Title of Presentation:

Achieving Equity in AP: Improving Access to and Equity in Advanced Academics for Students from all Populations

Presenter Names and Credentials:

David Ciskowski

EdD in Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Kathleen Ciskowski

EdD in Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Summary:

Advanced Placement (AP) courses offer many benefits to students. AP courses allow students to prepare for college, provide students with opportunities to boost their GPAs and give them opportunities to get a jump start on college credits at a fraction of the cost. However, lack of access to all students and the inequities that exist in AP courses can also lead to a different outcome, adversely impacting students.

The benefits and challenges of making AP more equitable were analyzed in detail in a 2021 report published by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC). Attendees will be introduced to five question pertinent to understanding equity in AP:

• What are AP courses?
• Who enrolls and succeeds in AP courses?
• Why do disparities in AP matter?
• What factors contribute to disparities in AP participation and performance?
• What policies and practices help to address disparities in AP access, enrollment, and performance?

The goals for this presentation are to:

1. Understand the inequities that exist in AP courses.
2. Identify steps that can be taken to increase equity in AP courses.
3. Exit with tools to help promote equity in AP courses.

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Title of Presentation:

Anti-Racist Teaching

Presenter Names and Credentials:

Lisa Daigle

EdD In Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Matthew Kelly

EdD In Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Thomas Broderick

EdD In Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Summary:

Racism continues to be a defining feature of American life. Black and Hispanic households have lower household wealth, inferior health outcomes and worse educational attainment than their white and Asian counterparts. These realities—and their educational impacts—call on classroom teachers to learn new strategies to fulfill the 2010 Connecticut Common Core of Teaching’s mandate to create a “class climate that is responsive to and respectful of the learning needs of students with diverse backgrounds” (p. 6). One such strategy is anti-racist teaching.

The concept of anti-racism goes back decades in the United States, but it gained wider notoriety with the publication of Ibram Kendi’s 2019 book How to Be an Antiracist and the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Conference attendees will learn basic background about the history of race as a social construct and how they can incorporate anti-racist practices into their classroom.

The goals for this presentation are to:

1. Give context for the origins of race as a social construct.
2. Bring awareness to the concepts of anti-racism and anti-racist teaching.
3. Provide concrete examples for how teachers can incorporate anti-racist teaching in their classrooms.

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Title of Presentation:

Empowering, Creating, and Innovating in Global Education

Presenter Name and Credentials:

Sandra Peña

EdD in Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Summary:

For years, since we joined the “let’s play school” at our own standardized districts, we have been told that the best way to succeed in life is this formula: study hard during your school years + go to college = climb a corporate ladder. Now, this ladder has become a maze.

In their book, Empower, John Spencer and A.J. Julian allow teachers, coaches, and administrators to reflect on the best way to prepare our students for life, empower them now, and unleash their creative potential. School leaders should begin by empowering their teachers which would allow choice-based, and interest-based professional development. Administrators should also allow their teachers to take risks and fail. Empowered teachers, empower students. A fully empowered student is much more self-directed, less fearful, resilient, and has more of a growth mindset.

This presentation will inspire you on this learning journey.

1. Understand the seven shifts toward student empowerment.
2. Apply all or some of this creative process in your everyday teaching/educational role.
3. Empower your students to create meaningful and relevant learning in their lives.
4. Reflect on your successes and failures as every failure will become an improved growth opportunity.
5. Create future new leaders.

Download the presentation here (PPTX)

Title of Presentation:

English as an Additional Language (EAL) Integration in Classrooms

Presenter Names and Credentials:

Kaitlyn Kakadeles

EdD in Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Katelynn Oviatt

EdD in Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Summary:

The dynamic of and engagement with English as an Additional Language (EAL) students in the classroom has become increasingly prevalent across the world. Recent analysis and data collection on newly arrived migrant inclusivity and social integration in the classroom has proven difficulties arise during assimilation. With the frequent and extensive migration patterns noticed in recent years, the current stage of migration needs to be recognized and addressed by educational leaders. Drawing on the insights provided from international perspectives and practices, one can learn and implement a multitude of strategies to support EAL students in classrooms worldwide.

EAL support practices are grounded in the work of Michael Evans (2020) and have a universal approach through the research of the complex relationship between language, education, and the social integration of newcomer migrant children. Attendees will learn about a model of inclusive pedagogy of EAL and a framework of home-school communication to promote effective EAL parental engagement in schools.

The goals for this presentation are to:

1. Understand the teacher's inclusive attitude, linguistic inclusion, social inclusion, and academic inclusion.
2. Engage in strategies and practices that include EAL students in the classroom, at home, and in the community.
3. Exit with the knowledge of diverse learning environments where individuals’ needs are addressed in order to ensure equitable learning for all.

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Title of Presentation:

Fostering Inclusion of Introverts in the Classroom

Presenter name and Credentials:

Nick DeFelice

EdD in Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Summary:

The structure and pedagogy of American Education is heavily influenced by what author Susan Cain refers to as the “Extrovert Ideal” in her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Cain argues that extroversion is overly venerated at work and in education due to a shift from a “Culture of Character” to a “Culture of Personality” in response to moving toward a business-centered, urbanized lifestyle that champions the selling of one’s self and ideas. She makes a distinction between extroversion to lead passive group members and introversion to support proactive group members in enhancing the quality and creativity of outcomes.

With a favor toward extroversion, the power of introverts, such a being reflective, sensitive, creative, attentive, and a strong listener is drowned out by the overstimulation from the excessive use of group work, lack of solitude and autonomy, and a cultural ethos of seeing introversion as a personality flaw rather than a set of traits to be championed and practiced by others to achieve more balance in work and at school.

The goals of this presentation are to:

1. Introduce introversion and extroversion as a response to stimulation.
2. Provide the research behind the biology, temperament, and sociology related to introverts.
3. Illustrate the bias toward extroversion in our schools and workplace.
4. Argue the positive contribution that can result from the inclusion of introverts.
5. Share strategies on how to foster the inclusion of introverts in school.

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Title of Presentation:

Insight into Adult Learners and Possible Methodology for Vocational Career Training I Sales within Sales

Presenter Name and Credentials:

David Frankel

EdD in Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Summary:

Adults learn differently than their younger counterparts.  They have extensive, pragmatic life experiences which shape education requirements in adulthood.  They may experience major pressures for lifestyle changes which might include needs for continuing and enhanced productivity, better self-definition, and ongoing responsibility for their families and others.

Adults may choose a career change into sales to improve their life situations and future expectations.  Those involved in the sales training process should be cognitive of their adult students' psyche and motivation and create a learning environment which is conducive to their learners' needs and goals. This presentation will rely heavily on the principles emphasized by Dorothy Mackeracher’s Making Sense of Adult Learning.  Adult learners tend to be learner-centered and able to verbally express their own needs and learning strategies, as well as negotiate and collaborate planning of their individual educational programs.

The goals of this presentation for sales trainers include:

1. A comprehension of the concept of andragogy, the art and science of adult education
2. Understanding of adult learners' psyche and motivation
3. Developing a viable learning environment for adults

Best-practice teaching methods for adult learners to become successful in their new occupation of sales

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Title of Presentation:

Looking at the Gifted Learner Through the Lens of Intensity

Presenter Name and Credentials:

Anne Joyce

EdD Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Summary:

Gifted learners are stimulated both externally and internally – by what’s going on around them and by what moves them from within. To many, their excitement can be perceived as exhausting, their inquisitiveness as undermining authority, their persistence as unrelenting, their high energy as hyperactivity, and their imagination as inattentiveness. Yet, the same intensities that present problems in learning and relationships are also great sources of strength and energy that deserve to be understood and supported.

The work of Dr. Susan Daniels and Dr. Michael Piechowski contributes significantly to a movement in the field of gifted education to represent Kazimierz Dabrowski’s concept of intensity, or overexcitability (OE). Attendees of this presentation will broaden their understanding of giftedness, learn to recognize intensities in their classrooms, and gain strategies to help students “living with intensity” maximize their fullest potential.

1. Understand that Dabrowski’s intensities, or overexcitabilities, are an asset to gifted learners and can manifest in one or more of five different domains of gifted learners
2. Engage in activities that will help recognize intensities in gifted learners, as well as their impact on learning and relationships
3. Exit with knowledge and strategies to help gifted learners harness and maximize their intensities, with the goal of living richer, fuller lives.

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Title of Presentation

Supporting Muslim Students in Public Schools

Presenter Name and Credentials:

Marigrace Walker

EdD in Instructional Leadership Candidate

Western Connecticut State University

Summary:

Schools are important mediators between the students they serve and the broader society to whom they belong. In addition to promoting all students’ psychological, social, and emotional well-being, schools are directly responsible for students’ academic growth and achievement.

In her book, Supporting Muslim Students in Public Schools, Laura Mahalingappa makes the case that educators need to know how to support Muslim students and ensure their time in school is joyful, productive, and enriching.  Unfortunately, students from marginalized groups do not always have such experiences in the U.S. public schools.  Mahalingappa purports that this is especially true of the experiences of Muslim students in the current sociopolitical context.

1. Understand the challenges and opportunities of supporting Muslim students in secular public schools
2. Engage with practical resources for all educators.
3. Outline some of the basics of the belief system and help educators provide a sense of belonging, identity, and citizenship.
4. Deliver approaches to education that will explore the concept of culture, cultural relativity, culturally relevant teaching, culturally responsive pedagogy, and funds of knowledge that an improve experiences for Muslim students.

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