RSAC 2024

Pleasant Valley, an urban district with 95% poverty, has reduced its office referrals and suspensions by over half through a robust SEL approach, a fidelity culture, district wide procedures, and raising their behavior expectations for students and parents. All of which have contributed to improved climate, classroom management, and student achievement. Participants will understand how to implement this behavior blueprint to make cultural shifts and improve student relationships regardless of school size or obstacles.

Grading systems in the United States date back to the 17th century, beginning in higher education. Grades have shown student achievement, progress towards grade-level learning standards, and process or conduct and effort. Grading is a small part of a much bigger picture, leading to learning.

Grading focusing on student achievement and specific learning standards within each academic subject has become popular in public education. In education, learning standards represent the educational goals of teaching and learning. Standards-based education has been centered around the idea that learning standards were established on specific knowledge and skills that all students should be able to know and perform as a result of their education. The standards-based grading system is a practice that bases students’ grades on their performance of clearly defined learning objectives rather than completing assignments and tests or accumulating points. A student’s grades should reflect only what a student knows and can do.

Moreover, grades provide feedback, document progress toward grade-level learning standards, and assist teachers in making decisions about students' instructional needs. Research states that grades should reflect students’ performance based on specific learning criteria. Standards-based grading systems should reflect what students know, understand, and can do.

Educators inevitably face the complex challenge of supporting students with behavioral and academic needs. This session, "Empowering Educators: Resourceful Strategies for Supporting Students with High Behavioral and Academic Needs," is designed to equip educators with practical and equity-driven strategies and solutions to meet these challenges head-on. Participants will learn how to implement compassionate interventions aligned with the CASEL SEL Framework that foster a positive and inclusive environment so students can thrive this year and beyond. This session also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between teachers, administrators, and support staff. Participants will leave with actionable insights and strategies that can be immediately applied in their own educational settings. Discover how you can transform your approach to supporting students in challenging situations, and together we can create a more supportive, equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students.

The goal of this collaborative presentation is important to the field in its
connection with supporting both general education and special education
teachers, support staff, and leadership. Placing focus on navigating mental
health within tiers, responding to challenging behaviors, intervention
implementation, and an exemplar process of mental health crisis
management. The outcomes of this presentation will
be to understand the importance of mental health in schools, implement
interventions and strategies for supporting students with mental health
needs, and responding effectively to students in crisis. The benefits of this
presentation will provide educators with the knowledge and skills they need
to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. The
practices will improve student performance by staff accurately determining
mental health interventions for internalizing and externalizing students. As
well as, utilizing data and an effective crisis management process
throughout your building(s).

In the ever-evolving landscape of professional learning, educators are constantly seeking innovative and engaging opportunities to enhance their practice. Enter the INSPIRE subscription box—a dynamic and immersive approach to professional development that offers educators curated resources, tools, and activities delivered right to their doorstep. In this session, participants will explore the transformative potential of subscription boxes as a viable and accessible avenue for continuous learning and growth.

Is the professional development in your building helping teacher grow? Or is it holding them back? In this session we will share feedback from teacher leaders all over Illinois regarding thier feelings about the current state of PD in their schools- and what they wish thier administration would recognize about thier professional development needs. We will walk through specific recommendations from teachers about how to make professional development meaningful and how to incorportate teacher voice into the development process.

The mental health of educators is critical for improved outcomes for students. Currently, a major factor in decreased mental health is the stress caused by poor relationships with students' parents. This presentation examines and explains why parents do not have the "know, like, and trust" factor with their child's teachers. Educators will have a different perspective on the reasons they may not have the "know, like, and trust" factor for and from their students' parents. Participants will learn strategies to implement immediately upon return to their school on how to foster the "know, like, and trust" factor for improved relationships and better mental health.

As a general education teacher is it your responsibility to provide accommodations? As a special education teacher is it your responsibility to provide accommodations and modifications? What is the difference between an accommodation and modification? Knowing the answers to these questions is very important if you work with students who have individualized education programs (IEP). The majority of due process cases filed across the country stem from educators not knowing the right answers to these questions. Participants will leave this workshop with the knowledge and tools to answer these questions and many more.

Educators will learn how to establish Teen Science Cafés in their educational settings - empowering teens to manage their own events. Teen Sceince Cafés are designed BY TEENS FOR TEENS – teens select the topics, locate speakers, vet the speakers, develop a related activity, and manage the actual event. Under the supervision of adult leaders, teens develop their own scripts, manage the sign-in, provide the introductions and more. Educators will learn how they can develop partnerships with a local non-profit to share the responsibility of guiding teens. Through their leadership, teens develop several of the 40 Developmental Assets.
Participants will be connected with the Teen Science Cafe Network (TSCN) that provides guidelines/best practices to utilize immediately in their own settings.