Free Forums for Education Professionals

(September 2009)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Educators and policy makers regularly have questions about ways to improve student learning.

To provide technical assistance for education professionals in a five-state area, the Regional Educational Lab Mid-Atlantic (REL Mid-Atlantic) in the Penn State College of Education regularly holds regional forums in various locations. Several forums, offered free of charge, are scheduled in Pennsylvania during fall 2009 to discuss Institute of Education Sciences (IES) practice guides.

• Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary Classroom - October 7, 2009, Penn Stater Conference Center from 8:30 a.m. - 2:23 p.m. (Lunch provided)
  
  Dr. Michael Epstein, professor, University of Nebraska, will present and lead participants in conversations relative to five research-based recommendations from the IES publication, Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom.


• Encouraging Girls in Math and Science - October 26, 2009, Edinboro, PA from 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (Lunch provided) & again on October 27, 2009, Dunmore, PA from 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (Lunch provided)
  
  Dr. Joshua Aronson, associate professor, New York University, will present the high quality research that supports the recommendations from the IES publication, Encouraging Girls in Math and Science: A Practice Guide and facilitate dialogue among participants to capture “on the ground” experiences that encourage math and science engagement of all students.


• Turning Around Chronically Low Performing Schools - October 29, 2009, Morton, PA from 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Dinner provided)
  
  Rebecca Herman and Marlene Darwin, American Institute of Research (AIR), will elaborate on four recommendations and practices supported by credible research that can improve the performance of chronically low performing schools—a process commonly referred to as creating “turnaround schools.”


• Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tier Intervention in the Primary Grades - November 16, 2009, Summerdale, PA from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (Lunch provided) & again on December 4, 2009, Lewisburg, PA from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (Lunch provided)
  
  Dr. Russell Gersten, executive director, Instructional Research Group, will explain the five recommendations offered within the IES practice guide, Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention and MultiTier Intervention in the Primary Grade to help practitioners identify struggling readers and implement evidence-based strategies that promote reading achievement.

To find out about future forums, or to obtain other information, contact the Lab at 866-735-6239 or info@relmid-atlantic.org. You can also visit the Events section at www.relmid-atlantic.org to view upcoming forums as well as video and podcasts of past events.

REL Mid-Atlantic is a collaboration led by Penn State’s College of Education and includes four other partners—Rutgers University, ICF International, the Metiri Group, and Analytica, Inc. REL Mid-Atlantic’s funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.