6pm-9pm

8am-9:30am

9:30am-9:45am

9:45am-10:45am

• Grand Ball Room A: CSpire Tech Movement: Coding and Beyond

  The C Spire Tech Movement is a three-pronged approach to move our region forward with technology.

  • Broadband Access
  • Growing the Tech Workforce
  • Innovating with Technology
  
  These are three areas of focus that address the current and growing problems our communities face in today’s digital economy.

• Grand Ball Room C: Improving Student Achievement with Supportive Counselor Programs
  Julia Muse Cole, Ed. S., NISL; Dr. Susan Rucker, NISL

  Improving the school counseling program’s quality ultimately supports increased student achievement. As Mississippi has increased rigor and aligned counselor standards with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Standards, a better understanding of what counselors should be able to do within their schools if they are providing support to increase student achievement is created. Targeted conversations will allow the principal and counselor the opportunity to build a better foundation for:
  1) counseling program goals aligned with school improvement goals;
  2) setting priorities for the counseling program that affect the school improvement goals and student achievement;
  3) creating and measuring program goals with analyzed data of student needs;
  4) closing the gap analysis to address important issues of equity and student achievement which helps counselors report the impact and effectiveness of program activities.

• Horn Island Room: A Customized Approach to School Improvement
  Cellie Scoggin, Bailey Education Group, LLC

  One size does not fit all! District level administrators, principals, and teachers are seeking customized solutions that guarantee dramatic, sustainable results impacting sub-group performance. This engaging session will detail how Covington County developed and implemented the Covington County Framework for Success through their partnership with Bailey Education Group. Curious about this Framework for Success? It’s founded on principles and strategies from the Center on School Turnaround’s research domains: Instructional Transformation, Transformational Leadership, and Culture Shift. The CCSD team will provide testimony around the rapid response and positive outcomes for administrators, teachers and students.

• Deer Island Room: Social Media, Students and Employees
  Jim Keith and John Hooks, Adams and Reese LLP
• Cat Island Room: MSASPA: Leaders Come and get the Scoop! Best Practices for HR Professionals
  Shay Williamson, HR Director, Madison County Schools

  Welcome and introductions of MSASPA who we are and what we do! Attendees will establish a network of new colleagues and share best practices in human resource. From sound confidentiality agreements for employees to licensure questions--we’ve got you covered!

10:45am-10:55am

11:00am-12:00am

• Grand Ball Room A: Growth, Goals, and Grit: See how West Lincoln uses data driven benchmark assessments to reach student academic and growth goals
  John Shows, Principal, West Lincoln Attendance Center

  John Shows will discuss the data his district used and benchmark assessments to grow students. They will discuss the rolls the administrators, staff and students took.

• Grand Ball Room C: Jumpstart ACT Preparing for their future: How to assist students in their next level preparation
  Sha Walker, Jumpstart
• Horn Island Room: Venture Promethean: Experience STEM in the Promethean Escape Room

  This 3D puzzle adventure is for anyone who is interested in creating a truly immersive classroom experience with Promethean. Our escape room is unique in that it utilizes the following elements:

  • Active-Panel V6
  • Class-Flow
  • Robotics
  • Virtual Reality
  Together this will both challenge and inspire you to use Promethean technology to its fullest potential to get your students excited about learning.

• Deer Island Room: Social Media: Safety, etc.
  Jim Keith and John Hooks, Adams and Reese LLP
• Cat Island Room: AASPA
  Beth Dalton, Kildeer District 96 in Buffalo Grove, IL

  96 in Buffalo Grove, Illinois has been nationally recognized for its work as a professional learning community. This presentation will review the changes made by the human resources department to facilitate and support PLC practices.

12pm-1:45pm

1:45pm-1:55pm

2:00pm-3:00pm

• Grand Ball Room A: Combining Schools, Community and Technology Integration to Increase Proficiency in Science Education
  Dr. Kim Hurst, Principal, Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, Madison County Schools

  Focus on schools who provide real world application of science standards, in collaboration with parents and community stakeholders. Students, parents, and community members work through the engineering design process to problem solve with the integration of technology. This session will show the effects of this integration which include a greater interest in science & technology, encourage collaboration, and productive application.

• Grand Ball Room B: Velma Jackson Journey to Success
  Carey Kirkland, Principal, Velma Jackson High School, Madison County Schools

  Velma Jackson High School has made and maintained great strides in academics by increasing the school’s accountability level to a “B” over the last two years. This session will focus on the strategic steps the Velma Jackson administration and staff took to reach their goals.

• Grand Ball Room C: Safety Plan preparations and actions BEN Training is Great Then What ???
  Ben Stein, MASSP President, Principal, North West Rankin High School

  Mr. Stein will discuss school and district safety plans with a focus on real-life experiences. This session will have you leaving with ways to address the issues that you may currently be experiencing or have never thought of but need attention.

• Horn Island Room: Move to Learn
  Ann Bower, The Bower Foundation

  When you imagine the "perfect" classroom, you most likely envision students sitting quietly in their desks all day long; however, giving students the opportunity to move is actually very important to student success. After all, students who move more tend to be more fit, but that's not all. They also perform better in school. Two studies conducted in Mississippi found a surprising result: As student fitness levels increased, academic achievement improved while absenteeism and behavioral episodes declined. Put simply: When students get to move at school, things get better.

• Deer Island Room: MHSAA 2019

  Mississippi High School Athletic Association updates 2019

• Cat Island Room: Sexual Harassment, Investigations, MS Code of Ethics, and Plans of Improvement/Non-renewals
  John Hooks, Adams and Reese LLP

3:00pm-3:15pm

3:15pm-4:15pm

• Grand Ball Room A:
  Chris Chism, High School Principal of the Year 2018-19, Pearl High School
• Grand Ball Room B: NISL Improving Student Achievement with Supportive Counselor Programs
  Julia Muse Cole, Ed. S., NISL and Dr. Susan Rucker, NISL

  Improving the school counseling program’s quality ultimately supports increased student achievement. As Mississippi has increased rigor and aligned counselor standards with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Standards, a better understanding of what counselors should be able to do within their schools if they are providing support to increase student achievement is created. Targeted conversations will allow the principal and counselor the opportunity to build a better foundation for;
  1) counseling program goals aligned with school improvement goals;
  2) setting priorities for the counseling program that affect the school improvement goals and student achievement;
  3) creating and measuring program goals with analyzed data of student needs;
  4) closing the gap analysis to address important issues of equity and student achievement which helps counselors report the impact and effectiveness of program activities.

• Grand Ball Room C: The Principals Role in Teacher Retention
  Crystal Chase, Middle School Principal of Year 2018-19, Olde Towne Middle

  Many factors lead to teachers walking away from the education profession. Our goal as administrators is to provide teachers with the tools needed to not only remain in the profession, but to have a sense of commitment and pride while doing so. The administrative team of Olde Towne Middle School will share their year-long approach to supporting, motivating, and encouraging teachers.

• Horn Island Room: Addressing School Violence after the Mississippi School Safety Act of 2019
  Wilson Eaton, Young Law Group, PLLC

  The Mississippi School Safety Act of 2019 requires specific actions to provide safe schools, but does compliance with the law equate to providing a “safe school environment?” How do you know whether your district is succeeding when there is no coordination of effort, review, and analysis?

• Deer Island Room: MHSAA Updates 2019
• Cat Island Room: Start with High Expectations: Setting the Bar
  Mr. Chris Wooten, Director of Human Resources, Lamar County School District

  From posting positions to new employee orientation; the hiring process plays a vital role in setting the tone of expectations in your district. The session will leave participants with new ideas about hiring, orientation, employee handbook necessities and beyond. Work on the front end that will set everyone up for success.

4:20pm-5:30pm

• Grand Ballroom A: Middle
• Grand Ballroom C: Elementary
• Horn Island: High
• Deer Island: Assistants
• Cat Island: Human Resources

Sessions conclude for the day

6pm

8am-9:00am

9:00am-9:15am

9:15am-10:15am

• Grand Ball Room A: Get a Plan: Developing a Strategy for Effectively Serving English Learners
  Dr. Monique Henderson, English Learner Head Coach, Bailey Education Group, LLC

  Learn how you can plan now to effectively serve English Learners at the school and district levels during the upcoming school year. This interactive presentation will highlight lessons learned in partnership between Bailey Education Group and the Houston School District. We will address Language Service Plans, recommended professional development for all classroom teachers who serve English Learners, and how to effectively prep students for the English Language Proficiency Test.

• Grand Ball Room C: State and District Partnerships Prepare for 2019-20: Launching AP’s New Annual Process
  Janet Swindoll, Director, K-12

  The Advanced Placement (AP) Program will launch a new system of resources in 2019-20 to support teachers, students, and coordinators. Based on best practices in schools and created in collaboration with educators from across the country, these resources will include an AP question bank, unit guides and tests, performance dashboards, and improved tools for exam ordering and administration. Join to learn about the new resources and how they will be beneficial to you and your school. We’ll also discuss how these updates, combined with the consistent Mississippi AP Credit Policy, support both school accountability and post-secondary credit to students.

• Horn Island Room: What I Wish I Had Known and What I Learned During My First Year as Superintendent Dr. Cherie Labatt, Columbus Municipal School District
  Dr. John Mark Cain, Lauderdale County School District
  Jason Harris, Columbia School District
  Randy Grierson, Louisville Municipal School District
• Deer Island Room: Growth, Goals, and Grit: See how West Lincoln uses data driven benchmark assessments to reach student academic and growth goals
  John Shows, Principal, West Lincoln Attendance Center
• Cat Island Room: Workman’s Compensation and Safety Awards
  Brian Johnson, Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance

10:15am-10:30am

10:30am-11:30am

• Grand Ball Room A: WorkKeys, National Credentials, and Accountability
  Blaise King, Asst. Director for Career and Technical Education, Madison County Schools and David Fava, Director of Career and Technical Education, Gulfport School District

  Career and Technical Education is no longer confined to your school or district’s CTE center. WorkKeys and National Certifications are taking a prominent role in our student’s ability to succeed post education. The effects of these certifications are shifting to a larger role in the accountability model as well. This begs the question of how CTE and Academia must converge on collision course for the benefit for our student’s, our community and our state?

• Grand Ball Room C: The News Media is at the Front Desk and Wants to See You
  Gene Wright, Communications Coordinator, Madison County Schools and Courtney Ann Jackson, New Anchor/ Multimedia Journalist, WDBD/ WLBT Jackson

  Have you ever had a television or newspaper reporter show up at your school site for the latest scoop? Or do you have great news that you want to share? This session will help you navigate relationships and boundaries with the news media and share insight on ways handle any situation. You will leave this session with the tools to get your positive message on the 6 p.m. news.

• Horn Island Room: Jumpstart ACT Preparing for their future… How to assist students in their next level preparation
  Sha Walker, Jumpstart
• Deer Island Room: Early Warning System for Student Performance
  Stephanie Permenter, Director of Student Services, Madison County Schools

  To help promote your students’ academic success, Central Access has worked very closely with MDE to provide all districts with a system to rank students based upon their likelihood to drop out. As research indicates, a student’s decision to drop out of school is a gradual process that starts well before high school. SAM Spectra predicts at-risk students and empowers districts with the knowledge to successfully intervene. This session will focus on the methodology and process of how to use the data in your district to make a difference for your student’s success.

• Cat Island Room: The Fourth "R": Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Responsiveness
  Jill Newell, Behavior Specialist, Madison County Schools

  The Fourth "R" – Responsiveness! Participants will learn the importance of not only being responsive to our employees and students, but also ourselves. A positive mental outlook is critical to the overall success of students. Employees lacking a healthy mental diet are less productive and more likely to burnout. Just as our bodies need to remove toxins, our minds require the elimination of contaminant thinking. Participants will leave this session with practical ideas on how to not only improve their own mental health, but also how to create environments that foster emotional well-being for all stakeholders.

11:30am-11:45am

11:45am-12:45pm

• Grand Ballroom A: Middle
• Grand Ballroom C: Elementary
• Horn Island: High
• Deer Island: Assistants
• Cat Island: Human Resources

12:45pm-6pm

6pm

8:15am-9:30am

9:30am-10:45am

• Grand Ball Room: Mississippi Department of Education Updates
  Dr. Paula Vanderford
  Dr. Nathan Oakley
• Grand Ball Room A: Retirement Options and Current Information
  PERS/MS Deferred Compensation

10:45am-11:45am

• "Like" Groups Debrief
• Q&A / Conference 2020 Discussions
• Door Prize Drawings

12pm