2019 GACIS Fall Conference
Tentative Agenda
Pre-Conference, September 24
GACIS Board of Directors Meeting
GACIS Board of Directors Dinner
Teacher Clarity: Empowering Student Learning
Thursday, September 26
7:00 a.m. Registration opens Atrium Lobby
Breakfast and Visit Exhibits Atrium and Athena Pre-function
8:15-9:45 a.m. General Session Athena Ballroom A-J
John Almarode (Ph.D)
Teacher Clarity
The sessions will challenge you to consider some essential questions to empower student learning.
Are both teachers and students clear about what must be learned, why students are learning it, and
how they can be successful? Are students able to determine their next steps in learning through
quality feedback and assessment? Have teachers had the time and support to collaborate around
clarity to ensure an aligned approach within your school system?
With the ever-changing landscape of education, teachers and leaders often find themselves
searching for clarity in a sea of standards, curriculum resources, and competing priorities. A simple
and doable approach for developing clarity and sharing it with students will be presented. Five
essential and powerful practices to establish clarity for learning will be shared: Gaining clarity,
Sharing clarity, Feedback with clarity, Assessing with clarity, and Collaborating with clarity.
9:45-10:00 Recognition of Sponsors
10:00-10:40 a.m. Visit Exhibits and Break Atrium and Athena Pre-function
10:40-11:40 a.m. General Session Athena Ballroom A-J
John Almarode (Ph.D)
11:45 a.m. Awards and Special Recognitions Athena Ballroom A-J
Lunch Grand Hall 8
1:15-2:15 p.m.
Best Practices Breakout Session I
2:15- 2:45 p.m.
Visit Exhibits and Break Atrium and Athena Pre-function
2:45-3:45 p.m.
General Session Athena Ballroom A-J
Math Jones, Chief of Staff, GaDOE (invited)
Dr. Allison Timberlake, Deputy Superintendent Assessment & Accountability
Georgia Assessment and Accountability
3:45-4:45 p.m.
GACIS Business Meeting Athena
Ballroom A-J
Friday, September 27
7:15-8:00 a.m.
Networking Breakfast Grand Hall 6 & 7
8:30-10:00 a.m. General Session Athena Ballrooms A-J
Krista Leh
Every Child, Every Day
In this keynote, educators will understand the components of social-emotional learning (SEL):
self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships skills, and responsible decision-
making. After a series of learning activities, attendees will engage in deep dialogue as they analyze
the scope and sequence of SEL themes, examine four entry points for SEL integration, and uncover
ways in which SEL can be woven into daily practice and curriculum. Specific attention will focus
on critical factors related to developing and sustaining a comprehensive SEL system. Then,
participants will analyze their organization’s strengths and areas of growth and begin to create a
plan of action to transform every educational space into a social, emotional, and academic learning
community where students can thrive.
10:00- 10:30 a.m. Visit Exhibits and Break Atrium and Athena Pre-function
10:30-11:30 a.m. Best Practices Breakout Session II
11:30 Conference concludes
BEST PRACTICES BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Design, Teach, Assess, Reflect
Presenters: Travis Nesmith, Executive Director of Curriculum and Technology; Wendy Porter,
Curriculum Director Grades 6-12; Dr. Melodie Fulcher, Assistant Curriculum Coordinator
Grades K-5 & K-12 Gifted; and Jessica Javo, Assistant Principal/Instructional Supervisor, South
Effingham Elementary School, Effingham County Schools
Effingham County Schools took bold steps to create an Instructional Framework that defines the
values and practices for instruction for all students by all teachers. During the first year of
implementation of the Instructional Framework, the school system discovered four focus
priorities: Data Analysis, Professional Learning Communities, Social and Emotional Learning,
and High-Impact Strategies. This presentation will walk you through the journey Effingham
County has already begun and the anticipated steps yet to be taken.
Empowering Administrators and Teachers to control their One-to-One Initiative
Presenter: Dr. LaShonda Flanders, Curriculum Director, Tift County Schools
Come hear how Tift County has transformed the traditional instructional environment with their
One-to-One Chromebook Student Initiative. While empowering our students to take charge of
their own learning, administrators and teachers have control of this one-to-one initiative. Our
Chief Technology Officer will share how software extensions allow the district to content filter
devices both on and off the district’s network. Teachers will share how the one-to-one initiative
has been a “game changer” in the learning environment. We will offer suggestions how other
districts may start the process of implementing a One-to-One Student Initiative.
Enhancing Professional Development with Collaborative Conversations
Presenters: Dr. Amy Fouse, English Language Arts Coordinator (6-12), Houston County School
and Beth Herod, Director of Curriculum, Gordon County Schools
Educators are constantly trying to find new ways to engage collaboratively and to remain current
with professional development resources. Dr. Amy Fouse, Houston County Schools and Beth
Herod, Gordon County Schools, will share innovative ways to collaborate while sharing valuable
resources available for teachers of English Language Arts in Georgia. Attendees will be given
the opportunity to share innovative practices from their district as well as learn how local school
districts and organizations are providing professional learning with fun and engaging protocols
and methods.
FAST LANE (Focus on Accelerating STudent Learning And preparing for NExt year)
Presenter: Celeste Cannon, Director of Secondary Education and CTAE and Shannon Hammond,
Director of Federal Programs; and John Lamb, Instructional Coach, Walton County Schools
The Walton County School District replaced “traditional summer school” for high school
students with a new acceleration-based model for credit recovery based on the work of Suzy
Pepper Rollins (Learning in the Fast Lane). The primary goal of the program was to stop the
cycle of failure and reignite excitement about learning in students who have come to dislike
school. Come hear how we funded the program, how we selected teachers and planned
instruction for the program, and our results.
Leaning Is A Process Not an Event
Presenter: Dr. Marianne Cole, Assistant Superintendent, Heard County Schools (GACIS District 13)
The Heard County School System has been on a 10-year journey of improvement focused on
improving instruction in the classroom as the primary goal. They started with implementation of
a clear instructional process at one school which is now expected to be utilized in all schools and
classrooms throughout the system. Over time many lessons have been learned including the need
to stay committed to the process and the importance of expecting fidelity of implementation. The
latest step in this journey has focused on supporting the development of the principal as the true
instructional leader in the school. In this session, you will learn about one system’s improvement
journey and the resulting transformation of all the schools in the system.
Making Literacy More Visible and Valued in Your Community
Presenter: Dr. Ronda Hightower, Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Laurens
County Schools
The hard-working, dedicated teachers and staff in Georgia public school systems are realizing
more and more the long-term consequences for our students who are not reading proficiently by
the end of 3rd grade. This clarion call has many asking, “What else can we do?” More and more
school systems are also realizing “It takes more than good schools, more than great teachers,
and more than loving parents.” (Get Georgia Reading) This presentation of many different
practical efforts, ideas, initiatives, and opportunities is sure to encourage and ignite a passion to
begin making improving literacy a community experience. No matter the size of the community,
this presentation will have something for everyone who desires to begin the journey of “Making
Literacy More Visible and Valued in Your Community.”
Moon Shot Thinking: Designing Professional Learning to Change Classroom Practice
Presenters: Gina Burns, Karen Ogline, Daphne Rogers: Forsyth County Elementary Literacy
Task Force, Jill Short and Jordann Aler: Forsyth County Secondary Literacy Task Force
When teachers engage in powerful professional learning opportunities, student achievement
improves. However, many teachers feel that their professional learning experiences fall short of
expectations and rarely lead to sustainable improvement in their classrooms. Join the Forsyth
County Literacy Team as they share a literacy project that rethinks professional learning as we
know it. The FCS literacy initiative incorporates the leading strategies that make professional
learning effective: establishing a shared vision, using data to improve, aligning resources to the
vision, developing leadership, and managing change. Literacy team members will walk you
through the phases of their literacy journey and examine how leaders from across the district
have successfully reorganized resources to create the type of effective, job-embedded
professional learning that leads to true school improvement
MTSS – Providing Time for All Students to Thrive
Presenter: Scott Weinand, Director of Elementary Student Learning; Steven Cummings,
Director of Assessment and Student Learning Support Services; and Cindy Canaday, MTSS and
504 Coordinator, Columbia County Schools
The key to success for reading improvement lies in the ability to provide not only the right
prescription for each student, but also the time needed for successful implementation. In
Columbia County, we had to re-think how we were scheduling reading instruction for all learners
in our elementary and middle schools. Providing alternative core instruction for our most fragile
students required outside the box thinking. Teacher efficacy played a huge role in the program.
Providing teachers with training, coaching and support was critical to the implementation. The
combination of these efforts allowed us to see incredible reading growth for all of our students in
just our first year of implementation. The presentation will provide participants with the
instructional pathways and schedule of implementation we used to implement our program.
On a Journey to Make Data is Personal and Pivotal
Presenters: Dr. Deirdre Daughtry and Candace Stewart, Literacy Coaches; Connie Mitchell,
Math Coach; Brook Paige, Instructional Technology; and Assistant Superintendent of Teaching
and Learning - Dr. April Aldridge, Decatur County Schools
Data can be a powerful tool for building a school and district culture that focuses on what
matters most: Student Growth. This interactive session will share one Southwest Georgia
district's journey in developing a comprehensive approach to the collection, analysis and
utilization of formative and summative data to drive instructional improvement and overall
strategic planning. From paper and pencil documentation to the development of a comprehensive
digital approach, it has been a collaborative journey as we have worked to ensure that data is
personal and pivotal. Join us as we share our story of mishaps and successes that have allowed us
to more fully embrace the role of data in a way that works for students, teachers and instructional
leaders.
