Thursday, November 5

7:30-11:30am: Registration open

7:30am-3:00pm: Exhibit Hall open

7:30-9:30am: Continental Breakfast with Exhibitors

7:50-8:50am: Partner Presentation

Meaningful Family and Community Engagement (Orleans)

Prepare your district staff and framework to build meaningful family and community engagement. Members of the Scholastic team will explain how to incorporate research from Harvard’s Dr. Karen Mapp, and UCLA’s Drs. Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor to enhance academic achievement by leveraging Home-School connections.

8:10am: Partner Presentations

Understanding the Redesigned College Board Assessments: PSAT and SAT(Barnstable I)

Learn about our redesigned SAT and PSAT assessments. We will discuss the instructional shifts in the tests as well as the new reporting functions that make it easier to integrate results with your district’s college readiness goals. Share your ideas with your Regional Senior Director and tell us how you think the College Board can better deliver opportunity. Partner with the College Board by reviewing the contents of your district-specific data folder (provided to those who requested one) and get involved in our membership and Access to Opportunity (A2O) activities.
Jenny Caccavale, K-12 Director, The College Board

Fuel Your Budget and Your Students with School Breakfast (Barnstable III)

Join the New England Dairy and Food Council and learn how school breakfast can help your students achieve AND make sure your district isn’t leaving money on the table. Leave armed with a toolkit that will help you take full advantage of the school breakfast program for a healthy bottom line and healthy, successful students.

Keep Student Enrollments in Your Schools (Centerville)

Edgenuity partners with schools and districts to provide flexible virtual school solutions that expand your course catalog, accommodate student athletes and homebound students, and supplement teaching staff. Edgenuity Instructional Services can accommodate as few or as many courses as you need, providing comprehensive layers of support, including: Highly qualified, state-certified virtual instructors; Award-winning, standards-aligned courses; Flexible implementation models; NCAA-approved curriculum. Come and learn more in this interactive session.

8:45-10:00am: Panel Session IV

Vocational Education: Best Practices (Bass River)

This session will present best practices and emerging technologies being implemented in districts with a focus on raising student achievement. The session will be presented in “carousel” format with expert presenters to highlight new programs and strategies of interest to school committee members and superintendents.
Presenters: Deborah Davis, Northeast Metro Reg. Voc. Tech. School Committee (moderator); John LaFleche, Superintendent, Bay Path; Judith Klimkiewicz, Superintendent, Nashoba Valley; Gabriella White, Curriculum Director, Nashoba Valley; Luis Lopes, Superintendent, Southeastern; Robert Dutch, Superintendent, Upper Cape Reg. Voc. Tech.; David Aguiar, Automotive Technology Teacher, Upper Cape Reg. Voc. Tech.; Tom Silvia, Team Supervisor/Co-Op Coordinator, Upper Cape Reg. Voc. Tech.

Recovery High Schools (Hyannisport West)

How three schools operated by North River, North Shore and Central Mass Educational Collaboratives are supporting teenagers in recovery from alcohol and drug abuse and addiction.
Handouts

Recovery High Schools Handout (pdf)
Presenters: Joanne Haley Sullivan, Executive Director, North River Collaborative (moderator); Fran Rosenberg, Executive Director, North Shore Educational Consortium; Ryan Morgan, Director, Independence Academy; Michelle Lipinski, Director, North Shore Recovery School; Susan Strong, Principal, North Shore Recovery School

Cultural Proficiency (Hyannisport East)

Cultural proficiency is built into every educator’s evaluation, but that doesn’t make it simple or easy to understand. Learn about this emerging concept and how educators and policy makers can serve children and their community by doing so.
Presenters: Denise Hurst, Springfield School Committee (moderator); Kharis McLaughlin, Director of Diversity, Cambridge Public Schools; Ron Walker, Executive Director, Coalition of Essential Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC)

Featured Session: Meeting the Needs of Students Living in Poverty (Ballroom)

This session will outline the many challenges that school systems are facing as they endeavor to meet the needs of the growing population of students living in poverty. The session will feature Dr. McKenna who will address the issue from the perspective of the Board of Education and three practitioners who will share their collective experiences and successes as urban superintendents who are serving these children.
Presenters: Andre Ravenelle, President, MASS/Superintendent, Fitchburg (moderator); Margaret McKenna, President, Suffolk University/Member, Board of Elementary & Secondary Education; Mary Bourque, Superintendent, Chelsea; Meg Mayo Brown, Superintendent, Fall River; Melinda Boone, Superintendent, Worcester

10:00-10:35am: MASC Division VIII and IX Meetings

10:00-10:45am: Coffee with Exhibitors (Exhibit Hall)

10:45-12:00pm: Panel Session V

Making the Most of your School Breakfast Program: Tap into Grant Dollars, Draw down Federal Funds, and Fuel Hungry Minds for Student Achievement (Cape Cod)

Learn how nearly 100 schools in over 18 districts are serving over 80% of their students breakfast in the classroom (BIC) after the bell. By making breakfast part of the day, these schools are seeing dramatic results: improved attendance, reduced tardiness, fewer disciplinary referrals, fewer morning visits to the nurse, and improved academic achievement, all while drawing down significant USDA reimbursements to their food service programs. Hear perspectives on BIC from Brockton, Taunton, Springfield, and Worcester, and find out how your schools can tap private grant dollars to launch a sustainable BIC program.
Handouts

Eos Foundation - Breakfast in the Classroom (pdf)

School Law 101 (Hyannisport East)

A review of state ethics, open meeting and public records laws and implications for school districts.
Handouts

Teacher FAQ's (pdf)
Presenters: Andrea Silbert, President, EOS Foundation (moderator); Tom Minichiello, Brockton School Committee; Mary Ellen Kirrane, Director of Wellness K-12, Brockton; Julie Hackett, Superintendent, Taunton; Julia St. Martin, Asst. Principal, Chestnut Talented and Gifted Accelerated Middle School, Springfield; Donna Lombardi, Director of Nutrition, Worcester Presenters: Naomi Stonberg, Esq., Brody Hardoon (moderator); Jonathan Sclarsic, Esq., Assistant Attorney General, Division of Open Government; David Giannotti Public Education and Communications Division Chief, State Ethics Commission

Board-Superintendent Relationships (Barnstable III)

A solid working relationship between the board and superintendent is a model for all others in the district and critical for progress. Learn about how to build and sustain this important relationship.

Handouts

Board-Superintendent Relationships Handout (pdf)

8 Characteristics of Effective School Boards (pdf)
Presenters: Jim Marini, Coach/Consultant, MASS (moderator); Ruth Gilbert-Whitner, Superintendent, Whitman-Hanson; Robert Hayes, Chair, Whitman-Hanson Reg. School Committee

Strategies for Children (Barnstable I)

A discussion of the preK for MA legislation and how it will impact communities as well as the work that Strategies for Children is doing to coordinate early education programming, analyze quality and build capacity.
Presenters: Christopher Martes, President, Strategies for Children (moderator); Amy O’Leary, Campaign Director, Strategies for Children; Titus DosRemedios, Research/Policy Director, Strategies for Children; Laura Healey, Field Associate, Strategies for Children MASC Members: Unsure of Your Division?MASC DIvision meetings are being held today (Divisions 8 and 9) and tomorrow (Divisions 1-7).A complete listing of Divisions by district is posted opposite the conference registration desk in the Exhibit Hall Lobby.

Creating a Safe School Climate: Supporting LGBTQ Students (Centerville)

In light of the student anti-discrimination law that now includes gender identity as well as sexual orientation, this session will consider the laws, policies and best practices for supporting transgender and other gender nonconforming students.
Presenters: Jeff Perrotti, Director, Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students, DESE; (moderator); Roger Bourgeois, Superintendent, Greater Lowell Technical High School; Patrick Daly, Director—Academic Services, North Reading; Cyndy Taymore, Superintendent, Melrose

Making the Most of Your Collaboratives (Orleans)

The 26 Educational Collaboratives across the Commonwealth are playing an ever-growing and effective role in helping school districts meet the challenges they face, including reduced funding, new federal and state requirements, the need for specialized services, and the need to create additional capacity within districts to improve outcomes for all children. Learn about the role of collaboratives in providing high quality and cost-effective special education programs and services; professional development; helping districts expand online and blended learning opportunities as well as cooperative purchasing options and ways in which district administrators and school committees can best utilize collaboratives to meet district goals.
Presenters: Steve Theall, Executive Director, MOEC (moderator); Bill Diehl, Executive Director, Collaborative for Educational Services; Cathy Cummins, Executive Director, Assabet Valley Educational Collaborative; Cathy Lawson, Executive Director, SEEM Collaborative; Colleen Dolan, Executive Director, EDCO

PARCC/Common Core Update (Ballroom)

This session will provide information regarding the timeline leading up to the decision on PARCC by the Board of Education scheduled for November 17th. The timeline leading up to the release of MCAS and PARCC assessment data will also be reviewed.
Presenters: Patrick Francomano, President, MASC/King Philip Reg. School Committee (moderator); Jeff Wulfson, Deputy Commissioner, Massachusetts DESE; Christopher Malone, Assistant Superintendent, Revere

12:15pm: Buffet/Network Lunch (Bass River)

1:15-2:15pm: Partner Presentations

Building Deep Conceptual Understanding in Mathematics Classrooms(Orleans)

Do your teachers have the content knowledge to present multiple representations to further students understanding of mathematical concepts that leads to a deeper conceptual understanding? In this session, we will discuss how professional development focused on teacher content will improve student achievement. We can take your teachers' classrooms from focusing on correctness and algorithms to context-rich mathematical discussions that will not only improve student achievement, but more student engagement as well. Presenter: Sue Hamilton, Manager - School Partnerships, Carnegie Learning

Microsoft: Improve Teacher and Student Communication and Assessment with OneNote (Centerville)

Providing students with timely, quality feedback is one of the single most important factors for improving student learning. See how you can utilize built-in features within OneNote to easily guide students through assignments, scaffold learning opportunities and provide quality feedback to immediately enhance the level of understanding and clarify misconceptions. Use Inking and draw features to script fluidly over any existing file, or add audio to simply say what you mean. Better yet, embed a quick video tutorial on the student page for immediate, anytime assistance! Increase the quality of your feedback, and watch as students rise to the occasion!
Presenter: Tiffany Thompson, Microsoft Innovative Educator

Panorama: Measuring Social and Emotional Learning (Barnstable I)

Though not currently assessed by standardized tests, a growing body of research indicates social-emotional or “non-cognitive” skills significantly impact students’ academic performance, development, and their broader life outcomes. We now know that social-emotional learning (SEL) helps foster characteristics like grit, growth mindset and self-regulation that impact students’ schoolwork and interpersonal relationships, but have struggled to find ways to measure growth in these areas. Today, however, innovative school districts across the nation are increasingly turning to perception surveys as a means of collecting this data. In his presentation, Aaron Feuer will share insights and examples from Panorama Education’s partnerships with these districts, in an effort to help Massachusetts district leaders measure the “whole child” growth that matters in their students.
Presenter: Aaron Feuer, CEO and Co-founder, Panorama Education

Why Partner with a Facilities Management Company: the Pros and Cons (Barnstable III)

When evaluating the option to privatize facilities management, there are many factors to ponder, including: How the decision will impact employees; Will the district receive the needed services; will the district’s budgetary objectives be met? Can this company become a trusted advisor in delivering value to the district? Will this change positively impact the students in their educational journeys? Come learn from experienced providers (public and private), the myths, facts, pros and cons of privatization.
Presenters: BJ Mandelstam, Senior Director, Facilities Solution, Sodexo; Phil Bornstein, R.D. Director of Business Development; Sodexo

1:30pm: Ice Cream Social with Exhibitors (Exhibit Hall)

2:30-3:45 General Session (Ballroom)

Handouts

Boys and Safe Climates Sheet (pdf)

Boys in Crisis, Boys at Risk (pdf)

Creating Positive School Environments (Pollack) (pdf)

Real Boys' Voices Connection (pdf)
Keynote Speakers: Dr. William Pollack, Director, Center for Young Men and Boys, McLean Hospital; and Ron Walker, Executive Director, Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC)

4:00-5:15pm: Panel Session VI

Strategic Leadership in Challenging Times (Cape Cod)

How can a community unite to develop Common Core values to support a 100% graduation rate? By challenging the entire town to change its “mindset,” a course for increased community accountability for student success was charted, led by the School Board in the process of development and implementation of a strategic plan. Come learn how a district is leveraging its vital strategic plan to implement innovative instructional approaches as it moves forward in economically challenging times to increase student growth through a community-based approach.
Presenters: Beverly Hugo, Framingham School Committee (moderator); Salvatore Menzo, Superintendent, Wallingford, CT; Roxanne McKay, Chair, Wallingford School Board of Educaion

Advancing Social and Emotional Learning in Your Community: State and Local Developments (Hyannisport East)

Participants will learn about the Safe & Supportive Schools legislation, the Commission’s work on statewide SEL frameworks, as well as the new Massachusetts Standards for Preschool and Kindergarten in the Domains of Social and Emotional Learning and Approaches to Play and Learning. They will also learn how these frameworks and standards benefit their communities including how to advocate for them once adopted. In addition, participants will hear what Newton and Somerville are doing to advance SEL in their schools in collaboration with community members. Participants will also have an opportunity to share their own experiences in advocating for SEL and take with them strategies for further SEL advancement
Presenters: Ellen Gibson, Newton School Committee (moderator); Lisa LaCava, Project Leader—Social and Emotional Learning, Newton; Dan Futrel, Somerville School Committee; Donna Traynham, Early Learning Team Lead, DESE; Carol Nolan, Association Committee-Grants & Programming, Dept. of Early Education & Care; Rachelle Bennett, Director, Office of Learning Supports and Early Learning (OLSEL), DESE;

District Governance Program (Hyannisport West)

The District Governance Program is a research-based program designed to help school committees and superintendents foster effective strategies to advance student achievement. In this session, you’ll learn how this MASC member service can benefit your district.
Presenters: Dorothy Presser, MASC Field Director (moderator); Tari Thomas, Superintendent, Ralph Mahar Reg.; Margaret Driscoll, Melrose School Committee

Improving Early Education for All Students (Ballroom)

In April, 2014 the MA Budget and Policy Center released a report “Building a Foundation for Success” that surveyed the landscape of early education and care services in the state and costed out a range of options for expanding and improving those services for three- and four-year-olds. While there is consensus on the value of early education there remain difficult questions around how best to improve what is currently a diverse service array. Federal grant opportunities are encouraging new partnership approaches that better knit together many of the current approaches; some communities have invested in their own initiatives. This panel will focus on approaches to move the early education ball forward including an analysis of current costs/policy options for change strategies.
Presenters: Luc Schuster, Deputy Director, MA Budget and Policy Center and David Verdolino, Executive Director, MASBO (co-moderators); Christopher Martes, Executive Director, Strategies for Children; Tom Weber, Commissioner, Early Education and Care; Anthony Pierantozzi, ret. Superintendent, Somerville

Planning for Success (Barnstable I)

Learn about DESE’s recently introduced “Planning for Success” model and resource (not requirement!!) designed with and for school leaders. The model, which has been piloted this past year in 7 districts, is a multi-year improvement and annual action plan to help districts plan and monitor implementation and measure impact. The plan, which includes templates, protocols and meeting structures will enable districts to easily conduct their own inclusive, time-efficient planning process and create a focused improvement plan that will increase coherence across your district and/or create an action plan to help monitor implementation and measure impact of the process.
Presenters: Carrie Conaway, Assoc. Commissioner—Planning, Research, and Delivery Systems, DESE (moderator); Lori Likos, Principal Consultant, Creative Coaching; David DeRuosi, Superintendent, Malden; John Doherty, Superintendent, Reading; Ruth Gilbert-Whitner, Superintendent, Whitman-Hanson; Barbara Malkas, Superintendent, Webster; Andrew Kelley, Asst. Superintendent, Webster; Robert Sanborn, Superintendent, Cape Cod Reg. Tech.; Chris Scott, Executive Director, Valley Collaborative

Impact of Policy Makers on Regional School Districts (Barnstable III)

Regional school districts are designed to be effective systems that can respond to shifting student demographics, improve long-term stability, address facility needs, and better articulate K-12 curriculum in a rapidly changing world. What impact do policy makers have on our goal to increase district capacity, and have policies stalled or decreased our capacity? Discussion will focus on effective identification of challenges and cultivating strong lines of communication with policy makers to meet this mission.
Handouts

Impact of Policy Makers Handout (pdf) Presenters: Ellen Holmes, Ashburnham-Westminster School Committee/Chair, MASC Regional Committee (moderator); Maureen Marshall, Superintendent, Quabbin Reg.; Stephen Hemman, Interim Superintendent, Narragansett Regional

Re-thinking the Role of the Library and Librarian in the 21st Century (Centerville)

There are three important facets of support required to create and sustain a K-12, 21st learning environment; IT, staff support, and student support. The libraries are a critical element of this support structure. In this session we will share how Masconomet re-purposed both the library and the librarian’s role to support staff and students in this new 21st century teaching and learning environment.
Presenters: Geoffrey Swett, Wareham School Committee (moderator); Susan Givens, Chief Financial Officer, Masconomet Reg.

NSBA National Connection Program (Bass River Alcove)

The National School Boards Association is an invaluable resource to Massachusetts school committees. Learn how you can work with NSBA to strengthen public education in your district.
Presenters: Mark Bonjavanni, Consultant, National Connection, NSBA; Mike Gilbert, MASC Field Director

How to Build Capacity in Schools to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (Orleans)

An update and interactive discussion on strategies to prevent and address sexual abuse of children.
Presenters: John Hockridge, North Adams School Committee (moderator); Eric Conti, Superintendent, Burlington; Jetta Bernier, Executive Director, MASS KIDS and Director, Enough Abuse Campaign

5:30-6:30pm: Presidents’ Reception (Lobby Lounge)
Sponsored by: Carnegie Learning

6:30pm: Thursday Night Banquet (Bass River)

Guest Speaker: Jack Gallagher, “A Different Kind of Cool”: Jack Gallagher is a comedian and former elementary educator whose son, Liam, is a 19-year-old with autism. In this presentation Gallagher will describe a parent struggling to understand a child who he comes to realize is truly amazing. Drawn from his personal experience and training as an educator, his story illustrates that sometimes when pushed to the limit, we learn new lessons and discover new ways of approaching complex situations. His inspiring story will underscore how parents and educators, when working in unison, can build understanding, perspective and celebration.

Friday, November 6

7:30-11:30am: Registration open

7:30-9:30am: "Grab N Go" Breakfast (Ballroom Foyer)

8:10-8:35am: Partner Presentations

Help is on the Way! Improving Students, Teachers and Administrators IT Experience through Managed Services and Staff Augmentation (Centerville)

Is your IT staff stretched to the max just trying to keep your technology up and running? Are the technology demands of your students and teachers moving faster than your IT staff can get up to speed to support these new technologies? You aren’t alone. The role of technology within education has become more complex and a core tool to the educational experience. Classrooms are being transformed into collaborative learning environments where student and teachers can interact without borders. As these technology based services expand, new challenges and responsibilities unfold around access, availability and security, straining the existing IT staff as they work to provide proactive and reactive support for their new and existing technology infrastructures. ePlus Technology will share ways that you can add efficiencies through managed support and staff augmentation services designed to complement your current IT support staff.
Handouts

Presentation Slides (pptx)
Presenters: Bob Murphy, ePlus Technology

9:00am-3:00pm: COSCAP Workshop (Grand)

Network with the best of the best and learn new strategies for keeping up with your superintendent/school committee responsibilities and requirements (written and unwritten).

9:00-10:15am: Panel Session VII

Model Language for Knotty Problems: Do’s and Dont’s of Collective Bargaining (Cape Cod)

Learn from the people who practice labor law and experienced board members about how to manage the challenges of collective bargaining.
Presenters: David Katseff, Dighton-Rehoboth School Committee (moderator); Elizabeth Valerio, Esq., Deutsch Williams; Marc Terry, Esq., Mirick O’Connell

Superintendent Evaluation (Hyannisport East)

The Massachusetts Educator Evaluation model, as it applies to superintendents is still new to many of us. Even for those with some experience, there are new elements being added. Learn or review your knowledge of Superintendent Evaluation and learn what’s new on the horizon.
Presenters: Dorothy Presser, MASC Field Director (moderator); Jodi Fortuna, Superintendent, Hudson; Allyson Hay, Hudson School Committee; Nick deKanter, Newburyport School Committee

Virtual Learning Academies (Barnstable I)

Through collaboration between superintendents and collaborative directors, two regional efforts have launched virtual learning academies. Learn how highly qualified teachers with the aid of intensive professional development became prepared to teach online courses. The session will also discuss successes and pitfalls and future plans for online learning.
Presenters: Elizabeth McGonagle, Executive Director, The Education Collaborative (TEC) (moderator); Moira Rogers, Director of Professional and Online Learning, TEC; Theresa Craig, Executive Director, READS Collaborative; Paul Zinni, Superintendent, Avon

Turnaround Work: Moving Underperforming Schools to Excellence (Barnstable III)

Learn how the New Bedford Public School District has embarked on a massive and ambitious turnaround. Focus of the session will be on the structures and systems that are necessary at the community, district and school levels in order to ensure documented progress for chronically underperforming schools and the children they serve. Discussion will include how key stakeholders—school committee, superintendent, principals and teachers—are working together to implement an effective turnaround strategy.
Presenters: Pia Durkin, Superintendent, New Bedford (moderator); Jason DeFalco, Chief Academic Officer, New Bedford; Bruce Oliveira, Vice-Chairman, New Bedford School Committee; Josh Amaral, Member, New Bedford School Committee

The New NEASC: Helpful. User-Friendly. (Centerville)

Learn about the New England Association of Schools and Colleges aggressive reform to make the accreditation process more streamlined and more closely aligned with local district initiatives and state and federal requirements. The process has included representatives from high schools and school districts across the Commonwealth. The focus of the session is to share progress being made developing these reforms and the timeline for their implementation.
Presenters: Paulette Van der Kloot, Medford School Committee (moderator); Jon Sills, Superintendent, Bedford; Jake McCandless, Superintendent, Pittsfield; George Edwards, Acting Director, NEASC, Joel Stembridge, Principal, Newton South High School

Working with DESE (Orleans)

Learn about the resources and assistance that DESE can provide to help your district manage challenges and move ahead toward your goals.
Presenters: Charlene McEntee, Plainville School Committee (moderator); Brooke Clenchy, Senior Associate Commissioner, Office of School and District Improvement, DESE; Jass Stewart, Special Assistant to the Associate Commissioner, DESE

Efficient Meetings: Yes, You Can Have Them (Osterville A)

Learn from gold-medal winning students at Diman Voc. Tech. about running meetings efficiently including sharing of questions and ideas in order to effectively accomplish the goals of the meeting.
Presenters: Marta Montleon, Superintendent, Diman Voc. Tech. (moderator); award winning Diman students: William Hawkins, Fallon Boragine, Marrisa Morrison, Collin Bulgara, Elijah Moniz, Julia Leamy

State and Federal Issues Update (Osterville B)

Here’s a briefing from legislators on key bills pending before the General Court and a look ahead to 2016.
Presenters: Stephen Finnegan, MASC General Counsel (moderator); Representative Alice Peisch, Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Education; Representative Steven Ultrino; Senator Patricia Jehlen

10:30-11:45am: General Session (Ballroom)

Greetings: Suzanne Bump; Keynote Speaker: Yong Zhao, "World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students"

12:00-1:45pm: Leadership Lunch (Bass River)

Guest Speaker: Representative Jay Kaufman, "Fair School Financing: The Challenge for the Commonwealth"

1:45-2:30pm: MASC Division 1-7 Meetings

1:45-2:15pm: Featured Demonstration: What Kind of Robot Could You Build in Only 6 Weeks from a Limited Box of Parts? (Cape Cod)

Come witness a live demonstration of a 6 foot 2 inches tall robot designed and built by students and volun-teer mentors. Students from Ayer Shirley Regional High School’s Robotics Team will showcase their robot from the 2015 competition season. Come see the robot in action and hear directly from students about their hands-on engineering experience. The students will also demonstrate a LEGO Mindstorms robot set used at the elementary level.

2:30-3:45pm: Panel Session VIII

STEM Inspiration through Robotics: Start your Students on a Path that will Excite and Engage while Applying 21st Century Skills (Cape Cod)

Discover the excitement and student engagement results your school can have with a robotics team in this student led workshop. Students at Ayer Shirley Regional High School were so inspired by their experience that they want all students in Massachusetts to have the opportunity to be on a robotics team. Joined by their mentor and coach, Christine Miska (a BAE Systems engineering director and MASS HIGH TECH – Woman To Watch award winner), these enterprising students will present on the programs available in robotics for K-12. This session will also discuss the benefits of hands-on engineering opportunities based on several study findings and student testimonials. More than half of MA school district regions have a registered robotics team – are you one of them? Find your school district on the state map to see the level of robotics team involvement in your region.

School Budget & Finance (Hyannisport East)

This session will focus on the school committee’s role in the development, implementation and oversight of the school district budget.
Presenters: David Verdolino, Executive Director, MASBO; Jim Hardy, MASC Field Director

Special Education Update (Barnstable I)

Special Education is an academic, policy and financial issue that has evolved significantly in recent years. Hear from practitioners and policy makers on the latest developments for special education. Presenter: Colleen Dolan, Executive Director, EDCO

School Law 201 (Osterville B)

A review by MASC and MASS legal counsels of recent state and federal education-related legislation.
Presenters: Patrick Francomano, Esq., President, MASC/King Philip Reg. School Committee (moderator); Stephen Finnegan, Esq., MASC General Counsel; Michael Long, Esq., MASS General Counsel

Less Testing. More Learning. (Orleans)

Polls show most people agree that standardized testing plays too big a role in our schools and is hurting student learning. This year, legislators have filed several bills calling for a moratorium on the high-stakes consequences of standardized tests. The state tests would still be given, but they would be just one set of data that parents, teachers, and school leaders could use in evaluating school performance. MA could then stop stigmatizing and punishing schools for educating low-income students and English language learners. The moratorium would last three years, enough time for a new and better system to be developed. Come hear about the effort to pass this legislation and lend your support.
Handouts

Less Testing, More Learning Slides (pptx)
Presenters: Alain Jehlen, Executive Director, Citizens for Public Schools (moderator); Julie Hackett, Superintendent, Taunton; Senator Patricia Jehlen; Monty Neill, Executive Director, FairTest; Tracy Novick, Worcester School Committee

2:30-5:15pm: Double Sessions

Media and Advocacy Communication (Bass River Alcove)

A double session that you can take individually or together as MASC’s expert media advisors discuss how to build your communications and advocacy strategy. The first part addresses media in general while the second portion deals with advocacy.
Presenters: Glenn Koocher, MASC Executive Director (moderator); Christopher Horan, President, Horan Communications; John Creed, Silver Lake Reg. School Committee

New Member Orientation: Part I (Centerville)

First of a two-part program (continued on Saturday) that will review everything new members need to know about their role and responsibilities to satisfy the mandated training requirement.
Presenters: MASC Field Staff

Parliamentary Procedures (Barnstable III)

Join this double session to learn the ins and outs of Parliamentary Procedures from an expert on meeting procedures who will present strategies for moving your meetings along efficiently and with minimum stress. Presenter: William Gilmeister, Parliamentarian/member, Tantasqua Reg. School Committee

Goal Setting and Strategic Planning (Osterville A)

What is your committee’s vision for the future in your district? Do you have goals in place to realize the vision? Learn about the process of setting the right goals for your district and ensuring a path to continuous improvement.
Handouts

Goal Setting Handout (pdf)
Presenters: Dorothy Presser, MASC Field Director; Kiersten Warendorf, Norwell School Committee

4:00-5:15pm: Panel Session IX

Monitoring and Tracking Student Activity Funds (Barnstable I)

Learn about the nature of the financial risk (and public relations nightmare) associated with maintaining student activity funds.

Saturday, November 7