CAS is hosting a two-day administrator evaluation workshop on September 7 and 8, 2017, at the central office in Cheshire. This workshop will cover the basics of the CSDE-authorized administrator evaluation and support system and is designed to assist supervisors of administrators in meeting their evaluation obligations. Workshop hours will be 8:00 am to 3:00 pm each day. The registration fee is $200 per person and a minimum enrollment of five (5) participants is required to hold this workshop. A continental breakfast and lunch are included in the program fee as are all materials. Refunds for non-attendance will be issued at the discretion of CAS due to the enrollment requirement. Register at http://casci.ac/2351 or contact Ev Lyons, elyons@casciac.org, for further information.

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As an outgrowth of the 2017 CAS Summer Leadership Institute, CAS and the Clifford Beers Foundation will be screening the documentary “Resilience” at five locations around the state this fall. "Resilience" deals with the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on student performance and adult health. Each screening will be followed by a panel discussion on how to support the social-emotional well-being of students. Principals are encouraged to bring school teams comprised of counselors, teachers, general staff and sport/activity coaches. Times and locations are available on our event registration page. There is no charge for attendance.

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In the coming academic year, CAS, in conjunction with the CSDE, is offering an Administrator Induction Program (AIP) for all new building leaders. Modeled after the state's Teacher Education and Mentoring Program, the CAS AIP will offer new principals and assistant principals a series of six workshops specifically targeted to address issues critical to every new administrator. In addition to the six workshops, program participants will receive five days of embedded, onsite executive coaching and have access to professional learning opportunities through the CAS New Leaders Academy as well as the BloomBoard administrator induction portal. Districts need only to commit to a fee of $3,000 to support their new hires in the coming year. For additional information or to register for this unique experience, contact Ev Lyons at CAS - 203.250.1111 or elyons@casciac.org.

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The ever popular New Leaders Academy will be back this fall and all school leaders in years 1-3 of their leadership careers are encouraged to join! The six half-day workshops, offered at no charge to CAS-member schools, run from 8:30-12:00 at the CAS office. This year’s topics include:

• Legal Update for New Leaders;
• Providing High Quality Feedback;
• Holding Difficult Conversations;
• Building a Trauma-Informed School Culture;
• Leadership and the Special Needs Student; and,
• Leading for Students’ Emotional Health. 

Registration is by individual session so participants can customize their professional learning and attend as many or as few as they need.

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SERC and CAS are co-sponsoring a three-part workshop series to help general education school leaders improve outcomes for the special education students in their schools. Workshop topics are: Strengthening Tier 1 Universal Practices for Students with Disabilities; Developing Standards-based IEP’s; and, Facilitation Strategies and Family Engagement Practices. All workshops will be held at CAS from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Click below for details and registration information.

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CAS will again offer its well-received CAS Leadership Academy: Leading for Change. Designed to support teacher leaders, the five-session series builds skills and competencies needed by teacher leaders in today’s schools. The Academy has a limit of twenty (20) cohort participants to ensure active engagement and personalized attention for each. In addition to the day-long sessions, participants are required to work with district/building leaders to develop and implement a leadership project which allows them to practice the concepts and skills learned in the Academy setting. Contact Ev Lyons at CAS for additional information - 203.250.1111 or elyons@casciac.org.

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Last year, over 90 leaders of alternative education programs met with CAS and CSDE officials to begin a discussion of needs and build networking opportunities within this cohort of leaders. This year, in an effort to continue this critical work, CAS has created a community of practice model specifically targeted to the interests and needs of alternative education program/school administrators. The first session will be held October 4, 2017, from 4-6 p.m. and will feature two Connecticut educators, Mike Foran and Steve Strand, who presented at the National Principals Conference last month. In “Breaking the Cycle of Failure: Leadership that Integrates a Growth-Mindset Culture Across the Curriculum,” Mike and Steve will offer effective strategies for improving outcomes for students who have not previously been successful in school.

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School principals and assistant principals have an essential role to play in supporting and mentoring the next generation of teachers. Don’t miss the CSDE’s upcoming conference on teacher prep and development. “Putting Research-to-Practice in Teacher Preparation: Learner Ready Day One,” featuring keynote speakers Deborah Lowenberg Ball and Kenneth Zeichner, will be held on Friday, September 29, 2017, at the Radisson in Cromwell. This full-day conference will include concurrent breakout sessions covering a wide array of topics to help schools and districts provide high-quality, practice-based learning experiences for pre-service educators.

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Ellington Center School invites all new and experienced K-6 teachers to its summer institute on August 24th. “Successful Strategies for Tiered Interventions” offers a full day of professional learning focused on effective Tier I, II, and III academic and behavioral strategies. Center Elementary teachers are eager to share the practices they have implemented that have resulted in increased student success. There is no cost for attendance.

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Connecticut principals are encouraged to participate in a research study of schools in the seven Northeast states. The purpose of the study is to examine principals’ perceptions about K-12 curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices in their schools. Participating in this research project involves completing an online survey about personalized learning practices and mastery-based learning implementation. The survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes. Findings will provide practitioners and policymakers with a better understanding of how practices vary among schools in the Northeast so that they may provide capacity building support and other resources to interested schools. Please contact Carla Evans, clj89@wildcats.unh.edu, with any questions about this study.

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General and special education teachers are invited to the Cromwell Radisson on October 2nd for Co-Teaching: Making It Work for You and Your Students! This full-day workshop, sponsored by the State Education Resource Center (SERC), will feature Dr. Marilyn Friend, international presenter and expert in the area of co-teaching. In this session, Dr. Friend will share recent research and identify contemporary ideas for implementing outcomes-driven co-teaching.

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Is your district facing possible loss of Perkins Funds due to the retirements of key personnel? If so, let interested teachers know that, beginning August 30th, CCSU is offering 6 credits towards the Cooperative Work Experience cross endorsement (#104). The two hybrid courses will be taught back-to-back on Wednesdays in Meriden. Click below for more information.

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