8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Tewa East Foyer, Event Center First Floor

Registration

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Tewa 1C, Event Center First Floor

Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Welcome Remarks

9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Session I:

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Local Governance: A New Era in Public Education

America’s public schools are experiencing a significant change in demographics. Latinos make up the second largest population group in the nation. The academic success of this segment of the student population in the United States is now more than ever linked to the future of the nation. With the passage of ESSA, local school boards, which are directly responsible for the leadership of our nation’s public schools, have an opportunity to ensure that all students are given an opportunity to thrive and succeed. To capitalize on the opportunities found in ESSA, local leaders must understand the policy shifts and regulation changes in this new federal law. This session provided participants with an overview of ESSA and explored which aspects of the law are different from its predecessor – No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

• Dr. Sharmila Mann, Director, K-12 Institute, Education Commission of the States (ECS)
PRESENTATION | AUDIO

• Ms. Gabriela Uro, Director for English Language Learner Policy and Research, Council of the Great City Schools
PRESENTATION | AUDIO

Additional Resource: 1

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Session II:

Evaluating ESSA State Accountability Plans: Monitoring and Ensuring Equity

ESSA shifts the responsibility for policy implementation from the federal government to individual states. This change in education policy allows states to be creative and innovative in the development and implementation of their state accountability systems. In this session, participants received an early analysis of the ESSA State Accountability Plans that have been submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for approval. Participants also received an overview of the indicators and measures that states are adopting and implementing to address current student achievement gaps and strategies to improve academic outcomes for all students. Lastly, participants discussed strategies to engage their state education agencies to share their local insights on how their ESSA State Accountability Plans can be strengthened to address the specific needs in their communities.

• Ms. Alyson Klein, Assistant Editor, Education Week
PRESENTATION | AUDIO | Resources: 1 | 2

• Ms. Liz King, Senior Policy Analyst and Director of Education Policy, The Leadership Conference Education Fund
PRESENTATION | AUDIO | Resource: 1

Additional Resource: 1

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tewa 1C, Event Center First Floor

Networking Luncheon

1:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Session III:

Strengthening Successful Policymaking at the Local Level: An Introduction to Robert’s Rules of Order

At a time when local school boards are weighing and deciding the implications ESSA has on the success of their students, it is important that each and every board member possess strong governance skills that enhance the board’s collective strength and policymaking effectiveness. Having a strong understanding of parliamentary procedures is one core skillset that can lead to the effective management of a school district toward achieving its goals and priorities. When used properly, parliamentary procedures can facilitate the ability for school boards to streamline various policy issues to arrive at a collective decision. This session equipped participants with an introduction to parliamentary procedures to prepare school board members to successfully and effectively participate in the policymaking process.

• Mr. Jim Jones, PRP, CPP-T, President, National Association of Parliamentarians; Senior Partner, BGE Enterprises

• Ms. Sheila Tate, Senior Consultant, BGE Enterprises
PRESENTATION | Resources: 1 | 2

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Session IV:

Getting on Board: The Evolving Roles in Local Governance in the Era of ESSA

School boards find themselves in a moment of both great change and opportunity. ESSA provides local policymakers with both greater flexibility and more authority. This new role requires an increased focus on collaboration with the Superintendent to approach education policy as a governance team to create and implement policies that improve the educational outcome of every student. In this session, participants explored collaborative governance strategies with Superintendents to leverage the strategic planning process and community stakeholder relationships in support of better student academic achievement.

• Dr. Thomas L. Alsbury, President, Balanced Governance Solutions; Professor, Northwest University

• Dr. Phil Gore, Division Director, Leadership Team Services, Texas Association of School Boards (TASB)
PRESENTATION | Resources: 1 | 2 | 3

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Closing Remarks

5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Executive Lounge, 5th Floor

Opening Reception

Opening Reception Hosts:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
State Farm™

Co-Host:
National Express/Durham School Services

Supporter:
Walmart

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Tewa East Foyer, Event Center First Floor

Registration

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Tewa 1C, Event Center First Floor

Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Session V:

Leveraging Data: Effective Tools to Advocate for and Prioritize Student Needs

Accurate and transparent data about the performance of all students have been a key signature under NCLB and now under ESSA. However, after more than a decade of using a single measure to evaluate schools on how well students achieved academic success, Congress agreed under ESSA’s new accountability framework to allow for policymakers at all levels of government to draw from multiple measures to track student academic success. Now, at the local level, the opportunity to make better decisions and to support greater teaching and better student learning will be determined by how well boards are able to use data to drive decision making. In this session, participants reviewed evidence-based tools and best practices that support data driven policymaking at the local school board level.

• Ms. Rachel Anderson, Associate Director, Federal Policy and Advocacy, Data Quality Campaign (DQC)
PRESENTATION | AUDIO
Resources: 1 | 1 (Spanish) | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 (Spanish) | 7

• Mr. Hector Bojorquez, Director, Student Access and Success, Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)
PRESENTATION | AUDIO

Additional Resources: 1 | 2

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Session VI:

Administering ESSA Funds: Understanding the Budget Process for School Boards

To improve student academic outcomes, school boards must leverage information gathered through their data decision making process and allocate resources accordingly to support school district priorities. From a governance standpoint, it is critical for school boards to understand the interplay of federal, state and local revenues that make up their district budgets. This session provided participants with an overview of the state budget process and then presented school board members with strategies to better understand their local district budget. Participants gained knowledge about their role in the budget process; identified key financial issues under ESSA that school districts must contend with; and explored strategies to maximize their local budget during this transition period in federal education policy.

• Dr. Richard Stedry, President, Business Operations Consultant for Education Planning
PRESENTATION

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Tewa 1C, Event Center First Floor

Luncheon Program

• Ms. Rosalind Gold, Senior Director of Policy, Research and Advocacy, NALEO Educational Fund
PRESENTATION | Resources: 1 | 2

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Session VII:

ESSA Implementation: Short and Long Term Strategies

School board members must work collectively to meet the academic needs of all students and make the most of the opportunities afforded under ESSA. This session provided policymakers with an opportunity to engage in a rich discussion with each other to develop an action plan with short and long term strategies to improve the educational attainment of students in their communities.

3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Tewa 1A/B, Event Center First Floor

Closing Remarks