Wednesday, October 21, 2009

2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Bridging the Writing Gaps

The Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) is the ninth-largest school district in California. Five years ago, CNUSD launched a K–12 writing initiative that has increased state test scores in seventh-grade writing proficiency from 13 to 74 percent. These students, now entering high school, are benefiting from a consistent approach, common language and high expectations as they reach proficiency in secondary writing and move toward proficiency on university placement tests. By examining CNUSD’s partnership with the California State University system, participants will develop strategies for introducing students to expository reading and writing skills that will help them bridge the gap from high school competency to successful university placement. Participants will also identify methods for creating consistent writing instruction that prepare students for writing at the university level.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Jan Stallones, Corona Norco Unified School District, CA

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

College Ready: A Comprehensive Approach to Developing an AP® Program

Participants will examine the emerging AP® model in place at Lee High School in Houston and will assess how its methods have enabled it to grow over the last five years. Lee’s multilayered approach includes creative teacher strategies, summer recruitment programs, data analysis, and a student-centered culture fostered by small learning communities. In addition, Lee’s College Access Center provides comprehensive support with financial aid and admission processes to students who come from poverty, many of whom are recent immigrants. Participants will develop strategies and methods into best practices, based in part on Lee’s proven programs, which have improved educational access to rigorous instruction and increased student success.

Speaker(s):

Steve Amstutz, Principal, Lee High School, TX
Robert Dennison, AP Biology Teacher, Lee High School, TX
Tom Goldsbury, AP Calculus Teacher, Lee High School, TX
Dave Johnston, College Coordinator, Lee High School, TX
Jamie Simmon, AP Coordinator, Lee High School, TX

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Examining College Choice: Freshmen Speak

The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) Freshman Survey has been conducted at hundreds of institutions every year since 1966, and it is the longest-running and largest study of higher education. Since 1971, students have spoken about the importance of various factors in their choice of college. In this presentation, participants will examine these reasons and how they have changed over time. They will discuss how students’ answers differ according to their sex, race and institutional characteristics. Participants will consider the significance of students’ increasing focus on financial issues and how students get information on their choices. They also will discuss the implications of these survey results and develop best practices for admission review from their conclusions.

Speaker(s):

John Pryor, Director, CIRP, Higher Educational Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

International Academic Initiatives of the College Board

Participants will survey the College Board’s recent international academic initiatives undertaken by its International Services division and the Advanced Placement Program®, which include the AP International Diploma, the AP Global Scholar Award and the new Franco-American Baccalaureate. Participants will review the history and design of the two credentials as well as undertake some comparative analysis of the AP and IB programs.

Speaker(s):

Soizic Charpentier, Cultural Attaché, Ministry of Education, Republic of France
Robert DiYanni (moderator), Adjunct Professor of Humanities, New York University
Mollie Pilling, AP/IB Teacher and Coordinator, Westminster School, CT
Yves Theze, Proviseur, Lycée Français de New York

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

International Needs Analysis

In 2010-11, the College Board will introduce a new International Student Financial Aid Application and an associated needs analysis. In this session, participants will review the new needs-analysis process and will do hands-on work to calculate some cases and to see the new method in process.

Speaker(s):

Myra Baas Smith, Executive Director, Financial Aid Services, The College Board, VA
Daniel Barkowitz, Dean of Financial Aid, Columbia University

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Mobilizing Parents to Ensure Student Success

The Oklahoma GEAR UP Parent Leadership Academy (PLA) helps Oklahoma parents become more involved in improving public schools throughout the state through special training and an evaluation of local school achievement data, culminating in a final parent team project (project samples will be available). In this session, participants will review training structures, organizational challenges and best practices created by the PLA model, including customized topics and curricula adapted for local parents. Participants will also engage in actual activities used in the Oklahoma PLA that demonstrate how parent– school–community partnerships create and enhance high-performing learning cultures. Participants will analyze how parent involvement helps students achieve and prepares them for postsecondary education. In discussion with panelists, participants will assess the role of the coach in working with parent teams and develop strategies for supporting and encouraging parents to stop merely observing and become key players in helping students succeed.

Speaker(s):

Jolynn Horn, State Coordinator, Oklahoma GEAR UP, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Nita Rudy, Manager, Center for Parent Leadership, Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, KY
Lorri Thomas, Coordinator, Oklahoma GEAR UP, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Work, the Forgotten Resource

When covering financial aid, the media tend to focus on topics like the tension between merit- and need-based aid, the growth in borrowing, and the need to increase funding for federal Pell Grants, but little focus is placed on student employment programs. When handled thoughtfully and creatively by institutions, student employment opportunities not only provide resources to help meet college expenses but also provide benefits that go far beyond dollars earned. Work opportunities can serve educational and career-related purposes, giving students an opportunity to develop marketable skills and job experience. Such employment also provides a means for students to connect to the campus in ways that help with retention. Through reviewing an institutional case study, participants will examine principles as well as develop strategies and best practices to establish effective work programs. They will discuss how student employment can offset shrinking resources.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Seamus Harreys, Dean, Student Financial and Career Services, Northeastern University, MA
Kathy Kurz, Vice President, Scannell & Kurz, Inc., NY

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

2:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

City Streets and School Corridors

City Streets and School Corridors

The College Board will convene educators, scholars, and policy experts for a candid conversation and a series of highly interactive sessions focusing on the needs of minority, immigrant and low-income students. In three concurrent sessions we’ll explore the educational experiences of young men of color, college counseling for diverse populations and the urgent need for the passage of the DREAM Act.

3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

A Day in the Life: Teachers Report from the Front Lines

Classroom teachers have perhaps the greatest influence on student achievement. Numerous studies support the proposition that significant gains in college-going, especially for underserved students, are best achieved when teachers get the necessary support. Yet to provide this support, it’s necessary to know what, how and why teachers do what they do. An innovative College Board initiative shadowed high school teachers across the country for a day in their classrooms. In subsequent interviews, the teachers discussed their motivations, their professional likes and dislikes, and their vision of the future of American education. Participants will analyze the results of this revealing look inside America’s high schools, and they will discuss with several teachers their candid insights into the transformative nature of teaching. From these discussions, participants will develop ways in which policymakers can support teachers.

Speaker(s):

Nancy Barile, AP English Teacher, National Board Certified Teacher, Revere High School, MA
Margaret Favretti, History Teacher, Scarsdale High School, NY
Juliet Lee, Teacher, South Bronx Preparatory School, NY
Luis Martinez-Fernandez (moderator), Professor of History, University of Central Florida, FL

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

A Ton of Data, an Ounce of Insight

As enterprise resource planning systems get larger, data warehouses grow more cavernous and online information sources proliferate, insight seems to be the commodity in shortest supply. The challenge is no longer getting data, it’s distilling actionable information from it. And often the biggest limitation to gaining that insight is the legacy tools currently in use. In this session, participants will explore the newest techniques and methods for bringing into focus the large, complex data amassed by school districts and educational institutions. They will identify tools to render the vast quantity of information digestible and actionable, whether it’s data for benchmarking from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, data on high school graduates from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, transactional data from Google Analytics or another service, or even enrollment data from your own systems. Participants will learn how to turn large data sets into manageable pieces of actionable information.

Speaker(s):

Jon Boeckenstedt, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Policy and Planning, DePaul University, IL
Sundar Kumarasamy, Vice President for Enrollment Management, University of Dayton, OH

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Adapting the Global-Community Model to Higher Education

Higher education should prepare students to lead successful professional and personal lives but has been slow to adapt to an increasingly interconnected global society. A current concept in higher education is the global network university — a place of research and learning that facilitates the circulation of research, ideas and talent around the world. In this session, participants will examine New York University’s global mission and its forthcoming portal campus in Abu Dhabi as a model for a global network university. Using this model will allow educators to develop strategies and best practices to yield richer research, a better understanding of the world we live in and students who are better prepared to become leaders in a new, global community.

Speaker(s):

Ulrich Baer, Vice Provost for Globalization and Multicultural Affairs, New York University

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Letters of Recommendation: Expectations and Usage

Letters of recommendation provide essential information to admission officers, but the teachers and counselors writing these letters are often unaware of their impact. In this session, participants and admission professionals will debate institutional expectations and usage of letters of recommendation, as well as the burdens and priorities for those who write them, and participants will develop strategies for counselors and teachers to use when writing such letters.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Lou Hirsh, Director of Admissions, University of Delaware
Peter Johnson, Director of Admissions, Columbia University
Marcia Landesman, Associate Director of Admissions, Yale University
Christine Scott, Senior Associate Director, Academics, Admissions & College Counseling, The Masters School, NY

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

STEP: Successfully Engaging Students in the STEM Disciplines

The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) partners with several New York City high schools to implement STEP (Science and Technology Entry Program), a unique interdisciplinary after-school program for underrepresented urban students. Each of the four STEP laboratory classes (computer science, biology, physics and chemistry) is designed and team-taught by faculty from BMCC and partner high schools, and it fully integrates real-world content (e.g., global warming). In addition to the classes, students can participate in research internships with BMCC faculty and present their findings at a statewide student STEP conference. Participants in this session will examine the STEP model and its advantages to students, and will learn methods for curriculum design, staffing and evaluation in order to replicate this program.

Speaker(s):

Barbara Ashton, Associate Professor, Mathematics, BMCC, NY
Everton Barrett, STEM Education Coordinator, BMCC, NY
Michael Gillespie, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, BMCC, NY

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Starting an AP Program from Scratch

During the last five years, Corbett High School’s AP program has grown substantially. It was virtually nonexistent and now it is one of the country’s most successful programs. In this session, participants will examine Corbett’s approach to AP and evaluate the effectiveness of its mantras: “We take choices away from 14- to 17-year-olds to give choices to 18- to 20-year-olds,” and “Don’t expect everyone to pass an AP course; expect everyone to try to pass an AP course.” Participants will develop strategies for building on this model in order to remove institutional roadblocks to AP participation and to address areas of concern such as test costs, heterogeneous grouping, passing rates, teacher preparation, grading concerns and the integrity of classroom discussions.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Bob Dunton, Superintendent, Corbett School District, OR
Al Mijares (moderator), Vice President, Western Regional Office, The College Board, CA
Randy Trani, Principal, Corbett High School, OR

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times for U.S. Community Colleges

It is the best of times for community colleges. With the current recession, more individuals than ever are turning to community colleges as many states adopt policies that will encourage this trend even after the economy recovers. But it is also the worst of times. Community colleges are losing about half of their students after a semester or two, and many of those who do stay are enrolled in developmental courses that too often do not lead to college-level work or degrees. In this session, participants will develop both short- and long-term strategies for addressing the needs of community college students, with particular attention to a model currently in use in New Jersey. Topics will include methods for better assessing students’ abilities and placing students into the proper courses; techniques for strengthening high school standards; and policies for bringing together secondary school teachers and community college faculty so that end-of-course high school tests align with college course prerequisites.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Kenneth Ender, President, Harper College, IL
Lawrence Nespoli, President, New Jersey Council of County Colleges
Jonell Sanchez, Director of Academic Outreach and Program Development, The College Board, NY

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The Junior Year Experience: A Practical Approach to the College Search for Public High Schools

Participants in this session will explore the strategies implemented at Bexley High School to aid teachers and students with the college search. Using Bexley as a model, participants will identify the strengths and drawbacks to methods such as: student research papers on the topic of the search process, supervised by junior English teachers with input from counselors; activities from the college resource guide workbook and exposure to college and career search resources; and in-class college application essays with teacher guidance to familiarize students with questions and expectations. Participants will also identify local colleges and universities that can send representatives to high schools to answer student questions about the application process, as well as summer school opportunities in both college application essay and college application process courses.

Speaker(s):

Chad Hemmelgarn, English Teacher, Bexley High School, OH
Stephanie Krosnosky, College Counselor, Bexley High School, OH

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The ROI in College Access Initiatives

Successful college access efforts entail some cost, and the costs for the most successful statewide initiatives may be significant. The return on investment (ROI) is often overlooked and seldom leveraged for long-term, sustainable support. In this presentation, participants will explore various long- and near-term economic benefits to a community from increased college access and a better educated workforce. Research shows that a state with a better educated workforce attracts new knowledge-based businesses and industries, which in turn pay higher wages, resulting in greater state revenue. Participants will also examine the human benefits of investment in education, in the form of quality of life enhancements that result from education. Participants will develop state-centered practices, such as K–12 partnerships and collaborations, and statewide access initiatives that use e-application and e-transcript technology.

Speaker(s):

George Dixon, Senior Fellow and Vice-Provost Emeritus, The Institute for College and Career Success, North Carolina State University

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

What’s New with PROFILE and IDOC

In this session, participants will review important changes to CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®, Institutional Methodology and IDOC for the 2010-11 processing year. Participants will examine new details in the PROFILE application and need analysis, now adapted for use by international students; the incorporation of business and farm supplement questions into the PROFILE; and the efficacy of new initiatives designed to increase security and end-user flexibility as well as improve the student application process. Participants will identify situations and opportunities in which to implement these programs and the programs’ new features to meet their institutional needs.

Speaker(s):

Myra Baas Smith, Executive Director, Financial Aid Services, The College Board, VA
William Wells, Director of Financial Aid, Wake Forest University, NC

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Presidential Plenary

In More than a Sum of Our Parts, The Ohio State University’s president,  E. Gordon Gee, will address attendees on the pursuit of excellence in the American education system in this time of economic uncertainty.  Gee says that, “We must take note: The wind has changed direction.  The undeniable press of today’s economic circumstances presents us with enormous challenges and even greater opportunities.  While holding true to the core of America’s remarkable tradition of higher education, we must use this moment to assure that we make good on our founding promises.  We will do so only through unrelenting pursuit of partnerships of all kinds, expanded access, and recalibration of our internal strategies.  We have been loosened from our moorings; it is time to seize the wheel and steer our own course.”

Thursday, October 22, 2009

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Academic Assembly Meeting

The Academic Assembly offers a forum for members to discuss issues and actions related to providing educational opportunities for all students. The assembly meeting allows delegates to play an active role in the future of our organization, helps set the agenda for education in our nation, and updates delegates on critical issues and ongoing initiatives in our professions. Also, it is a setting to address topics on curriculum, articulation, assessment, school governance structures and sustained professional development.

Join your colleagues in consideration of the AP redesign goals. The AP redesign is a process that aims to review and revise AP courses and exams so that all AP course offerings contain an emphasis on 21^st-century skills and reflect the “best in college instruction.”  The redesigns are aimed at aligning AP curricula with the best college-level courses, as determined by college curriculum studies.  Each course is undergoing a distinct review process, with the course and exam review already under way for world languages, history, and science AP courses.

Topics(s):

AA

Advocacy & Government Relations at the College Board—An Illustration of our Roles and Activities

Participants will engage in a role-playing session to illustrate the College Board’s current strategies for advocacy at the local, state and federal levels. College Board Advocacy staff will invite members’ ideas and input, and explore topics and themes that should drive the College Board’s legislative agenda. This will be a highly interactive session, with the aim of encouraging member engagement in the College Board’s advocacy and government relations work.

Speaker(s):

Jennifer Jenkins, Executive Director State Government Relations, The College Board, DC
Michele Minter, Vice President of Development, The College Board, NY
Tom Rudin, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Government Relations, The College Board, DC

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Confronting the Top Challenges to College Access

Despite efforts at collaboration, misunderstandings still persist between K–12 and colleges. What happens to students who have an interest in math or science, but do not know how to pursue it? In this session, participants will identify major challenges faced by minorities and low-income students when preparing for college. Drawing on a review of experiences at two K–12 institutions, participants will develop strategies for motivating students to engage in academically rigorous courses beyond the middle school level. They will also discuss with college representatives questions related to admission criteria in the academic fields of science and math in order to generate methods to encourage science and mathematics faculty — especially those who teach remedial courses — to collaborate with teachers in low-performing schools to improve students’ college readiness. .

Speaker(s):

Antonio Boyle, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management and Director of Admissions, South Carolina State University
Terrance Dixon, Associate Dean of Recruitment and Admissions, Morehouse College, GA
Angel Dowden, Director of AP/IB Programs, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Vinnessa Lane, Department Chair of Mathematics, The Opportunity Charter School, NY

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Debunking SAT® Myths

Participants will review and discuss common criticisms of the SAT®, and they will examine them in light of empirical research derived from large-scale databases and meta-analytic evidence. Topics include the test’s efficacy, validity and fairness; the impact of test-coaching on student results; and test-taking motivational mechanisms. Participants will analyze this information to draw conclusions about these criticisms and evaluate the test’s role in terms of relevance and importance in the current educational system.

Speaker(s):

Wayne Camara, Vice President, Research and Development, The College Board, NY
Paul Sackett, Professor, Psychology Department, University of Minnesota

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

District Reform for College Readiness

School districts across the nation, especially large urban districts, face the challenge of preparing students for the demands of college course work, as well as ensuring access to college after graduation. The urgent need to improve the efforts of our nation’s schools in this area demands an aggressive response. As part of this response, the College Board ’s College Readiness System™ (CRS) is launching the District Reform Partnerships program, a unique program that combines the ongoing work of individual school districts with the expertise and broad resources of a leading national provider of content, professional development and college readiness assessments. Participants in this presentation will review this partnership and examine how a district implements a customized three- to five-year road map to improve college readiness for students.

Speaker(s):

Dan Cunningham, Senior Director, CRS Design and Implementation, The College Board, VA
Donna Flynn, CRS Design, The College Board, VA

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Endowments, Financial Aid and Equity: Issues and Aspects of a “No-Loan” Approach

In recent years, some of the nation’s colleges have expanded their financial aid support for students by dipping deeper into their endowment coffers and undertaking other actions. The resultant need-based financial aid packages offered by these schools have included increased amounts of grant assistance and the reduction or elimination of need-based student loans. Although these initiatives will benefit the students who end up being admitted at those institutions, they may put pressure on other institutions with more limited resources to join the “financial aid arms race” or affect equity for other students. What might the political or other pressures be, if any, or the philosophical tenets and factors that have impacted the recent changes made by those institutions? This session is a case study delivered by a team of individuals who will share Vanderbilt University’s view on these questions and describe various aspects of the process followed in the evaluation, development and implementation of the financial aid initiative launched for the 2009-10 awarding cycle.

Speaker(s):

Doug Christiansen, Associate Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions, Vanderbilt University, TN
David D. Mohning, Executive Director Student Financial Aid and Undergraduate Scholarships, Vanderbilt University, TN
Julia Padgett, Director, Financial Aid Services Implementation and User Support, The College Board, VA

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Enrollment and Financial Aid in a Receding Economy: An Open Forum

In this session, participants from financial aid and other enrollment professions will have the opportunity to debrief one another about their experiences during the recent difficult economic times. As students and parents made their college decisions, the cost of going to college was uppermost on their minds during the worst recession in the last several decades. Financial aid officers and other enrollment officials also worried about the consequences of a declining economy, its effect on enrollment goals and on an increased demand for financial aid. Now that the dust has settled, how did things turn out? As enrollment and financial aid officers from different types of institutions offer their experiences of the last few months, participants will join the discussion of this year’s challenge to bring in a class, the cost of doing so, the quality and credentials of students, and the downturn’s effect on families. Participants will also share their expectations for the coming years in order to develop best practices and strategies for coping with these unique challenges.

Speaker(s):

Pamela Fowler, Director of Financial Aid, University of Michigan
Lynn Fox, Associate Dean of Enrollment and Director of Financial Aid, University of the Pacific, CA
Scott Friedhoff, Vice President of Enrollment and Communications, Allegheny College, PA
Rodney Oto, Director of Student Financial Services, Carleton College, MN
David Sheridan, Dean of Enrollment Management, Union County College, NJ

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Focus, Balance and Innovation in Visual Art Education for 21st- Century Learners

As educational decision-makers consider new, innovative approaches to rebalance current educational practices and policies, the provision of equal access and support for arts programs offers a largely untapped reservoir of educational promise. The arts are a natural nexus of interdisciplinary learning for youth of every socioeconomic level, race, ethnicity and place. In this session, participants will examine the benefits of a contemporary visual arts education and its unrealized potential for American students. They will assess how aspects of contemporary arts reflect education’s mission. These aspects include cultural transmission, critical analysis, creative ideation, the development of empathetic relationships and the cultivation of habits of innovation. Participants will develop strategies to use arts education to map innovation across disciplines, motivate personal achievement, and build social empathy and responsibility among students.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Melody Milbrandt, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Art Education, Georgia State University, GA
James Haywood Rolling, Dual Associate Professor in Art Education and Teaching and Leadership, Syracuse University, NY
Renee Sandell, Professor and Director, Graduate Art Education Programs, School of Art, George Mason University, VA
John Howell White, Chair, Department of Arts and Crafts, Kutztown University, PA

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Overcoming Obstacles on the Road to College Access and Achievement

Nine Texas Hill Country school districts, three proximate chambers of commerce, and several state universities and educational institutions have teamed up with the College Board to establish a strong partnership and a coherent, systemic approach to breaking down barriers to college access for students, including the undocumented. The goals of this partnership, called the Financial Aid and Enrollment Managers Task Force, include increasing enrollment and admission, creating more opportunities for financial aid, improving parent communication, and addressing the cost and availability of financial aid. Participants will examine the data and activities of the task force in order to develop strategies and identify community partners that can be accessed or implemented in their own communities.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Cyndi Contreras, Director, Education and Public Policy, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, TX
Kim Pool, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Hays Consolidated Independent School District, TX
Luanne Preston, Executive Director School Relations, Austin Community College, TX
Charlotte Winkelmann, Director of College/Career Readiness, Guidance and Counseling, Hays Consolidated Independent School District, TX

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Principal and Counselor Collaboration to Advance Academic Achievement

Association of Secondary School Principals joined in a yearlong research project to study the principal-counselor relationship and its effect on educational outcomes. In this session, participants will analyze the results of that research, published in A Closer Look at the Principal-Counselor Relationship: A Survey of Principals and Counselors, and identify aspects of the principal-counselor relationship that are vital to student success. Participants will discuss their own principal-counselor relationships and develop tools to forge a stronger partnership for supporting a pedagogical vision and academic climate that can prepare students for successful futures, including college.

Speaker(s):

Vicki Brooks-McNamara, Independent School Counseling Consultant, OR
Doreen Finkelstein, Research Scientist, The College Board, NY
Dick Flanary, Director of the Office of Professional Development Services, National Association of Secondary School Principals, VA
Patricia Martin, Assistant Vice President, The College Board, DC

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Sharing Data, Tools, Results, and Participant Experiences from the National SAT Validity Study

In this session, the results of national SAT® Validity Study research will be discussed and the Admitted Class Evaluation Service™ (ACES™) will be explained in detail so that your institution can make the best use of this free validity study service. Attendees will also have the unique opportunity to learn about the value of participating in this national research initiative from the perspective of a current participating institution. Institutional data will be compared to ACES data and its predictive accuracy will be assessed. This session will also cover opportunities for future SAT Validity Study participation.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Kristina Cragg, Assistant to the President for Strategic Research and Analysis, Valdosta State University, GA
Emily Shaw, Assistant Research Scientist, The College Board, NY

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Stepping into Admission in the 21st Century

Since the release of its report A Letter to the Profession at last year’s Forum, the Task Force on Admissions in the 21st Century has enjoyed considerable interest and support for its recommendations for action and specifically for its Declaration of Values. The task force is now working to develop potential professional training tools that connect admission, financial aid and counseling activities to the Declaration of Values, and to offer ways to expose new professionals to those values, help them measure themselves against those standards and act in support of them. In this session, participants will develop best practices and actionable steps to deploy those tools, and discuss additional next steps and enhancements.

Speaker(s):

Jerome A Lucido, Vice Provost, University of Southern California
Bruce Walker, Vice Provost, The University of Texas at Austin

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Technology to Improve Financial Aid Advising

Today’s students often come to college from a more complex emotional and social background than those of previous generations. Financial aid advisers often hear tragic personal stories, and find their job must go beyond evaluating a student’s eligibility for need-based aid. Having a comprehensive electronic record of student financial aid helps advisers recognize patterns in behavior as well as finances — which will help them direct students to campus support services designed to help them deal with the social, academic and family issues they may face. In this session, participants will identify several low-cost, technology-based techniques to enhance a financial aid office’s services, and evaluate the practical benefits of a comprehensive electronic financial aid record as successfully implemented at the University of Michigan. They will also review counseling methods for leveraging this system on a daily basis to provide optimal advice to students and families facing a wide range of issues and challenges.

 

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Vickie Crupper, Associate Director, Student Services, Office of Financial Aid, University of Michigan
Doug Levy, Associate Director, Support Services, Office of Financial Aid, University of Michigan

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The Not So Hidden Agenda — Closing the Achievement Gap

San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) has developed a comprehensive, aggressive program for increasing the enrollment of low-income and underrepresented students in AP courses and helping them to pass AP Exams. Participants will review key components of this successful model, which include student and teacher recruitment, academic infrastructure support and retention, leadership training, and pivotal Pre-AP® and AP professional development. Participants will assess the requirements for developing and sustaining a college-going culture, survey proven activities and processes that encourage open and equal access, and identify barriers and challenges that emerged during development. They will also evaluate a comprehensive online system that tracks each student’s “AP journey” to provide schools with critical data and feedback on the correlation between professional development activities and students’ test scores. Participants will identify local partners with vested interests in establishing effective AP programs for their schools, as well as ways to leverageexisting resources to acquire external funding to bring long-term sustainability.

Speaker(s):

Tony Lamair Burks II, Executive Director, Atypical and Charter Schools, Office of Small School, SDUSD, CA
Donald Mitchell, Director, Advanced Placement Incentive Program 2 Grant Program, SDUSD, CA
Barbara Pflaum, Director, APIP1 Grant Program, SDUSD, CA

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Breaking Barriers: Stories from Educators and Students

Students from low-income backgrounds encounter many daunting and persistent barriers to college success, which can include financial concerns, poor academic preparation, low expectations and a lack of reliable information about college. In this session, a panel of educators, community leaders and college students — of first-generation or low-income backgrounds — will share personal stories about the people, policies and programs, such as the CollegeKeys Compact™, that helped them on their path to college. From the discussion, participants will draw examples and derive strategies that can ensure students are prepared for college success.

Speaker(s):

Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, Chair, Board of Trustees, The College Board, NY
Walces Deriphonse, Alumni, Queensborough Community College, NY
Giselle Ferreira, Student, Queensborough Community College, NY
James Lyons Sr., Secretary of Higher Education, Maryland Higher Education Commission
Gail Mellow, President, La Guardia Community College, NY
Ronald Williams (moderator), Vice President, The College Board, DC

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

College Readiness Through Middle School Reform

Stamford Public Schools (SPS) recognizes that current institutional structures and instructional grouping practices limit some students’ access to high-level curricula and advancement opportunities. In this session, participants will evaluate several projected strategies at SPS middle schools that aim to challenge, engage and support each and every child, including a rigorous, standards-based, universal curriculum; flexible organizational structures that identify, recognize and advance students’ strengths; and the development, for administrators and teachers, of research-based instructional strategies that meet students’ needs. Participants will review SPS’s early data on implementation, including professional development and the anticipated challenges for teachers and administrators, in order to develop best practices that can be adopted by other districts that share SPS’s goals.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Winnie Hamilton, Deputy Superintendent, SPS, CT
Amy Karwan, Executive Director for Performance Management & Accountability, SPS, CT
Joshua Starr, Superintendent, SPS, CT
Kelli Wells, Director, U.S. Education, GE Foundation, CT

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Equity and Access in Suburbia

In this session, participants will examine what the terms “equity” and “access” mean in the context of a suburban school. They will examine how one school responded to the challenge of demographic changes and declining AP enrollment in order to increase access to AP for students in the “academic middle” who possessed potential but not the experience of Pre-AP and AP courses. From this example, participants will develop best practices for increasing academic rigor outside AP classrooms, providing appropriate professional development and developing instruction to expand AP.

Speaker(s):

Eric Fox, AP Social Studies Coordinator, Jenks High School, OK
Tonya Morgan, AP Language and Composition Teacher, Jenks High School, OK
Judi Thorn, Assistant Principal, Jenks High School, OK

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

GEAR UP: Accessing One Student at a Time

Participants in this session will survey the scope of the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) and its community impact by examining the differences in rural and urban GEAR UP perspectives on best practices. They will examine how these activities (tutoring, mentoring, counseling) are not a one-size-fits-all response to achieving academic success. Each project conducts activities based on the program dynamics and the location of the program relative to the school districts served. Participants will examine the community challenges encountered by students and families.

Speaker(s):

Yvette Morgan, Co-director GEAR UP and NYGEAR UP Programs, St. John's University, NY
Alice Roberson, NYGEAR UP Program Director, New York State Higher Education Services Corporation
Paul Turner, Director, GEAR UP, State University of New York at Cobleskill

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Guidance and Admission Assembly Meeting

 The Guidance and Admission Assembly provides a forum for members to discuss issues and actions related to supplying educational opportunities for all students at crucial transition points in their lives. The assembly identifies and responds to the needs of its members as they work, individually and collectively, to encourage students and families to keep their options open, and to offer opportunities for student access and success. It presents opportunities for members to engage in dialogue and make their recommendations known to the Assembly Council, Board of Trustees, and members of the College Board. The assembly addresses issues related to professional ethics and educational standards and provides advice on College Board programs and services related to such functions as early awareness, precollege planning, assessment, admission and retention.

Topics(s):

GAA

Identifying Characteristics of an Effective Need Analysis

Most financial aid professionals support the concept of a fair, objective and realistic aid system. Yet over the years, the need-analysis computation has gone through many changes and has recently deteriorated into a nebulous state, varying from institution to institution relative to mission and the ability to meet students’ needs. The College Board-sponsored Rethinking Student Aid study group has recommended eliminating the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and using IRS tax data to determine federal aid eligibility, a move endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education. To effectively determine institutional aid, more data and information will be required. Participants will discuss the range of what an ideal institutional need analysis might look like and the data required to maintain it. They will also weigh the benefi ts of such a system, assess issues that might be of concern and develop ways to apply these insights to their own institutional methodology.

Speaker(s):

Mark Lindenmeyer, Director of Financial Aid, Loyola University, Maryland
Mary Nucciarone, Associate Director of Financial Aid, University of Notre Dame, IN
Rodney Oto, Director of Student Financial Services, Carleton College, MN
Janet Irons, Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid, Harvard University

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Initiating a Chinese Language and Culture Program

Participants will discuss the importance of a global perspective in the classroom, in light of the need for better linguistically prepared workers. They will develop tools for the creation of a Chinese language and culture program that can prepare students for a future work environment among different Asian groups. They also will develop best practices for implementing such a program at the elementary, secondary and postsecondary levels, particularly in community colleges. Other session topics include assessing the importance of administrators and teachers taking ownership of the newly created program, as well as the role of advocacy within the community; available curriculum options (including materials and workshops) and financial support.

Speaker(s):

Carol Chen-Lin, Director of Summer and Academic Term Program in China, Choate Rosemary Hall, Connecticut, College Board AP Chinese CDAC Committee
Janice Dowd, District Supervisor of New Jersey, Beijing Language and Culture University Curriculum Consultant
Lucy Lee, AP Teacher and AP Chinese Consultant, Teacher Trainer at Rutgers University, William Paterson University and Livingston High School, NJ

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Philanthropic Partnerships: A Scholarship Model for a New Century

In their departure from traditional merit- and need-based models, philanthropic foundations for universal, place-based scholarship programs, such as the Kalamazoo Promise, represent a new paradigm for financial aid and scholarship programs. Participants will examine how efforts to create such programs require a clear understanding of the dynamics behind human, social and economic capital at community and institutional levels; will explore the challenges of finding donors who are creative, visionary and eager to effect lasting social change; and will assess the advantages that these types of programs can provide for creating more equitable educational access and catalyzing other resources for support and student achievement. Participants will discuss the successes and challenges of the Kalamazoo Promise program and will review the program in the broader context of changing funding trends in order to identify best practices for developing similar universal, place-based scholarship programs.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Michelle Miller-Adams, Assistant Professor, Political Science, Grand Valley State University, MI
Shelley Strickland, Philanthropy Research Associate, University of Michigan

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

P–16 Partnerships for College Readiness and Curriculum Alignment

Strong partnerships among school districts, community colleges and universities spell success for the future of American education. A recent partnership of this type employed a data-driven, collaborative design to evaluate the college readiness of secondary students from low-income rural school districts. Participants in this session will examine how this partnership used data to identify subject alignment issues and curriculum gaps in math, language arts, and social studies and science, and discuss strategies to improve instruction and better prepare students for college.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Betty Alford, Chair of Department of Secondary Education and Educational Leadership, Stephen F. Austin State University, TX
Barbara Davis, GEAR UP Project Director, Stephen F. Austin State University, TX
Brenda Hill, Director of P-16 Council, Stephen F. Austin State University, TX
Larry Phillips, President, Angelina College, TX

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Reaching the Underrepresented

What impedes high-performing students with low socioeconomic backgrounds from applying to selective colleges at the same rate as their wealthier peers? Can anything be done to improve the representation and success of these bright students? In this session, participants will hear from eminent researchers about several current projects that are devoted to finding answers to these questions. They will assess the conclusions reached regarding the impact of information on access and persistence, and derive concrete examples of effective interventions that encourage applications from qualified first-generation and low-income students.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Christopher Avery, Professor of Public Policy and Management, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, MA
Eric Bettinger, Associate Professor of Economics and Education, Stanford University School of Education, CA
Caroline Hoxby, Professor of Economics, Stanford University, CA
Sarah Turner, University Professor of Economics and Education, University of Virginia

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Step Back and Let Them Think

In AP classes, most students are encouraged to think; in many other classes, students are given neither encouragement nor the opportunity for thinking. In this session, participants will discuss ways to create a more engaging, interesting classroom for greater numbers of students. They will develop and practice techniques that will enable them to implement a “teacher as coach” approach in the classroom.

Speaker(s):

Ayn Grubb, Language Arts Coordinator, Broken Arrow Public Schools, OK

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Style and Fury

Motivating and engaging young and diverse minds — a key component of dropout prevention — is one of the major challenges in the contemporary classroom. Four artists and educators will discuss with participants their strategies for addressing this challenge. Participants will develop strategies to employ arts education in order to foster cultural understanding and unleash students’ creativity, thus preparing them to tackle today’s pressing issues

Speaker(s):

Dale Davis, Executive Director, Association of Teaching Artists, Executive Director, The New York State Literary Center
Gordon Sasaki, Education Department, Museum of Modern Art, NY
Godfrey Simmons, Producing Artist, Artist Development, Epic Theatre Ensemble, NY
Michael Wiggins, Founder and Artistic Director, Mud/Bone Collective, NY

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program Model

Participants will review the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program (ANSEP), a highly effective longitudinal Native American higher education program at the University of Alaska Anchorage that works with students in high school through college. By examining the components and strategies of this national model for excellence, they will develop methods and programs at the precollege, summer bridge, university retention and graduate levels that can help them start planning for success.

Speaker(s):

Robert Gransbury, ANSEP Regional Director, University of Alaska Anchorage

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Working with Students: Lessons from the Diversity Conferences

Every year the College Board sponsors three diversity conferences focused on the needs of K–12 and higher education educators who work with underrepresented student populations. In this session, participants will survey some of the best practices and themes highlighted during previous conferences and identify opportunities to implement these in their own districts to help the transition of Latino, African American and Native American students to higher education. They will also review the College Board’s current advocacy on behalf of underrepresented students.

Speaker(s):

Adriana Flores-Ragade, Director, Diversity Initiatives, The College Board, CA
Donald Mitchell, Director, Advanced Placement Incentive Program 2 Grant Program, SDUSD, CA
Alfred Herrera, Assistant Vice Provost, University of California, Los Angeles

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

11:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Inspiration Awards Luncheon

Author and television journalist Gwen Ifill will discuss  race, education, and American politics, and take questions from students and educators at the  Inspiration Awards Ceremony.  The ceremony celebrates  three exceptional high schools for helping underserved students achieve access to higher education.  This year’s award-winning schools are Hidalgo Early College High School in Hidalgo, Texas; Riverdale High School in Riverdale, California; and William B. Murrah High School in Jackson, Mississippi.  We will also use the occasion to highlight the success of our College Board schools, which provide small school settings to prepare traditionally underserved students for college.

2:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

21st-Century Trends in College Admissions and Enrollment

The college admission “arms race” has received considerable attention in the press: On one side, students and parents seem increasingly anxious about prospects for admission to a “good” school; while on the other, admission officers are viewed as powerful gatekeepers in competition with one another. In this session, participants will separate fact from fiction by exploring a detailed portrait of college admission trends from 2001 to 2008, based on data and reports from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the Higher Education Research Institute and the Western Interstate Higher Education Commission. In order to develop better strategies for recruiting and advising students, participants will consider how application and admission trends differ among different types of institutions (e.g., historically black colleges or Hispanic-majority institutions) and among students from different racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Don Hossler, Executive Associate Dean and Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Indiana University Bloomington

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Addressing the College Gender Gap in High Schools

Since the 1980s, colleges have been subject to a growing gender gap, as attendance and graduation rates for women have increased dramatically while they have dropped for males. In the United States, this trend is expected to continue. Since college degrees can be linked to higher individual earning potential, marriage and family stability, and lower rates of incarceration, the implications are grave. Postsecondary education can also contribute to a more competitive economy in a global environment. Therefore, improving outcomes for our young men is an urgent priority for secondary school counselors. Participants will analyze the factors that contribute to lower postsecondary education enrollment among males, discuss the importance of continued education and identify talking points for small group sessions on their own campuses. These sessions can in turn target college-bound males who may be at risk of not pursuing their postsecondary education.

Speaker(s):

Melissa Kleiner, Behavior Intervention Counselor, Avonworth Middle and High School, PA
Julie Smith, Highcliff Elementary School, PA

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Arts Learning: Fostering Capabilities for Success

The Annenberg Institute for School Reform has conducted research to explore systems of arts learning for high school students that play a role in developing individual capabilities and which in turn support student pathways to career or college readiness. By documenting and mapping student experiences within four small arts-themed New Visions high schools in New York City, the institute gained an understanding of the elements of a robust system for arts education in urban high schools that are aimed towards building 21st-century learning skills. Through a review of this research, participants will assess how students, families, schools and communities can participate in supporting and further developing arts pathways that in turn foster student capabilities. They will also identify how these strategies can apply to broader school and district practices and to urban school reform.

Speaker(s):

Genevieve de Gaillande, Program Coordinator, New Visions for Public Schools, NY
Ivonne Garcia, Research Associate, Annenberg Institute for School Reform, NY
Cindy Maguire, Assistant Professor, Art Education, Adelphi University, NY

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Building Counseling Coalitions: Trainers and Partnerships to Improve College-Going Rates

In 2008, the College Board secured a grant from the James Irvine Foundation to train new counselors in 20 school districts. In this session, participants will explore the grant components, which include a series of workshops, Summer Institutes, a district director’s workshop and a local counselor advocacy program. They will learn about the conditions that created the grant, workshop topics, the impact of a graduate-level course in college counseling and the effective use of data to improve college access for students. Participants will review the perspectives of the grant author and a district-level director of counseling through a multimedia presentation. From this information, they can develop strategies and methods for creating their own counselor training programs.

Speaker(s):

Esther B. Hugo, Outreach Counselor, Santa Monica College, CA
Rachel Livingston, College Counselor, Helen Bernstein High School, CA
Kris Zavoli, Director, State Government Relations, The College Board, CA

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Casting a Broader Net: Diversity, Sustainability, and Transfer Students

The University of Michigan has developed and sustained a culture committed to advancing campus diversity by broadening the pool of students and by learning more about the student experience. Participants in this session will examine two programmatic research efforts under way at the university that continue to enhance its diversity. The first program, which has been in operation for nearly 20 years, focuses on the impact of diversity on university students during and after their enrollment. The second research initiative is part of a broad-based program designed to build and sustain a broader pool of nontraditional, high-achieving community college transfer students, including individuals with low and moderate financial means. Participants will examine the university’s best practices for fostering diversity in its community and then develop strategies for strengthening and evaluating diversity on their own campuses.

Speaker(s):

John Matlock, Associate Vice Provost and Director, University of Michigan
Katrina Wade-Golden, Assistant Director, Research and Assessment, University of Michigan

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

College Scholarship Service Assembly Meeting

The College Scholarship Service Assembly (CSSA) provides a platform for members to discuss “best practices” for financial aid administrators to employ to help students and families meet the costs of postsecondary education.  It promotes the sharing of information and ideas among colleges and universities, secondary schools, school systems, and public and private agencies that are involved in helping families learn about, apply for and obtain financing to meet college costs. Carolyn Lindley, Director of Financial Aid, at Northwestern University, will preside.

The work of the assembly is particularly important this year in light of current proposals by the Rethinking Student Aid study group and legislative actions designed to expedite the federal financial aid process and increase the probability that needy students will have access to the funds necessary to attend postsecondary education.  The assembly will examine how changes in the federal application process may affect the distribution and management of federal and institutional student aid resources and what else needs to be done to increase educational opportunities for students facing financial constraints.  Join in a discussion of these issues, sparked by comments from your colleagues Vince Amoroso, director of student financial services at Johns Hopkins University, and Richard Shipman, director of financial Aid at Michigan State University.

In addition, the assembly meeting gives delegates the opportunity to play an active role in the future of the College Board and help set the agenda for important national initiatives aimed at promoting access and equity in higher education.

Topics(s):

CSSA

College-Going Culture: Research and Applications

In this interactive session, participants will analyze the results of a multiyear research study (conducted in collaboration with the College Board’s National Office for School Counselor Advocacy) that critically examined the major components of college-going cultures. Participants will define the term, identify its important elements, and develop strategies for evaluating areas of school culture that need to be modified in order to increase college application and admission. They will also discuss the needs and challenges of shifting attitudes in high-poverty and high-minority schools.

Speaker(s):

Vivian Lee, Director, Counselor Advocacy, National Office for School Counselor Advocacy, DC
Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Professor and Director of School Counseling Program, Johns Hopkins University, MD

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Early Identification of Underachievers + Removal of Systemic Barriers = College Readiness

Humble Independent School District (HISD) in Humble, Texas, is working to provide underachieving students with a vision of college success as early as the sixth grade. Data show that students not previously enrolled in advanced courses now earn more than 1,400 units in courses designed for college preparation and credit, thanks to a system of support. Using the Humble model, participants will develop tools and processes for identifying students in need of support, techniques for developing positive relationships with an AVID teacher, and methods for removing systemic barriers, such as providing alternative means of receiving course credits and rethinking class time as it relates to mastery of content. They will also share their own success in removing such barriers.

Speaker(s):

Lynette Busceme, Director of Academics, HISD, TX
Susan Tibbetts, AVID Coordinator, HISD, TX

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Improving SAT and AP® Participation and Performance

The Baltimore County Public Schools’ (BCPS) achievement foundation program, Blueprint for Progress, emphasizes universal access to rigorous instruction, such as PSAT/NMSQT®, SAT®, AP and college readiness. Although AP participation and performance rates increased between 2002 and 2008, upon closer scrutiny, the data revealed that minority and low-income students were not progressing as expected. A similar trend occurred with students’ SAT participation and performance. These data patterns and trends prompted the district to organize an interdisciplinary committee to improve students’ SAT and AP participation and performance rates. In this session, participants will review the committee’s systemic approach to research-based strategies, including the elimination of low-level courses; rigorous professional development; expansion of AVID and SpringBoard® English/Language Arts; monitoring of the SAT, PSAT, PSAT/ NMSQT® and AP Potential™; and the application of PSAT, PSAT/NMSQT and SOAS, disaggregated data, and the AP Instructional Planning Report to analyze weaknesses in instruction areas. Participants will develop strategies for applying similar pedagogy and policies in their own districts.

Speaker(s):

Jessie Douglas, AVID/College Board District Coordinator, BCPS, MD
Lynne Muller, Counseling Services Coordinator, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD
Timothy Hayden, Supervisor, Counseling Services and former AP Coordinator, BCPS, MD
Nancy Brajevich, Mathematics Department Chair, BCPS, MD
Laura Revere, SAT English Coordinator, BCPS, MD
Kelly Smith, SAT English Coordinator and SAT Education Channel Instructor, BCPS, MD

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The Importance of Transfer Culture

Research indicates that an institution’s academic culture is critical to the preparation of students for college success. Participants will compare a community college transfer culture to a transfer-receptive culture at four-year universities. They will discuss how these two cultures influence students. Among other topics, they will develop strategies to establish a supportive academic culture at a community college. They will also develop strategies to successfully transfer underrepresented students from community colleges. Participants will determine the best techniques that four-year universities can implement to receive these students, ensure their degree completion, and aid in their transition to graduate and professional schools.

Speaker(s):

Stephen Handel, Senior Director, Community College Initiatives, The College Board, CA
Alfred Herrera, Assistant Vice Provost, University of California, Los Angeles

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The UW Dream Project: A Model for Outreach, Service Learning and College Student Retention

The University of Washington (UW) Dream Project (www.dreamproject. washington.edu) is a student-run outreach initiative that combines service and advocacy. The project partners UW students with first-generation and low-income students in Seattle-area high schools to assist them in their college admission process, including preparation for the SAT, college and financial aid applications, essay writing, and scholarship searches. Participants in this session will discuss the program’s success with student leaders and develop strategies for creating similar programs on their own campuses.

Speaker(s):

Stanley Chernicoff, Faculty Advisor, UW Dream Project
Italiana Hughes, Lead for Renton High School, UW Dream Project
Samson Lim, Steering Committee Member, UW Dream Project
Brukab Sisay, Steering Committee Member, UW Dream Project

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

2:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Understanding and Navigating Access and Diversity Issues to Advance Institutional Goals

This session will “map” the principal national policy streams and forecasts that directly affect institutional access and diversity goals — all as a foundation for three strands of focus regarding institutional policy development: (1) a presentation regarding the connectivity and synergy that should be achieved through deeper understanding of the relevant policy issues; (2) a panel discussion, facilitated from the “left” and the “right,” of key policy and legal issues affecting institutional directions and action; and (3) a robust question and answer session for attendees. Participants will develop tools to build institutional consensus about diversity’s educational benefits and devise strategies for how to achieve, measure, promote and (if necessary) defend diversity. Issues to be addressed include race, ethnicity and gender preferences; student access, including a focus on need-based aid (and related aid) issues; undocumented students; K–12 reforms and investments; demographic trends and projections; and relevant federal/national developments that have a bearing on these issues.

Speaker(s):

Art Coleman, Partner, EducationCounsel, LLC, DC
Lorelle L. Espinosa, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Institute for Higher Education, DC
Jamie Lewis Keith, Vice-President and General Counsel, University of Florida
Jennifer Rippner, Senior Policy Advisor, EducationCounsel, LLC, GA
Robert Toutkoushian, Professor of Higher Educations, Institute of Higher Education, University of Georgia
Robert A. Witzburg, Associate Dean and Director of Admissions, Boston University School of Medicine, MA

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

A Comprehensive Approach to Creating a College-Going Culture

Research shows that very few educators connect all the pieces necessary to create an effective college-going culture in school. In this session, based on a thorough review of literature highlighting a systemic, comprehensive approach, participants will identify the multiple components of a true college-going culture. They will see how the components fit together to raise student achievement as well as boost college enrollment rates. Participants will also discuss the importance of high expectations among counselors, teachers and administrators to support students’ college aspirations. They also will review examples of schools that have successfully created and sustained a college-going culture in order to develop evidence-based strategies to implement in their own schools.

Speaker(s):

Esther B. Hugo, Outreach Counselor, Santa Monica College, CA
Patricia McDonough, Professor, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
Christen Pollock, Executive Director, Advocacy and Government Relations, The College Board, NY

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

A Dialogue with the Advisory Panel on Student Concerns

The College Board’s Advisory Panel on Student Concerns brings together a highly diverse group of high school and college students from across the United States. In this session, participants will identify aspects of the contemporary college search, as well as issues of access, college guidance, college readiness and related concerns, based on the experiences of current members of the panel. In order to assess their own institutional mechanisms and make them more efficient, participants will learn the roles and methods of the adults who helped students prepare for college, as well as the institutional behaviors and processes that worked against the students’ success.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Students on the, Advisory Panel on Student Concern, The College Board

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

College First, Right from the Start: An Early College High School Model

Participants will examine the early college academy model now in use at a suburban San Antonio high school, which has been effectively preparing underrepresented students for college. They will survey the history, purpose, curriculum and challenges experienced in the process of implementing this model, and develop best practices for implementing a similar program, as well as identifying what criteria determine when an early college program is viable. To assist in district planning, participants will receive a sample copy of a student application, curriculum plan, master schedule, the institution’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) and a personnel chart for an early college high school start-up.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Yvonne Anglada, Principal, Judson Early College Academy, TX
Tony Lamair Burks II, Executive Director, Atypical and Charter Schools, Small School Innovation, San Diego Unified School District, CA
Beth Lewis, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Northeast Lakeview College, TX

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

College Prices and Student Aid in a Changing Economy

Students may be making different enrollment decisions as their families lose jobs and assets. Educational institutions with severely constrained resources are struggling to maintain the quality of their offerings and financial aid awards without allowing published prices to rise more than absolutely necessary. Participants in this session will examine the findings on aid, pricing, and college access and affordability in the College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2009 and Trends in Student Aid 2009, as well as the perspectives from campus.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Jennifer Ma, Consultant, The College Board, NY
Catharine Hill, President, Vassar College, NY
Sandy Baum, Senior Policy Analyst, The College Board, DC

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Creating a Culture of Preparation for the SAT and Four-Year Colleges

A group of Stanford undergraduates, as directors of a nonprofit, have prepared hundreds of students for the SAT while inspiring and guiding them through the college admission process. In this session, participants will examine this program model and its proven successes. They will also discuss strategies for building a student-led coalition within communities by employing former program participants and student advocacy techniques to assist with application essays and letters of recommendation. Participants will develop methods to design SAT preparation courses, convince students to take SAT preparation seriously, and build a culture of SAT taking. They will identify the unique challenges of college admission for low-income and minority students (including undocumented students), based on the insights of a first-generation Latina student. Participants will also discuss why the most selective private colleges can be easier to get into and more affordable than public colleges.

Speaker(s):

Jessica Perez, Co-Executive Director, Stanford University/SEE College Prep, CA
Garrett Neiman, Co-Executive Director, Stanford University/SEE College Prep, CA

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

How Two State Superintendents are Reforming Education: Success Stories from Alabama and Florida

Participants will discuss strategies implemented in Florida and Alabama to facilitate a meteoric growth in rates of student participation and achievement in college-ready courses. Through effective legislation, Alabama initiated a public-private partnership that incorporates national, state and local partners. Florida established a collaborative project with the College Board to create an accountability system for public schools, which provides indicators to gauge students’ postsecondary readiness and their participation and performance in accelerated course work. These strategies had particular success among students from low-income backgrounds and from minority populations. From these models, participants will extract successful templates for implementing procedures and success indicators in their own schools.

Speaker(s):

Joseph Morton, Alabama State Superintendent of Education
Antonio Boyle (moderator), Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management and Director of Admissions, South Carolina State University
Carol Crawford, Program Director, A+ College Ready, AL
Frances Haithcock, Chancellor, Public Schools, Florida Department of Education
Eric J. Smith, Florida Commissioner of Education, Florida Department of Education

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Improving Financial Literacy and Creating Financial Empowerment

Participants in this session will be exposed to a range of topics involving finances and financial products that are especially relevant in the current economy for educators, for students and their parents. In addition to topics such as credit scoring, the Credit Card Act of 2009, and the advantages and disadvantages of debt, the panelists will address the significant pedagogical challenges of helping students learn about money and finance. Drawing on considerable research, the panelists will discuss effective, concrete strategies for improving the quality of financial literacy offerings and outreach for diverse audiences. They will also suggest other methods for reaching out to students, faculty, staff and community members so that participants will be able to replicate what has been used successfully in educational and community settings.

Speaker(s):

Karen Gross, President, Southern Vermont College
Joel Phelps, Director of Financial Aid, Southern Vermont College

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Innovative Efforts to Improve Student Retention and Progress

In recent years, postsecondary institutions have made significant steps in developing and implementing programs to improve student retention and progress. This session brings together practitioners from a range of institutions to help participants examine practices such as mentoring, academic support and faculty awareness programs in order to understand the challenges and accomplishments of these efforts. In particular, participants will address the question of whether existing models need to be re-evaluated in the face of recent economic and predicted demographic shifts in the United States. The discussion will be framed by recent College Board research that examines the relationship between institutional characteristics and educational outcomes. This session aims to inform the strategies of college enrollment and admission staff as well as those of high school counselors as they work toward the common goal of helping students succeed in college. Participants will learn strategies to modify retention programs for the shifting demographics of college students.

Speaker(s):

Kelcey Edwards, Research Assistant, The College Board, NY
Dolan Evanovich, Vice President, Enrollment Planning, Management, and Institutional Research, University of Connecticut
David Kalsbeek, Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing, DePaul University, IL

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Instilling Global Awareness

The Dunwoody High School world languages program aims to integrate cultures, provide students with opportunities for authentic language experiences, and give students the ability to perform at national and state standards in order to create meaningful connections with the community. This program provides students with unique learning opportunities based on their academic levels, with a particular emphasis on second language acquisition and community involvement. Participants will review Dunwoody’s program planning, implementation and successes, as well as its challenges. They will develop strategies to establish a world language program to produce global citizens through collaboration with universities and colleges, consulates, and embassies.

Speaker(s):

Clarissa Adams Fletcher, Department Chair World Languages, Dunwoody High School, GA
Rhonda Wells, Coordinator of World Languages, DeKalb County School System, GA

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Personalizing Learning: Engaging, Preparing and Inspiring Students

The need to keep low-income students engaged in their education and to ensure that they graduate from high school has become increasingly critical during the past decade. It is equally important to ensure that once these students graduate, they aspire to, are prepared for, and can secure the financial and social supports necessary for success. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn about three research-based strategies that have a far-reaching impact on the involvement of families, educators, students and community in youth education: personal learning plans, student-led conferences and student portfolios. These strategies promote understanding of students’ strengths and aspirations; engage families in educational planning and increase aspirations for their children; and develop students’ goal-setting, resource acquisition and problem-solving skills. Participants will explore different ways in which these strategies can be implemented in their own work with students and families.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Beth Achille, Professional Development Coordinator, Maine Support Network
Pamela Flood, Assistant Director for Leadership and Systems Change, Maine Support Network
Emily Liebling, GEAR UP Assistant Director, Maine Support Network
Kathryn Markovchick, Executive Director, Maine Support Network

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Single-Gender Colleges Providing Access

Single-gender colleges have traditionally created access to higher educational opportunities for low-income, first-generation, and multicultural students when few opportunities existed for them. While the mission of these colleges has not changed, the broader culture in which they operate has. After a review of quantitative and qualitative research into single-gender schools, participants will debate whether these institutions are still providing educational access and opportunities for growth and personal reflection for marginalized students, and whether their educational model still has relevance. Of use especially to administrators and counselors, this session will help participants identify qualities and characteristics of students who can benefit from these types of institutions in order to provide these students with the most suitable choices and effective college searches.

Speaker(s):

Arlene Cash, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Spellman College, GA
Clint Gasaway, Director of Financial Aid, Wabash College, IN
Marjorie Torchon, Director of Admissions, Bryn Mawr College, PA

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The Changing Student Loan Environment

Participants will discuss recent proposals for reform of the federal loan program, including President Barack Obama’s plan, the Education Finance Council proposals, Sallie Mae, the “consensus” proposal and others. Participants will evaluate the evolving role of private lenders, secondary markets, guarantors and other industry players. In addition, they will consider the impact of new statutory and regulatory changes on both the federal and private student loan programs. From these discussions, they will extrapolate best practices to enable their institutions to respond effectively to these reforms and provide better support for their students.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Cindy Bailey, Senior Policy Analyst, Education Finance, The College Board, NY
Steven E. Brooks, Executive Director, North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, NC

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Voice of African American Male Ph.D. Recipients: Supporting African American Boys

Participants will identify aspects of African American males’ educational experiences and develop strategies to facilitate the retention and success of African American boys. In assessing the success of recent African American male Ph.d recipients, they will generate best practices to support African American boys in the classroom. Participants will also determine the impact of providing role models to minority students, particularly African American males, who may be considering postsecondary education but may be apprehensive about their opportunities and abilities.

Speaker(s):

John Lee, Assistant Research Scientist, Research and Development, The College Board, NY
Robert Palmer, Assistant Professor, Department of Student Affairs, State University of New York Binghamton

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

5:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Counselors and Colleges Connecting

College Connections, the Forum’s uniquely informal college fair, is the central meeting place for school counselors to speak face-to-face with admissions and financial aid officers from a broad spectrum of colleges and universities. Connections brings together representatives from member institutions to share information over refreshments, not brochures.

Roundtables

Classroom Roundtable, A diverse cross-section of teachers will meet to discuss innovative teaching strategies on specific subjects such as implementing new technologies in the classroom, building enrollment in STEM subjects, and using interdisciplinary approaches to create culture awareness and strengthen critical thinking skills.

 

6:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Evening Event at the Hilton-Arts & New York

Ugly Betty  star, award-winning theater director, and arts education advocate,  Tony Plana, speaks on his work promoting literacy through the performing arts in East Los Angeles.  Music and dance performances throughout the night will feature student groups from across New York City.

Friday, October 23, 2009

7:45 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Annual Meeting of the Members

Please join College Board Chair Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, who serves as Syracuse University's vice president for enrollment management and director of scholarships and student aid, for the 2009 Meeting of the Members. The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for member delegates to speak directly to the elected and appointed leadership of the College Board across all educational professions and have an impact on the upcoming education agenda. Hear from: the Committee on Finance; the Committee on Membership and learn about the election of new members; the Committee on Nominations with the election of new officers and Trustees; and the reports of the National Assemblies. Former College Board Chair Lester Monts, the senior vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Michigan, will present findings from the National Task Force for the Arts in Education. Only the designated delegates from each member institution will be able to cast an official vote at the Annual Meeting, but all Forum attendees are encouraged to join us and learn more about College Board governance.

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

A Tripod Approach to Supporting Students in Open-Access AP

Research confirms that the rigor of a student’s high school curriculum is the best predictor of college success. Students are challenged by the expectation of many AP teachers that they will come to class prepared for the course’s demands. However, students enrolled in AP courses come from varying socioeconomic backgrounds, may speak languages other than English, and may be equipped with a wide range of skills and deficits. In this presentation, participants will explore the tripod approach (curriculum, rigor and relationships) to supporting students in an AP course, and develop strategies for the school and district level that include backward design, differentiation, and an embedded system of support for students and teachers.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Faye Brenner, Specialist, Advanced Academic Programs, High School, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Alex Case, Administrative Intern, Sandburg Middle School, VA
Rebecca Small, AP Coordinator and Social Studies Teacher, Herndon High School, VA

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Ascend. Transcend. Transfer

The Center for Community College Partnerships office at UCLA has developed model summer bridge programs to motivate and prepare students for transfer early in their college career. Using a combination of interactive workshops and discussions with peer mentors and university faculty, students learn the keys to a successful transfer, with a focus on social justice and community service. This academic residential program for prospective students focuses on encouraging them to excel, while providing the foundation for a successful transfer to a four-year university. In this session, participants will evaluate how summer bridge programs can motivate and prepare students for transfer, and , in order to develop similar programs at their home institutions, they will discuss pertinent model programs that incorporate cultural competency as a means to achieve academic excellence.

 

Speaker(s):

Santiago Bernal, Assistant Director, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Alfred Herrera, Assistant Vice Provost, University of California, Los Angeles

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Building Bridges to a Better Future: The Kenwood Academy Brotherhood and DePaul University Partnership

In this session, participants will examine the unique collaboration between the Brotherhood — Kenwood Academy’s after-school mentoring program — and DePaul University. This collaboration has grown to incorporate many other high schools within the Chicago Public Schools system through an annual daylong Male Initiative Project conference hosted by the university. Participants will investigate how, through collaboration, high school and university administrations can present students with systemic educational options in the form of college tours, summer enrichment and multilevel mentorships, as well as expose underprepared students to the importance of academic excellence and leadership skills. They will assess how relationships between high schools and universities can break down barriers to college access for all students, and develop best practices and strategies that can be implemented in their own districts.

Speaker(s):

Glenna Ousley, Director of Community Outreach, DePaul University, IL
Terri Williams, Post Doctoral Scholar, University of Michigan
Shelby Wyatt, Counselor, Kenwood Academy, IL

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

College and Career Readiness Standards in Higher Education

In 2008, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) adopted college and career readiness standards (CCRS) that will be used for admission to Texas public colleges and universities beginning in 2013. Developed through faculty collaboration, the CCRS are challenging academic standards in four content areas and are the only standards in the U.S. that have been fully integrated, not just into the P–12 system, but also into higher education. Participants will examine the rationale and methods for the standards’ development, their incorporation into the Texas education system, and their effect on institutions of higher education. They will also assess the importance of THECB seed funding to the vertical alignment of the public and higher education programs. Based on the CCRS model, participants will establish best practices for the development of similar standards in their own districts.

Speaker(s):

Evelyn Hiatt, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for P-16 Initiatives, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Raymund Paredes, Commissioner of Higher Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Anna Maria Rodriguez, University of Texas, Pan American

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Communicating Financial Aid Policies to Attract Low-Income Students

Despite substantial investment in institutional grant aid, family income continues to be a leading factor in the stratification of college choice, raising questions about the relevance and efficacy of financial aid policies and practices for these students. In this presentation, participants will survey the current extent of institutional aid to low-income students and examine how this aid may directly and indirectly influence students’ college choices. Using data collected from institutional websites, they will analyze how selected institutions communicate information about aid to prospective low-income students and their families, identifying strengths and weaknesses of various efforts and their implications for access, so that their own institutions can improve their funding strategies, target their resources more effectively and reconfi gure financial aid policies to better serve students from low-income families.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Lekyia Brill, Assistant Dean of Admissions, Amherst College, MA
Valerie Lundy-Wagner, Graduate Student, University of Pennsylvania
Laura Perna, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania
Teran Tadal, Regional Director of Admissions, University of Pennsylvania
April Yee, Graduate Student, University of Pennsylvania

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Dropout Prevention

The Hurst Euless Bedford school district is located in a suburban area between Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas. Located in this district, Trinity High School has a population of approximately 2,200 students, with a 36.7 percent economically disadvantaged population yet only has a 1 percent dropout rate. In order to develop best practices and implement similar methods for increasing retention in their own school districts, participants will examine Trinity’s inventive, effective retention programs, including character education, the Odyssey Ware recovery program and a newly improved truancy policy.

Speaker(s):

Peggy McIntyre, Support Specialist, Trinity High School, TX
Leslie Norton, Counselor, Trinity High School, TX

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Educational Leadership Development from an American Indian Perspective

Participants will identify and examine methods to break down barriers to college access and success for low-income and minority students, with an emphasis on interpreting and understanding the culture of American Indian students, and thus foster cultural and racial awareness and tolerance. Information will also be provided regarding the role of Native American programs in the recruitment and retention of American Indian students in academia. Participants will discuss American Indian leadership attributes and learning strategies that have developed through cultural and identity experiences, and address critical questions in relation to curriculum development and implementation of racial equity and cultural-awareness policies. Through the study of a collaborative effort between K–12 and higher education administrators, they will review a coherent and systemic approach and an online curriculum resource website that will help them develop methods and strategies for application in their own districts.

Speaker(s):

LeManuel Bitsoi, Assistant Professor, Georgetown University, DC
Elvira Bitsoi Largie, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Dine College, AZ

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Methods and Models for Promoting Student Persistence: An Emerging National Picture

In this session, participants will review the findings of the College Board’s Survey of Institutional Retention Practices, conducted at more than 1,500 four-year institutions nationwide. Informed by existing theory and research on student success, this study represents a systematic approach to understanding institutional policies and practices that affect student persistence. First, participants will examine descriptive findings that capture institutional structures that enhance student persistence, including data on early alert practices and approaches to planning retention efforts. They will also discuss the results of ongoing inferential analyses that examine factors related to student persistence from the first to the second year. By investigating empirically the possible relationships between institutional efforts and retention, participants will learn ways to implement institutional policy and practices to support and improve student success.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Don Hossler, Executive Associate Dean and Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Indiana University Bloomington
Jerome Lucido, Vice Provost for Enrollment Policy and Management, University of Southern California
Scott Schulz, Program Director, University of Southern California
Mary Ziskin, Senior Associate Director, Project on Academic Success, Indiana University Bloomington

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

No Time for Timidity: Opportunity in a Time of Crisis

In the current recession, some institutions are seeing an opportunity and are planning accordingly, resisting pressure to lower everything to the same common budget denominator and investing in innovative initiatives that would be a calculated risk even in flush times. In this session, participants will examine four case studies of bold, innovative action taken by institutions, which raise the following questions: How do we sustain urgent but costly goals such as greater access to low-income students, new faculty appointments or new curricular initiatives? How will the achievement of these goals affect net tuition revenue, enrollment, alumni support and our competitive position? The four case studies represent different situations, institutions and responses but, in each, participants will examine broad institutional strategies and identify opportunities that colleges and universities can use in the current economic climate.

Speaker(s):

Stephen Farmer, Assistant Provost and Director of Admissions, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Rick Hesel, Principal, Art & Science Group, MD
Rock Jones, President, Ohio Wesleyan University
David Strauss, Principal, Art & Science Group, MD

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Propelling the First-Generation Student Forward

Students — especially those who have had to overcome enormous adversity — are very resilient, and teachers can tap into that resiliency to encourage students to achieve at the highest level. Using the students of Revere High School as a test case, participants will develop strategies to use students’ extracurricular activities as leverage to create learning opportunities in the classroom. They will also learn strategies that use students’ cultural diversity to create solidarity in the classroom — social, cultural and symbolic exchanges produce outstanding student achievement. Participants will identify key strategies and techniques that Revere students employed to achieve their success.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Tany Ban, Math Teacher, Revere High School, MA
Nancy Barile, AP English Teacher, National Board Certified Teacher, Revere High School, MA
Merzudin Ibric, Wheaton College Student, Federal Government Employee, Wheaton College, U.S. Federal Government, DC
Ledra Sun, Student, University of Massachusetts Boston

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Reaching Higher Standards through Oral Language Skills

Meeting the higher standards required for college-level courses is a daunting task. By taking advantage of students’ oral language skills in the secondary classroom, teachers can develop their students’ higher-order thinking skills, knowledge and behaviors to help them become fluent readers, writers, listeners and speakers. In this session, attendees will experience the SpringBoard approach for developing college-ready skills by participating in interactive student lessons in English/language arts and mathematics.. This experience will demonstrate how College Board’s official Pre-AP Program for grades six–12 provides a direct pathway to AP and college readiness for all students.  Participants will be given the opportunity to discuss the challenges of reaching all students, and how engaging and relevant instruction are the keys that encourage students to own their learning, aim higher and achieve more.

 

Speaker(s):

Cheryl Harris, SpringBoard English Language Arts Consultant, The College Board, NY
Kathleen Williams, Senior Advisor, The College Board, NY
Judy Windle, SpringBoard Mathematics Instructional Specialist, The College Board, NY

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Reimagining Remediation: Creating First Chances for Second-Chance Students

The despair over remedial education seems universal and never-ending. Supporters lament the lack of resources devoted to an effort essential to making higher education an authentic pathway to the middle class. Detractors, however, argue that remedial education is neither effective as pedagogy nor appropriate as social policy. Still, both sides agree on one thing: Too many students need it and too few benefit from it. In an effort to advance the debate beyond traditional boundaries, the College Board’s Community College Advisory Panel has asked experts from around the country to examine new ways of approaching this difficult issue. Participants will analyze the results of these frank discussions and determine policies and best practices to reduce remedial education in community and four-year colleges and universities.

Speaker(s):

Thomas Bailey, Director, Community College Research Center, Columbia University
Ding-Jo Currie, Chancellor (Acting), Coast Community College District, CA
Stephen Handel, Senior Director, Community College Initiatives, The College Board, CA
Marisa A. Klages, Assistant Professor, Director of Composition-Basic Writing, The Department Of English, LaGuardia Community College, NY
Ronald Williams, Vice President, The College Board, DC

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Spotlight on Sweeping Change – A State-Wide View

Closing the achievement gap for underrepresented students in higher education and expanding access to academically rigorous courses and college are of primary importance to governors and state commissioners across the country, as they and other leaders make education a high priority. In this panel, participants will focus on the bold steps that elected state officials are taking as they work to make sweeping changes to the nation’s education system. They will identify the services and resources offered by the College Board’s expanded Government Relations staff in order to advocate for community resources and to help their institutions expand access to educational opportunities for all students.

Speaker(s):

Joyce Elliot, State Senator, Arkansas State Legislature
Angela Faherty, Deputy Commissioner, Maine Department of Education
Jesus Jara, Executive Director State Partnerships, The College Board, FL

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Stealth Applicants: Realities and Myths

Media reports and professional discussions increasingly focus on the escalating number of “stealth applicants,” those students whose first contact with a college or university is their application for admission. Among colleges and universities, stealth applicants are said to increase applications, reduce yield and impair a college’s ability to communicate with prospective students. But research and data analysis reveal more about these students than we may realize. Representatives from two universities will discuss their institutions’ experiences of students through each stage of the enrollment process. Participants will explore techniques for reviewing search prospects to identify those students most likely to apply, communication strategies for keeping those students involved in the application process and ways to solicit more student information earlier in the college selection process. They will also identify successful enrollment resources such as Student Search Service®, Descriptor PLUS and Recruitment PLUS™.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Rick Bischoff, Director of Admissions, California Institute of Technology
Jefferson Blackburn-Smith, Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience, The Ohio State University
Martha Pitts, Senior Consultant for Higher Education, The College Board, OR

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Young Lives on Hold: Advocacy for Undocumented Students

Providing equitable educational opportunities for undocumented immigrant students in the United States is one of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time. Hear from the author of Young Lives on Hold: The College Dreams of Undocumented Students, a recent College Board Advocacy policy brief that calls for a comprehensive resolution to the legal paradox that hinders undocumented students from accessing higher education and participating fully in society. Participants also learn about ongoing advocacy efforts of the College Board and collaborating organizations to promote passage of the DREAM Act, a bipartisan policy solution that would open the door to college for tens of thousands of undocumented students.

 

Speaker(s):

Roberto Gonzales, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Washington
Mari Solivan, Associate Director for Advocacy, The College Board, NY

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Plenary

The New School’s president, Senator Bob Kerrey, presents presidential speechwriter, historian, and author of Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History, Ted Sorensen, with the College Board’s National Commission on Writing award in honor of Senator Edward Kennedy.

11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Brunch

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.

A College and Career Planner for All Students

The Oklahoma State Regents Student Preparation Team has implemented the College & Career Planner, a planning guide and workbook, to provide schools, parents and students as early as the fifth grade with information and tools to prepare for life after high school. Schools customize the planner and share ideas, collaboratively suggesting pages and adding updates to keep state graduation requirements and admission policies current. Participants will identify key components of the planner model, assess the importance of students’ early preparation for life through and beyond graduation, and explore opportunities and strategies for implementing a similar planner model in their own districts. In addition, they will receive a printed copy and information about receiving an electronic template for creating their own College & Career Planner.

 Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Cari Lousch, Field Coordinator for Student Preparation, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

AVID: Universal College Readiness

The AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and College Board programs are natural allies in the preparation of students for college success in rigorous academic courses. Fostering the interdependence of AVID and AP teachers and programs on a campus is essential to the college-readiness preparation of all students. AVID’s system of acceleration and support not only prepares predominantly low-income and minority students for college, but also is more properly thought of as a catalyst for building a college-going culture that permeates entire schools and districts. AVID is a schoolwide and districtwide approach featuring a college-preparatory course and a rigorous curriculum for students that typically includes enrollment in AP/Pre-AP courses. Participants will explore evidence-based strategies and methodologies that enable students to develop the habits of mind necessary for success in AP courses, postsecondary academics and the workplace.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Jinan Sumler, Northeast States Director, AVID Center, NY
Granger Ward, Executive Vice President, AVID Center, CA

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Commission on Access and Success: Consensus for Action

Coming to Our Senses: Education and the American Future, the report of the Commission on Access, Admissions and Success in Higher Education, articulated a key national goal: that 55 percent of Americans should hold a community college degree or higher by 2025. The report recommended 10 specific steps to achieve this ambitious but achievable goal, and recommended developing “Annual Indicators” to evaluate national progress toward the goal. In this session, participants will examine actions taken in collaboration with the National Conference of State Legislatures both to animate the commission’s 10 recommendations and to develop the annual indicators.

Speaker(s):

Julie Bell, Executive Director, National Conference of State Legislatures, CO
Christen Pollock, Executive Director, Advocacy and Government Relations, The College Board, NY
Bradley Quin, Executive Director, Higher Education Advocacy, The College Board, VA

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Effective Parental Involvement

In its 22 years, the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) has graduated more than 500,000 parents of K–12 students from its nine-week engagement program. In this workshop, participants will examine PIQE’s programs to establish best practices to engage families of low-income, underserved communities and to increase their awareness of postsecondary education opportunities for their children. Participants will discuss topics such as effective recruitment strategies, methods for communicating high and reasonable expectations to students, structures for creating home environments that promote college readiness, communication with linguistically diverse families, and results of PIQE’s evaluations and longitudinal studies. They will develop research-based engagement strategies for work with diverse communities to increase high school graduation rates and students’ performance.

Speaker(s):

Patricia Mayer Ochoa, Vice President, Parent Institute for Quality Education, CA
David Valladolid, President & CEO, Parent Institute for Quality Education, CA

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Engaging 21st Century Learners: Teaching the Digitally Wired Brain

In the last 100 years, enormous technological innovation has completely transformed our world, from transportation (planes and SUVs) to communications (the Internet and iPhones) and entertainment (HDTVs and iPods). In this session, participants will examine the impact technology has had on the way Americans view pedagogy. They will consider where technology and culture are now, and they will develop strategies for teaching students that incorporate and accommodate modern culture. In addition, participants will try to anticipate future innovations and will discuss best practices for preparing both today’s students and tomorrow’s schools with the skills to adapt successfully to new breakthroughs.

Speaker(s):

James Choike, Chair, College Board Mathematical Sciences Academic Advisory Committee and Professor of Mathematics, Oklahoma State University
Arthur Eisenkraft, Chair, College Board Science Academic Advisory Committee; Distinguished Professor of Science Education, Director, Center of Science and Math in Context, University of Massachusetts Boston, Graduate College of Education
Maggie Favretti, Chair, College Board History Academic Advisory Committee; History Teacher, Scarsdale High School, NY
Pamela Paulson, Chair, College Board Arts Academic Advisory Committee; Senior Policy Director, Perpich Center for Arts Education, MN
Martha Sharma, Chair, College Board Social Sciences Academic Advisory Committee; Geography Consultant, SC
Martin Smith, Chair, College Board World Languages Academic Advisory Committee; Supervisor of World Languages, ESL & Bilingual, Edison Township Public Schools, NJ

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Enrollment Professionals: The Centralization Movement and External Influences

In this session, participants will identify the educational and professional backgrounds of enrollment professionals, as well as the groups that inform their practice. Also, they will assess, from a structural standpoint, motivations for and against the centralization of enrollment systems, and the pros and cons of various enrollment models in place. By analyzing findings from interviews with a variety of enrollment and admission officers located throughout the United States, they will enhance their knowledge of enrollment professionals, their external influences and organizational models that can profoundly influence how institutions of higher education serve students and society.

Speaker(s):

Jerome Lucido, Vice Provost for Enrollment Policy and Management, University of Southern California
Scott Schulz, Program Director, University of Southern California

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Federal Stimulus and State Efforts

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides an unprecedented opportunity for states to jump-start meaningful, systemic education reform. States are working independently and collaboratively to maximize the impact of these one-time resources. Participants will examine how several states are utilizing ARRA funds, identifying priorities, meeting the assurances of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, and discuss the challenges they face in effectively and efficiently using federal stimulus funds. Participants will identify the different types of stimulus funds and will develop strategies so their institutions might benefit from federal stimulus dollars.

 

Speaker(s):

Lafleur Kristi, Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Development and Recovery, Office of the Governor Pat Quinn, IL
Jennifer Rippner, Senior Policy Advisor, EducationCounsel, LLC, GA
Ben Wallerstein, Managing Director, Dutko Worldwide, DC

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Student Aid Reform: Momentum Is Building

In September 2008, the College Board’s Rethinking Student Aid study group released a well-received set of comprehensive principles for reform of the federal student aid system. More recently, the Obama administration and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) have followed with similarly principled proposals, even as the Government Accountability Office studies new approaches to simplifying the system. During this session, participants will discuss with representatives of the federal government, NASFAA and the Rethinking Student Aid project the need for reform and simplification, the current policy environment, alternative policy recommendations, and the reasoning behind these varying approaches.

Speaker(s):

Michael McPherson, President, The Spencer Foundation, IL
Robert Shireman, Deputy Undersecretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education, DC
Barry Simmons, National Chair of NASFAA and Director of Financial Aid, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Sandy Baum, Senior Policy Analyst, The College Board, DC

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The CollegeKeys Compact™ in Action

With an enrollment of almost 35,000, the University of North Texas (UNT) serves a high number of financially disadvantaged undergraduate students: 66 percent receive federal need-based aid and more than 30 percent of freshmen work more than 10 hours per week. The university was awarded a Title III grant for a project, compatible with the Statement of Beliefs in the CollegeKeys Compact, to support the right of low-income students to be prepared for, enroll in and succeed in college. Participants in this session will assess UNT’s Compact model to develop strategies for effectively transitioning new students to campus; increasing retention and timely graduation; transforming instruction in large-enrollment classes to improve student learning outcomes; developing rigorous curricula grounded in respect for various nationalities, cultures, backgrounds, and abilities; and providing at-risk students with interactive and experiential learning opportunities.

Speaker(s):

Sarah Collins, Associate Director, Enrollment Management, University of North Texas
Rebecca Lothringer, Director, Admissions, University of North Texas
Dale Tampke, Director, Program for Academic Readiness, University of North Texas

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

The Transfer Pipeline: Meeting the Nation’s Workforce and Diversity Goals

Transferring from a community college to a four-year institution has served as an important pathway to the baccalaureate degree for over a century. In the coming decade, transfer students will become indispensable as our nation struggles to remain globally competitive while increasing higher education access to students from underserved groups. The need for highly skilled professionals in medicine and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, coupled with a need to increase access to undergraduate degrees and professional and graduate training programs, requires the development of new educational partnerships among community colleges, four-year institutions and graduate/professional schools. One such model is the Pipeline to Medical Colleges Initiatives created by the College Board, an innovative effort to update the traditional transfer model to meet national needs in the 21st century. In this session, participants will examine aspects of this project’s genesis and implementation in order to identify methods by which the traditional transfer pathway can be expanded to address shortages in professional fields, and by which the traditional collaborations among community and four-year institutions can be strengthened by adding new and substantive linkages with medical schools.

Speaker(s):

Robert D'Alessandri, Dean, The Commonwealth Medical College, PA
Randy Smith, Vice Provost for Curriculum and Institutional Relations, Ohio State University
Ronald Williams, Vice President, The College Board, DC

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Undocumented Students and Higher Education

Increasing opportunities for undocumented students to pursue higher education and fully participate in society is one of the most complex and urgent issues that American society faces. In this session, participants will review information and develop strategies to advocate for undocumented students in their communities and institutions. They will also assess the current status of DREAM Act legislation at the national level and discuss state laws, learn effective strategies for grassroots advocacy, and develop an action plan to apply those strategies to local challenges.

Speaker(s):

Josh Bernstein, Immigration Director, Service Employees International Union, DC
Alfred Herrera, Assistant Vice Provost, University of California, Los Angeles

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

University Crossroads: Paving the Road for College Access and Success

University Crossroads is a partnership of 27 colleges and universities located in the North Texas region, established to address the college-going culture in the area. Since 2005, member institutions and community-based organizations have focused on performance indicators through data-driven initiatives to ensure students’ college access, success and smooth transition from K–12 to higher education. With University Crossroads as a model, participants will assess how collaborations between primary and secondary educational institutions, community organizations, and chambers of commerce can ensure college access and success. They will also develop strategies for using data-driven initiatives to meet student performance targets that support and enhance a college-going culture focused on access and success.

Speaker(s):

Michele Bobadilla, Senior Associate Vice President for Outreach Services, The University of Texas at Arlington
Raul Hinojosa Jr., Director of Community Engagement, The University of Texas at Dallas
Brenda Kirby, Lead SAT Instructor, The University of Texas at Arlington
Liliana Valadez, Execuitive Director College and Career Readiness, Dallas Independent School District, TX

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

1:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

“In 500 Words or Less”: A Documentary About Applying to College

In 500 Words or Less is a feature-length documentary, filmed over the course of one school year, that documents four students’ path to college. It encompasses their search for identity, its effect on their family dynamics, and the experience of admission and rejection. Following the movie, panelists will discuss the college decision-making process and examine the stresses and emotional highs and lows inherent in the process. Using the film to illustrate key points, panelists will identify and refine the sympathetic roles for parents and counselors that will help them guide students as they cope with the pressures of the application process. Participants will gain an inside perspective on how students and their families approach the college application process, and will then develop strategies for admission professionals to help families manage the process.

Speaker(s):

Kathleen Galotti, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Carleton College, MN
Alston Gardner, Producer, In 500 Words or Less, Point Made Films, NY
Steve Goodman, Educational and Admissions Consultant and Author, College Admissions Together: It Takes a Family
Cinnie Slack, Decision Education Foundation, CA

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

10 Things to Know About Financial Aid After Enrollment

Many counselors emphasize the financial aid process for freshmen, but students’ financial status beyond their first year has an inevitable effect on retention rates. They will learn strategies for advising students how to successfully navigate financial aid and scholarships as they continue into the sophomore year and beyond. Participants will learn how changes in the family’s financial situation, the student’s academic progress, programs of study, etc., can affect financial aid eligibility. They will develop techniques for guiding students through the financial aid process and helping them to avoid unwelcome surprises in their college careers.

Speaker(s):

David Gelinas, Director of Financial Aid, Davidson College, NC
Kirby Kimber, Student, Mills College, CA
Julia Padgett (moderator), Director, Financial Aid Services Implementation and User Support, The College Board, VA

Topics(s):

Financial Aid/Scholarships

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

A Year (or More) of Admissions Uncertainty: The Impact on Staff and Prospective Students

Recent economic shifts have contributed to an air of uncertainty around the admission process from institutional and student perspectives. Participants in this session will share, compare and discuss current trends explored in two recent groundbreaking studies: the first, a national survey of more than 30,000 high school students and nearly 6,000 parents that examined the impact of costs and financial aid on college decision making this year; and the second, a survey of senior-level admission officials that examined how institutions addressed economic conditions and uncertainty in planning and admission. Participants will respond to the research findings, share their own experiences and observations, and discuss implications for next year’s admission cycle in order to determine methods and strategies for better informing prospective students’ application and enrollment decisions.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

John Buckley, Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Enrollment, Fordham University, NY
Patricia Casey, Senior Vice President, Maguire Associates, Inc., MA

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

AP® Versus Dual-Credit: Can’t We Coexist?

In a varied debate format (based on the popular ESPN sports talk show Pardon the Interruption), participants will assess the benefits and disadvantages of Advanced Placement Program and dual-credit courses. After a review of prevailing opinions and perceptions of both programs, they will debate the central, sometimes controversial, topics at stake in the debate. A local community college dual-credit professional will present his position on the debate and will delineate the challenges faced by low-income students in enrolling and succeeding in advanced courses. Participants will weigh the statistical data, review proven methods, and then debate and examine strategies for implementing a tandem AP/dual-credit curriculum.

Speaker(s):

Eva Garza-Nyer, Higher Education Administration, University of Texas at Austin
Tara Miller, Project ADVANCE College Counselor, Stephen F. Austin High School, TX
Robert Pero, Director of College Now at Kingsborough Community College, NY

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Creating a College-Going Culture in Middle School

Many students think postsecondary education is unattainable because they don’t know how to prepare for and apply to college, they don’t believe they will fit in or they don’t think they can afford it. However, a college-going culture in school can promote rigorous academics, parental involvement, and relevant college and community partnerships. In this session, participants will discuss how implementation of the CollegeEd® program in middle school can get the message out to historically underserved and first-generation college students that postsecondary education is available and possible. Participants will assess how several school districts have systemically embraced the College Board’s collegepreparation and planning curriculum to give students the information they need to get on the college path. They will identify components of the CollegeEd program, including a career exploration component, student workbooks, teachers’ guides, family handbooks and the CollegeEd audience (from middle school through high school), in order to develop best practices for CollegeEd implementation in participants’ own districts. Participants will identify components of the CollegeEd® program, including a career exploration component, student workbooks, teachers’ guides, family handbooks and the CollegeEd audience (from middle school through high school), in order to develop best practices for CollegeEd implementation in participants’ own districts.

Speaker(s):

Ginny Garvic, Curriculum Specialist, Social Studies, Katy Independent School District, TX
Dean Richburg, Educational Specialist for College Readiness and Access, Baltimore City Public Schools, MD
Meg Ventura, Associate Director, CollegeEd, The College Board, NY

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Engineering Partnership to Enrich STEM Education

Today’s students live in and benefit from a highly technological world, one which includes PlayStation Portables, video cell phones and personal digital assistants as powerful as laptops. Drawing on students’ interest in modern technology, a partnership with Polytechnic Institute of New York University enables graduate engineering students to deliver original, innovative and engaging STEM curricula in selected New York City elementary and middle schools. This K–12 Fellows project takes advantage of students’ fascination with robotics to encourage learning in STEM subjects and prepares students in traditionally underserved schools to participate in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) competitions, thereby affording them opportunities to visualize and practice science and math concepts. In addition, the Fellows bring their own research into the classroom to show how fundamental scientific and mathematical principles are practiced at an advanced level. In this session, participants will discuss this work with a group of K–12 Fellows in order to evaluate several illustrative examples of this model and to develop strategies for integrating STEM research into the classroom.

Speaker(s):

Nicole Abaid, Graduate Student, Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Pavel Khazron, Graduate Student, Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Noel Kriftcher, Professor and Executive Director, David Packard Center for Technology and Educational Alliances, Polytechnic Institute of New York University
Keeshan Williams, Graduate Student, Polytechnic Institute of New York University

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Managing in an Era of Retrenchment

The economic crisis has brought into focus numerous questions about college tuition, college affordability and consumer behavior. On the supply side, college and university leaders are questioning the sustainability of an economic model built around ever-increasing tuition growth, endowment gains and government subsidies. On the demand side, students and families are weighing the value of a college education, often with very little objective data to guide decision making. In this session, participants will synthesize insights about marketplace realities faced by institutions of higher education in an era of retrenchment. They will analyze recent enrollment trends, demographic data and institutional case studies, and develop a practical tool kit to respond to market challenges in the current economic downturn. They will share their own insights into what they are seeing in the marketplace, how their institutions are responding, and their strategies to maintain financial stability and core educational commitments at the same time.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

John Brady, Executive Director, Strategy, Business Development, and Training, The College Board, PA
Daniel Rodas, Vice President for Planning, Long Island University, NY

Topics(s):

Admissions/Enrollment

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Maximizing the College Exploration Experience

The State University of New York at Cobleskill Office of Secondary Programs (GEAR UP, College Access Challenge Grant and Liberty Partnerships Program) provides tutoring, mentoring, counseling, and career and college exploration activities to 2,500 students at 16 low-income rural school districts spread over 1,650 square miles. Participants in this session will learn how unique “college tours” enable ninth- and 10th-grade students to explore colleges throughout the state and visualize in their college aspirations concrete terms. Tests have demonstrated that there is no better method of college preparation than having students to visit multiple campuses over a two-day stretch to get a feel for student life, academic rigor and availability of financial aid. These visits emphasize that the students are in control of their future, as determined by performance in class and on tests. In this presentation, participants will learn some of the best practices for planning and preparing overnight campus visits, which are presented as multiple 500-mile road trips, and they will discuss potential mistakes inherent in such a ventures. They will develop and discuss effective logistical strategies, while gaining resources, documents and guidelines.

 

Speaker(s):

Laura Lynch, Co-Director, College Access Grant, State University of New York at Cobleskill
Paul Turner, Director, GEAR UP, State University of New York at Cobleskill

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Setting a Course to AP Science

In 2008-09 the Boston Science Partnership (including the College Board) supported the development of nearly 50 navigation guides, which were assembled by K–12 teacher leaders who were working with community college faculty and science professors at UMass Boston. Each two-page guide highlights key concepts in the district curriculum so that science teachers can capitalize on students’ prior learning and prepare them for future courses. Using the guides as a model, participants will develop best practices for capturing teachers’ experience in an accessible way, ensuring equity across the district by guiding teachers to core concepts that are necessary in subsequent years, and providing a coherent story for each scientific discipline so that teachers know where their learning objectives correspond with prior learning and future expectations.

Session Handouts

Speaker(s):

Jennifer Dorsen, Project Director, Boston Science Partnership, MA
Suzanne Gill, Professional Development Specialist, Science Department, Boston Public Schools, MA
Haven Ripley, Elementary Science Specialist, Perkins Elementary School, MA

Topics(s):

Teaching and Learning

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

Who Is Jose College?

Participants will examine holistic strategies for counseling college-bound students to equip them for success in the college application and admission process. A true college-prep program must address the psychosocial aspects of students’ development as they begin to confront the prospect of life after high school and pursue college or careers. Participants will develop strategies for guiding and supporting students as they come to a realistic understanding of national standards, find their voice in writing their college essay, build a résumé, raw on parental resources and work under deadlines, while dealing with loss and gain in the process.

Speaker(s):

Patricia Garcia, Counselor, United South High School, TX
Janet Miller, Teacher, United South High School, TX

Topics(s):

Counseling

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes

2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Understanding the Law and Developing Policy Regarding Race and Ethnicity in K–12 Settings

This workshop will provide an enlightening perspective on recent legal and policy trends, with a focus on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2007 decision regarding race-conscious student assignment policies. Practical guidance for school districts regarding policy directions will be provided through an interactive discussion with attendees. Implications for higher education policy will also be addressed. In this workshop, participants will hone the skills necessary to implement, administer and support race-conscious school assignment plans in districts that seek the educational benefi ts of diversity.

Speaker(s):

Art Coleman, Partner, EducationCounsel, LLC, DC
Francisco Negron, General Counsel, National School Boards Association, VA
Jennifer Rippner, Senior Policy Advisor, EducationCounsel, LLC, GA

Topics(s):

Administration

Continuing Education Units (CEUs):

Yes