Education Policy News, Alternative School Accountability - Alternative Accountability Policy Forum

Policy Forum Leaders Demonstrate Reengagement Policies and Practices Work

10/8/2015

Tony Simmons, High School for Recording Arts, is a frequent presenter and advocate for alternative accountability policies and practices that his school embraces. Last year, he described how HSRA uses recording albums, student workshops, group study advisories and other methods to demonstrate mastery of state standards without being limited by seat time. This year, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton kicked off the statewide “GEAR UP” week at Tony’s school in recognition of the urgent need to help low-income and underrepresented students prepare for a postsecondary education. Read about his school’s impact on state policy in the article below.

http://www.insightnews.com/education/14132-governor-dayton-wants-high-school-students-to-gear-up

Alternative Accountability Policy Forum Offers Six Conversation Sessions

10/8/2015

This year's Alternative Accountability Policy Forum will include six Conversation Sessions to build on our guests' expectations of collaboration and networking with in-house expertise. To ensure the success of this endeavor, Conversation Sessions are led by conveners with recognized national expertise. Conversation sessions reverse the timelines of traditional sessions with a few minutes for context and at least 45 minutes for back and forth among attendees.

We are excited to announce that Utah State Journalism Professor Matt LaPlante and Speak Up Survey developer Julie Evans will host a conversation on how to address the challenge of maintaining contact with graduates of at-risk student schools and programs. The most common accountability question for schools serving "at promise" students is, "What do your students do after they leave you?" But unlike students with stable homes and traditional trajectories, our students can be difficult to follow. Share your strategies and learn from others about how to build long-term engagement for facilitating accountability and sharing success.

Other Conversation Sessions include:

Jon Zaff and Craig McClay from America's Promise Alliance in a conversation about how educators and researchers can respectfully reference disengaged youth.

Nelson Smith, National Association of Charter School Authorizers, and Jody Ernst, Momentum Strategies, in a conversation about the many state, district and school level efforts to identify and implement meaningful accountability systems for schools serving at promise students.

Leslie Talbot, Aretha Miller and Robert Clark in a conversation about how school design principles from New York's Pathways to Opportunity Project findings may fit other school systems.

Nick Mathern, Gateway to College, in a conversation about how programs featuring relevant post-secondary training and support are powerful motivators attracting youth to re-engage with their education.

Chuck Wolfe, K12 Inc., in a conversation sharing innovative strategies and persistent challenges in providing wrap around services for at promise students in the unique environment of virtual schools.

Join us by registering below!

REGISTER TODAY

Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia - Keynote Speaker at the 2015 Alternative Accountability Policy Forum

10/5/2015

The Honorable Eduardo Garcia, Member of the California State Assembly, will provide the 2015 Keynote Address for the Alternative Accountability Policy Forum. Assembly Member Garcia has been working on California's WIOA conformity statute. He is strongly committed to reengaging youth and ensuring that all young men and women have an opportunity to earn living wages, job skills, and diplomas.

Assembly Member Garcia represents the 56th Assembly District, which includes the Coachella Valley, where he grew up and is raising his family. He speaks boldly of his family's work in agriculture, and of the pride in being the first in his family to attend college. He earned a Bachelor's degree from UC Riverside, a Masters Degree from the University of Southern California, and completed a program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He understands the challenges of poverty and the importance of combining a diploma with job skills.

Garcia is committed to bringing jobs and education to impoverished communities throughout California. He has authored legislation to expand the impact of the Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Centers. He serves as Chairman of the Assembly Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy. Garcia's leadership in that Committee has earned him the respect and confidence of his colleagues. He also serves as a member of the Latino Caucus and of the Select Committee on Boys and Men of Color.

Assembly Member Garcia will be speaking on November 16, 8 a.m. at the Marriott Coronado Island. RAPSA is proud to welcome Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia to the 2015 AAPF. Join us by registering below!

REGISTER TODAY

Policy Forum Presenters Impact Education Systems Across America

9/29/2015

Last year, Susan Miller (State University of New York), presented with a team of experts about finding meaningful accountability measures for over-age under-credit students. As the article below explains, that work is impacting students’ lives today.
http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2015/09/28/for-charter-schools-serving-overage-or-homeless-students-typical-metrics-dont-add-up/#.VgrYp3nJAdW

This year, leaders of that effort will present at the 2015 Alternative Accountability Policy Forum in San Diego by answering the question, What Key School Design Elements Effectively Support Off-Track Youth?
Leslie Talbot, Aretha Miller and Robert Clark will lead a Conversation Session that includes a “gallery walk” of perspectives and collaboration to learn from each other, determine how the Pathways to Opportunity Project findings may fit other school systems, synthesize the information, and garner consensus.

The 2015 Alternative Accountability Policy Forum will include 6 conversation sessions intended to build on attendee’s expectations of collaboration and networking by providing a modicum of structure which builds on the in-house expertise. Conversation sessions are led by education leaders with recognized national expertise in the Conversation Session topics and experience in convening veteran practitioners. The Policy Forum also includes 24 presentation sessions on topics ranging from Understanding Trauma Exposure to WIOA Implementation.

If you haven’t registered for the Nation’s leading conference about policies and practices supporting off-track youth, join us today!

Welcome to Presenters from Education Northwest and Portland Public Schools

8/10/2015

The 2015 Alternative Accountability Policy Forum is pleased to welcome presenters from Education Northwest and Portland Public Schools. They will present a session with the working title, "Telling the Whole Story: Using Qualitative and Quantitative Metrics to Measure Multiple Facets of Alternative Programs." This inspiring presentation will highlight ways to effectively measure student progress, student achievement, school climate, and more.

Read more about this AAPF15 collaborative effort from Education Northwest and Portland Public Schools.

Newest Sponsors Include Learn4Life and Buckeye Community Hope Foundation

7/30/2015

Thank you to two additional sponsors for the 4th Annual Alternative Accountability Policy Forum to be held November 15-17, 2015, in San Diego!

The Buckeye Community Hope Foundation (BCHF) was approved as a community school sponsor by the State of Ohio Board of Education in 2004. BCHF believes that community schools are an innovative and progressive approach for developing high quality educational options and seeks to foster and nurture productive relationships with Ohio community schools, providing ongoing guidance and professional oversight geared toward the success of community schools and their students. BCHF is committed to promoting high student achievement, financial stewardship, and responsible governance and management with the schools we authorize.

Learn4Life is a constantly growing network of non-profits that includes accredited high school diploma programs, job training and wraparound services, and exclusive Workforce Investment Act partnerships. Learn4Life partners have resource centers throughout California, and each student receives an individualized education. No two students are alike, and we don’t believe they should be educated that way either. With dozens of centers throughout California, the opportunity for independent learning is available to hundreds of thousands of students.

Welcome New Sponsors: AdvancED, Jobs for the Future, and procopio!

6/24/2015

Thank you to the most recent group of organizations that have stepped up to support the Alternative Accountability Policy Forum 2015: AdvancED, Jobs for the Future, and Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves, & Savitch.

AdvancED is the world leader in providing improvement and accreditation services to education providers of all types in their pursuit of excellence in serving students. AdvancED serves as a trusted partner to more than 32,000 schools and school systems—enrolling more than 20 million students—across the United States and 70 countries. AdvancED is the parent organization for the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).

Jobs for the Future is a national non-profit with offices in Boston, Washington D.C. and Oakland, CA. JFF works to ensure that all underprepared young people and workers have the skills and credentials needed to succeed in our economy by creating solutions that catalyze change in our education and workforce delivery systems. Working with local, state and national partners, JFF designs and drives adoption of innovative and scalable education and career training models and systems that lead from college readiness to career advancement. JFF also develops and advocates for federal and state policies that create incentives for developing these solutions.

Procopio, Cory, Hargeaves & Savitch LLP is one of the largest business law firms in California. With more than 140 attorneys in San Diego and Silicon Valley, Procopio is a regional law firm with a global network that gives it the ability to serve clients’ interests throughout the world. Procopio is dedicated to understanding the businesses and industries of clients and collaborating with them to develop tailored strategies. Since 1946, Procopio's success has been derived from its commitment to clients and its ability to maximize the value it provides to them. Procopio's goal is to continue building long-term relationships with clients through a steady, team-oriented approach.

AAPF 2015 Sessions will focus on policy and practice recommendations for alternative accountability

6/11/2015

2015 Alternative Accountability Policy Forum Sessions Focus on Policy and Practice Recommendations

The 2014 Conference Proceedings developed by WestEd's BethAnn Berliner and Lori Van Houton includes Ten Policy and Practice Priorities to improve outcomes for at-risk students and the schools that serve them.

This year's Alternative Accountability Policy Forum presentations will provide concrete examples of how those policies and practices are being carried out across the Country.

Read the WestEd report and come participate in a unique professional development experience.

Federal and State Policy:
Practical and Promising Recommendations

Focus on Individual Student Learning Gains
Use Multiple Metrics of Individual Student Progress
Allow and Alternative Cohort for Dropout Recovery Graduation Rates
Measure Reengagement Without Penalty
Equitably Fund Alternative Schools that Serve At-Risk Students

Schools, Districts and Charter Authorizers:
Practical and Promising Practices

Adopt a Flexible School Day and Calendar
Provide Wraparound Supports
Offer a Competency-Based Academic Program
Differentiate and Individualize Instruction
Deliver a Relevant Curriculum

If you would like to share your expertise on one of the 10 policies or practices listed in the WestEd Report, submit your presentation proposal now.

CALL FOR PRESENTERS

Comments from Last Year's Attendees:

"For me, the session really represented the essence of the forum - learning from best practices in alternative accountability."
"This presentation needs to be in front of policy makers at state agencies."
"This was an amazing and enlightening workshop. Thank you!"

Join RAPSA Today and earn a $50 savings on November Policy Forum Registration

Join us in teaching, learning and advocating on behalf of at promise students and save $50 off the registration price for the November 15-17 Policy Forum. Your membership provides targeted professional development webinars and other special events throughout the year. Join us to support reports and training about dropout recovery, alternative accountability, noncognitive skills, social emotional learning and other issues critical to the success of at-promise students.

RAPSA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on professional development for education leaders serving reengaged dropouts, opportunity youth, and other "at-promise" students.

REGISTER NOW

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

For more information about the Policy Forum, contact Ernie Silva at 916.449.8919 or ernie.silva@siatech.org.

AAPF2015 Thanks New Sponsors: Renaissance Learning and Koppel & Gruber

6/4/2015

Two new sponsors have expressed their support for the 4th Annual Alternative Accountability Policy Forum for 2015. Thank you to Renaissance Learning and Koppel & Gruber.

Renaissance Learning is a leading provider of cloud-based assessment and teaching and learning solutions that fit the K12 classroom, raise the level of school performance, and accelerate learning for all. With the Universal Screener and progress monitoring in the STAR Enterprise assessment, Renaissance Learning enables educators to deliver highly differentiated and timely instruction while driving personalized student practice in reading, writing, and math every day. Renaissance Learning leverages top researchers, educators, content-area experts, data scientists, and technologists within a rigorous development and calibration process to deliver and continuously improve its offerings for subscribers in over one-third of U.S. schools and more than 60 countries around the world.

Koppel & Gruber Public Finance specializes in financial consulting to public agencies. The founding partners of the firm, Scott Koppel and Lyn Gruber, each have over eighteen years of experience in municipal financial consulting. We are privately held and our greatest concern is the satisfaction of our clients and their constituents and not shareholders. It is our practice to respect the culture and practices of each agency client and act as an addition to your staff.

Our Piece of the Pie Sponsors AAPF2015

5/29/2015

Thank you to Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) for your sponsorship of the 4th Annual Alternative Accountability Policy Forum. We are thrilled to have you as a repeat sponsor of this important conference.

Our Piece of the Pie®, Inc. (OPP®) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping 14 to 24 year-old urban youth become economically independent adults. OPP’s unique model is centered around the intense and consistent relationship developed between each youth and a caring, committed and proactive adult staff member. That relationship helps participants identify and overcome barriers, access support services and programs and achieve the goals of high school graduation, college degree and/or vocational certification and rewarding post-education employment.