Concurrent Education Sessions
School leaders should expect an engaging day of networking, and hands on learning through numerous sessions planned for the day. The following concurrent sessions are planned.
Check back as we continue to update the information.
10:15 a.m.
High Impact Communication
Room: Nunn, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Wouldn’t it be nice if we never had to have “difficult” or “high stress” conversations? Wouldn’t it be amazing if our coworkers and our students/parents clearly understood what we were communicating to them? If communication is breaking down, the problem is NOT with our coworkers or our students/parents. If there is a breakdown in communication, that is on US. The good news is this is something we can fix! High Impact Communication will not only show you Best Practices for communication, but it will reveal to you how fixing a few simple things in our communication can have a HUGE impact on our organization. As an FBI-Trained Hostage Negotiator, and Public Information Officer with 20 years experience, Scott Harvey has communicated when lives were on the line. He learned best practices in VERY high stress situations. Today, he helps companies across the country implement better communication strategies to save their company time, money, and increase employee engagement!
Presented by Scott Harvey, Speaking of Harvey Inc.
Enhancing Student Belonging Through Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
Room: Breathitt, 2nd Floor, East Tower
In this session, participants will workshop practical strategies on how to enhance student belonging by implementing culturally sustaining pedagogy with students, explore research and tools that can help educators affirm the unique identities of their students and collaborate to identify and implement tangible strategies to utilize in classrooms and the school environment.
Presented by Damien Sweeney, KY Dept. of Education
THE TOP FIVE Scaffolding Strategies for ELs
Room: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
With so many EL strategies out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Here are my TOP FIVE: Language Objectives, Academic Vocabulary, Visuals, Graphic Organizers, and Sentence Frames. Let us help you get started with supporting your ELs with some straightforward, actionable strategies!
Presented by Kirstin Ross, Shelby Co. Schools
Equity by Design: Schools of Tomorrow (Starting Today!)
Room: Willis, 2nd Floor, East Tower
What if instead of fixing the problems of yesterday’s schools, we reimagined schools for the future- a future where students are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their chosen path. In this session, we will explore methods to co-design that future and simple shifts we can begin making now to create a more meaningful, relevant, and inspiring experience for every student.
Presented by Carmen Coleman, Ed.D., Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative
Asset-Based Thinking and Equity for Families and Students
Room: Clements, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Participants will explore the basics of asset-based thinking, discuss case-studies that highlight using asset-based thinking with diverse families and students, and will discuss implications from their work and consider how to encourage asset-based thinking at their school.
Presented by Grace McKenzie, The Prichard Committee
12:10 p.m.
Hip Hop Pedagogy
Room: Nunn, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Music is a universal language. Discover ways to integrate music into your school environment during this session. By implementing relatable music with students, you can open their eyes and ears while affirming the importance of self-love and healing in community with their peers.
Presented by Damien Sweeney, KY Dept. of Education
Student-Weighted Funding Approach to Provide Racial Equity Funds to Schools
Room: Breathitt, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Jefferson County Public School's (JCPS) enacted a student-weighted formula for funding comprehensive schools. In addition to the base staff allocations, JCPS uses a “racial equity index” involving the percentage of students of color, free/reduced lunch, ECE, ESL and a student mobility metric that considers students transitioning from schools during the school year. This session provides an outline of the development of this formula and the processes in place to monitor the application of the formula and the associated funding.
Presented by Thomas Aberli, Ed.D., Jefferson Co. Schools
"Do You See Me" Creating Belonging-Enriched Environments
Room: Willis, 2nd Floor, East Tower
This interactive and collaborative session will give you an overview of how to create a culture of purposeful inclusion and belonging. Participants will learn how to create an environment that fosters mutual respect among all students and intentionally encompasses diverse perspectives where all are welcomed, supported, affirmed, and valued.
Presented by Murray Garvin, Fayette Co. Schools
Values & Group Norms for Working Together to Advance Equity
Room: Clements, 2nd Floor, East Tower
This session will help to identify inclusion and diversity strengths and opportunities as administrators work internally and externally. The Clark County Equity Coalition has established values and working norms, which help us model working relationships that are required to be successful in the DEIB space. This session will test these norms and allow administrators to work through and discuss scenarios that cause them to put the norms into practice. These norms can be utilized as district staff interact with one another and external partners.
Presented by Donna Carter, Vache King and Andi Stephenson, Clark Co. Equity Coalition
Strategies That Encourage Stakeholders to Speak Up!
Room: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
This interactive, informative session with discuss ways to gather information from all stakeholders regarding how to help every student feel welcome and respected in a school or district. Specific ways to gather information from teachers, students, parents, community members, and all interested parties will be explored. How to use after school meetings, parent surveys, and community events will be looked at as ways to gather consensus and support for ensuring all students are treated with the respect and dignity every human being is entitled to. Finally, a list of strategies used in schools and districts across the nation will be shared so that each participant has suggestions to use as a starting point to consider upon returning to his or her school or district. Schools or districts can choose to use some, none, or all of the list of positive actions or activities provided that will speak to how to ensure that equity, inclusion and diversity initiatives are positive and ongoing!
Presented by Larry Bell, Multicultural America, Inc.
1:20 p.m.
Scaling Family Engagement for District-Wide Impact: Adapting the Dual Capacity Framework for Multilingual Learners
Room: Nunn, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Explore how school districts can implement the Dual Capacity Framework with a focus on boosting family engagement among English Learners and Multilingual families. Delve into essential framework components like Trust-Building and Linking to Learning. Understand why this approach is universally beneficial yet particularly potent for English Learners. Walk away with practical tools to tailor this research-based strategy to your districts or school’s unique challenges and goals, fostering more equitable educational outcomes.
Presented by Basel Touchan, M.D., Fayette Co. Schools
Engaging English Learners in Family Leadership
Room: Breathitt, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Family engagement in education can be challenging when language barriers exist. This session will focus on strategies to engage English Language Learners in their student's educational experience, by addressing school policies, two-way communication and current practices.
Presented by Laura Beard, The Prichard Committee
Mentoring, Connecting and Teaching Boys: Building an Effective Mentoring Program
Room: Willis, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Durning this session participants will learn the 6 key strategies utilized to build an effective mentoring program from the ground up. The Boys to Men Program at Bristow Elementary serves males in grades 4-6. Since its inception the program has grown from thirty mentees to over one hundred. Students who participate in the program have demonstrated increased leadership and soft skills, improved academics as well as behavior through our monitoring and feedback tie system.
Presented by Chris Stunson, Fayette Co. Schools
Creating a Sense of Belonging for Black Girls
Room: Clements, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Nationally, data shows disparate opportunities for black girls. This includes gaps in achievement, discipline, expectations and access. In this session, we will explore best practices for creating a sense of belonging that will empower black girls socially, emotionally, and academically. Participants will engage in hands-on exploration, reflection, and action planning to implement at the school level.
Presented by Lanisha Hostler, Fayette Co. Schools
Connecting your Student Support System with an Equitable Lens
Room: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
In this session, participants will develop tools and link to resources that will help them connect various student support services such as Positive Behavior Intervention and Support, Mental Health structures, Social Emotional Learning, and Trauma Informed Practices. Though there will be some direct instruction of content, there will also be an emphasis on peer-discussion and real-world problem solving.
Presented by Dedeeh Newbern and Raine Minichan, Fayette Co. Schools