Forum 2008 in Houston Offers Professional Development for Local Educators – Single-Day Registration Available

Houston Mayor Bill White will speak at Forum 2008.

Houston-area educators and administrators are encouraged to take advantage of the one-day or full-meeting registration options for this year’s College Board Forum, which will be held at the Hilton Americas in Houston, Nov. 5-8.

Forum offers four enriching days of sessions, speeches and networking opportunities, as well as plenary sessions featuring Houston Mayor Bill White, Houston Schools Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra, and Peter and Edith O’Donnell, of the Dallas-based O’Donnell Foundation.

This year, there’s a new addition to the Forum program, a professional development event ideal for educators strapped for funds and short on time. The Saturday Institute takes place on Nov. 8 and offers a choice of seminars and workshops designed to educate and energize education professionals and a chance to engage in valuable professional development with thought-provoking national leaders from the admissions, financial aid, counseling and academic communities on the following topics and much more:

• Economics 101: What Should Enrollment Professionals Know?
• High Schools for Real Teenagers
• Utilizing the College Board's College Readiness System™, which includes a detailed introduction to the College Board’s new 8th-grade assessment, ReadiStep™
• The CollegeKeys Compact™
• Admissions in the 21st Century Symposium

All Saturday Institute offerings are eligible for continuing education units (CEUs). Click here to see the full Saturday Institute program.

The day will begin with breakfast at 8 am.  Registration for the Saturday Institute is $35 for College Board members and $50 for nonmembers.  To learn more or to register, please visit the Forum Web site at www.collegeboard.com/forum.

VP Ann B. Wright

Fall Counselor Workshops gave K-12 educational managers the opportunity to provide College Board program updates to thousands of school counselors at more than 40 locations in four states. From large audiences of 100+ participants at major universities to small audiences in more rural areas, SWRO staff logged many miles to interact with key constituents in this exchange of information and ideas. Due to severe weather in the Gulf Coast area, some rescheduling of workshops was required. However, evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, and staff enjoyed partnering with higher education professionals to offer this important service.

The next Southwestern Regional Forum will be held Feb. 4-6 at the Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center Hotel. The Southwestern Regional Council has been working hard to ensure a variety of engaging and thought-provoking sessions. Some of the opportunities that attendees will have include learning about the latest tools and resources to effect change within their communities; discovering proven strategies for improving AP® programs in their regions; receiving an overview of all relevant information related to financial aid to share with students and their parents; enjoying a preview of the College Board's highly anticipated new college readiness assessment tool — ReadiStep™; and hearing from speakers David L. Boren, president of Oklahoma University and former U.S. senator and governor from Oklahoma; Da Chen, acclaimed author and flutist; and Forrest J. “Frosty” Troy, newspaper editor and NPR regular. Click here to learn more or to register early.

Advanced Placement® Incentive Program Grants have been awarded to two Texas school districts to facilitate their continued efforts to increase the participation of low-income students in both AP® courses and exams and pre-AP courses. The two recipients — El Paso Independent School District and the School of Excellence in Education in San Antonio — received grants from the federal government that will be used to support the development, enhancement or expansion of AP courses, including pre-AP courses in mathematics, science, English and other subject areas.

The DOE selects grant recipients from school districts, state and local educational agencies or national nonprofit educational entities with expertise in providing Advanced Placement services. The competitive three-year awards must be used to expand access for low-income individuals to Advanced Placement programs. Some of the options funded by these grants include teacher training, development of pre-AP courses, coordination and articulation between grade levels to prepare students for academic achievement in Advanced Placement classes, books and supplies, and participation in online Advanced Placement courses.

Through this project, the El Paso Independent School District will work with 11 high-poverty high schools to increase the successful participation in AP, creating AP student unions on each campus to provide a location for study groups with peer and teacher tutoring. To prepare students for AP Exams, six district AP Test-Prep Academies will be held on Saturdays in the spring. AP teachers and administrators will attend AP Summer Institutes and conferences to build and refine their expertise. New AP courses in Chinese Language and Culture and Japanese Language and Culture will be introduced. Teachers will receive a financial reward for each student grade of 3 or higher on AP Exams, and they will also be paid stipends if they participate in student tutoring programs or test-preparation activities.

San Antonio’s School of Excellence in Education, an open enrollment charter school district, will seek to improve student achievement and access to and success in AP courses at Dr Paul S Saenz Junior High School and Rick Hawkins High School by increasing AP course offerings at Hawkins from six to 13, establishing Vertical Teams in core academic subjects that will meet monthly, providing intensive professional development and implementing Advancement via Individual Determination programs at both schools. AP teachers will receive financial incentives for the successful performance of their students on AP Exams.

Click here to see events and workshops in the Southwestern region.