2024 AAEA Summer Conference

Customer service is critical in public schools. As competition heats up, superb customer service can be the deciding factor for decisions being made to attend your school. This training will examine innovative ways public schools can better serve students and families with 5 star customer service.

Join Heidi Anne Mesmer, Leader of the Reading Specialist Program at Virginia Tech and Hot Springs School District to learn how to transform literacy achievement. Participants will dive into the fundamentals of the Science of Reading, exploring its principles and how they can be applied to accelerate reading development.

Key Highlights Include:
* Foundations of the Science of Reading: Gain a solid understanding of what the science of reading is and why it's crucial for literacy development.
* Leading Educational Change: Discover actionable strategies for advocating and implementing the science of reading within your institution, fostering a culture of literacy excellence.
* The Role of Decodables: Learn about the significant impact decodable texts can have on early reading skills, including phonemic awareness and phonics, and how to integrate them effectively into your literacy programs.
* Real-World Success Stories: Hear from the Hot Springs School District about their journey, challenges, and triumphs in adopting the science of reading framework and the remarkable effects of decodable books on their students' reading achievements.
* Practical Tools and Resources: Equip yourself with a toolkit of resources, best practices, and tips to begin or enhance your journey in leading literacy change.

Whether you're just starting to explore the Science of Reading or looking to deepen your implementation, this session will provide valuable insights, strategies, and inspiration to propel your students toward reading success. Join us to be part of the movement towards evidence-based reading instruction and unlock the full potential of every learner.

Come learn about zero energy buildings that produce at least as much energy as they consume on an annual basis. This is accomplished by incorporating state-of-the-art energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

This session will provide a concise overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI), touching on its positive impacts and potential risks. The session includes a brief exploration of AI detectors and plagiarism, essential elements for creating a school's AI policy, strategies for supporting teachers in AI utilization, and practical insights on leveraging AI to save time in various administrative tasks. The focus is to equip administrators with actionable insights to save educators time with AI knowledge and strategic use of AI tools.

This session with cover the latest news on Acts 504, 510, and 846 of 2023, all new laws pertaining to cybersecurity.

Russellville School District Leaders will present how districtwide collaboration began. We will discuss the planning process and the structures developed to ensure protected time for teachers to analyze data and reflect upon teaching practices. We will share challenges and opportunities in creating district wide professional learning community practices focused on our 3 initiatives: Collabortion, Measurement, and Relationships.

This session focuses on leading principles and best practices for reactive crisis management.

Crafting fair and transparent salary schedules is paramount to attracting and retaining top talent in the education sector. This presentation offers a guide to designing salary schedules that prioritize equity and competitiveness.

From understanding the foundational principles of salary structuring to navigating the intricacies of compensation models, attendees will gain practical insights into developing schedules that reflect the value of educators while aligning with budgetary constraints. With a focus on equity, we'll explore strategies to address wage gaps and promote inclusivity within the educational workforce.

Join an interactive panel of administrators whose schools implemented the STEM Starters program to explore the positive effects it has for their teachers and their students. Through collaboration, classroom teachers and gifted and talented facilitators deliver accelerated and enriched STEM instruction that results in science achievement gains and engineering knowledge for students and confidence in teaching science and engineering for educators. The innovative, cost-effective curricular units developed through funding from the National Science Foundation and the U. S. Department of Education engage students, empower teachers, and assist schools in locating and developing academic talents. Whether your district is small or large, STEM Starters professional learning moves the needle for schools. Panelists share their stories and respond to your questions.

Join us for a dynamic presentation focused on the implementation of inclusive practices at Douglas MacArthur Junior High. Discover how we are transforming the mid-level student experience by integrating inclusive practices. This session will cover effective strategies for staff involvement and co-teaching methods that promote an inclusive atmosphere. Learn from real-world examples and gain actionable insights on fostering a supportive and collaborative educational setting for all students.

Knowledge comes to us in many ways: from simply observing the world around us, to solving complex problems, to seeing beyond ourselves and understanding others. Knowledge isn’t one-dimensional or one-size-fits-all; it’s dynamic and nuanced.

This session provides a flight path to understanding these subtleties through almost 130 years of extensive partnerships with more than 40,000 schools in more than 90 countries across the globe, offering a range of services that evaluate education through a lens of continuous improvement: from its impact on the individual, to the effectiveness of the institution, to a broad view of the large system. Seeing all sides of the story means you can really understand your full landscape—and what it will take to drive improvement.

Systems thinking is important to effective instructional leadership and management of the school. Attendees in this session will hear a few brief presentations from principals and other school leaders from around the state who are innovative in their system implementation in order to efficiently and effectively lead their schools. These school leaders are passionate about breaking the mold of typical leadership and management activities in ways that enhance school functions and achievement.

Join this session as Christine and Amy share the financial map of federal expenditures now that additional ESSER funds are gone. They will share the good, bad, and ugly of how ESSER helped or perhaps didn't help and how we will all move forward to ensure that students are receiving the vital resources they need to succeed.

During this session, we will discuss the key ingredients to create an exceptional school culture, how to showcase your school culture to recruit and retain great teachers, and how to grow leaders to improve academic and behavioral outcomes through a transformational process that has been implemented in districts all across the country for over 30 years. Hear from Arkansas District leaders: Dr. Stephanie Nehus and Dr. Nikki Thomas as they discuss how they have transformed their districts into places teachers and students want to be.

This comprehensive training will empower you with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complex landscape of school funding, budget development, and financial sustainability. During this session, participants will explore the critical components of school budgets, including revenue sources, expenditure projections, funding aid calculations and the practical tools available to assist with developing your school budget.

A discussion on the current state of laws regarding staff reprimands, nonrenewals, and terminations

Arkansas STEM Practices are critical to developing 21st Century skills. To move students along a pathway towards a STEM career, STEM practices are integrated into teaching and learning along a rigorous preK-12 learning progression to ensure college and career readiness in STEM. Resources and strategies of success are shared by AR STEM Model schools who are doing this well.

A fast-paced and fun session designed to teach techniques that will skyrocket creativity. You will learn how to use your brain like Google, create a GPS system for powerful teaching, and magically create new ideas through Creative Alchemy. In addition, learn how to overcome obstacles that stifle creativity by using the Wedding Photographer Principle. You’ll leave truly believing you are a creative being and inspired to add memorable experiences for students to your lesson plans.

This presentation will cover the most important things a new administrator needs to know to start the school year.