State Education ConferenceNovember 16 - 18, 2011
La Vista Conference Center/Embassy Suites
(registration information available September, 2011)
2010 Conference Sessions Handouts
| Session A 10:15 to 11:15 a.m | |
| A1 | Parliamentary Procedure |
| Download | This session has been a stalwart over the years and has always received high marks. School Attorney Jim Gessford will again review the rules, procedures and processes of Roberts Rules of Order and parliamentary procedure generally. |
| A2 | Adding a Personal Finance Course on a Budget |
| A panel of experts in the field of economic and financial literacy education will demonstrate how you can create or enhance a personal finance or economics course for your district at little financial cost. Participants will leave with a packet of information outlining free resources, programs and projects to make sure your students are adequately prepared with necessary life skills. | |
| A3 | Nebraska School Activities Association Update |
| Representatives of the NSAA Board of Control will share current trends and issues in school activities. | |
| A4 | A Vision for Online Learning in Nebraska |
| A panel will discuss the various efforts to increase online learning opportunities in Nebraska's K-12 schools. Panel members will share their views for a Nebraska Virtual School and how the plan can become a reality through collaboration and incorporation of existing courses along with the develop of new Advance Placement and STEM courses. | |
| A5 | Locking Up Technology Doesn't Work |
| As budgets shrink, and consumer technology gets cheaper and faster, school leaders and school boards need to rethink policies and practice. Explore the possibilities for teaching and learning with cell phones, iTouches, iPads, digital readers and iPods in the classroom. Devices will change and become more sophisticated, and more and more they will march to your door. Now is the time to explore the issues, open the conversation and see these tools as keys to increasing student achievement. | |
| A6 | Top Ten Ways to Rock Your Board |
| The Kearney Public Schools Board of Education has over 100 years of combined service. Learn useful tips from experienced Board members on how to maintain a cohesive and productive school board. Get creative communications ideas for your board and your district. | |
| A7 | The Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative and Educational Outcomes of Foster Youth: How to Improve Collaboration Among the Courts and Schools |
| Download | This session will provide an overview of the Nebraska Supreme Court's Through the Eyes of the Child Initiative, which is comprised of 30 judge-led teams across the state working on abuse/neglect issues. Presenters will address how school systems can work with court systems to improve educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care. |
| A8 | The Classroom and the Digital World |
| Prior to working for Dell, Mark Hudson worked for 17 years in education as a middle school and high school Language Arts teacher, vocational school director, technology trainer, and curriculum developer. In his current role at Dell, Mr. Hudson supervises professional learning engagements around Dell's Connected Classroom. Mark also works with educators on key initiatives involving 21st Century Skills (P21), student 1:1 programs and applications in order to improve best practice with hardware, software, and network components in their districts. During this session, he will discuss integrating technology into the classroom. | |
| Session B 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. | |
| B1 | Legislative Update |
| Senator Greg Adams, Mike Dulaney, and John Bonaiuto will discuss the upcoming legislative session and the issues expected to impact public schools in Nebraska. | |
| B2 | Straight Talk from Students |
| This perennial favorite will feature students from a diverse range of Nebraska high schools. These young people will share their perspectives on a variety of issues facing our youth today. | |
| B3 | Creating a Learning Community - The Statewide Opportunities Created by the Learning Community Legislation |
| Representatives of the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties will give a brief overview of the current learning community in Nebraska and the lessons learned in the creation of this first-ever entity. They will also discuss the opportunities provided in the legislation to address educational needs in other parts of the state by utilizing the learning community concept. | |
| B4 | Sharing Administrators: Benefits and Considerations |
| Download | If sharing administrators is one of the strategies your district is considering as a means to meet a tight budget, you should attend this session. Presenters will share their experiences with shared administration and discuss some of the critical issues that boards need to consider before taking this step. |
| B5 | Social Networking for School Leaders |
| Social networking is not going away. School leaders need to harness the power of these social networking tools for professional development, public relations and connecting with alumni and the community. This session will show practical ways to get started and the importance of engaging the community. You may not be ready for this, but the social networking nation is at your doorstep, in your classroom and now is your community. | |
| B6 | Open Meetings Act |
| Download | In the past year, the Attorney General's Office has received and investigated many patrons' complaints that boards of education have violated the Open Meetings Act. Kelley Baker will review the basic requirements of the Act, discuss the recent disposition letters from the Attorney General's office, and make recommendations for complying with the Act and staying out of trouble. |
| B7 | Supporting Learning Through the Arts |
| The pressure of high stakes testing and rigorous standards does not have to eliminate a comprehensive arts program for your school. Crete Middle School incorporates arts education as an essential component to support and enrich its curriculum. This presentation offers an overview of the creative approaches that earned the middle school the Nebraska Kennedy Center for Performing Arts School of Distinction in Arts Education award. A video presentation including original student works and examples of the varied strategies will be shared. | |
| B8 | Using Whole Faculty Study Groups to Improve Teaching and Learning |
| Representatives of the Holdrege and Kearney school districts will share different approaches to using Whole Faculty Study Groups to improve teaching and learning in their schools. | |
| Session C 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. | |
| C1 | Controlling Board Meetings-Rights and Responsibilities |
| Download | Permissible as "robust public discourse" or impermissible as "disruption of an orderly and efficient meeting" is the question courts often ask. School Boards and administrators are often presented with the same question when citizens feel strongly about a controversial school topic. Knowing your legal rights and responsibilities is critical to properly controlling such meetings. This session will cover the law and recent court cases on the subject. It will also examine meeting controls and rules in terms of reasonable time, place and manner restrictions which can often make the controversial meeting experience smoother and much less painful. |
| C2 | Integrating 21st Century Skills in the Curriculum Using Your Library Media Specialist |
| Download | This session provides an overview of the new AASL (American Association of School Librarians) Standards for the 21st Century Learner. By collaboratively working with the school library media specialist, teachers can provide students with the necessary 21st Century Skills through authentic project/research based assignments that include critical thinking, problem solving, inquiry, collaboration, and technology. |
| C3 | Co-oping Activities: Benefits and Considerations |
| Download Pt. 1 Download Pt. 2 |
Co-oping activities has become a common practice for a variety of reasons, such as the opportunity to build relationships with neighboring schools and/or to maintain competitive programs. During this session, representatives of Callaway and O'Neill will share their experiences with co-oping and discuss the factors that boards should consider when contemplating entering into such agreements. |
| C4 | Legal Issues Involving Technology and Social Media |
| Download | Whether it be students or staff, Internet blogs or cell phones, or MySpace, Facebook, YouTube or Emails, it is increasingly important that board members and administrators stay up-to-date with the latest legal developments. This session will examine various recent developments, new laws, and relevant court decisions along with offering some best practice recommendations as schools continue to struggle with keeping on top of the technology explosion. |
| C5 | Sexting |
| Download | Sexting and electronic communication are issues that present a number of challenges for administrators and board members. During this session, school attorney Karen Haase, who has spoken and written widely on this topic, will address the legal concerns faced by schools. |
| C6 | Basics of School Finance |
| Download | For new board members and veterans alike, this session will present the basic elements of school funding, including revenues, expenditures, and TEEOSA (the state aid formula). |
| C7 | Unification, Reorganization, and Other Considerations |
| Download | Declining enrollments, increased costs, and other factors may make it necessary for a board of education to consider the legally and politically difficult and complex subject of reorganization. In this session, longtime school attorney Neal Stenberg and Dr. Jon Habben, Executive Director of the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association, will examine the various options which are available to school districts in connection with reorganization including unification, dissolution, and merger. The session will focus on numerous issues associated with reorganization such as the size and makeup of the school board, the maintenance of attendance centers, transportation of students, the rights of "freeholders," the disposition of assets and liabilities, bonded indebtedness, and the rights of certificated staff. |
| C8 | Career Academies - Options for All Schools |
| Download | Northeast Nebraska Career Academy Partnership project serves over 30 schools of all sizes in implementing Career Academies in Health Science, Drafting, and Agriculture career fields. Hear how the Nebraska Career model and initiatives from NDE provide resources and support for start-up and implementation. See how schools and communities partner to utilize resources in providing students with 21st Century educational experiences in career experiences. |
| Session D 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. | |
| D1 | Partnering with Youth Frontiers and Local Leaders to Build Positive School Communities |
| Download | Youth Frontiers is a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis that has developed strong partnerships with many Nebraska schools. In this presentation, come hear more about why timeless character values such as respect, courage, kindness and honor are integral to helping our students and teachers thrive. The presenters will include O'Neill community leaders Scott Poese and Connie Gildersleeve, as well as students from O'Neill High School. They will share how the impact of Youth Frontiers' programs has rippled across their schools and community. |
| D2 | PBiS - Setting High Expectations Throughout the School |
| Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBiS) is an internationally recognized, research-based process. Evidence indicates that schools that have implemented it show an increase in overall school success by students and teachers while decreasing challenging behaviors particularly in high poverty, high mobility, and low achieving schools. This has been achieved through a systemic and systematic process where teams that meet readiness criteria are selected to progress through a pre-scripted professional development model aimed at developing school-wide, classroom, and targeted and individual strategies for creating a common language and high expectations throughout a school. It is a process which involves all school staff, all students in all settings. This session will introduce basic elements of PBiS, some of the philosophies, and the professional development model which is utilized in Nebraska. | |
| D3 | Educators Health Alliance Plan Update |
| Kurt Genrich, EHA Plan Advocate and Kent Trelford-Thompson, BCBSNE will provide an update on the EHA's Medical and Dental plans that are provided to the schools in Nebraska. Also being discussed will be the plan's status with National Health Care Reform and possible changes for the 2011-12 plan year. | |
| D4 | Off-Campus Teacher Misconduct |
| Download | School attorney Kelley Baker will address the difficult and persistent question - how does a teacher's off-campus conduct affect his or her employment as an educator? |
| D5 | The Future of State Aid Funding in These Economic Times |
| Download | Representatives of NDE's School Finance and Organization Services will discuss the impact of the state's current budget situation on State Aid to Education and identify what schools can realistically expect from the funding formula in the next few years. |
| D6 | Negotiations Networking |
| If you're on your board's negotiating committee, come to this session to discuss the negotiating process with other board members and learn more about the do's and don'ts of effective negotiating. | |
| D7 | NASB Membership Round Tables |
| The NASB Board of Directors are hosting this session to discuss ways in which NASB can continue to serve the needs of school board members into the future. Each region will have a chance to discuss organizational issues with their representative on the NASB Board of Directors. | |
| Session E 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.. | |
| E1 | School Law Update |
| Download | During this session, the president of the Nebraska Council of School Attorneys will discuss the most important recent developments in school law at the the state and federal level. |
| E2 | Policies for Living with the Second Wave of Technology |
| Technology isn't just becoming more common in the classroom, it is remaking the nature of the ways teachers relate to students and schools communicate with their public. Older members of the district face these changes with dread and foreboding, younger ones embrace it with enthusiasm and excitement. Administrators and board members just hope the dikes will hold. Finding policy language to assist and direct this next wave is absolutely necessary to ensure the change is productive rather than destructive. | |
| E3 | Commission of Industrial Relations 101 |
| Download | Nebraska has a unique mechanism for resolving disputes between political subdivisions and their unionized employees: the Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR). This session will provide an overview of the evolution of the CIR, who the Commissioners are and how they are selected, the basic principles applied by the Commissioners as they resolve disputes, how this process impacts schools, and recent decisions. If "comparability" is keeping you, your board, your staff, or someone you know up at night, this session is for you. |
| E4 | Creating a Healthy School Staff |
| Download | Employee wellness programs have shown to be very successful in corporations throughout Nebraska and across the country. During this session, learn how a successful staff wellness program has been implemented into school districts throughout Nebraska. |
| E5 | Building Something? School Construction Alternatives |
| Download | This session is a must if a bond election or building project is in your future. Board members and administrators must be up to speed on the advantages, disadvantages and pitfalls of various financing alternatives and construction methods so they have a full understanding of the required processes and procedures from the owners' perspective. |
| E6 | Dealing with Truancy: a Unique School Attendance Program |
| Participants in this session will receive the history of how the attendance program used by Grand Island Public Schools was developed and will hear the story of its implementation, including the use of an attendance hearing process. Information regarding collaboration with the Hall County Attorney's office will be included, along with attendance data collected during the first two years of this attendance program. | |
| Session F 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. | |
| F1 | What Board Members Should Know About Poor Teacher Performance and More |
| Download | What are the most frustrating situations when a teacher has performed below expectations and the administration or the board decides serious action must be taken? Answer One: The missing observation and/or evaluation. Sometimes this results from an oversight, sometimes because it was mistakenly believed she was tenured, and sometimes simply because the paperwork has been lost. Answer Two: Evaluations have all been positive and there has been no improvement plan or attempt to remediate. Or, the improvement plan required the Principal to take certain actions and the Principal has not done so, or gave the teacher until the end of the school year to meet expectations, and it is now April 14. In this session, Jim Gessford and Greg Perry will give legal concepts, ideas and tools to avoid these frustrating situations. |
| F2 | State Board of Education Forum: Dealing with Critical Issues |
| With the release of such public information as student test scores and the list of Persistently Low Achieving Schools, many districts have been thrust into the glare of the media spotlight. During this session, facilitated by members of the State Board of Education, you will learn how to deal positively when responding to inquiries about critical education issues. | |
| F3 | Anatomy of a Special Education Case |
| Download | Special education cases can be among the most demanding, time-consuming, and difficult cases in education. Karen Haase and Steve Williams will describe a special education case from beginning to end and provide guidance on ways to deal effectively with special education challenges. |
| F4 | The Legalities of School Foundations |
| Download | While relationships are the hallmark of success in fundraising, infrastructure and legalities are the underpinning of compliance and staying out of trouble. Over the past couple of years, the IRS and state agencies have made large changes to reporting requirements which has led to questions by executives and board members. In five (5) major areas, this presentation will address issues that will help foundation execs and board members be prepared for these challenges. |
| F5 | Teacher Buyout Options - What to Consider |
| Download | Looking at teacher buyout options to save money? During this session, school attorney Rex Schultze will discuss key considerations in implementing such a program. |
| F6 | A New Approach to Concurrent Enrollment - UNL Advanced Scholars |
| Download | In 2005, UNL began the Advanced Scholars program, a new approach to the concurrent enrollment partnership. UNL partners with high schools to provide online college courses taught by actual UNL faculty members. |