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Idea Exchange/
Meet the Experts Sessions



Wednesday, Jan. 21
Midwest Airlines Center
8:30-9:45 am

Agriculture Courses for Science Credit (Room 101A)

Keep up with the latest in agriculture education by learning how to implement an agriculture/science equivalent option in your district. The agriculture/science equivalent option stems from recommendations from the High School Task Force and the State Superintendent’s Agriculture and Science Task Force. Both agree that certain agriculture courses provide rigorous and authentic science content and offer multiple instructional pathways to address science academic standards.
Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators

Visioning As a Leadership Tool (Room 101B)

As school board members, visioning the future of your district is central to your leadership responsibility. Hear from colleagues and school board veterans as they examine the power of visioning as a leadership tool.
Wisconsin Association of School Boards; Elk Mound School Board, National School Boards Association, Minnesota School Boards Association; Ohio School Boards Association

Trying to Uncomplicate Virtual Learning Opportunities in Your District (Room 101C)

Are you trying to make sense out of the virtual learning legislation passed in April 2008? Maybe your district is asking questions like: What does this mean to our district and students? How can our district offer
virtual learning opportunities and comply with the legislation? Can we extend opportunities to populations
of students not served in the past? Join this discussion and hear how school districts around the state are
responding to these questions.
Wisconsin Virtual School, CESA 9

Technology Proficiency Certification Program for Teachers (Room 102B)

To best prepare our students for the 21st century, teachers need to utilize and integrate technology into the classroom. However, not all educators are technology experts. Learn how one district implemented technology profi ciency for all teachers in an effort to improve instruction and integrate technology usage across the district. Find out how technology enhanced instructional practices and motivated students in their learning.
Brown Deer School District

Implementing the DPI Directive: Appropriate Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Special Education Programs (Room 102D)

Seclusion and restraint of students with disabilities in special education programs are hot button topics and the use of both is highly controversial. This presentation will describe the guidelines for the proper use of seclusion and restraint in special education programs.
CESA 7

The Challenges of School-Based Health Services Medicaid
Reimbursement Programs (Room 103B)

Get a practical overview of the challenges facing schools’ operation of a compliant program capturing desperately needed and legally entitled funds. Learn about the Medicaid Reimbursement Programs and
resources available so you can make informed decisions on your school board. Stay focused on student
achievement while insuring the efficient use of taxpayer resources.
MeccaTech, Inc.

Take Community Engagement to a New Level (Room 103C)

Does your school board think the public participation portion of your school board meeting is sufficient to
engage with the public? Do board members view controversies as obstacles or opportunities for learning? Learn new strategies to engage the right publics to ensure the board makes decisions that includes the community’s interests while focusing on the need to improve student achievement.
WASB Board Governance

Helping Students Solve the College Puzzle (Room 103D)

Post-secondary education, technical training, and constant retraining are all trends of the future. Today’s families and students must understand how to gain access to higher education to successfully navigate the
future. The Wisconsin Covenant and KnowHow2Go are two statewide programs that are preparing students
for post-high school education. Learn how to help students “solve the puzzle” of how to continue their
education beyond high school.
Wisconsin Covenant and KnowHow2Go

Our District Doesn't Discriminate — Understanding Wisconsin Discrimination Law (Room 201A)

Wisconsin discrimination law is more intricate than some might suspect. Consider the following scenarios:
Under Wisconsin law, may a 35-year-old file for age discrimination if a district decides to hire a 22-year-old? Can a district fire an administrator because they were convicted of drunk driving? If you are unsure of the answers to any of these questions, this presentation could help your district avoid some common pitfalls in discrimination law.
WASB Employment and Labor Law Services

Local Partners Equals Global Learning (Room 201B)

Many educators want to expand their students’ world knowledge, world language, and critical thinking
skills, but may wonder how to do it. This presentation will show how one district collaborated with a local university to create opportunities that benefited both institutions. Participants will learn innovative ways they can bring world languages, international education and fresh ideas into the elementary and middle school classroom, all on a limited budget!
North Woods International School, La Crosse School District

Supporting Children of Military Families (Room 201C)

A significant number of Wisconsin parents have been called to active military duty as members of the
Reserve and National Guard. When parents leave home, their children suddenly have new barriers to
learning, challenges and stresses. This workshop will highlight the need for specific recognition of this
population of students and will share resources available to Wisconsin schools to serve these students
and families.
Operation Military Kids, UW Extension, Monroe County

Close the Achievement Gap and Meet Adequate Yearly Progress (Room 202A)

Would you like to take home a clear and concise action plan to meet adequate yearly progress and close
the achievement gap? How about a plan you can implement that will have an immediate positive impact
on your students? Attend this session and see how implementing this plan in a high poverty local school district not only cut the achievement gap in half, but substantially raised test scores for all students.
Beloit School District

Universal Playground Design: Everybody Plays (Room 202B)

Gain valuable information and resources for creating universally designed playgrounds that are inclusive
of all people. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the minimum accessibility standards and a renewed passion for going beyond the minimum design standards for a truly unique environment that allows people of all abilities to play side by side.
PlayCore

Control Energy Use in Your School with a Practical Energy Management Plan (Room 202C)

Do you want to save energy, time, and money? Attend this session and learn how to establish a successful
energy management team. This hands-on training provides your business and facilities personnel with
customizable tools they can use to set energy goals, track projects, and establish a proactive and successful energy management program. See the results and lessons learned from a comprehensive public schools benchmarking project conducted by Focus on Energy.
Focus on Energy

Data Points for Boards to Measure Success! (Room 202D)

Too often highly politicized snapshots of standardized test scores become a dominant area of focus that can result in some mistaken perceptions on how well a school or a school district is performing. In Fort Atkinson, the Board of Education has asked the administration to present data points that go beyond standardized testing in assessing the academic achievement and growth of students in the district. This presentation would be helpful to Boards of Education and Administrators wishing to be more proactive in their messaging to citizens and families regarding the teaching and learning that is occurring in their learning communities.
Fort Atkinson School District

Parent Connections:
Creating an Early Learning Partnership Between Families and School (Room 202E)

Join the Elkhorn Area School District in discussing its Parent Connections program that offers educational opportunities to families before their child reaches school age. Learn about early brain research, how the program began, funding, learning opportunities, and how the program fits into the mission of the school district.
Elkhorn Area School District

Communication for Leadership — Three Perspectives (Room 203B)

Success in a school leadership role requires recognizing and employing the art and science of effective communication. Come to this interactive session and gain insight into communication from three perspectives — superintendent, board member and PR professional. Discover the magic of communication planning, media relations, key messages, and community involvement.
Wisconsin School Public Relations Association

Developing and Using Assessment Literacy to Guide Differentiated Instruction (Room 203C)

Learn how to increase staff assessment literacy and design common formative assessments. Presenters will share strategies that have helped them attain a more balanced assessment framework in their district. Attendees will leave with materials demonstrating the use of assessment and data teams to drive instructional decision-making, support transitions, establish flexible grouping, and create dynamic differentiation planning to improve student achievement.
Marshall Public School District

High Quality After-School Programs (Room 203D)

Quality after-school programs can help improve student achievement and promote positive youth development. Learn what it takes to produce positive outcomes from after-school programs and how school board members and administrators can provide leadership through effective policies and support.
WASB Policy Services, Wisconsin After-School Network

Wednesday, Jan. 21
Midwest Airlines Center
1:30-2:45 pm

Building Relationships Across Communities (Room 101A)

In 2007, a task force was formed by a group of teachers in the Ashland School District with the goal of promoting positive, direct relationships between teachers, families and community members in Bad River. Learn how this initiative was developed and is maintained. Discussion will include the connections that were made because of this task force.
Ashland School District

Addressing Health Insurance Costs through Cooperative
Purchasing Arrangements (Room 101B)

Discover how you can slow health insurance costs through cooperative purchasing arrangements. Several
school districts in Waukesha County have banded together to create an insurance cooperative purchasing
arrangement to reduce the cost of health insurance through group purchasing power. Learn how they
did it and how you can emulate the process.
WASB Employment and Labor Law Services, and Mortenson, Matzelle & Meldrum, Inc.

I Thought We Were Safe: A Crash Course in Safety Practices (Room 101C)

The appearance of the meeting room will be altered before your very eyes. See firsthand how your schools could fall victim if proper staff training is not provided to your maintenance and custodial personnel.
Parkview School District

SAA Legislative Update (Room 102C)

There is always something new in legislation that directly impacts school administrators. Attend this session to get a thorough and current briefing. Time will be provided for questions and answers and informal information sharing.
School Administrators Alliance

WI OPEB Trust: A Multi-District Cooperative Approach (Room 103B)

In conjunction with leading investment, legal and banking experts, CESA 6 has developed the Wisconsin
OPEB Trust, a multi-employer OPEB trust designed to meet the needs of Wisconsin schools. Learn how a
turnkey solution to OPEB issues can be accomplished through this trust. As a multi-district OPEB trust, districts will have greater options for investment returns and lower fees than working alone.
CESA 6, participating school districts

Executive Coaching for Superintendents (Room 103C)

New and veteran superintendents alike are facing more difficult and complex issues in their job than any
time in Wisconsin’s history. Like the private sector, where many qualified and capable CEO’s have worked with professional mentors and coaches, superintendents may also benefit from assistance and direction as they lead their schools into a new era.
Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators/Edgerton School District

Serving, Teaching, Leading: It's All About Us (Room 103D)

Learn how one school district changed the way its staff views their roles as educators through a year-long leadership development program. The program, now in its second year, is based on the belief that all employees are leaders. Learn how this district used classroom and coaching sessions, assessment tool results, personal mission statements, and individual development plans to put these leadership
principles to use everyday at home, work, and in the community.
Tomah Area School District

Focusing on a 21st Century Vision (Room 201A)

The presentation will explore the process the Oregon Area School District followed to develop a strategic
plan to reflect the changing world that students will enter. The board engaged its administrators,
residents, teachers and students in a planning process to develop a critical path for the district’s future. Learn about the steps the board and administration took to create its strategic plan.
Oregon Area School District

Use of Health Advisory Councils in District Decision-Making (Room 201B)

A school’s primary mission is educating children, but children cannot learn effectively if their health and
safety needs are not met. Addressing health and safety issues can be accomplished in a thoughtful, comprehensive and efficient manner through the use of a school health advisory council. Learn how to establish and use school health advisory councils in district decision-making.
Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Transition Strategies and Position Coaching for New Superintendents (Room 201C)

The first 12 months that a new superintendent is on the job are critically important. We also know
that on-going position coaching is essential for continuous improvement for new and experienced superintendents. Learn about some ideas and templates and discover the wide array of coaching services..
Verona Area School District

Hiring — A Million Dollar Decision (Room 202A)

Every new staff member represents a lifetime investment for a district. While resumes and standard interviews are the most often-used methods to review applicants, they can also be the most unreliable.
Learn about a more effective search system that uses tools and strategies from executive searches used in
private business. This system reduces search time, uses more accurate interviewing techniques, and promotes a better match between the district’s needs and the finalist.
Evansville Community School District

Engaging Teachers and Students in 21st Century Technology (Room 202B)

Learn how one school district moved from having an unstable technology infrastructure to becoming a technology leader in the northern part of the state. Merrill Area Public Schools boasts a stable infrastructure, wireless school buildings, state of the art full-solution classrooms, weekly technology classes for teachers, and on-line courses.
Merrill Area Public School District

How the Market Affects Your District (Room 202C)
(Repeated on Thursday 3:45-5 pm (Room 102D)

Learn from the experts about the changing landscape of the U.S. credit market in the wake of the current
economic instability. Look at a snapshot of the variables that are involved in determining the interest
rates you pay for debt. How will recession, sub-prime mortgage crisis and rising oil prices affect the financial landscape of your school district? How can your district manage the instability of the credit market in order to stay fiscally sound?
Robert W. Baird and Co.

Online Learning in a Changing Classroom and the Policy Implications (Room 202D)

Online resources are a powerful tool that educators can use to help students expand their horizons and
increase student achievement. But what does effective teaching and learning look like using technology in
the classroom? Learn how the Watertown Unified School District implemented policy to make strides toward embracing the opportunities that online learning provides.
Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Watertown Unified School District

Open Source Software: A Great Way to Leverage District Technology Dollars (Room 202E)

What school district does not want more dollars for technology? Hardware needs to be upgraded or
replaced, and software costs can skyrocket—especially when vendors require yearly licensing fees. Open
source offers better quality, higher reliability, and lower cost. Learn what open source software is, how it
can be used both in the classroom and in a network system, and why it is a great way to leverage resources.
D. C. Everest Area School District

Teachers 'Go Green' and Help Schools Save Energy and Money (Room 203B)

Learn about a university-credited school building energy efficiency education course offered tion course offered in partnership between the Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) and the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Schools and Local Government Program. Discover how this course helps teachers
and their students identify ways to “green” their school and cut energy costs. Hear success stories of districts saving money on their utility bills and how you can do the same.
Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP)

Green Buildings — Strategies and Payback (Room 203C)

As public entities, school districts are being asked to “think green.” But developing a green plan can be a
daunting task. Learn about green building strategies ranging from quick hit items to transformational
initiatives. This session will identify strategies and their return on investment so you can make informed
decisions that fit your school district.
Plunkett Raysich Architects

Bold Strategic Planning for 2025 (Room 203D)

A high school graduate from the Class of 2025 will enter a world completely different from that of the graduate’s parents. Learn how the Hudson School District studied future trends, the global work environment, school reform, and 21st Century Skills to set a strategic direction for the future. HSD 2025
has inspired new purpose, vision, beliefs, and graduate learner outcomes to create a bold agenda for
the future with all graduates prepared for post-secondary success.
Hudson School District

Wednesday, January 21
Midwest Airlines Center
3:15-4:30 pm

School Board and Superintendents Ethics II (Room 103C)

Ethics II will continue to address the ethic issues faced by superintendents and school board members. Participants will be involved in small group discussion to help identify key issues and solutions to the many daily issues we face. There will also be a panel of school board members and superintendents to provide key insight into these complex problems.
WASDA, WASDA Ethics Committee

QEO Cast Forward Confusion? Costing Your Offer (Room 201B)

Properly costing a teacher or support staff offer can be confusing. This presentation will discuss the details
of how to cost a QEO or non-QEO offer for teachers and support staff. Learn about common pitfalls to avoid when using your costing during negotiations.
WASB Employment & Labor Law

Do Your Employees Know the Value of Their Benefits? (Room 202C)

Most districts offer a variety of benefit plans to their employees at some level of cost to the district. You
may be frustrated at times with employees’ lack of knowledge of these valuable benefits. Learn how you can promote the benefits your district offers and increase participation in these plans. Learn how to save money in a variety of ways in your district’s benefit plans.
WEA Trust Member Benefits

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