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AACTE Gathers Top Speakers for Major Forums

We've assembled an impressive roster of presenters from all aspects of the teacher education community to bring the most timely and thought-provoking issues and information to your attention.

Here is a listing of just a few of the exciting speakers you'll hear at the AACTE 62nd Annual Meeting & Exhibits Major Forums:



John Q. Easton:
Director of the Institute of Education Sciences,
U.S. Department of Education

Research vs. Advocacy: Is there a Bold Line?
Saturday, February 20, 2010,
12:15 – 1:45 p.m.

John Q. Easton was appointed by President Obama for a six-year term as director of the Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education.

Prior to his appointment, he was executive director of the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago. Dr. Easton was affiliated with the consortium since its inception in 1990, and became its deputy director in 1997. He had a long association with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), serving in several research capacities, including as director of the Department of Research, Analysis, and Assessment. He also served as director of research for the Chicago Panel on School Policy, where he led a study on the effects of decentralization on CPS.

He served a term (2003-07) on the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policies for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the "Nation's Report Card." In 2008, he was awarded a presidential citation from the American Educational Research Association for "research leadership and evaluation studies focused on improving the nature and quality of education in a large urban city."

Dr. Easton holds a Ph.D. in measurement, evaluation, and statistical analysis from the University of Chicago; a masters degree from Western Washington University; and a bachelors degree from Hobart College. He is the author or coauthor of numerous reports and articles, and two books: Charting Chicago School Reform: Democratic Localism as a Lever for Change and Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago, to be published by the University of Chicago Press in fall 2009.

John Q. Easton will be joined by other scholars and a public-relations professional to discuss dimensions of the research versus advocacy issue from the following perspectives: the major sponsor of federal education research; an editor of a research journal; the program chair of a major research conference; and one seeking to report research “findings” to the general public.



Ken Kay:
President,
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Powering Up Teacher Preparation to Meet the Needs of 21st Century Learners
Friday, February 19, 2010,
2 – 3:30 p.m.

Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, has been a major voice in defining the potential and promoting the importance of information technology applications in critical areas such as education, health care, e-commerce and government services.

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, has emerged as the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child's success as citizens and workers in the 21st century.

Ken Kay is also chairman and co-founder of Infotech Strategies, Inc. and leads Infotech's Education Technology practice. As executive director for the CEO Forum from 1996 to 2001, Mr. Kay facilitated dialogue between leaders in business, government, and education and led the group through development of the StaR Chart (School Technology & Readiness Guide), used by schools across the country to make better use of technology in the classroom.

Prior to founding Infotech Strategies, Inc., Mr. Kay was a principal of Podesta Associates, Inc. and a partner in the Washington, DC law firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds. He spent more than eight years on Capitol Hill as legislative director to Senator Max Baucus, Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and legislative assistant to Congressman Ed Koch.

Mr. Kay received his law degree in 1976 from the University of Denver and his undergraduate degree from Oberlin College in 1973.

Attend this insightful Forum and find out what your institution can do to ensure that our children have the skills and knowledge to successfully meet the challenges and opportunities of a global economy.



Gene Wilhoit:
Executive Director,
Council of Chief State School Officers

Future Education Leaders:
How to Find, Develop, Nurture, and Keep Them
Saturday, February 20, 2010,
5 – 6:30 p.m.

And

Teacher Performance Assessment:
Raising the Bar for Teacher Effectiveness
Sunday, February 21, 2010,
10:30 a.m. – Noon

Gene Wilhoit assumed his role as executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in November of 2006, having spent his entire professional career serving education at the local, state, and national levels. Gene began his career as a social studies teacher in Ohio and Indiana. He served as a program director in the Indiana Department of Education, an administrator in Kanawha County West Virginia, and a special assistant in the U.S. Department of Education before assuming the position of executive director of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), which he held 1986–1993.

From 1994 to 2006, Gene led two state education agencies, as director of the Arkansas Department of Education and as deputy commissioner then commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Education. In those positions, he shepherded finance reform, led equity initiatives, designed and implemented assessment and accountability systems, advanced nationally recognized preschool and technology programs, and reorganized state agencies to focus on service and support.

Gene holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and economics from Georgetown College and a masters in teaching, political science, and economics from Indiana University, Bloomington. Wilhoit has also studied education administration at West Virginia College of Graduate Studies. He is a member of numerous education organizations, has served on national and state commissions, and has written and spoken on a variety of education issues.

During the Future Education Leaders Forum Gene Wilhoit will join a panel of school administration association executives and thought leaders on education human resource development to consider the issues of finding, developing, nurturing, and retaining leaders and to debate several different solutions.

At the Teacher Performance Assessment Forum Gene Wilhoit and other presenters will outline the reasons why the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT) initiative is so important for the profession, provide details of the initiative, and share early findings of the work that has already been accomplished in California.

Watch for more details about the exciting speakers and topics that will covered at the 62nd Annual Meeting & Exhibits in Atlanta.



AACTE Exhibits Feature Cutting-Edge Technologies and Services.


Click here, to see an updated list of exhibitors and sponsors.




General Information
The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) is a voluntary association of colleges and universities with undergraduate or graduate programs to prepare
professional educators.

1307 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005







For more information, contact Aimee Hall: ahall@aacte.org.





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Meeting-at-a-Glance
Click on this link to view the 62nd Annual Meeting & Exhibits Meeting-at-a-Glance


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Atlanta Travel Guide

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Atlanta Dining



AACTE Major Forums Feature Timely Topics

AACTE has developed a broad range of Major Forum topics that address the burning issues of the day in teacher education. For 2010, we've added a 13th Forum as an added bonus. Speaker selection and confirmation is being finalized and a complete listing of all Forum topics and presenters will be announced in the next two weeks.

Here's a preview of some of the hot topics planned for the Major Forums at this year's Annual Meeting & Exhibits:

Considering Teacher Quality Policy in the Obama Administration
Friday, February 19, 2010,
2 – 3:30 p.m.

With the first year of President Obama's tenure completed, it is time to review his teacher quality policies and consider implications for the educator preparation profession. A representative of the Obama Administration will present an overview of teacher quality initiatives to date. Panelists will discuss and debate how the four major tenets of the education stimulus funding (building and using common standards and assessments, building and using statewide data systems, improving teacher quality, and strengthening struggling schools), as well as other Administration priorities have contributed to teacher quality policy.

New in 2010 -- Our 13th "Bonus" Forum has been added to Sunday's schedule:

Closing the Achievement Gap: Has NCLB made a difference?
Sunday, February 21, 2010,
2:15 – 3:45 p.m.

The academic disparity between African-American, Hispanic, and White students is one of the most enduring challenges in American education. One of the main goals of No Child Left Behind was to close this achievement gap and make sure all students achieve academic proficiency. However, results from the 2008 administration of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) call into question whether NCLB is having its intended effect. Panelists in this forum discuss data on student achievement, the underlying causes of these disparities, and promising programs to achieve the goal.

Powering Up Teacher Preparation to Meet the Needs of 21St Century Learners
Friday, February 19, 2010,
2 – 3:30 p.m.

Recent studies show there is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces. Today's students need not only the basic skills—reading, writing and math—but must also possess a range of applied skills directly related to the workplace, including professionalism, teamwork, oral communication, and ethics and social responsibility.

AACTE is launching an initiative to accelerate the infusion of 21st century skills in teacher education with the publication of a blueprint for action. Find out what your institution can do to ensure that our children have the skills and knowledge to successfully meet the challenges and opportunities of a global economy.

On the Firing Line:
State Teacher Preparation Standards Under Siege
Saturday, February 20, 2010,
12:15 – 1:45 p.m.

Teacher shortages, the proliferation of alternate routes to teaching, and the Race to the Top proposal are among the many factors that have put pressure on states to weaken teacher licensure policies. Panelists at this forum will consider how these factors are impacting the nation's education workforce. They will highlight, in particular, three states where educator preparation and licensure policies have been challenged and where higher education has galvanized to address the challenges.

Educator Preparation: What Does the Future Hold?
Saturday, February 20, 2010,
3:15 – 4:45 p.m.

Some of the most insightful thinkers and prognosticators on education trends will forecast our future in big-picture terms. What will educator preparation—as we now know it—look like in five, ten, twenty years? Are these the 'right' directions? Could our collective will bend the trajectory? Views from state, district, research, and policy perspectives differ, and a lively dialogue among presenters and the audience is assured.

These are just a few of the exciting issues and topics that will be explored at this year's AACTE Annual Meeting & Exhibits. Register before October 30th to take advantage of early-bird discounts and secure your place at the conference that has the most to offer teacher educators.