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11TH ANNUAL CALIFORNIA CHARTER SCHOOLS CONFERENCE

 

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Monday March 29th   1:15pm – 2:30pm


Accountability/Accreditation

Public Schools Accountability Act (PSAA) and NCLB: Accountability from a state and federal perspective
Room 314

Understanding the provisions and issues of the laws and the expectations for charter schools.

Moderated by Colin Miller, Director of Policy and Research, The California Charter Schools Association


Advocacy/PR/Marketing

Guerilla Marketing: How to Reach Low Income and Diverse Students
Room 302

Innovative recruitment techniques to maintain ethnic and gender balance at new charter schools. There will be a focus on resources available in targeted charter school communities, retaining applicants, understanding local politics, planning contingencies, and student voices.

Bianca Escalante, Leadership Public Schools


Authorization/Oversight

Revisiting the Charter School Petition: Knowing what the Authorizer Needs to Know
Room 103

Key application issues will be discussed based on scenarios developed through National Association of Charter School Authorizer’s (NACSA) Applying for Excellence: Fostering High-Quality Charter Schools in California project. 

Learn what information an authorizer needs to make sound petition decisions and how the petition decision can and should align with the charter school development process.

William Haft, NACSA (National Association of Charter School Authorizers)
; Dave Taylor, Twin Ridges Elementary School District


Business Operations

Providing Quality Employee Benefits at an Affordable Cost!
Room ---

Cost of health benefits increased an average of 20% last year and will rise again this year! Our panel of industry experts will provide some insight as to how organizations are managing this growing problem. 

Meet one school that has already met the challenge and reduced their benefits cost by more than $100,000 this year. Be prepared to learn what is ahead and hear some innovative ideas about controlling your benefit costs.

Yvonne Sanusi, Regional Employee Benefits; Carol Cleveland, Controller, Orange County High School of Arts
; Carl Dickerson, Dickerson Benefits, Blue Cross G.A.


Business Operations

Starting a Second School – Replication Issues and Advice
Room 317

Learn from those who successfully replicated their school, how they did it. A very practical advice-filled session from those who achieved success.

Panel, Including: Elliot Washor, The MET School


Facilities

Navigating the Charter School Facilities Programs Agencies 
Room ---

In March 2004, the $300 million Charter School Facilities Program application period will begin. The state representatives will discuss their agency’s role and the improvements that have been implemented since the initiation of the program in 2003. This is an important session for those applying for funding this year.

Moderator: Ernie Silva, Murdoch Walrath & Holmes; Representatives from the Office of Public School Construction; California Department of Education; California School Finance Agency


Governance/Legal

E Pluribus Unum - From Many, One
Room 318

Lack of consensus undermines the ability of charter school Local School Boards to create a constructive learning environment. Review major elements of small group dynamics, including the use and misuse of Robert's Rules of Order, active listening techniques, and various forms of decision-making and consensus building. Participants assume roles seen on Boards and collectively analyze the process.

Dr. Robert Alan Fox, University of Hawaii Charter School Resource Center and Ku'ikaki Mediation Center


Governance/Legal

Free Legal Advice: Is there really such a thing
Room 315

We will respond to all your legal questions in a quick three to five minute per question format. Prizes will be given for anyone who can "stump" the attorneys or for those with the best attorney jokes.

Paul Minney, SMY&M Law Office


Governance/Legal

Jump Start Your Charter School
Room 306

This session is meant for charter leaders that will be opening in the fall of 2004. It provides an overview of many of the start-up issues that schools need to address before they open, including: teacher credentialing, health and safety, federal and state forms, food service, accounting, attendance. Handouts and useful forms/resources will be distributed.

Peter Laub, Adam Musch, Shaheed Haq, EdTec, Inc.


Governance/Legal

The Nuts and Bolts of Charter School Partnerships
Room 319

Practical advice to help charter school personnel determine whether partnerships can be used to enhance the capacity and supplement the resources of their school. The session provides a step-by step implementation plan of the partnering process including how to choose appropriate partners, clearly define the roles and purpose of the partnership, and manage the partnership for success.

Courtney L. Malloy, Center on Educational Governance, University of Southern California


Leadership

Emerging Trends and Issues: The Future of the California Charter Movement
Room ---

Where has the charter movement been? Where is the future of the charter movement headed in California? This panel of charter leaders will discuss emerging trends and issues. Issues covered will include: Lessons learned, future goals of the movement, challenges, threats, policy and legal needs, authorizing issues, California Department of Education and the California Charter Schools Association capacity and best practices in charter management. 

Moderator: Mark Kushner, CEO, Leadership Public Schools; Panelists: Caprice Young, CEO/President, California Charter Schools Association; Don Shalvey, Aspire Public Schools


Student Achievement

Engaging At-Risk Youth Through Project-based Curriculum
Room 301

One of Life Learning Academy’s strongest methods of bringing at-risk youth back to the classroom has been our project-based, integrated curriculum. LLA instructors will present three stellar examples.


Joanne da Luz, Justin Warren, and Craig Miller, Life Learning Academy


Student Achievement

Implementation of the California Student Information System (CSIS) and Its Potential for Accountability
Room 201

This session discusses what the CSIS is and how it can be of value to you in helping with accountability issues.

The California Department of Education


Student Achievement

Personalized Learning Best Practices
Room 305

Personalized Learning tailors learning according to the individual needs of each student, using learning environments both within and beyond classroom. Charter schools of the APLUS+ Personalized Learning Network Association will provide insights and information on proven "best practices" on a number of topics and issues unique to independent study classified charter schools.

Jeff Rice, Founder and Director of APLUS+ (the Association of Personalized Learning Services)


Student Achievement

Prepare Students to meet the State Writing Assessments
Room 305

We must teach quality writing, as well as meet specific California writing standards. Keyes to Learning Charter School is conquering this problem with creative writing packets that are useful in classroom situations as well as in home school settings. Let us share what succeeds for us and give you helpful ideas and tips of what you can do now.

Annette Steele and Cindy Tyson, Keyes to Learning Charter School


Student Achievement

The Hedgehog Concept: High School Grade Level Promotions Through Mastery
Room 105

Stanislaus County Office of Education charter schools School-to-Career high schools blend academic projects with "real world" internships and experiences. Students graduate with a culminating celebration before a committee of school and business/community representatives. Students are promoted through "grade levels" by demonstrating mastery of the California academic content standards and other program quality indicators.

Dr.
Jeff S. Tilton and Mr. William Redford, Stanislaus County Office of Education


Student Achievement

The Mueller Resiliency Quadrants: Schools need to meet the real needs of children
Room 307

We have created a system that nurtures resilient students while supporting those experiencing a profound life crisis. We will share our "Resiliency Quadrants" and discuss how we identify and prioritize the risk factors for each child, assess the degree to which they inhibit learning and create interventions that allow children to overcome adversity and achieve at grade level.

Kevin Riley, The Mueller Charter School


Exhibitor Presentation

Standards Based Curriculum Planning and Assessments 
Room 304

Participants will learn how to analyze grade level standards, plan appropriate instruction and periodically assess student progress toward learning standards. Handouts will include a curriculum planning chart, sample assessment questions and class or individual student assessment reports.

Presenter: Dr. Geni Boyer Ph.D, The Learning Classroom


Exhibitor Presentation

Achieving the Requirements of NCLB with Microsoft Class Server
Room ---

Designed specifically to help educators address the challenges of meeting No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements, Microsoft Class Server 3.0 delivers real-time student achievement data and standards-aligned curriculum so you can improve the district's decision-making capability and student performance. Class Server 3.0 is a powerful learning management platform for delivering assessments and lessons over the Web that enables school districts and teachers to track and improve student achievement against local curriculum standards.

Presenter: Joy Dakin, Microsoft Corporation

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