May 27, 2008
Join your colleagues for networking, great research sessions, and lunch
Dr. Andrew Porter – Dean of the Graduate School of Education at University of Pennsylvania and George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education
"Understanding the Achievement Gap and How it Might be Reduced"
Reducing the achievement gap as well as raising the level of achievement for all students has been the goal of education reforms, at least since the days of President Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty and the beginning of Title 1 in 1965. Nevertheless, the achievement gap has remained pretty much as it was at that time. The achievement gap is described, it's importance explored and a variety of school reform efforts are considered for reducing the achievement gap (e.g. preschool programs, ability grouping, class size)
Session #1- Grande Ballroom I, presenters:
- John A. DeFlaminis, Project Developer and Executive Director, Penn Center for Educational Leadership, Graduate School of Education (GSE), University of Pennsylvania (U Penn)
- Matthew Riggan, Project Evaluator and Research Associate, Center for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), GSE, U Penn
- Russell Cole, Project Evaluator and Research Associate, CPRE, GSE, U Penn
“Building Distributed Leadership in Philadelphia Schools: Expanding the Capacity and Quality of School Leadership”
This session will overview the research-based, Annenberg Distributed Leadership Project, funded at $4.9 million and developed by the Penn Center for Educational Leadership, Graduate School of Education, at the University of Pennsylvania. This project created model distributed leadership teams including over 90 teacher leaders and 16 new principals in elementary and high schools to improve the instructional focus of the schools and improve student outcomes. Based on the research of James Spillane, this model of leadership development is intended to prepare leaders who are well grounded in the skills and strategies needed for success and in how to build and sustain high-performing, standards-based schools. The team will present a theoretical framework outlining the expected outcome sequence for schools participating in the DL intervention. First-year impacts on school climate and staff social networks will be presented, along with analyses of the qualitative data from two cohorts of the intervention The targeted training, randomized-control design, and comprehensive evaluation model of this leadership building project makes it unique among distributed leadership and leadership efforts across the country.
Concurrent Session #2- Grande Ballroom II
Roundtable Discussion: Publishing Your Research
This session will be an open format with several journal editors available to offer tips and techniques for getting published. Participants are encouraged to bring specific ideas and questions for discussion.
The Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (PAC-TE) will begin after the PERA Pre-Conference and continue through the 31st. The program will include more PERA sessions including wine and cheese before dinner on the 29th, presentations selected through a peer review process on the 30th, and presentation of the PERA Distinguished Paper at the luncheon session on the 30th. Registration for PAC-TE Conference is separate and can be found at http://www.pac-te.org
The cost for the PERA pre-conference is $25 for all PERA and PAC-TE members and open to other interested educators.
Questions: Contact Jane M. Wilburne -- jmw41@psu.edu, or 717-948-6212
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