2009 NAREN National Conference

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• 2009 NAREN National Conference
  • Conference Location
  • Pre-Conference Seminar
  • Conference Schedule
• Candid Photos from Conference 2009

2009 NAREN National Conference

February 17-19, 2009
Edgewater Beach Resort, Panama City, Florida

The theme for our 2009 NAREN National Conference was: Successful Programs and Practices for Quality At-Risk Education.

All meetings and sessions were held at the Conference Center at Edgewater Beach Resort.

Conference Location

Edgewater Beach Resort

The conference was held (as always!) at:

Edgewater Beach Resort
11212 Front Beach Road
Panama City Beach, FL 32407

Tel: 1-800-874-8686

The Hotel: On the beach, overlooking the emerald green Gulf of Mexico, the 12-story Edgewater Beach Resort (click for their site!) has been our national conference home for five years, and you will see why when you arrive! Even the basic rooms are suites fully equipped. Under $100 a night! If waking up to surf sounds is not your desire, the Edgewater also has marvelous townhouses on interior lakes on the premises. There is a fine restaurant on the premises at the beach (some of the finest deep-fried grouper fingers ever!).

Sierra Minott, Miss Florida 2008

Miss Florida 2008 Speaks at NAREN National Conference

Miss Florida 2008, Sierra Minott of Fort Myers, called to give her support to the NAREN cause, and agreed to speak at the Mixer/Opening of the Conference on Monday, February 16, 2009. Sierra stated: "Bringing quality to the education of at-risk youth is one of the major concerns facing our country. I am thrilled to be working with NAREN to raise awareness of this critical issue in our society. All children should have the tools and skills they need to make their dreams come true and my heart's desire is to equip them with these tools. Some children need more attention paid to their unique learning styles with teachers who are willing to make the compensatory adjustments necessary to realize the child's potential. In this way all youth will be able to make progress towards worthwhile, healthy goals."

NAREN Conference Sponsors

Can I Kiss You? (with Mike Domitrz)

Online MAE in At-Risk Education & Alternative Education Licensure
MARIAN UNIVERSITY

The Discovery Education Channel

Conference Schedule

(Rights reserved to make changes in times and personnel)

Monday, February 16

• 7:00pm - 8:30pm — Early Registration & Social at the Edgewater Conference Center. There will be TWO special features this year: a chocolate fountain with assorted fruits for dipping, along with a cash bar.

• 7:30pm — Miss Florida 2008, Sierra Minott, in support of NAREN's Goals, will speak on the importance of education in the lives of at-risk youth.

Tuesday, February 17

Dr. Carleen Vande Zande

• 8:00am - 8:45am — Registration and/or pick up packets, conference schedule, ID tags, etc. (includes Continental Breakfast).

• 8:45am - 9:00am — Opening Welcome & Remarks by Dr. Anthony Dallmann-Jones, Director of NAREN.

• 9:00am - 9:50am — KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Carleen Vande Zande, professor at University of Wisconsin (Oshkosh), will present STEPPING STONES TO THE STARS: The Pathway to Personalizing and Guaranteeing Quality At-Risk Education.

• 10:00am - 11:30am — Building Capacity for At-Risk Education Using the NAREN Nine: a special session for the whole assembly designed to help educators clearly understand best practices and how they may be incorporated into at-risk education. Dr. Vande Zande will encourage participants to build their programs on portals of the learning cycle provided by the NAREN Nine Facets of Quality Program Development for At-Risk Youth.

• 11:30am - 1:00pm — Lunch (on your own)

• 1:00pm - 1:50pm — Breakouts: Session I

  • New Horizons Life Skills Program

    New Horizons is a school-based substance abuse prevention/intervention program that serves at-risk middle and high school students. In 2007 New Horizons was designated a model program by the Florida Department of Children & Families. The program has been rigorously evaluated and evidence shows that students completing the program had improved school attendance, improved GPA, students reduced or eliminated their substance use and decreased their risk factors.

    Presenters: Susan Nuckols, Ingrid Todd (Orlando, FL)

    Grade Level: Jr. High/Middle School & Senior High

  • Gateway to Success: A Flexible Pathway to a High School Diploma for Students that Have Dropped Out

    Great Oaks has partnerships with three areas colleges to provide youth who are between 18 and 21 years of age and who have been out of school for at least one year the opportunity to earn a diploma from their high school in a college stetting. Using computer-based coursework, students can work at their own pace to complete missing credits.

    Presenters: Nelda Sheafer, Debbi Frantz, Terry Meinking (Cincinnati, OH)

    Grade Level: Senior High & Higher Education

  • Emotionally Connecting with At-Risk Teenage Students

    This session focuses on the need to emotionally connect with at-risk students when building a relationship. Attention is given to four approaches taken when relationships are developed between educators and at-risk teenagers. Specifically, the session will focus on the benefits of an "emotional coach" approach to relationship building. In addition, the session will look at the need for positive relationships to exist between educators and at-risk teenagers when working with students regarding character education and the development of positive social skills.

    Presenter: Michael Hylen (St. Peters, MO)

    Grade Level: Jr. High/Middle School & Senior High

• 2:00pm - 2:50pm — Breakouts: Session II

  • Soaring High at ALPs: A Program for At-Risk Gifted Students

    ALPs Charter School is a school for at-risk gifted students. Once enrolled, the students are evaluated for academic placement in a multi-age classroom. Students receive out-of-level educational opportunities with minimal disruption to their day. Utilizing a school-within-a-school model, the students interact with age peers in encore subjects. Learn how we develop curriculum, teach thinking strategies and create portfolios to document mastery.

    Presenters: Laura Wolff, Tami Goodwin (Oshkosh, WI)

    Grade Level: Elementary & Jr. High/Middle School

  • Helping Freshman Smoothly Transition to High School

    This presentation will outline the Freshman Transition Program at Liberty High School. Highlights and pitfalls of the program will be discussed. The core component of the program, freshman seminar, will be introduced. Participants will leave with an understanding of who "fits" in the program unique ideas for their classrooms and an outline for starting a program in their school.

    Presenter: Cherish Smith (New Baltimore, VA)

    Grade Level: Senior High

  • Open Session with Dr. Carleen VandeZande, Designer of the NAREN Nine Quality Facets of At-Risk Education

    An open forum, answering questions about the process of using the NAREN Nine to build a quality program for at-risk youth, and/or to go through the NAREN Nine certification process.

    Presenter: Dr. Carleen VandeZande

• 3:10pm - 4:00 — Breakouts: Session III

  • Doing Whatever It Takes for At-Risk Students: A Professional Learning Community in an Alternative High School

    The staff at Haysville Alternative High School has discovered the power of collaboration in a Professional Learning Community to do "Whatever It Takes" to collectively provide students with the support and encouragement necessary for students to learn at high levels, graduate from high school, and pursue post-secondary opportunities.

    Presenter: Mark Foster (Haysville, KS)

    Grade Level: Senior High

  • Chew the P.H.A.T.: Policies and How-To's in Assistive Technology

    The law requires that assistive technology be considered for every student receiving Special Education. Explore the pre-emptive approach to assistive technology service delivery that provides a framework for Universal Design used by one of the fastest growing school districts in the country. Meet the needs of all learners with assistive technology.

    Presenters: Christopher Bugaj, Sally Norton-Darr (Harpers Ferry, VA)

    Grader Level: All Levels

  • Online Learning: Serving At-Risk Teens

    Many students today have a difficult time focusing in a traditional classroom setting. Those at risk for dropping out often do not receive the personalized attention they need to be successful. This presentation will address how online education can be tailored to meet the needs of at-risk students. Online high school, whether used as a supplement to the classroom or as a full-time option, is providing students the opportunity to become engaged in school once again.

    Presenter: Keith Oelrich (Portland, OR)

    Grade Level: Senior High

Wednesday, February 18

Dr. Steve Parese

• 8:00am - 8:45am — Continental Breakfast

• 8:45am - 9:00am — Announcements & Introductions

• 9:00am - 9:50am — KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Steve Parese will present Leave Me Alone... Wait, Don't Go!

  Many at-risk children and youth have learned to be relationship-wary. To avoid deeper loss and pain, they have developed self-defeating belief systems, patterns of behavior that allow them to control disappointments by sabotaging relationships before they fail on their own. This keynote offers participants valuable insights into these patterns, along with a number of tips and tricks to maintain a therapeutic perspective in challenging situations.

• 10:00am - 10:50am — Breakouts: Session IV

  • STARS (Students Are Realizing Success)

    In a time of economic hardship, education financing is at an all time low, while the needs of our expanding at-risk student populations are at an all time high. Learn creative and effective ways to fund and organize an at-risk program at your school. The presenter will share a first person account of her experience starting a middle school at-risk program from scratch with no school funding.

    Presenters: Jamie McNatt, Dan Edwards (Savage, MN)

    Grade Level: Jr. High/Middle School

  • Using Technology to Reach At-Risk Youth

    Academically disillusioned students need creative teaching methods to connect with academic programs. Using technology allows for student engagement, creativity, and depth of knowledge. Because technology is an integral part of their daily lives, students are engaged in scholastic achievement when teachers utilize technology. Work samples and lessons will be presented.

    Presenters: Terri Myers, John Gilbert (St. Louis, MO)

    Grade Level: Jr. High/Middle School & Senior High

  • There is NO Rabbit and Magic Hat! Have Classroom Control Without Being a Magician!

    Come and learn how to increase academic scores, decrease discipline challenges, and have a positive relationship with your students. On average, teachers lose between 5-9 hours per week on lower-level discipline challenges. Now is the time to focus those hours on instruction. Keep students in the room and watch students become more successful while empowering teachers to concentrate on content and instruction to close the achievement gap!

    Presenters: Sally Covert (Waterloo, NY)

    Grade Level: All

• 11:00am - 11:50pm — Breakouts: Session V

  • The Future Hope Project for At-Risk K-12 and College Learners

    This session will discuss the power of audio visual entrainment to improve learning outcomes of at-risk learners with ADD and ADHD diagonosis and other learning impediments.

    Presenters: Steve Taylor, Raymond Lueck (Wauwatosa, WI)

    Grade Level: All Levels

  • Get Your GED and Get on With Your Life!

    The Individual Student Alternative Education Plan (ISAEP) is a Commonwealth of Virginia initiative to provide an opportunity for students ages 16-17 to work toward a GED without dropping out of school. In 2007-2008, 247 students at-risk of dropping out obtained their K-12 education through the ISAEP program.

    Presenter: Barbara Sturino, Lisa Belcher (Virginia Beach, VA)

    Grade Level: Senior High

  • Sweat the Small Stuff: Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

    At-Risk students do not succeed because of a magic formula, an excellent curriculum, or a well-deisgned program. They succeed because of the little things you do for them every day. Together we will learn some new ideas for building a positive relationship with your students.

    Presenter: Cindy Gibson (Medford, WI)

    Grade Level: Jr. High/Middle School & Senior High

• 12:00pm - 1:00pm — Buffet Lunch (on-site and included).

• 1:00pm - 2:30pm — Breakouts: Session VI

  • Giving a Fish a Bath: The Untold Story of the Adolescent Mind

    Recent discoveries in neuroscience offer exciting insights into how the brains of our teens really work and the special "brain-based" challenges facing adolescents as they mature. This workshop reveals why teens are especially vulnerable to drug use, high-risk peer influences and depression as well as the proactive measures adults can take to minimize a teen's exposure to these dangers. If you've ever thought that the adolescent mind could not be understood, this workshop will equip you with the latest insights and information on teaching, guiding and empowering the teenage brain.

    Presenter: Frank Kros (Baltimore, MD)

    Grade Level: Jr. High/Middle School & Senior High

  • Freshman Transition: Engaging Students in Learning

    This session will provide participants with active classroom strategies to engage freshman and enhance their achievement.

    Presenter: Ryan Champeau (Waukesha, WI)

    Grade Level: Senior High

  • Pathways to Tomorrow for Middle School Students: Developing and Sustaining an At-Promise Middle School Program

    Developing, maintaining and sustaining an effective middle school at-risk program is achievable while trying to meet the unique individual needs of the students in your area. The information provided in this session is both comprehensive and user friendly, making the task of program implementation a goal within reach.

    Presenters: Tracy Laude, Sara Rentmeester, Jill Sharpe, Nancy Mickelson (Shawano, WI)

    Grade Level: Jr. High/Middle School

• 2:45pm - 3:35pm — Breakouts: Session VII

  • Kids These Days: Preparing At-Risk Youth for Workplace Success

    Troubled youth often have difficulty with peers and authority figures — difficulties sure to cause problems in the workplace. This highly interactive workshop explains why at-risk youth and young adults have trouble adjusting to the culture of the workplace. Dr. Parese will share cognitive-behavioral strategies for teaching students how to work through workplace problems rather than blowing them out of proportion.

    Presenter: Dr. Steve Parese (Danbury NC)

  • No Longer At-Risk

    Every year thousands of low-income youth leave high school and give up hope in their future. But through YouthBuild, at-risk youth are completing their educations, serving their communities and gaining job skills. YouthBuild succeeds in helping youth transform their lives. Hear about successful practices and firsthand experiences from YouthBuild graduates.

    Presenter: Dorothy Stoneman (Sommerville, MA)

    Grade Level: Senior High

  • Whose Child is this Anyway? Power Tools for Fostering Academic Success in Our Foster Children

    A major challenge of the foster care system lies in identifying who is responsible for creating positive academic experiences for children in care and then empowering each person responsible with the knowledge and tools to achieve success. This workshop contains practical tools to equip teachers to build successful and life-changing educational experiences.

    Presenter: Shawn Reagle Kros (Fallston, MD)

    Grade Level: All

Thursday, February 19

• 8:00am - 9:00am — Continental Breakfast

• 9:00am - 10:30am — Breakouts: Session VIII

  • Rethinking Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder: What Works, What Doesn't Work and Why?

    Children and youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have unique brains. Like all brains, ADHD minds have strengths and weaknesses. In this illuminating workshop, you'll learn the "12 power Tools" for maximizing the strengths and minimizing the contextual weaknesses o the ADHD brain. This seminar explores how and why the ADHD mind works differently from non-ADHD minds and is packed with scores of practical interventions for mproving learning and behavior. Participants learn how to become "The Surrogate Frontal Lobes" for ADHD brains and how to change their thinking about ADHD from a behavioral disorder to a unique brain construct that can be accommodated with highly successful outcomes.

    Presenter: Heather Higgins (Baltimore, MD)

    Grade Level: Elementary & Jr. High/Middle School

  • 10 Minutes a Day — That's All It Takes! (YALP — YACHAD Accelerated Learning Project)

    The Yachad Accelerated Learning Project (YALP) has been delivering accelerated learning practices, developed by the NCJW Research Institute for Innovation in Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel to Australian Indigenous students in remote, rural and regional settings for the past four years.

    This demonstration will present the project as a whole focusing on it's one-one-one tutoring model, The Ten Minute System (10MS). Through tailor-made accelerated learning techniques catering to individual students' learning styles, level and needs, the 10MS maximizes the attention span of learners' at risk.

    Presenter: Judy Yaron (Melbourne, Australia)

    Grade Level: All Levels

  • No One Understands Me

    At-risk youth feel that adults do not understand the many different obstacles and struggles they are faced with daily. Having been an at-risk youth that overcame many obstacles and went on to obtain success, participants will learn successful, trust building and life changing strategies.

    Presenter: Shawn Fludd (Alexandria, VA)

    Grade Level: All Levels

• 10:40am - 12:10pm — Breakouts: Session IX

  • Empowering At-Risk Youths — A Singapore Experience

    This presentation will focus on the principles and practices of empowering at-risk youth in the context of Singapore's public schools. Real life stories, illustrations and practical tips will be shared with participants. Interaction and discussion will be structured to enhance the transferability and relevance of the ideas conveyed.

    Presenter: Dr John Tan, Executive Director of CARE (Singapore)

    Grade Level: Senior High

  • Divine Interventions with Time to Teach

    Children and adolescents can and will be responsible for their own behavior and for their own learning, but these skills must be taught first. A philosophy initially guided by Dr. Madeline Hunter and Coach John Wooden, both of UCLA. Proven strategies for teaching these important skills to students, evaluating their successes, and certainly focusing on the art of delivering effective consequences when all else fails are the focus. Special techniques are outlined for preventing discipline problems and dealing effectively with those that occur.

    Presenters: Therese Devine

    Grade Level: Elementary, Jr. High/Middle Senior High

  • Relational Healing: Providing a Path to Success Through The Four Steps to Emotional Healing

    Featured in four national television documentaries and proven to effectively improve students' important relationships, student behavior and the overall school behavior climate, Bethesda Family Services Foundation's Relational Healing Model is an affective curriculum designed to heal emotional wounds of children/youth caused by those who have hurt and betrayed them, ensures long-term behavioral change by leading family members through a four-step process that paves the way for forgiveness and reconciliation.

    Presenter: Dominic Herbst

    Grade Level: All Levels

• 12:20pm - 1:00pm — General Assembly Conference Wrap-Up & Farewells

Candid Photos from Conference 2009

February 17-19, 2009
Edgewater Beach Resort, Panama City, Florida

PLEASE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE now!

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