Northeast ASCD Affiliate Conference

The theme of the 11th Annual Northeast ASCD Affiliate Conference is Leading and Learning: Sustaining Learning Communities. The strands for this year's conference are: Effective Instructional Practices, Leadership for Learning, and Professional Learning Communities

As in previous years, the conference is broken down into the main, two-day event (Friday and Saturday, November 30 - December 1, 2007) and an optional one-day pre-conference (Thursday, November 29, 2007).

Each day of the conference will start off with a keynote presentation to set the tone and reflect upon current issues in Education.

This year our keynote presenters are Doug Reeves and Rick DuFour.

Douglas Reeves' Friday morning keynote is "The New Framework for Teacher Leadership: What Really Influences Professional Practices"

With new 2007 evidence, Dr. Reeves makes a compelling case that the single greatest impact on professional practice is neither administrative mandates nor traditional staff development, but rather the direct and systematic observation of the effective practice of colleagues. This ground-breaking research will cause school leaders and educators to reconsider traditional notions of professional development. “The fundamental question is,” Reeves contends, “What are the policies and practices that are most directly linked to improved student achievement, professional practices, and leadership strategies?” The unequivocal conclusion is that the answer lies neither in administrative mandates nor inspirational speeches, but in a framework for action research in which teachers use documented relationships between professional practices and student results to influence their colleagues.

Rick DuFour's Saturday morning keynote is "Confronting Hard Facts, Half-truths and Total Nonsense in Education"

Professional Learning Communities are hungry for evidence all students are acquiring the intended knowledge, skills, and dispositions.  This constant collective inquiry regarding intended results demands that members of PLCs make decisions based on the best available evidence rather than half-truths or unexamined assumptions. What represents hard facts, half-truths, and total nonsense in contemporary school improvement? 

Featured Speakers/Workshops

Conference

As in years past, conference participants choose a featured speaker for the conference presentation. The choices are:

Rick and Becky DuFour - Implementing PLC Concepts: Tips for Closing the Knowing-Doing Gap

Pam Robbins - Primal Leadership: The Emotional Side Of Leading

The featured speakers will present the first part of their workshops on Friday morning, following the keynote sessions and the second part on Saturday morning following the morning keynote.

Pre-conference

The optional pre-conference sessions will be held on Thursday, November 30th, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm.

Sessions include:

• Willard Daggett - High School Redesign - The Need for the Four R's - Rigor, Relevance, Relationships and Reflections
• Rick DuFour & Becky DuFour  - Making the Case for PLC Practices
• Nancy Love & Susan Mundry - Unleashing the Power of Collaborative Inquiry: Connecting Data to Results
• Andy Platt & Caroline Tripp - Skillful Leader II: Confronting Malfunctioning Groups and Building Accountable Communities
• Mike Schmoker - Results NOW! From Brutal Facts to the Best Schools We've Ever Had

What's New This Year

NEW This Year - Combo Pricing - SAVE up to $80

This year, the NEAC introduces Combo Pricing for people registering for the Pre-Conference and Conference together. Those registering with the Early Bird Special will enjoy an $80.00 discount over the regular price. To receive the greatest saving, Early Bird registrations must be received no later than October 15, 2007. Read more about Combo Pricing...

All Conference Reception

This year all conference participants are invited to join us for an All Conference Reception on Friday at 4:00 pm. This is a great time to socialize with colleagues and with the conference presenters in a relaxed setting.

NEAC Conference Journal

As a new feature for this year's Conference, the Northeast ASCD Affiliates have announced the formation of a new professional journal.

The new journal will be published in both a paper and digital format and will be made available to all conference registrats in digital format. Please check with your local affiliate to see if they will be sending the print version to their members.

Please see the NEAC Journal page for the Call for Papers.

Conference Kit

Each conference participant, and those registered for both the pre-conference and conference receives a comprehensive Conference Kit containing information about the entire event including the handout materials from ALL conference workshops.

Pre-conference-only participants will receive a packet with pre-conference materials only.

Special Reserved Author Luncheons

We are again offering this unique opportunity to meet with noted authors in a smaller setting to share lunch and discuss the author's recent book. But don't delay, these sessions fill early!

Sessions include:

• Chris Dede - Online Professional Development for Teachers: Emerging Models and Methods
• Rick Dufour and Becky DuFour - Learning By Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities
• Nancy Love - A Data Coach's Guide to Improving Learning for All Students: Unleashing the Power of Collaborative Inquiry
• Susan Mundry - Leading Every Day, 2nd edition
• Pam Robbins -The New Principal's Fieldbook: Strategies for Success
• Caroline Tripp - Skillful Leader II: Confronting Conditions that Undermine Learning

Limited seating, additional fee - Register Early. More about Author Luncheons

Breakout Sessions

As in years past, featured speakers will share their knowledge and expertise in more depth in the Friday afternoon Breakout Sessions.

This year's Breakout Session presenters are:

• Chris Dede - 21st Century Skills, Education, and Economic Development for Global Knowledge-based Workplaces
• Andy Platt - Skillful Leaders: Confronting Adult Communities That Undermine Learning
• Doug Reeves - Closing the Implementation Gap:  Transforming Research into Daily Practice
• Pam Robbins - Using Meetings to Enhance Collaborative Cultures

More about Breakout Sessions

Exhibits

A special feature of this annual event is the opportunity to view an outstanding array of exhibits showcasing major educational publishers and programs. Exhibits will be open on Friday only.

Interested in exhibiting at this conference...?

Bookstore

The always-popular Affiliate Bookstore featuring many ASCD books and materials as well as books written by the conference presenters will be open for the Pre-Conference and Conference.

Meals

Conference registration fee includes coffee and pastries on Friday and Saturday as well as complete luncheon on Friday (Conference ends at 12:30 pm on Saturday).

Pre-Conference fee includes coffee and pastries on Thursday. Lunch is on your own.

Accommodations & Travel

We are pleased to once again hold the Northeast ASCD Affiliate Conference at the beautiful and historic Boston Park Plaza Hotel.

Created in 1927 by the great hotelier E.M. Statler as a grand American hotel, it was called a “city within a city”. Today it takes pride in serving Boston as a destination itself, housing under one roof some of Boston's most famous restaurants and lounges, including Todd English's Bonfire Restaurant, McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant and Smith & Wollensky's Steakhouse located in the Castle at Park Plaza, beauty salon/barber shop, airline offices, Business Center, full-service concierge, fitness center, shoe shine and more.

Complete travel information to Boston can also be found on our Hotel and Travel Information page.