Area high schools are trying to get their students ready for the next step in their lives.

09/30/2016 | Washington, DC | Herald Chronicle U.S. Department of Education awards $245 million to support high-quality public charter schools Herald Chronicle September 28, 2016 – The U.S. Department of …

09/22/2016 | Houston, TX | Houston Chronicle

09/21/16 | Washington, DC | The Washington Post

Matthew Peterson, Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Senior Scientist at MIND Research Institute, spoke about his involvement in the Institute and the overall state of mathematic learning in our nation. Peterson points to a number of alarming statistics that indicate how high school students are graduating with drastically inefficient math skills.

Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, Executive Director of the National Writing Project (NWP), discusses the importance of writing skills for our schools and learning centers. Eidman-Aadahl shares a detailed explanation of the National Writing Project while intelligently exploring the future of writing in our increasingly saturated internet world.

Henry Donohue, Executive Director of VH1’s Save The Music Foundation, talks about the impact of musical instrument donations to our nation’s schools and students. For the past 20 years, VH1’s Save The Music Foundation has donated over $50 million in instruments, virtually saving music programs as it enriches the lives of students. Henry adds his insight into past DIY musicians and the changes technology inspired. On a side note: Punk Rock is finally given the much-needed attention it deserves.

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation in partnership with Grammy nominated singer Charlie Puth, and Casio America announced the 2016 winners of Keys + Kids, a competitive grant program created in response to the lack of functional pianos in public schools.

The 18 winning schools will receive a piano grant valued at $10,000 of instruments, including a Casio Grand Hybrid piano and three keyboards to support their school’s music, drama, and community programs.

Dr. Steve Joel, Superintendent of Lincoln Nebraska Public Schools discusses how he and his leadership team have engaged the community to support district efforts including their Career Academy . Dr. Joel also talks about his background in education and how is path was forged along the way.

Dr. Pam Homan talks about about the business of education and the role Superintendents play integrating the private sector into a districts long term plans.

Ann Cunningham-Morris, ASCD Director of Professional Learning, talks about educational leadership and to redefine traditional PD as “Professional Learning.”Cunningham-Morris is presently a director of professional development for ASCD and a member of the ASCD Faculty.She has been a district-level instructional administrator; director of staff development; high school, middle school, and elementary principal; classroom teacher; special education resource leader, and job development specialist in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, California, and Virginia. During her 30-year career, she has also been an adjunct professor for several universities.Cunningham-Morris has also served as an educational consultant to many school systems throughout the world in the areas of curriculum development, effective professional development program design, instructional leadership, assessment literacy, instructional best practices, and supporting high academic achievement for diverse student populations.

ASCD Faculty member Eric Carbaugh talks about Flipped Learning and provides an updated definition of what it is and is not. Carbaugh started his work in higher education as a teaching assistant for Carol Tomlinson at the University of Virginia. Currently, he serves as an assistant professor of middle, secondary, and math education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Emily Davis, ASCD Emerging Leader, is the New Teacher Center Program Director, Santa Cruz/Silicon Valley New Teacher Project. Davis is also the author of Making Mentoring Work. Davis stalks about her work and the topics currently driving education. Summary of Making Mentoring Work (published by Rowman and Littlefield): Making Mentoring Work is a practical guide for school leaders interested in beginning or enhancing their mentoring programs for new teachers. Readers can use the mentoring program rubric to pre-assess their program and then choose the chapters that correspond to areas of growth. Each chapter provides background research as well as practical steps and tools to make mentoring work in a school environment. At the end of each section, readers will find discussion guides that support program leaders in making the next steps; organizing conversations with stakeholders that will transform and streamline new teacher support programs; and increase new teacher retention and practice.

P ete Hall, ASCD Faculty member and author, talks about the role reflection plays in ones’ professional development and effectiveness in the classroom. Hall also reminisces about his path from educator to award winning administrator and the impact those experiences have had on his current efforts to support the field.Hall is the former principal of Shaw Middle School, a Title I school in Spokane (Washington) Public Schools. After a teaching career that spanned three states and included primary, intermediate, and middle school positions, Hall served as principal of Anderson Elementary School in Reno, Nevada.When he took over Anderson Elementary in 2002, it was one of the only schools in Nevada to have failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for four consecutive years. Two short years later, it was the only Title I school in the state of Nevada to earn a “high-achieving” designation.Hall teaches the capacity-building model of professional development. This emphasizes three things― identifying teachers’ strengths, maximizing their potential, and building their capacity―as a gateway to enhanced student achievement.Hall’s ASCD books, both co-authored with Alisa Simeral, are: Building Teachers’ Capacity for Success: A Collaborative Approach for Coaches and School Leaders (2008) and Teach, Reflect, Learn: Building Your Capacity for Success in the Classroom, released in April 2015.

ASCD 2015 has wrapped in Houston. Check out highlights and prepare for next year in Atlanta, Georgia!