off-site Pre-conferences (B-F)
Pre-Conferences B-F are Now at the Austin Marriott Round Rock Hotel
(Shuttle buses will run from hotels in the TEPSA room block to the
Austin Marriott Round Rock Hotel. Buses will run to the Renaissance
at the conclusion of the pre-conferences.):
From Renaissance to Marriott Round Rock:
Go straight out of the hotel parking lot, past the 4-way stop and
turn right at the light on to Great Hills Trail. At the next light,
turn right on to the frontage road of Highway 183. Get in the far
left lane and enter Highway 183. Take the 183 South/Loop 1 ramp. Get
in left lane and take the Mopac/ Loop 1 North fly-over, which will
then enter on to Loop 1 North.* Loop 1 North then becomes North 1
toll road. If you choose to stay on the toll road, you will continue
on. You will exit to pay cash ($.75) at the toll booth. The lanes
will then merge back on to North 1 toll road. Watch for the I-35/FM
1325/La Frontera Blvd/45 Toll West sign. Get in the far right lane
and take the North 1/45 East ramp. The next sign says South 35/FM
1325/La Frontera Blvd. ¼ mile – take this exit. Stay in the left
lane and turn left at the light on to La Frontera Blvd. Go past the
4-way stop. The Marriott Round Rock will be on the left.
*The last free exit on Loop 1 is Scofield Ridge Pkwy. If you choose
to take this route, you will go through 5-6 major intersections and
then come to the FM 1325/La Frontera Blvd/45 intersection. Go
straight through that light, under 45, and past the 4-way stop. The
Marriott Round Rock will be on the left.
From Marriott Round Rock to Renaissance Hotel:
Turn right out of the hotel, go to the first light and turn right.
Stay on the frontage road and go through the next light. DO NOT get
on the 45 West entrance ramp; continue on frontage road. The road
will narrow to one lane, then curve to the left and merge on to
South 1 toll road. You will exit to pay cash ($.75) at the toll
booth. The lanes will then merge back on to South 1 toll road. The
toll road then becomes Loop 1 South. Take the 183 North/Capital of
Texas Highway exit. Get in the far right lane and turn right on to
Capital of Texas Highway/Loop 360. Get in the right lane and go
through four lights. Once you have crossed over Highway 183, get in
the far right lane. Turn right on to Arboretum Blvd. Go about a
block and the Renaissance Hotel will be on the right.
B. Destination Differentiation:
First Steps on the Journey
Sandra Page, Ph.D., Consultant, Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development
Are your teachers struggling to meet students' learning differences and provide interventions in the general education classroom without feeling overwhelmed and overburdened? Learn low-prep strategies that can be the initial entry points toward improved and varied instruction in the classrooms on your campus. You can easily share these strategies through school faculty meetings and you’ll launch your efforts toward differentiated instruction. The journey to differentiation will help your teachers meet the learning needs of their students, provide more choice in assignments, and still maintain focused curricular goals and equity.
C. All for One and One for All:
Establishing Successful Tier I Behavior Interventions on Your Campus
Kathy McConnell Fad, Ph.D., Author and Consultant
Do you have too many children on your campus with individual behavior plans? Are you frustrated with teachers who send students to the office for behavior issues that could have been addressed successfully in the classroom? If you answered YES, then a focus on classwide behavior interventions is exactly what Dr. McConnell Fad would prescribe for your campus. You will learn large group behavior strategies that are a perfect fit in a campus Tier I behavior intervention system and will solve many of your classroom woes, too. While you may need to implement small group or individual strategies for some children, these strategies should help you help your teachers build a positive, cooperative spirit in every classroom.
D. Put Your Hard Hat On and
Let's Get to Work Building Capacity!
Lue Bishop, Ph.D., Consultant, Coaching Principals
Feel like your tool belt is just not big enough to serve as surveyor, architect, builder, crew supervisor, project manager, fire and safety inspector, risk management supervisor and clean-up crew for your school? Ready to redraw the blueprints and create powerful scaffolding that will support and maximize the leadership potential within your staff? Explore teacher leadership from a practical viewpoint and leave with a framework for building capacity for the purpose of school improvement!
E. Turning Math into a High
Performance Subject in Your School
Jenny Severson, Ed.D., Senior Instructor and Educational Consultant,
Quantum Learning Network
Dramatically boost student learning and success in math with brain-friendly, research-based teaching practices that engage and motivate. Help students overcome fear and stress as well as old beliefs that prevent them from doing well in math with proven techniques for chunking down problem components, boosting comprehension and promoting understanding of real world applications. Make math fun and easy and help students to develop new skills for learning and retention. These methods have been proven with over 47,000 students over the past 26 years in Quantum Learning programs for students.
F. Reading Allowed: Priceless
People
Kathy Dodge-Clay, Ph.D., Principal, Northside ISD
"The greatest good we can do for others is more than to share our riches with them but to reveal their riches to themselves." Dr. Kathy Dodge-Clay will lead this facilitated book study on the book, Priceless People, written by her father. Discover your riches and untapped potential through a series of exercises and leave with a bundle of new ideas to share with your faculty and staff. Participants will receive a copy of the book upon registration.
On-site pre-conferences A, G & H
Austin Renaissance Hotel
Austin, Texas 78759
800-266-9432
A. Drive Your Staff Happy!
Diane Hodges, Ph.D., Author and Consultant, Threshold Group
Do you and your colleagues start the week on Monday or MOANday? Peer recognition, appreciation, and rituals of celebration can transform your school into a place where people want to go with enthusiasm. Discover a wealth of ideas you can use to create fun, laughter, and appreciation for each other... in just minutes a day and for little or no money. Learn why fun and laughter are not just extras, but critical to staff retention. Leave prepared to drive your staff happy every day of the week!
G. Teachers - From Hiring to
Firing: Everything You Need to Know
Cynthia Buechler, Attorney, Buechler & Associates
Whether you're brand new on the job or you've been a principal/assistant principal for 10 years, this comprehensive legal session is just what you need! We will cover all the critical issues: reviewing applications, training your interview teams, interview do's and don'ts, conducting reference checks (and giving references, too), and performance evaluation/documentation. One of the principal's most critical responsibilities is hiring and retaining a top-quality teaching staff. This session will help ensure your success in meeting the demands of this responsibility.
H. Leadership Applied: Building
Powerful Learning Communities
Tim Tyson, Ph.D., Consultant
Dr. Tim Tyson, former principal, who has been
called "The Pied Piper of Educational Technology" by the School
Library Journal, will share lessons learned and philosophical
frameworks gleaned from his school's exploration of best practices
and ways to leverage technology through schoolwide blogging and
digital media creation in their efforts to make learning
irresistible. Under Dr. Tyson's leadership, Mabry received
Scholastic and Intel Corporation's prestigious Schools of
Distinction Award for Technology Innovation. He set up
MabryOnline.org, a collection of over 100 blogs which served as the
school web presence and features students', teachers' and
administrators' digital media creations, serving up over 1.5 million
files a month to users all over the world. Learn concrete examples
of how to build community and engage staff and students by using
technology in meaningful and creative ways.
