hattie calls “collective efficacy” of a teaching staff. See how Maine Township High School District 207 Developed a Teacher-Led Instructional Coaching Model For Every Teacher Every Year to Support Continuous Growth and Improvement of Teachers to Help Create Better Student Success, helping lead the District to its highest levels of student achievement despite rising student poverty and diversity. Maine Township High School District 207, a diverse high school district bordering Chicago, Illinois, developed one of the nation’s first job embedded professional development programs centered on peer instructional coaching plans for every teacher, every year, to help support students’ success. Despite rising poverty and diversity among its students, District 207 student achievement performance is at an all-time high due to its systemic focus on supporting teacher improvement in every classroom, for every student, informed by a robust Professional Learning Community model and Multi-tiered Support System.

Monday Sessions


Moving Beyond Content in Our ClassroomsEffective Strategy: Professional Development • Grand A Presenter: Bernadette Lambert, Author and Literacy ConsultantWhen content is the main thing, our instructional practices keep us in teacher‐centered classrooms filled with basic recall and limited student engagement. When the student is the main thing, we adjust our instructional practices for a student‐centered classroom that intentionally requires more thoughtful work and maximizes engagement. Teachers today have toolkits filled with instructional strategies. They have the declarative knowledge (what the strategy is), and many have the procedural knowledge (how the strategy basically works). Yet, we must own the conditional knowledge (when and why to use the strategy) in order to shift instruction for more rigorous and relevant expectations. During this session, we will explore several instructional strategies—some familiar and some new—and consider under what conditions these strategies might result in better student performance.

Text Tenacity: Reading Strategies to Build Literacy GritEffective Strategy: Early Literacy Development • Grand B Presenter: Bobbi Bear, Director of Literacy Advocacy-Achieve 3000Join us for a strategy-driven workshop where we’ll grapple with reading strategies for students to consistently employ to build literacy tenacity. Each strategy discussed will not only grow learners’ comprehension, but also prepare them to gain text-based knowledge that will enable them to engage in deeper learning, communication and collaboration required for success in all aspects of their personal and professional lives.

General Session—3:30 pm-4:15 pm—Grand Ballroom C/D

End of Day One Lessons LearnedPresenters: Ray McNulty, President Successful Practices Network / National Dropout Prevention Center and Dr. Sue Szachowicz, Senior Fellow Successful Practices NetworkSo, you’ve heard from many in your sessions today about the work others have done and the lessons they have learned. This conference is not so much about what you have heard or learned today, but what you will do with what you heard and learned today! This daily closing session will review today’s lessons learned and provide some ideas and strategies to translate learning into action.

Monday Sessions


Tuesday Sessions


Registration —7 am-4 pm—Grand Promenade

General Session—8:30 am-9:45 am—Grand Ballroom C/D

Re-envisioning Learning: Addressing the Critical Needs of Our ChildrenPresenter: Dr. Bill Daggett, Founder & Chairman Successful Practices NetworkThe true visionaries in education are those that fight their way out of the proverbial box to innovate and create a learning environment where all students can thrive. Dr. Bill Daggett will inspire you to become a visionary leader to advance the future of K–12 education. He will share his latest research on innovative practices from the nation’s most rapidly improving schools that are resulting in dramatic improvements in student performance. Critical areas trending in these schools are addressing the social and emotional needs/mental health as a first priority; focusing on the future needs of students to succeed in the changing workplace and society while still addressing the state standards and state tests; a boardroom to classroom approach to student improvement; and a simple, yet impactful, framework that allows educators to innovate. What will such major changes look like? Dr. Daggett will paint a picture of what success looks like in the nation’s most rapidly improving schools. He will then provide a roadmap of how these schools created a culture to support innovative changes, made necessary instructional changes, and changed how they organized and delivered instruction.

Concurrent Sessions—10 am-11 am

WHY before WHERE—A Personalized Plan for Each Student Utilizing Next Gen Strategies and ToolsEffective Strategy: Individualized Instruction • Grand Ballroom C/D Presenter: Dr. Ken Wallace, Superintendent Maine Township School District 207, ILOur highest calling in equity today is to change the trajectory of each student’s life leading to careers of passion, interest and a livable wage free of debt. Maine Township High School District 207’s nationally recognized work is a scalable model using next gen strategies and tools that can be replicated. Come learn how. This session will address how today’s new generation of sophisticated analytic tools, when incorporated into school districts’ career and college advisement evolved strategies, can increase the chances of students and families making smarter decisions about career and education paths through research-based strategies augmented with return on investment counseling to create better career match, lower student debt, and a focus on careers with livable wages based on real-time job data.

Writing Across the CurriculumEffective Strategy: Early Literacy Development • Grand B Presenter: Bernadette Lambert, Author and Literacy ConsultantWriting serves as an efficient vehicle for accelerating deeper thinking and content exploration in our classrooms. However, we must do more than simply “assign” students writing tasks. This session highlights a variety of tools, techniques and tactics that teachers can apply is almost any subject.


Cars and Canines and Cadavers, Oh My! Improving Academic and CTE Programs through the Integration of AR/VREffective Strategy: Educational Technology • Grand APresenter: Joe Parlier, Sr. Director, zSpace Education SolutionsYou’ve probably seen it before! Maybe playing Pokemon GO, applying a filter on Snapchat, or watching Grey’s Anatomy. Leverage Augmented and Virtual Reality to engage and teach your students. As teachers and leaders assess their core academic and CTE programs to ensure alignment among student interest and programs offered, AR and VR technologies are helping offer students more opportunities that align with college and career expectations. In this session, we will discuss the findings of the research around improving academic performance, decreasing dropout rates, and the improvement of core academic and CTE programs through AR/VR.

Empowering Ladership Teams for a Model for Interdisciplinarity: Breaking Down Silos to Build a Culture of InnovationEffective Strategy: Systemic Approach • Harris Presenters: Dr. Dina Pacis, Associate Professor/Department Chair, National University; Dr. Joseph Marron, Professor/Program Director, National University; Dr. Teri Marcos, Professor/Interim Ed.D. Program Director, National University; Dr. Patricia Traynor-Nilsen, Assistant Professor/Program Director, National UniversityA look at a journey by five educational professional preparation programs to develop a culture of inquiry and innovation to promote interdisciplinarity. This session will present a model to practitioners for dismantling academic silos at the PK-12 level for the direct benefit and retention of students.

Concurrent Sessions—11:15 am-12:15 pm

Effective Strategies for Alternative School ImprovementEffective Strategy: Alternative Schooling • Grand Ballroom C/DPresenters: Dr. Sandy Addis, Executive Director, National Dropout Prevention Center and Dr. Kathie Greer,Director of Alternative Education, Greenville County SchoolsAlternative schools and programs are complex, serve our most at-risk students, and often have the lowest graduation rates in our school districts. The presentation will explore the recommendations of NDPC’s recently released practice guide, Strategies for Alternative School Improvement. Dr. Addis and Dr. Greer, co-authors of the guide will lead participants to utilize and apply recommendations of the practice guide to achieve improved graduation outcomes for local alternative schools and programs. Complementary copies of the practice guide will be provided to participants.

Building Resilence through Mindfulness: Our TSS Implementation Strategies in an Alternative SettingEffective Strategy: Alternative Schooling • Harris Presenters: Mrs. Latonia Copeland, Coordinator Middle School Alternative Programs, Greenville County Schools; Ms. Shameka Benjamin, Teacher, Greenville County SchoolsWe are creating an environment that fosters resilience using mindfulness and a total team approach to provide unique and meaningful support for all students in our program. Attendees will participate in mindfulness practices and walk away with strategies that they could implement immediately.

Tuesday Sessions


Using Technology to Initiate, Monitor and Measure Effectiveness of Student ServicesEffective Strategy: Educational Technology • Grand B Presenters: Dr. Paige Swartz, Director of Student Engagement & Retention, Mountain Education Charter High School; Mr. Chris Dowdy, Database Coordinator, Mountain Education Charter High School; Mr. Mark Kuczka, Project Lead, Cirrus NetworksA particular focus at our school is individualizing student interventions. We have leveraged technology to address this challenge with a “Service Monitoring System” within our onTrack student database. The SMS allows staff to track the status of referrals in real-time and collect data to measure the effectiveness of interventions.

Your Presence Is Requested: Strategies for Increasing Student Attendance Through the Integration of Learning Supports and MTSSEffective Strategy: Safe Learning Environments • Grand A Presenter: Charlos Banks, Senior Executive Director Student Services, Chapel Hill Carrboro City SchoolsAs schools all over the nation are working to improve outcomes for all students, it is vital that we create environments that encourage high attendance and engaging learning opportunities every day. This session will offer strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism and increase the number of graduates who are prepared and ready to succeed in college, career and life through the integration of MTSS and the Learning Support Framework.

Lessons Learned; The Need for Service-Learning/Civic Engagement/Career Development in Schools and SocietyEffective Strategy: Service Learning • Tryon Presenter: Dr. Robert Shumer, NDPC Fellow, Research Associate, University of MinnesotaOften dropout prevention programs focus on keeping students in school and getting them to graduate. But the crisis in America is more than keeping kids in school, it is about engaging them in the democratic process and in lifelong learning. Research and practice suggest service-learning is one of the most powerful approaches to both dropout prevention and civic engagement.

Lunch (on your own) —12:15 pm-1:30 pm

Map of area lunch options are included in program

Concurrent Sessions—1:30 pm-2:30 pm

Trauma-Skilled Schools—Building Resilience for Trauma Impacted StudentsEffective Strategy: Professional Development • Grand Ballroom C/D Presenter: John Gailer, Director of Professional Services, National Dropout Prevention CenterToday’s students are increasingly impacted by trauma in a wide variety of contexts. Taking a systemic approach to support students’ trauma-related needs creates the conditions necessary for focused initiatives to be successful and sustainable. This session will outline research-based and practitioner-proven strategies to build a trauma-skilled approach to minimize the effects of stress and trauma in the educational experience.

Rubrics that Make Writing Achievable for ALL StudentsEffective Strategy: Early Literacy Development • Grand A Presenter: Bernadette Lambert, Author and Literacy ConsultantEffective writing instruction begins with a rubric that a) tells students what they are going to learn; b) provides immediate feedback for students and teachers; and c) allows teachers to “feed forward” instruction. This session focuses on the basic steps for teachers to generate their own analytic rubrics. We also discuss how to roll out a rubric criterion-by-criterion so that students experience success.

Tuesday Sessions


Mental Health, Trauma and Discipline Practices for Pre-school and Early Grade StudentsEffective Strategy: Early Childhood Education • Harris Presenters: Dr. Dee Stegelin, Chair, NDPC/SPN Research Fellows and Dr. Sandy Addis, Executive Director, National Dropout Prevention CenterThe presentation will review the findings of NDPC’s recent research on the impact of trauma and mental health on the behaviors and learning outcomes of pre-school and early-grade students. The presentation will explore disciplinary practices of suspension and expulsion of very youhg children for behavioral and discipline infractions and the long-term impact of suspension and expulsion practices on school success of trauma-impacted students. The presentation will offer recommendations for further exploration and next steps to address this challenging issue. An executive summary of NDPC’s recent research on the topic will be provided to participants.

Closing the Gap in Special Education: Strategies for Success for Our Students with DisabilitiesEffective Strategy: Systemic Approach • Grand B Presenter: Dr. Sue Szachowicz, Senior Fellow, Successful Practices NetworkOur students with disabilities who have often spent many years under a special education classification, are too often highly at-risk for dropping out. And as accountability demands increase, many schools face performance gaps for students with disabilities. Closing those gaps requires a school-wide commitment and a true collaboration between special education and regular education. In this session, specific strategies that are replicable and sustainable for a school-wide approach to increasing student performance, including targeted interventions, supports and safety nets for students with disabilities, will be shared. When it comes to achievement, all means all.

General Session—2:45 pm-3:30 pm—Grand Ballroom C/D

End of Day Two Lessons LearnedPresenters: Ray McNulty, President, Successful Practices Network / National Dropout Prevention Center and Dr. Sue Szachowicz, Senior Fellow, Successful Practices NetworkSo, you’ve heard from many in your sessions today about the work others have done and the lessons they have learned. This conference is not so much about what you have heard or learned today, but what you will do with what you heard and learned today! This daily closing session will review today’s lessons learned and provide some ideas and strategies to translate learning into action.

Tuesday Sessions

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Wednesday Sessions


Registration —7:30 am-Noon—Grand Promenade


Lessons Learned from 30 Years—Dropout Prevention Is a K-12 IssueStrand: Systemic Approach • Grand Ballroom C/D Presenter: Dr. Sandy Addis, Executive Director, National Dropout Prevention CenterThough often treated as a high school problem that requires high school solutions, NDPC’s research and experience clearly indicates that early-age and early-grade steps are required to produce improved high school graduation rates. The presentation will explore early-age, early-grade, and system-wide strategies for achieving higher graduation rates with examples of successful approaches. The presentation will offer strategies and resources for school leaders to engage early-grade educators in dropout prevention to achieve higher system-wide graduation rates.

Mentoring—Methods to Close the Gaps for StudentsStrand: Mentoring/Tutoring • Harris Presenter: Pamela Foster, Graduation Specialist, Springfield Public Schools, MOThis presentation will discuss the implementation of mentoring in both a relational and academic sense to address gaps for students, increase student advocacy, ensure students are on a successful path towards on-time graduation, and meeting student needs of at-risk under-served students.

So You Think You Are a STEM SchoolStrand: Active Learning • Grand A Presenters: Dr. Sam Houston, President and CEO NC Science, Mathematics and Technology Ed Center and Dr. Carol Moore, Director, NC STEM WestParticipants in this session will be introduced to a process used in NC to identify STEM Schools of Distinction. Session attendees will leave the program with a tool which can be used to determine where along a continuum from early development to model a school may be in the search of becoming a true STEM learning environment. Participants will also learn that the acronym STEM really is defined as: STRATEGIES THAT ENGAGE MINDS.

HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike): Using individualized Social Emotional Trail Guide Lessons to Help Students Navigate the Paths They Have Chosen in Life.Strand: Individualized Instruction • Grand B Presenters: Ms. Martha Kent, Director of Social and Emotional Learning, Mountain Education Charter High School; Mrs. Pam Smith, Director of Prevention and Intervention Services, Mountain Education Charter High SchoolMountain Education Charter High School utilizes an individualized “Trail Guide” to build resilience and support areas of need. This is a strength-based approach to provide students with a variety of skills to navigate life’s paths both in and beyond high school in a healthy, productive manner.



Want to Supercharge Your Graduation Rate? Put More Horses Under the Hood with Quality Career and Technical Education ProgramsStrand: Career and Technical Education • Grand Ballroom C/D Presenter: Dr. John D. Barge, Former Superintendent of Schools for the U.S. State of GeorgiaSchools and school systems are much like automobile engines, a complex weave of many different parts that, when all are performing their respective tasks, produce energy (horsepower). Depending on the quality, size, variety and performance level of those parts, that engine could produce an adequate amount of energy to get the job done, or it could be supercharged to produce tremendous power to get the same job done quicker, more effectively and more efficiently. This session will highlight the research and evidence behind the identification of career-technical education as the most effective and powerful tool you can use to increase graduation rates. As many schools, districts and states struggle to move the needle on graduation rates for all students beyond the 80%-85% range, many are finding the answer by installing a powerful turbocharger—quality, flexible CTE programs.

Student Engagement and Retention of AthletesStrand: After-School/Out-of-School Opportunities • Harris Presenters: Mr. Wendall Garth, Director, Invictus High School, OH; Mr. Dean Manke, Sr. Director of Academics, Invictus High School; Mr. James Hudson, Student Engagement Specialist, Invictus High School; Mr. Kevin Minor, Family Advocate and Title IX Coordinator, Invictus High School; Mr. Osborne Gardner, Attendance Specialist, Invictus High SchoolA basketball league was created to provide high school males between the ages of 16-21 with an opportunity to engage in sports at a dropout recovery school. A significant and notable point learned is that engaging activities promote and encourage student behavior. As a result of stronger student and teacher relationships, attendance rates of students who participated are higher.

Changing the Conversation: Career Planning Strategies for Youth at-RiskStrand: Career and Technical Education • Grand A Presenters: Dr. Patrick O’Conner, Emeritus Professor, Kent State University, OH and Mr. George Miller II, Child Advocacy Artist-GemartstudioCareer planning has changed dramatically in recent years. These changes present additional challenges for youth at-risk. This presentation uses a magazine feature article from titled the “Road Less Traveled” (RLT) as a way to reach youth at-risk and those who support them in career planning. The presentation includes information on the RLT as a career planning strategy for youth at-risk. Also, George Miller is one of 16 subjects featured in the RLT and will share his story in the presentation.

The Probability of PossibleStrand: Safe Learning Environments • Grand B Presenter: Mr. Jermaine White, Assistant Superintendent, Harnett County Schools, NC“The Probability of Possible” will present the effective strategies used to engage and support at-risk students. This session will focus on the innovative culture needed to reduce suspensions, assist with dropout prevention, and improve cohort graduation rates.

Closing Session—11 am-Noon—Grand Ballroom C/D

Moving Vision to ActionPresenter: Dr. Bill Daggett, Founder & Chairman Successful Practices NetworkFrom classroom teacher to principal to superintendent—and everyone in between—our school days are filled with more tasks and challenges than there are hours in a day. How can you find the time, energy and resources to implement the most valuable, innovative practices our nation’s most rapidly improving schools are teaching us? How can you take your vision and break it down into actionable steps? Dr. Daggett will guide you through a series of action steps that will enable you to implement in your classroom, school and district to better prepare students for success in the world in which they will work, learn and interact.

Wednesday Sessions

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NATIONALDROPOUT

PREVENTIONCENTER

2020 National Lessons Learned Conference


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