What You'll See in the Session Descriptions

Conference sessions may be geared toward participants with different levels of experience, different positions, or different school levels.

You may attend the sessions of your choice. This information can help you choose the most appropriate sessions for your needs and interests. All pre-conference and

conference sessions will be held in Québec, Canada.

Audience (AU)

Superintendents, Central Office Staff, School-Based Administrators, Teacher Leaders, Teachers, or All Positions Audience Level (AL)

Elementary, Middle, Secondary, Higher Education, or All Levels

Session Level (SL)

-  Introductory: Participants who have limited or no previous experience with the content.

-  Experienced: Participants who are familiar with the content but want more information.

-  Advanced: Participants who are very familiar with the content but want more in-depth information.

-  All: Intended for participants at all levels.

Professional Development That Supports Differentiation

Leaders who want to increase teacher skills in differentiation see professional development as the key to making that change. However, they often introduce PD too

early and fail to tailor it to what teachers need as they grow. This session shares the traits of PD most likely to sustain teacher growth in differentiation-including PD

elements that grow as teachers do and ways in which simple, job-embedded learning and one-on-one conversations can be catalysts for effective differentiation.

Implementing Gold-Standard Project-Based Learning Across Schools and Districts

Many teachers, schools, and districts today are considering project-based learning (PBL). Some have begun to use PBL, but how good, consistent, and sustainable is the

effort? PBL is not a simple tool to add to teachers' toolboxes; it is a transformational pedagogy, complex yet highly rewarding for teachers and students. Learn what

makes PBL most effective in the classroom, and what schools and districts need to do to promote and support its widespread, ongoing use across a system.

Designing for Adult Learning: Practices That Transform School Communities

How school leaders design and support adult learning directly influences student learning. Understanding and applying principles of adult learning catalyzes

transformational learning throughout the school. During this session, leaders will

-  Consider principles of adult learning and apply them to a learning design.

-  Explore assumptions about how adults learn, and map these onto research about adult development.

-  Evaluate the role of adult learning tasks in promoting authentic accountability.

-  Analyze and apply eight steps of design.

-  Develop and receive feedback on a professional learning agenda.

Participants will leave with tools, strategies, and processes for designing, implementing, and supporting transformational educator learning.

Educational Excellence Through Equity: Five Principles of Courageous Leadership to Guide Achievement for Every Student

This pre-conference institute features renowned author Alan M. Blankstein who will share strategies that lead to equity and end instructional and achievement gaps at all

levels in multicultural K-12 districts and schools. In these schools, educators understand that equity is not only about treating all children the same. They are deeply

committed to ensuring that all students receive what they need to develop their full potential and succeed. (Due to a prior engagement, Pedro Noguera will not appear at

this Institute.)

This institute will facilitate leadership teams in understanding:

Rapidly changing demographics (at the national, state, and local levels)

The challenges of educating impoverished children and diverse cultures

Achievement gaps of models of success