Ensuring every child has an equal chance for success requires understanding the unique challenges and barriers they may face and providing supports to help them overcome those barriers. Making sure students have what they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond is a priority for CASDA, and as such, our key focus areas for 2019-2020 all center around educational equity.
In the upcoming year, each of our conferences, workshops, roundtables and webinars will address one or more of the following areas: social-emotional learning; school improvement; leadership; and curriculum, instruction, standards.
SEL
Increasingly, state and federal agencies are emphasizing the school’s role in the development of childrens’ social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. In addition to our customized SEL curriculum services, CASDA will offer events designed to help students in your district develop social-emotional and mental health competencies, helping to create safe, nurturing and culturally responsive learning environments and contribute to academic achievement for all.
In order to foster the social-emotional learning and growth of their students, educators must learn to take care of themselves, too. CASDA will not only provide SEL workshops focused on student needs, but will also help teachers and educational leaders manage their stress, reflect on and improve their own coping strategies and prepare them for creating a classroom and school setting that results in school-wide development and growth.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
CASDA’s certified Outside Educational Experts (OEEs) have the knowledge and experience to help your district use the review process as a springboard to continuous improvement rather than an exercise in compliance. The DTSDE rubric is a useful framework around which we can help school districts develop a common language and implement evidence based-practice to foster growth in instruction, leadership, school climate and student, family and community engagement. CASDA faculty members will help your district craft improvement plans that spark action, evaluation, reflection and growth while remaining responsive to the unique context of your school community.
LEADERSHIP
The professional standards outlined by the National Policy Board for Educational Administrators note that schools and school districts need effective leaders like never before to take on the challenges and opportunities facing education today and in the future. CASDA plans to offer professional development and training designed to support and enhance the skills of teacher leaders, curriculum supervisors, directors of special education, assistant principals, principals, school business administrators, assistant superintendents and superintendents.
We will provide leaders with tools and resources to utilize research to inform intentional decisions that help improve student outcomes and accomplish district goals. We will break down the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) into an actionable framework to help you develop leadership capacity, create practical systems for action and engage school communities. We will provide leadership coaching that creates space for deep reflection that is necessary for meaningful professional growth. CASDA’s cadre of experienced building and district level administrators can provide insight and perspective into the diverse demands of educational leadership.
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, STANDARDS
CASDA’s curriculum, instruction and standards services will help districts create engaging curriculum that fosters authentic engagement in content, develops critical thinking skills and aligns to the latest NYS guidelines. CASDA can also help you explore instructional and assessment practices to ensure that your classrooms allow culturally, linguistically and developmentally diverse learners to access rigorous curriculum. Our expert faculty draws upon a depth of knowledge to offer a wide variety of research-driven supports that align with current standards and help districts prepare for what’s to come.
CASDA P.O.P. COLLABORATIVES
CASDA will also debut a select seminar meets roundtable initiative we're calling the Problem of Practice (P.O.P.) Collaborative in 2019-2020. Based on the needs of our member districts and the New York State ESSA Plan, a Problem of Practice (P.O.P.) will be identified and a collaborative drawn from three to five districts consisting of six to 10 educators will be convened.
A facilitated review of research, including works published by UAlbany School of Education faculty, Hanover Research and peer-reviewed scholarly journals will be conducted to help participants evaluate, analyze and discuss current practices related to the P.O.P. Following cycles of analysis and reflection, research will be applied to practice to generate potential solutions,recommendations and best practices. The collaborative’s findings will be presented in a white paper report similar to CASDA's Select Seminars.
CASDA will also supplement the report with video and/or audio interviews with participants about their experience going through the process, what they learned and what they hope to bring back to their district. The report and accompanying supplements will be disseminated to all CASDA districts as a member benefit.
Stay up-to-date with all of CASDA's upcoming events and initiatives at www.casdany.org.
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