Conference Highlights
Thursday Pre-Conference Data Workshop
2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This workshop will be facilitated by Michelle Scott of the Consortium for Chicago School Research (CCSR). It focuses on the use and interpretation of interim assessment data such as STEP and NWEA for modifying classroom instruction and fostering student growth. The workshop is geared for K-8 teachers, principals and instructional leadership teams.
Thursday Evening Reception & “Fireside Chat”
5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The evening begins with a reception with hosted appetizers and drinks, followed by a stimulating conversation about the direction of education in Chicago, featuring Tim Knowles (John Dewey Director, UEI), Dave Stovall (Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago), and Nichole Pinkard (Professor, DePaul University and Founder, The Digital Youth Network).
Friday Conference
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Presentations, Roundtables and Panels facilitated by USI Network, UEI, Network for College Success (NCS), and Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) colleagues. Session topics include Technology Integration, Developing Targeted Instructional Practices, Teaching Students Affected by Trauma, and Increasing Commitment Through Civic Reflection. Click here to see a full schedule.
Friday Morning & Afternoon Workshops
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Workshops presented by UEI colleagues and consultants.
Moving beyond raw numbers (Workshop I)
How to use Excel to get more out of your data
8:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
This workshop will include hands-on opportunities for teachers, department chairs, and administrators to learn basic skills for manipulating and analyzing data in Excel. Participants will also learn to create tables and charts in ways that make the information you are trying to convey clear to any audience. One of the main take-aways from this session will be the ability to think about different ways to break down your school’s data and how the skills you learn in this session can translate to other data sets.
The Power of PowerSchool (Workshop Series II-A & II-B)
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. & 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
PowerSchool is the fastest-growing, most widely used web-based student information system, supporting more than 8.5 million students in all 50 states and in over 50 countries. PowerSchool enables today’s educators to make timely decisions that impact student performance while creating a collaborative environment for parents, teachers and students to work together in preparing 21st century learners for the future.
So what makes PowerSchool so powerful? It’s customizability. PowerSchool can be customized to meet almost any need; from data storage/warehousing to trend reporting and data analysis. The core, though, is PowerSchool’s database. To utilize PowerSchool to it’s fullest potential, first, you must have accurate, complete and reliable data. Next, you need to be able to make sense of that data and be able to access it regularly and efficiently.
These two workshops will look at the issues of data collection/storage and data access and get you on the path to taking full advantage of PowerSchool’s potential. Sign up for one or both.
Data Collection & Storage: Using the power of PowerSchool’s database to it’s full potential (II-A)
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Topics include: Establishing best practices for data collections/entry, creating forms to enhance the data collection process, importing data and creating and managing custom fields and simple custom pages.
Data Access & Utilization: Using the power of PowerSchool’s reporting features to it’s full potential (II-B)
10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Topics include: Conducting student searches, reporting types, PowerSchool codes, extracting data, Direct Database Export and student alerts.
Guided Reading (Workshop III)
An Overview for Teachers with Classroom Strategies & Discussion of the Developmental Spectrum of Reading
1:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This workshop will be focused on the classroom teacher, but principals and curriculum coordinators are welcome! We will build off basic knowledge of STEP: STEP terms and practices will be referenced throughout. The workshop offers an overview of Guided Reading as it fits into Balanced Literacy and the developmental spectrum of reading. There will be opportunities for small group work around word-solving strategies and comprehension strategies as well as lesson planning. Participants should therefore bring with them one or two guided reading texts that can be utilized for lesson-planning and also relevant STEP/reading assessment data that can be used to help determine instructional grouping in their classroom.
Struggling High School Readers (Workshop IV)
Getting Them Where They Need to Be By Using Assessment in Responsive and Affirming Ways
1:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
We know that many of our high school students come to us several grade levels behind in reading. At this age, they are well aware of their challenges with word solving and comprehension. This workshop presents a framework for building a responsive reading program for adolescents that is both lodged in assessment and age-appropriate. Participants will learn a) how to use assessment to guide learning plans for groups and individual students, b) how to effectively and efficiently use multiple levels of text within the context of one classroom, and c) how to respond to students’ predictable social and emotional needs as they engage in work that can be anxiety-provoking and frustrating.