Forum 2011 Focuses on Future of Education

Sept. 2011

Membership Matters

Thousands of educators, policymakers and other leaders will turn their attention to the future of education Oct. 26–28 at Forum 2011 in New York City. With dynamic speakers, interactive sessions and insightful trends reports and live webinars, the conference promises to reinvigorate national conversations regarding how best to prepare students for college and careers.

Forum 2011 is solutions-driven and aimed at empowering educators with the knowledge, perspective and material they need to best serve their institutions and organizations. Ideas and concepts generated at the Forum live on — championed by the College Board in its programs and services, as well as in regional conversations and advocacy efforts on the state and national levels.

"It's an exciting time in education, with new opportunities and new challenges, and we're thrilled to bring together some of the nation's best minds to discuss critical issues, collaborate and innovate as we look to meet the needs of students in the 21st century," said Mary Carroll Scott, vice president for membership.

This year's Forum focuses on collaborative efforts to craft solutions to systemic challenges. In a difficult economic climate and with shifting demographics across the nation, the College Board recognizes the need to marshal resources across sectors and to devise new ways to serve students and schools.

At a special event at this year's Forum, the 2012 presidential primary candidates will detail their platforms for education reform. "The Future of American Education: A Presidential Primary Forum" will be moderated by The Wall Street Journal's Paul Gigot and former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.

In addition, Forum 2011 offers an array of resources and opportunities to share ideas with colleagues across the education spectrum. Here are just a few of the featured guests and events:

• Dennis Walcott, chancellor of New York City Schools, who formerly served as deputy mayor for education under New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He has served on the New York City Board of Education and also has taught kindergarten.
• Robert Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago, who has served as an administrator and faculty member, specializing in mathematics, for more than two decades. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
• Geoffrey Canada, leader of the Harlem Children's Zone Inc. in New York City. He is nationally recognized for his pioneering work helping children and families in Harlem and as a passionate advocate for education reform. Harlem Children's Zone has become a much emulated model under Canada's leadership, and he was prominently featured in the documentary Waiting for 'Superman.'
• The Governor's Education Roundtable: Some of our country's leading governors will discuss how states approach education reform.
• The release of the College Board's Trends in College Pricing and Trends in Student Aid reports. These reports provide highly anticipated research about changes in the economic landscape in higher education.
• Discussions of other important research, such as reports on college completion and the educational experiences of minority male students.

In addition to these events, concurrent sessions will examine crucial issues in education, such as programs that assist minority and underserved student populations, effective ways of helping students transition from high school to postsecondary institutions, and how to train a new generation of education leaders.

The Forum directly supports the next generation of education professionals. A special discount for first-time attendees is available for employees of College Board member institutions who have been in their positions for two years or less. These professionals may receive half off their registration fee. Learn more and register today at forum.collegeboard.org.