NEWS RELEASES 2007-08

NEWS RELEASES 2007-08 :: MARCH 28, 2008

RAISING ACHIEVEMENT AND CLOSING GAPS CONFERENCE XII

The Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Twelfth Annual Conference will be held March 31-April 2 at the Sheraton Four Seasons/Koury Convention Center, Greensboro.

The Conference has a national reputation for providing quality, timely topics and sessions with nationally acclaimed speakers. The 3,500 participants who attend will leave with new information and energy to meet the many challenges they face when they return to their work places. The list of speakers and topics reflect the innovative, creative venue required to meet the Conference's theme, "Exploring Root Causes and Strategies for Promoting Achievement."

Keynote Sessions
The featured Keynote speakers are:

• Dr. Joe Martin, RealWorld University, Andover, CT – Teach and Grow Rich - (Dr. Martin also will present a Breakout Session on Tuesday, April 1, Motivate to Educate and Stress-less Teaching)
• Dr. Doug Reeves, The Leadership and Learning Center, Salem, MA – Leadership and Learning 2008: Connecting Every Level of Leadership from the Boardroom to the Classroom
• Dr. Julianne Malveaux , Bennett College, Greensboro, NC

Focus Sessions
A favorite feature among participants are the focus sessions, which highlight a myriad of in-depth, thought-provoking discussions and interactive presentations on education theory and practices as well as the community's response to closing achievement gaps among gender, race and ethnicities.

Focus Sessions scheduled for Monday, March 31, from 1-4 p.m.

• Dr. Dianne Allensworth and Dr. Rebecca Reeve
  Topic: Achievement Gaps & Health Disparities: Two Sides of the Same Coin?
• Dr. Geraldine C. Munn and Dr. Mary Black
  Topics: Spread the Word: Proven Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners K-5 and We Are P.R.I.D.E. P.A.C.T.: Mentoring Girls for Positive Action
• Dr. Barbara Blackburn – 1 Focus & 2 Breakout Sessions
  Topics: High Expectations and Increased Student Support Lead to Success and Breakout Sessions - Rigor is not a 4-letter Word
• Dr. Ron Ferguson
  Topic: A Social and Cultural Movement for Excellence with Equity
• Dr. Donna Ford
  Topic: Educating Gifted and Talented Minority Students
• Dr. Susan Gurganus – 1 Focus Session & 2 Breakout Sessions
  Topic: Language Difficulties and Their Contributions to Mathematics Underachievement
• Dr. Roy Jones
  Topic: Call Me Mister
• Dr. Curtis Linton – 2 Focus Sessions
  Topic: Courageous Conversations about Race
• Dr. Maria Palmer
  Topic: Creating ‘Confianza' to Foster Success among Hispanic Students
• Ms. Kathy Taft and a Panel of Practitioners
  Topic: The Future-Ready Core, the Passport to the Future!
• Dr. Susan Weinberger T
  opic: Youth Mentoring: A Critical Strategy to Raise Student Achievement
• Dr. Judy Wood
  Topic: Differentiating Instruction for Middle School Students
• Dr. Mychal Wynn – 1 Focus Session & 2 Breakout Sessions –
  Topics: Creating a College Bound Culture and Teaching, Parenting and Mentoring Successful Black Males

Focus Sessions scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, from 8-11:15 a.m.

• Dr. Elsie Leak – 1 Focus Session & 2 Breakout Sessions
  Topics: Attitudes, Dispositions and Practices of Successful School Leaders and Attitudes, Dispositions and Practices of Successful Classroom Teachers
• Tery Medina
  Topic: The Whole Enchilada: Connecting culture and strategies to promote success for Hispanic/Latino Students
• Dr. Curtis Linton
  Topic: The Equity Framework: How to Increase Minority Student Achievement
• Eric Sparks, Dr. Janet Johnson, and Dr. Lee Stiff
  Topic: What You Know for Sure That Just Ain't So! Using Data to Close the Achievement Gap

Featured Breakout Session Strands scheduled for Tuesday, April 1, and Wednesday, April 2, include:

• School Climate/Safety/Character Education
• Parental/Community Involvement
• Reading – Elementary and Middle Grades
• Differentiated Instruction
• School Improvement and Reform
• Cultural Competency
• Social Studies K-12
• Post Secondary
• Career-Technical Education
• Exceptional Children/Gifted/AP
• Mathematics
• Discipline/Classroom Management
• Writing
• ESL
• Health Services/Issues

Special Sessions
The Superintendents' and Local Board Chair Luncheon, March 31, 12:30-4:30 p.m. A luncheon and forum is planned for local superintendents and their local board chairpersons. The forum will include a presentation and discussion regarding the research of EDSTAR, a private consulting firm that promotes the use of data to eliminate the achievement gap.

Scholarly Conversation on Issues Impacting Student Achievement, April 1, 7-8:30 p.m. This informal session offers a "scholarly conversation" with some of the conference's focus session presenters and education advocates from the community. The session is designed to provide presenters and conference participants an opportunity to interact by discussing pertinent education issues related to "root causes" for student underachievement. Panelists for Scholarly Conversation include State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee; Martha Crawley, Governor's Advisory Council on Latino/Hispanic Affairs; Curtis Linton, co-author of Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide For Achieving Equity In Schools; and Anthony Locklear, Wake County educator and member of the NC Commission on Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps.