METROPOLITAN CENTER FOR URBAN EDUCATION
Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality
2011 Summer Institute:
Guardians of Equity: Improving the Educational
Opportunity of Children
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
New York University
Kimmel Center for University Life
Rosenthal Pavilion
60 Washington Square South
New York, New York 10012
Acknowledgement
The Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality (TACD) is funded by the Office of
P-12: Office of Special Education, New York State Education Department. Without its support
of our work, the Summer Institute would not be possible.
Media Release
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Welcome from Dr. Pedro Noguera
On behalf of New York University’s Metropolitan Center for
Urban Education (Metro Center) and the Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality, in partnership with New
York State Education Department, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2011 Summer Institute: Guardians of Equity
Improving the Educational Outcomes of Children. Through
this forum we strive to create an intellectual space for practitioners, researchers, and technical assistance providers to address issues that affect the educational opportunity of all
learners. The Summer Institute seeks to provide strategies
that education systems can use to address the multiple implications of disproportionality on student achievement.
Our Center focuses on remedying root causes of disparity for
racial and ethnic minority students. We help school districts
address policies, practices, and beliefs that impact the racial and gender achievement gap, disproportionality in special education, discipline, and drop-out rates. We hope this day will provide you with information that will help you move an equity agenda forward in the districts and schools where you work.
We are delighted to have you at the Summer Institute. We trust you will find the day engaging and informative. Thank you for joining us and for your commitment to this challenging yet important work.
Sincerely,
Dr. Pedro Noguera
Executive Director
New York University’s Metropolitan Center for Urban Education
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Summer Institute Agenda
Time
Event
Location
8:30am9:00am
Morning Refreshments
10th Floor,
Rosenthal Pavilion Lobby
9:00am9:15am
Welcome from Dr. Lester W. Young, Jr., Regent at Large,
New York State Board of Regents
10th Floor,
Rosenthal Pavilion
9:15am9:30am
Welcome from Dr. Rebecca Cort, the Associate Commissioner
of the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED),
P-12 Education, Office of Special Education
10th Floor,
Rosenthal Pavilion
9:30am9:45am
Introduction of Keynote by Dr. Eddie Fergus, Deputy Director, 10th Floor,
Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, New York University Rosenthal Pavilion
9:45am10:45am
Keynote Presentation: Theory Relevant Strategies for Improving 10th Floor,
Teacher and Student Resiliency by Dr. Margaret Beale Spencer, Rosenthal Pavilion
Marshall Field IV Professor of Urban Education, Applied Developmental Psychologist, in the Department of Comparative
Human Development, University of Chicago
10:45am11:00am
Break
11:00am12:30pm
Session A Workshops and Presentations
4th and 9th Floor
Meeting Rooms
12:30pm1:30pm
Lunch with Special Address from Dr. Pedro Noguera,
Executive Director, New York University’s Metropolitan
Center for Urban Education
10th Floor,
Rosenthal Pavilion
1:45pm3:15pm
Session B Workshops and Presentations
4th and 9th Floor
Meeting Rooms
3:15pm3:30pm
Break
3:30pm4:45pm
Practitioners Panel Discussion on Micro-Aggressions
Moderated by Pedro Noguera
10th Floor,
Rosenthal Pavilion
4:45pm
Closing Remarks and Evaluations
10th Floor,
Rosenthal Pavilion
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Dr. Margaret Beale Spencer, Keynote
Theory Relevant Strategies for Improving
Teacher and Student Resiliency
A human development perspective is critical and too
frequently overlooked. This presentation takes a particular theory sensitive approach. The view espouses
that the adult human development needs of teachers
are as salient for school achievement as are student
growth themes for learning. An under-emphasized
and context linked perspective is that schools consist
of adults and young people who, at the same time,
struggle with varied and critical human development
tasks. These tasks are confronted while all are either
pursuing the goal of obtaining high achievement outcomes or demonstrating successful teaching strategies. The noted tasks confronted represent both challenges and opportunities for maximizing overall resiliency by enhancing teacher competencies as well as improving student achievement. The latter is particularly
relevant for students from economically challenged communities, in some cases, as well as others who miss
opportunities for constructive coping due to the downside of (frequently unacknowledged) privilege.
Dr. Margaret Beale Spencer received a Ph.D. in Child and Developmental Psychology from the University
of Chicago, Committee on Human Development. Her scholarly efforts include significant theory development
activities as well as child and adolescent-focused developmental research. The program of research stresses
human resiliency, identity processes, and competence formation of ethnically diverse young people. Spencer’s
research and collaborative applications are based upon the perspective that all humans are vulnerable (i.e., humans possess both risks and protective factors). The work’s resiliency emphasis is designed to communicate
the importance of investigating children and youths’ strengths, productive coping processes, as well as their
capacity for constructive and healthy outcomes while developing under varying types and levels of challenging
conditions (e.g., risk and challenge may be manifested both as the need to resist beliefs of earned privilege as
well as the problem of navigating under-resourced neighborhoods).
Dr. Spencer is the author of over 100 articles and chapters, has co-edited four volumes, and is the recipient of
funding from over three dozen federal and philanthropic agencies. She has given major invited lectures (e.g.,
2008 Clayton Lecture, UPenn; 2008 Ridley Lecture, University of Virginia; and the 2007 American Educational Research Association [AERA] Brown Lecture) , and has been the recipient of numerous honors including elected (2009) membership into the National Academy of Education; a Society for Research in Child Development Distinguished Contribution Award; American Psychological Association [APA] Senior Career
Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest; Inaugural Fellow status of AERA;
and the 2006 Fletcher Fellowship, which recognizes work that furthers the broad social goals of the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education Decision of 1954. Her research has been featured on ABC and
CNN. In 2009 Spencer returned to Chicago and joined the faculty of the University of Chicago, Department of
Comparative Human Development and the Committee on Education as the Marshall Field IV Professor of Urban Education.
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Dr. Lester W. Young, Jr., Esteemed Speaker
Dr. Lester W. Young, Jr., a recognized educator, leader and innovator, has served as a
teacher, guidance counselor, supervisor of special education, elementary school principal
and Associate Commissioner with the New York State Education Department. During his
10 year tenure as Community Superintendent of District 13, Brooklyn, N.Y., he was responsible for establishing some of the more successful high schools and middle schools in
New York City serving Black and Latino students. He also led the first N. Y. C. Office of
Youth Development and School Community Services.
Continuing his commitment to service, in March of 2010 Dr. Young was appointed by the
New York State Legislature to a second five-year term as Regent At Large, The University
of the State of New York. Currently, Dr. Young co-chairs the Regents Higher Education Committee and chairs
the Early Childhood Workgroup. He also serves on the Board of the Brooklyn Community Foundation; Adelaide L. Sanford Institute; Eagle Academy High School; New York Office of the Children’s Defense Fund; and
is a Life Member of the National Alliance of Black Educators and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Dr. Young volunteers as a mentor to principals and aspiring leaders throughout New York City. During his career, Dr. Young
has been recognized by many local, national education, and civic education organizations for his professional
contributions. Dr. Young is profiled in Men of Courage II, documenting the lives and achievements of 27 African American Men. He is also a contributing writer to Child by Child: The Comer Process for Change in Education, 1999. Currently, Dr. Young is a visiting Professor at Long Island University, Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Rebecca H. Cort, Esteemed Speaker
Dr. Rebecca H. Cort is the Associate Commissioner of the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED) P-12 Education, Office of Special Education.
The Office of Special Education is charged with regulatory and policy development and program oversight to ensure that New York is prepared to meet the
needs of students with disabilities from ages 3 through 21.
Dr. Cort has worked with NYSED for almost 30 years, as the supervisor of the
New York City Special Education Office, Statewide Coordinator of Special Education Quality Assurance and Support Services, the Deputy Commissioner of the
former Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID), and most recently as the Associate Commissioner of Special Education.
Dr. Cort received her doctorate in Learning Disabilities from Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to
joining the State Education Department, she was a general education teacher and special education consultant
and worked on federally-funded projects at both Bank Street College and Columbia University. She has written various articles on special education topics and co-authored the book “Children with Special Needs: Case
Studies in the Clinical Teaching Process.”
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Dr. Pedro Noguera, Special Address and Panel Moderator
Dr. Pedro Noguera, Executive Director, Metropolitan Center
for Urban Education and Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education, Department of Teaching and Learning, New York University, is a leading urban sociologist whose scholarship and
research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced
by social and economic conditions in the urban environment.
Dr. Noguera received his B.A. in Sociology and History and a
teaching credential from Brown University in 1981. He
earned his M.A. in Sociology from Brown in 1982 and received his doctorate in Sociology from UC Berkeley in
1989. Dr. Noguera served as a classroom teacher in public schools in Providence, RI and Oakland, CA and
went on to hold tenured faculty appointments at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the University
of California, Berkeley. In 2008, he was appointed by the Governor of New York to serve on the State University of New York Board of Trustees. Dr. Noguera regularly serves as an advisor and collaborative researcher to school districts throughout the United States and on numerous advisory boards, including as CoChair of the “Broader, Bolder Approach” to education policy, convened by the Economic Policy Institute. A
prolific writer, Dr. Noguera has published over 100 books, chapters, and articles on topics such as urban
school reform, conditions that promote student achievement, youth violence, the potential impact of school
choice and vouchers on urban public schools, and race and ethnic relations in American society. His most recent book is The Trouble with Black Boys: And Other Reflections on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public
Education.
Dr. Edward Fergus, Esteemed Speaker
Dr. Edward Fergus is the Deputy Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban
Education at New York University. Dr. Fergus has been a secondary history
teacher, evaluator of state and federal programs, and program director of out-ofschool time programs. Dr. Fergus serves on the board of the Campaign for Fiscal
Equity, a Trustee of the Yonkers City School District, and was appointed by the
New York State Governor to the Juvenile Justice Advisory Group. Dr. Fergus has
published numerous articles and books on disproportionality in special education,
race/ethnicity in schools, and achievement gap patterns. He published Skin Color
and Identity Formation: Perceptions of Opportunity and Academic Orientation
among Mexican and Puerto Rican Youth, 2004 with Routledge Press. More recently, he co-edited a volume due to be published Summer 2011, titled, Invisible
No More: Understanding the Disenfranchisement of Latino Men and Boys, 2011
with Routledge Press. He has also conducted research and evaluation studies on school violence, bilingual programs, magnet schools, and disproportionality in special education and suspensions. He is currently the CoPrincipal Investigator of a study of single-sex schools for boys of color (funded by the Gates Foundation),
the New York State Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality, and various other research and programmatic endeavors focused on disproportionality and educational opportunity.
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Summer Institute Session Schedules
Session A: 11am-12:30pm
Title
Presenter
Location
The True Cost of Suspension: Combating the
School-to-Prison Pipeline
Adriana Piñón and
Alexander Artz
4th Floor,
Room 405
The Unexamined Whiteness of Teaching:
Understanding Teachers’ Oppositional Stances
and What We Can Do to Interrupt Them
Bree Picower
4th Floor,
Room 406
Hip-Hop: Empowering and Engaging Students
Martha Diaz, Kanene Holder,
Abran Maldonado and
Sam Seidel
9th Floor,
Room 905
The Resilience of Black and Latino Students:
The Stakeholders’ Perspectives
Monique Habersham and
Alexandra McGlashan
9th Floor,
Room 907
A School District’s Framework to Review
Policies, Practices and Procedures for
Addressing Disproportionality
Kelly M. Zimmerman and
Michael Belle-Isle
9h Floor,
Room 909
Creating Positive School Culture: The
Sanctuary Model (Andrus Children’s Center)
Sarah Yanosy and
Landa Harrison
9th Floor,
Room 912
Developing a District Response to Intervention
(RtI) Plan
Lisa Cross and Mike Huff
9th Floor,
Room 903
A Hard Look in the Mirror: Embracing our
Diversity to Promote Equity and Achievement
Susan Stoya, David Ziskin and 9th Floor,
Carol Preston
Room 904
Reflections on the Role of Legal Compliance
When Addressing Disproportionality
Catherine KramarczukVoulgarides
9th Floor,
Room 906
Ensuring Equitable Instruction for
Young Students
Carolyn Strom
9th Floor,
Room 908
Engaging English Language Learners
Rosamaria Leon
9th Floor,
Room 910
8
Summer Institute Session Schedules
Session B: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Title
Presenter
Location
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports:
An Overview and Q & A
Rebeka Richter Honer and
Joe Otter
4th Floor,
Room 405
Status Check on NYS Pilot Response to
Intervention (RtI) Schools
Theresa M. Janczak
4th Floor,
Room 406
Hip-Hop: Empowering and Engaging Students
Martha Diaz, Kanene Holder,
Abran Maldonado and
Sam Seidel
9th Floor,
Room 905
The Resilience of Black and Latino Students:
The Stakeholder’s Perspectives
Monique Habersham and
Alexandra McGlashan
9th Floor,
Room 907
The Underground Railroad: Whose Story do
We Teach?
Mary Liz Stewart
9h Floor,
Room 909
Creating Positive School Culture: The
Sanctuary Model (Andrus Children’s Center)
Sarah Yanosy and
Landa Harrison
9th Floor,
Room 912
Equity and Culturally Responsive Practice:
Moving the Agenda Forward in Ten Steps,
A Case Study of a Small City School District
Lynne Pampel, and Poughkeepsie District Practitioner
Team
9th Floor,
Room 903
Not Like Me: Self-Reflection with Staff
About Differences
Tina T. Gregory
9th Floor,
Room 904
Inspiring the Mind through Mentoring
Elizabeth P. Bittar, Alison
Hudson and Jose Flores
9th Floor,
Room 906
Ensuring Equitable Instruction for
Young Students
Carolyn Strom
9th Floor,
Room 908
Engaging English Language Learners
Rosamaria Leon
9th Floor,
Room 910
9
Workshop & Presentation Descriptions
The True Cost of Suspension: Combating the School-to-Prison Pipeline
Adriana Piñon & Andy Artz
1.5 hours, Session A only
In New York City, students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by policies
such as zero tolerance, over-policing, and long-term suspension. Research has shown that these punitive discipline practices increase the likelihood that students will fall behind academically, drop out of school, or end up
in the juvenile or criminal justice systems. This panel will focus on combating the policies which promote
school-to-prison pipeline and discuss alternatives being employed successfully in schools around the city.
The Unexamined Whiteness of Teaching: Understanding Teachers’ Oppositional Stances and What We
Can Do to Interrupt Them
Dr. Bree Picower
1.5 hours, Session A only
With record numbers of White teachers in the field, it is imperative for school communities to examine the
ways in which understandings about race impact how teachers see themselves, their students, and urban
schooling. This interactive workshop uses research about White teachers' constructions of people different
from themselves as a jumping off point to explore the ways in which “Whiteness” shapes their understandings
and assumptions about urban schools, students and communities. By carefully examining the seemingly raceneutral comments of White teachers, session participants will develop skills for critically analyzing racialized
assumptions in their own school communities. The session will provide time to discuss institutional and individual responses to these dominant and problematic assumptions that have real-life consequences for students
of Color in urban public schools.
Hip-Hop: Empowering and Engaging Students
Martha Diaz
1.5 hours, Session A and repeated for Session B
Beyond being a $5 billion+ entertainment industry, Hip-Hop is a cultural phenomenon that speaks to the experiences of disfranchised and underrepresented urban youth worldwide. When teachers weave Hip-Hop with
literacy, art, math, science, debate, and conflict resolution, they connect and empowers students to become
critical thinkers, problem solvers, and civically engaged citizens and leaders. To intervene in the drop out crisis, youth recidivism, high unemployment, and education budget cuts, the Hip-Hop Education Center (H2ED
Center) was formed to fully promulgate and explore the potential of Hip-Hop pedagogy. This panel will introduce staff members and leaders from the Hip-Hop education field that will discuss their individual projects as
well as highlight best practices and ways to incorporate Hip-Hop in formal and informal settings.
10
Workshop & Presentation Descriptions
The Resilience of Black and Latino Students: The Stakeholders’ Perspectives
Monique Habersham & Dr. Alexandra McGlashan
1.5 hours, Session A and repeated for Session B
The workshop will address what current research states about resiliency for Black and Latino students then
take an in-depth look at a resilience-building program implemented in a high minority school district on Long
Island. The research is a meta analysis of best practices for building resilience from the teacher and student
perspectives, and resilience-building components specifically for Black and Latino students. The workshop
will focus on a program implemented for female elementary school students in the Roosevelt School District,
then examine the results it had during their Middle School years.
A School District’s Framework to Review Policies, Practices & Procedures to Address
Disproportionality
Kelly Zimmerman & Michael Belle-Isle
1.5 hours, Session A only
This workshop will focus on providing a framework for school districts to review current policies, practices,
and procedures in an effort to address disproportionality and cultural responsiveness in the school setting.
Workshop participants will experience the journey that Amherst Central School District has taken over the past
six years in their examination of the overrepresentation of minorities in special education identification, placement, and suspension rates. This will include a review of structures, processes, and trainings that have been
established to promote equity on district, school building, and classroom levels. Participants will also experience samples of a comprehensive professional development program currently being implemented in Amherst,
which takes trainees through a journey of self-exploration, education, and practical application of various culturally responsive teaching strategies and techniques. The workshop will culminate in a list of considerations,
suggestions, and resources for districts to begin their own self-review.
Creating Positive School Culture: The Sanctuary Model
Sarah Yanosy & Landa Harrison
1.5 hours, Session A and repeated for Session B
This session will describe the ways in which the Sanctuary Model, an organizational intervention, provides a
proactive and inclusive template for engaging students, faculty, families and stakeholders in creating a school
culture that helps children succeed despite social, emotional and economic challenges they may face. Sanctuary does this by providing a blueprint for culture change that focuses on safety, student empowerment and
community involvement by addressing the universality of adversity. Sanctuary provides theoretical, philosophical, linguistic, and most importantly, practical applications in the development of this environment. The
Sanctuary Model addresses disproportionality by looking at the effects of adverse and traumatic events on children who have experienced them, as well as on the staff and administrators in the school. Sanctuary has been
implemented district-wide in two school districts, one in NJ and one in PA, and in over 30 special education
schools across the country. The implementation and tools are unique from many other school-based interventions, in that the Sanctuary Model targets the faculty and administration as well as the students within the
school culture, recognizing that adversity touches all levels of the school community. This session will describe the implementation of this model and review the outcomes associated with its use.
11
Workshop & Presentation Descriptions
Developing a District Response to Intervention (RtI) Plan
Lisa Cross & Mike Huff
1.5 hours, Session A only
Learn how two elementary school principals in the Kenmore Town of Tonawanda School District developed a
district RTI plan. Helpful hints will be shared on how they aligned current resources, structures and protocols
to move the Response to Intervention model forward. They will share resources that have been helpful
throughout this process.
A Hard Look in the Mirror: Embracing our Diversity to Promote Equity and Achievement
Susan Stoya, David Ziskin & Carol Preston
1.5 hours, Session A only
Greater Amsterdam School District serves a diverse community in which there is significant poverty and a
growing Latino community that has felt disenfranchised. The school district’s achievement results have been
poor for all students, but especially for Hispanic/Latino students, economically disadvantaged students, and
students with disabilities. This presentation will share the story of how one district used data as a tool for honest reflection and the steps developed to address the image we saw. They will share their journey, including
identifying root causes and planning action steps toward real change. Its staff looked in the “mirror” while reviewing data and was faced with the reality of how scheduling, placement and instructional practices were resulting in low expectations, poor achievement and segregation. While only in the second year of implementation, the action steps taken thus far show promising evidence for changing expectations among students, staff,
families and the community and toward improving student achievement for all. Through partnerships with
educational and Latino outreach agencies, professional development for staff, and the development of equitable organizational structures, the district is beginning a journey to change the image it sees in the “mirror”, and
to ensure that all students are achieving.
Reflections on the Role of Legal Compliance
Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides
1.5 hours, Session A only
The disproportionate representation of minority students in special education has a long history in the United
States. Disproportionality gained substantial recognition when it became the topic of influential litigation in
the 1980s and more recently, specific provisions to address disproportionality have been included in the 1997
and 2004 reauthorizations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). All states and districts
must comply with these provisions and if they do not, and show significant disparities in special education by
race and ethnicity, they must remedy noncompliance through a formal process set out by each respective state.
Therefore, this session seeks to engage with the legal history surrounding disproportionality and explore the
effects of compliance in the daily work of special education district administrators. District administrators are
key legal mediators when addressing disproportionality, because they set the tone on how their district’s citations will be addressed. This session’s goal is to examine how compliance is understood in practice, which will
allow for critical dialogue to emerge that relates to the compliance process and how compliance related actions
can be effectively understood and utilized when addressing disproportionality.
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Workshop & Presentation Descriptions
Ensuring Equitable Instruction for Young Students
Carolyn Strom
1.5 hours, Session A and repeated for Session B
This session will primarily focus on ways to ensure that our youngest students receive equitable instruction,
particular in Early Literacy and Reading. Specifically, research-based methods will be featured that focus on
reaching bilingual and beginning readers in the elementary classroom. Participants will leave this session with
highly practical strategies and tools that capitalize on young students’ cognitive, linguistic and social
strengths—rather than focus on their deficits. This will be an interactive session where participants will gain
deeper knowledge of culturally responsive teaching and multisensory strategies that work effectively to reach
bilingual and beginning readers.
Engaging English Language Learners
Dr. Rosamaria Leon
1.5 hours, Session A and repeated for Session B
In this session, Dr. Leon will share strategies to engage students with limited English proficiency, as well explore ways to build positive relationship with students and their families.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: An Overview and Q&A
Rebecca Richter Honer & Joe Otter
1.5 hours, Session B only
This session will provide a dynamic overview of Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS), a research-based, school-wide systems approach to behavior management for schools. Across the nation, PBIS
has been a very effective intervention and its practical application in school settings will be discussed. Reallife examples from NYS schools will be featured and attendees will leave with an understanding of what PBIS
“looks like” when being implemented in a school, as well as the positive impact it has on both students and
staff.
Status Check on NYS Pilot Response to Intervention (RTI) Schools
Dr. Theresa M. Janczak
1.5 hours, Session B only
In 2009, 14 NYS elementary schools were chosen to participate in a RtI pilot program funded by the NYS
Education Department and coordinated by the NYS RtI Technical Assistance Center. This presentation will
discuss the RtI progress of these schools over the course of one-and-a-half years of implementation. Insight
into key variables that contribute to successful RtI implementation will be shared. Preliminary data regarding
efficacy of these pilot schools will be presented as well. Evaluation tools plus decision rules that some of
these schools use to determine movement through tiers of intervention will be illustrated.
13
Workshop & Presentation Descriptions
The Underground Railroad: Whose Story do We Teach?
Mary Liz Stewart
1.5 hours, Session B only
Equity, human rights and anti-racism are words and concepts seldom associated with the standard retelling of
the Underground Railroad story, and yet, this historic movement that had its roots in the colonial US, evolving
over time to the Civil War, had a significant impact on historic developments in New York, the US, and the
world. A new interpretation of this very old story, and its relationship to us today, brings forward the inspiring
voices of those long silenced, contributing to student and community empowerment and posing the question,
“Whose history do we teach?”
Equity and Culturally Responsive Practice: Moving the Agenda Forward in Ten Steps, A Case Study of
a Small City School District
Lynne Pampel and Poughkeepsie District Practitioner Team
1.5 hours, Session B only
A number of different stakeholders from Poughkeepsie City School District present how their district addressed culturally responsive practices in their Instructional Support Team (IST) and Response to Intervention
(RtI) procedures in 10 steps.
Not Like Me: Self-Reflection with Staff about Differences
Tina T. Gregory
1.5 hours, Session B only
“Not Like Me” is a workshop designed to initiate conversations among school staff regarding students (and
staff) that are not like them—conversations that seek to explore and to celebrate differences in color and in
culture. The workshop also provides opportunities for staff members to examine their own beliefs about differences and equity, and to reflect on how these beliefs affect their practices. Workshop participants will actively
examine the practices within their own schools to discuss and to document strategies that counter disproportionality. A look at how disproportionality affects all stakeholder groups (students, staff, and community entities) will also be discussed. Active participation and candid conversations are crucial for this workshop.
Inspiring the Mind through Mentoring
Elizabeth P. Bittar, Alison Hudson and Jose Flores
1.5 hours, Session B only
Mentoring makes a big difference: When kids enjoy a regular, positive activity with an adult over the course of
a year, those kids are 46% less likely to begin using drugs, 27% less likely to begin using alcohol, and 52%
less likely to skip school. Inspiring Minds is a mentoring program designed to enhance student engagement
with school and learning, promote student competence and provide persistent support of academic and behavioral expectations. In this workshop participants will be able to identify how school district leadership and organizational structures could be used to set up effective mentoring support for at-risk students and ultimately
bring true equity to our most vulnerable students.
14
Panel Discussion: Everyday Micro-Aggressions
The organizational change process is difficult, particularly when it comes to talking about racial inequities.
Yet every day, education leaders all over New York State are making progress toward closing achievement
gaps and ending disproportionality. Part of understanding how to make change within organizations is to be
aware of how we address and understand the subtle forms of racism and bias that can manifest in our daily
work in schools and districts. These subtle forms of racism and bias are commonly referred to as microaggressions. This panel brings together experts in the field of education to consider strategies that practitioners
can use to mitigate micro-aggressions often experienced by students of color in school. The hope is to better
understand how to support the academic, social, and emotional well-being of all students.
Panelist Biographies
Dr. Joshua Aronson is associate professor of developmental, social, and educational psychology at NYU. He
received his Ph.D. in 1992 from Princeton University. Before coming to New York University, he was on the
faculty at the University of Texas and was a postdoctoral scholar and lecturer at Stanford University.
Aronson’s research focuses on the social and psychological influences on academic achievement. Aronson is
internationally known for his research on “stereotype threat” and minority student achievement, research that
offers a strong challenge to traditional, genetic explanations of why African Americans and Latinos perform
less well on tests of intelligence than their White counterparts, and why women trail men in hard math and science. Aronson and his colleagues’ research shows how stereotypes that allege lower ability among these
groups depresses Black and Latino students’ test and school performance, and women's comfort and performance in advanced mathematics and science domains. One of the most widely cited social scientists in the past
decade, he has authored numerous chapters and scholarly articles on this work and is the Editor of Improving
Academic Achievement: Impact of Psychological Factors on Education (Academic Press) and Readings about
the Social Animal, (Worth). His current work focuses on methods of boosting the learning and test performance of underachieving youth. Aronson has received several awards and grants for his research including
Early Career awards from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and the National Science
Foundation, and the G. Stanley Hall Award from the American Psychological Association. He was the founding director of the Center for Research on Culture, Development and Education at New York University. His
forthcoming book is called The Nurture of Intelligence.
Dr. Lauren Katzman is New York City Department of Education's Executive Direction of Special Education
in the Division of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners. Previously, Katzman was an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching's Special Education program at Boston University. Katzman's research has focused on students with disabilities' perspectives of the effects of high-stakes
testing. She conducted evaluations of state and district implementation of IDEA; in 2004 for the New York
City Department of Education. Katzman was a special education teacher for 14 years.
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Panelist Biographies
Dr. Shondel Nero is Associate Professor and Director of the Program in Multilingual/Multicultural Studies in
the Department of Teaching and Learning at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University. A native of Guyana, Dr. Nero’s research examines the politics, challenges, and
strategies of educating students who speak and/or write in nonstandard varieties of English, World Englishes,
and Creoles. She has taught and researched the linguistic and educational needs of English Language Learners,
especially speakers of Caribbean Creole English, in New York City schools for the past 20 years. Her work
has appeared in numerous scholarly journals. She is the author of Englishes in Contact: Anglophone Caribbean Students in an Urban College (2001), and editor of Dialects, Englishes, Creoles and Education
(2006). Dr. Nero was recently selected for a Fulbright Award to do teaching and research on Creole speakers
in Jamaica for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz is an Assistant Professor of English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. At the core of her teaching and research agenda is an exploration of how diversity (gender, class, race)
informs instructional goals, curriculum, pedagogy, and literacy learning in high school and community college
settings. Her current research projects examine the intersection of race, gender and literacy in these educational
settings. Her research interests include: the racial literacy of English teachers in urban schools, the literacy
practices of over-aged, under-credited Black and Latino high school males, and the relevance of Critical English Education to Black and Latina community college female students. From 2006-2008 she worked at NYU's
Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. In her capacity as Research Associate, she studied the prevalence of
the achievement gap in suburban schools, and worked with various districts in New York State on addressing
their disproportionate placement of students of color in Special Education.
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Presenter Biographies
Alexander Artz (Andy) is a staff attorney with the Education Law Unit at Legal Services NYC Bronx. His practice focuses on school discipline and special education. A co-founder of the Suspension Representation Project, he has advocated for students at Superintendent's suspension hearings for
four years. Andy earned his J.D. in 2009 from New York University School of Law. His distinctions
include the Order of Barrister and the Christian Jarecki ’98 Memorial Prize.
Elizabeth Bittar is a Special Education School Improvement Specialist at Erie 1 BOCES with responsibility for developing comprehensive educational plans for targeted school districts, and carrying out
professional development to teachers and administrators. She also serves on the TACD western regional team where she collaboratively works with NYU, school administrators, teachers, and other
school personnel to turnkey the work of TACD. Prior to a career in Special Education, Bittar worked
in Human Resources Management as a Recruitment and Training Coordinator. Following the completion of a M.S. in Special Education she joined the Erie 1 BOCES district as a special education teacher.
Michael Belle-Isle received his B.A. in 1995 at the University at Buffalo with a double-major in psychology and business administration, and subsequently earned a M.A. and C.A.S. in School Psychology. He has since been employed by the Amherst Central School District outside Buffalo, NY where
he first worked for 9 years as a school psychologist. In 2007, he achieved an additional C.A.S. in
School Administration and has served as the Director of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services since that time. During this time, he has supported a growing Culturally Responsive Teaching
initiative as a team member and now a leader. This has been done in collaboration with many outside
agencies and support systems, particularly Erie 1 BOCES and NYU
Lisa H. Cross has been a principal at Holmes Elementary since 2004. She was a former elementary
and technology teacher in the Buffalo Public School District. As a principal of a Title 1 Pre K-5 Elementary school she has focused her efforts on creating a strong literacy-based program that targets instruction for struggling readers using the Response to Intervention model. She graduated from Valparaiso University with BS in Elementary Education and from University of Buffalo with a Masters in
Educational Administration.
Martha Diaz is a community organizer, media producer, archivist, social entrepreneur, and an Adjunct
Professor at NYU's Gallatin School. Diaz has been dedicated to innovating communities, advancing
social justice, cultivating leaders and artists, and mentoring youth for over 15 years. In 2002, Diaz
formed the H2O International Film Festival, and subsequently, developed the H2Ed [Hip-Hop Education] Summit and the non-profit Hip-Hop Association [H2A]. For seven years, Diaz served as president
and executive director of the award winning H2A, and is currently its Chair. Diaz co-created and edited
the Hip-Hop Education Guidebook, Vol.I. In 2010, she founded the Hip-Hop Education Center in partnership with Dr. Pedro Noguera of the Metropolitan Center.
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Presenter Biographies
Tina Gregory is a native of Niagara Falls, New York (and has four children ages 24, 21, 19, and 16.)
While in high school, Tina earned her license in Practical Nursing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree
in Social Work and a Bachelor of Science degree in Bible from Philadelphia Biblical University. Tina
also holds two Master of Science degrees from Niagara University: one in Elementary Education and
the other in Educational Administration. Additionally, she is certified in Applied Urban Ministries.
Tina is currently pursuing at Niagara University, a doctorate in Leadership and Policy. In her career,
Tina was a staff supervisor in Philadelphia at a facility for juvenile sex offenders. She then worked for
the Niagara Falls City School District as a Social Worker for Pregnant and parenting teens. She later
taught for the Niagara Falls City School District as an elementary teacher. Tina is currently the Assistant Principal at LaSalle Preparatory School.
Jose Flores is the Special Education School Improvement Specialist at Erie 1 BOCES where he is responsible for developing comprehensive educational plans for targeted school districts and carrying out
professional development to teachers and administrators. He also serves on the TACD Western Region
team where he collaboratively works with NYU, school administrators, teachers, and other school personnel to turnkey the work of TACD. Prior to joining Erie 1 BOCES, Jose Flores worked as a special
education teacher in one of TACD’s earliest targeted school districts.
Monique Habersham currently serves as a Program Coordinator/ Special Education School Improvement Specialist at the Nassau BOCES Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center, where she provides technical assistance in school districts throughout Nassau County to improve
instructional practices primarily in the areas of literacy, behavioral supports and special education for
students with disabilities. She began her educational career 23 years ago as a Special Education
Teacher for the New York City Board of Education, then returned to her hometown of Roosevelt, Long
Island. There, she continued to teach as an Elementary Special Education Teacher, Resource Room
Teacher and Gifted and Talented Teacher. She is also the recipient of the 2003 Walmart Teacher of the
Year Award. Monique also began her Administrative career in Roosevelt as the Administrator for Enrichment Programs and the Middle School Interim Assistant Principal. of Saint Rose. She is entering
her third year as a Doctoral student in Hofstra University's Educational Leadership Doctoral Program.
Landa Harrison, LPC is the Coordinator for the PA Sanctuary Consortium, a clinical supervisor, and
a licensed private practitioner who has been working with traumatized children and their families for
over fifteen years. She has been in the childcare field as both an educator and direct care staff member
since 1991. Landa has over 10,000 direct contact hours working with patients who have a DSM IV
Axis I and/or Axis II diagnosis. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor, holds a Professional Certificate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as an Elementary and Secondary School Counselor, she
is a Professionally Certified Experiential Education Trainer, and is an Autism consultant and trainer in
Child and Adolescent Mental Health for mental health agencies in the greater Pittsburgh.
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Presenter Biographies
Kanene Holder, an educator and performance artist with grants from Franklin Furnace, Puffin Foundation, LMCC, and others, who recently completed fellowships with the National Endowment for the Humanities focusing on Zora Neale Hurston, and an artistic residency at Bard College's Center for Media,
Culture and Difference. The arts are her focal point as a burgeoning policy analyst due to her fellowship with The Colin Powel Center for Policy Studies. Ms. Holder also performs and teaches via her
theatrical experiment "Shock and Awe with an Intellectual Aftertaste", highlighting the irony and lies
of the media, the status quo and politics as fodder dissected and fed to an interactive audience/
classroom to galvanize them into participative cultural warriors. Her new blog, millions-served.com,
highlights the need for quality schools to be as ubiquitous as McDonald’s in urban, suburban and rural
areas, and displaying Holder's witty analysis and searing commentary on both current policy and brainstorming a utopian education.
Rebekah Richter Honer earned her Masters of Social Work from Syracuse University in 2005 and is
a Certified School Social Worker and Licensed Master Social Worker in New York State. She has
worked as a Social Worker at Jefferson-Lewis BOCES in the Alternative Education Program for 6
years. She also started a part-time private practice in 2005 where she provides psychotherapy to adults,
children, and families. She currently is serving her 2nd year as the Central Region Behavior Specialist
for the Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center, an Office of Special Education (OSE)-funded center supporting schools in improving Special Education services.
Alison Hudson is the Transition Coordinator at the City of Tonawanda Middle/High School with responsibility for ensuring a smooth transition for high school aged Special Education students from high
school into various post-secondary activities. She also serves as the coordinator for the TMHS Inspiring Minds Mentoring at Risk Students program where she works closely with the local SESIS from
Erie 1 BOCES. Alison Hudson has worked in her current position for four years and holds teaching
certification in Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities grades 1-6.
Michael J. Huff has served as principal at Alexander Hamilton Elementary and Director of Universal
Pre-Kindergarten in the Kenmore Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District since 2007. Michael graduated from SUNY Brockport with a B.S. in Physical Education and later earned a M.S. and
Professional Diploma in Educational Administration and Supervision from Niagara University. Michael and his team have utilized a Response to Intervention model that employs data-driven decision
making to provide students with targeted instruction across the tiers.
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Presenter Biographies
Dr. Rosamaria Leon was born and raised in Spanish Harlem. Having been an English language
learner student herself, Dr. Leon’s mission was to understand the process of second language acquisition so that students are able to become English proficient, and at the same time, progress academically. Dr. Leon completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Hunter College followed by three Master’s Degrees: Bilingual Education (First graduating class in NYC), Reading Specialist, and Administration and
Supervision. She then continued her education by graduating from Fordham University with a Doctoral Degree. Her Doctoral dissertation is based on a longitudinal study following a bilingual class
from Kindergarten to the 4th grade to determine factors that contribute to the successful acquisition of
English proficiency and academic success. This dissertation may be obtained from the Fordham Library.
Abran "Aronic" Maldonado Artist and Scholar, Abran is an Assistant Director for H2ED and is also
the founder and director of PEACE, Positive Entertainment And Creative Education. PEACE is a curriculum-based enrichment program that uses youth culture to improve literacy, focus, motivation, and
sense of purpose among urban youth. He has provided guidance and mentorship to hundreds of unsigned artists and extends his knowledge and support through panel discussions, music seminars and
workshops. Abran was honored by Bill Gates as a Gates Millennium Scholar, an award given to future
leaders in the community. He made the most of this opportunity and has since received a B.S. in Communication Arts from St. John's University, an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Education from
Teachers College of Columbia University and is currently a doctoral candidate pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Education at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development.
Dr. Theresa M. Janczak serves as Principal Investigator and Project Director of the New York State
Response to Intervention Technical Assistance Center (NYS RtI TAC). She also serves as the Western
RtI Consortium Member to two pilot schools that are part of an RtI pilot program funded by the New
York State Education Department. In addition to her work with the NYS RtI TAC, Dr. Janczak is an
Assistant Professor in the Exceptional Education Department at the State University College at Buffalo
College where she teaches graduate-level coursework involving single-subject research methodology
and effective instructional strategies for students with mild disabilities. Dr. Janczak holds K-12 certification in Special Education and School District Administration and was a former special educator for
students with mild disabilities at the primary and middle-school levels where she provided explicit and
direct literacy instruction to children who struggled with the reading process. Her professional interests
over the past twenty years have focused on effective instructional interventions with a focus on literacy
for students considered at-risk or mildly disabled. In addition, Dr. Janczak implements a year-long family literacy training program for parents of kindergarten children in an inner-city school.
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Presenter Biographies
Dr. Alexandra McGlashan is a New York State licensed psychologist and Certified Bilingual School
Psychologist (Haitian-Creole). She is a native New Yorker who completed her undergraduate studies at
the State University of New York at Binghamton and graduate studies at Pace University. Dr.
McGlashan has worked over 10 years as a School Psychologist in both New York City and Long Island. She currently works as a School Psychologist for the Roosevelt Public Schools. She works directly with students to help improve learning, behavior, and socio-emotional health. She’s helped plan
a number of prevention programs for the students of the Roosevelt Public Schools, including a Boys
and Girls Empowerment program, and Male Mentorship program. She consults with teachers and staff,
and conducts numerous workshops for parents and students on various topics of interest. She also
works in an administrative capacity as the Committee on Preschool Special Education Chairperson for
the Roosevelt Public Schools. Dr. McGlashan has recently joined Child & Family Psychology, a group
practice in Franklin Square, New York. She volunteers for a number of organizations including the Red
Cross, New York State Psychological Association, and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Day Care
Center. She prides herself on delivering competent, professional service with a warm and caring touch.
Joseph Otter earned his Masters of Social Welfare from the University at Albany in 2000 and is a Certified School Social Worker and Licensed Master Social Worker in New York State. He has worked at
Capital Region BOCES as a trainer and facilitator on topics including PBIS, behavior management,
behavior plans, data-based decision-making and school improvement for more than 9 years. He currently serves as the Capital Region Behavior Specialist for the Regional Special Education Technical
Assistance Support Center, an Office of Special Education-funded center supporting schools in improving Special Education services.
Dr. Lynne Pampel and the Poughkeepsie District Practitioner Team represent the Poughkeepsie
City School District, which has participated in 2 years of TACD support through the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education. They will present the successful approaches and methods developed to assist
buildings with the management and tracking of student data, related to disproportionality, by the Instructional Support Teams. Presenters are administrators, Instructional Support Team Chairpersons
and Equity Committee Members.
Dr. Bree Picower is an Assistant Professor at Montclair State University. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow and doctoral student at NYU. She was a recipient of a Steinhardt fellowship where she
received her Ph.D. Her study on "The Unexamined Whiteness of Teaching," explored the role that race
plays in how student teachers conceptualize urban education and was awarded the Steinhardt Outstanding Dissertation Award of 2007. Her current research focuses on the development of teacher activists as well as the role of Critical Inquiry Groups as a strategy to support urban educators to teach for
equity and social justice. She has taught in public elementary schools in Oakland, California and New
York City and worked as a school coach for the Bay Area Coalition of Essential Schools, where she
now serves on the advisory board. As a core leader of the New York Collective of Radical Educators,
Bree coordinates many professional development opportunities for educators, including a racial justice
series that looks at the role that race plays in current education reforms.
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Presenter Biographies
Adriana Piñón focuses her work on the education system, immigration and various constitutional issues. She joined the NYCLU in 2008, bringing experience with international human rights law and litigation. Prior to working at the NYCLU, Piñón assisted the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in
San José, Costa Rica with cases regarding political participation, disappearances, freedom of expression, and assisted the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York City with its Alien Tort Statute litigation. She also worked on institutional reform issues with the Centro por Estudios Legales y Sociales
in Buenos Aires, Argentina while studying abroad at the Universidad de Buenos Aires during law
school. Piñón graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1998 with an A.B. in history and
science, and she received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2007 with special recognition for her
work in international law.
Carol Preston has been the Director of Student Services and Special Education in the Greater Amsterdam School District for 2 ½ years. Previously, she was the Director of Student Services in the Warrensburg Central School District, CSE Chairperson in the Shenendehowa School District and the Lansingburgh School District. Carol was a special education teacher at the secondary level for 7 years. Carol
supervises special education, guidance, social workers, nurses, home tutoring, home schooling, registration, attendance, records requests, and is the district’s Title IX officer. Carol received a Bachelor’s
degree in Elementary Education from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, a Master’s degree in Special Education from Sage Graduate School and her administrative certification from the
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Carol was on the Greater Capital District Teacher Center policy
board from 1997 until its closure in 2010. In her time at the Greater Amsterdam School District, Carol
has developed a continuum of services that supports the least restrictive environment and higher expectations for achievement for students with disabilities. Carol has implemented extensive professional
development to support the implementation of best practices in the district’s special education programs.
Cassie Porter is currently the Regional Behavior Specialist for the RSE-TASC, where she assists districts with high rates of suspension for students with disabilities. However, Porter began her career in
the classroom. After graduating with a B.A. from Canisius College in Elementary Education and English, she taught for seven and a half years in an agency setting in Buffalo. During her time in the classroom, she earned a M.A. in Special Education. However, most of what she learned during that time
dealt with classroom management and effective teaching strategies for balancing a great deal of content
with students’ needs and abilities. She left the classroom to be a trainer with the Special Education
Technical Assistance Center, where she worked for almost three years before accepting her current position.
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Presenter Biographies
Sam Seidel is the author of Hip Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education. He has taught in a variety of settings from first grade to community college, and directed an award-winning arts program for
young people in, and transitioning out of prison. He now works with several national networks of innovative schools, speaks at education events, and writes for The Husslington Post as well as other publications.
Mary Liz Stewart, an elementary educator, and Paul Stewart, a community development specialist,
both of whom are Scholars-in-Residence at Sage Colleges, have uncovered documented evidence of
numerous African American abolitionists who were activists in the Underground Railroad movement
in New York’s capital region and beyond, and they have reclaimed over 125 accounts of freedom seekers who made their way into and through the Capital Region. They have taken this history to multiage
audiences through classroom presentations, educator workshops, community tabling, media presentations, walking tours, conference presentations, and print publications. Their work has merited numerous awards and has significantly impacted pedagogy around the historic period traditionally known as
the Underground Railroad.
Carolyn Strom is an adjunct instructor at NYU, primarily teaching Language and Literacy courses in
the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. She is also a Ph.D. candidate
whose research focuses on beginning and struggling readers in urban schools. She graduated magna
cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a Master’s degree in Reading Education
from the University of Southern California.
Susan Stoya is in her second year with the Greater Amsterdam School District, serving as the Director
of Secondary Instruction. She has been a school level administrator and district administrator for 13
years serving the Greater Amsterdam and Ballston Spa School Districts. Prior to her work as an administrator, Susan taught for the Glens Falls City School District as a special education teacher and Reading Recovery teacher leader. Susan has extensive experience in curriculum development, implementing
instructional initiatives and developing and coordinating professional development. She earned a
C.A.S. in Reading from the University at Albany, her B.A. from St. Joseph’s College and Reading Recovery Teacher Leader certification from New York University. Susan’s focus at Amsterdam has been
to improve student achievement and educational opportunities for all students, especially for Students
with Disabilities, Hispanic/Latino students and Economically Disadvantaged students. She has facilitated extensive professional and curriculum development to support higher expectations for students
and staff, implemented initiatives to promote culturally responsive practices, developed more cohesive
and rigorous systems and instructional programs, and focused on ensuring equal access to instructional
and enrichment opportunities for all.
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Presenter Biographies
Catherine Kramarczuk Voulgarides is in the Sociology of Education Doctoral program in
Steinhardt’s Humanities and Social Sciences Department at New York University. Previously she
worked for the AmeriCorps Vista project in Phoenix, Arizona, coordinating and developing ESL programs for recent immigrant parents in the Phoenix school system. She was also a Teach for America
Corps member and taught middle school special education in Washington Heights. During this time she
trained incoming TFA Corps members in special education and wrote a grant proposal and implemented an experimental Special Education classroom model designed to increased student achievement
and engagement with a traditional public school setting. Catherine has a BA in Economics from McGill
University in Montreal, Canada and also holds a MST in Special Education from Pace University in
New York City.
Sarah M. Yanosy, LCSW is the Director of the Sanctuary Institute at the Andrus Children's Center in
Yonkers, NY. She has been a clinical social worker for over ten years and used the Sanctuary Model
with her treatment team in that capacity. She has collaborated with Dr. Sandra Bloom and colleagues
to develop the curriculum for the Sanctuary Leadership Development Institute training, and has overseen the training and consultation process for over 90 organizations across the United States and five
other countries to implement the Sanctuary Model. She was recognized as one of the Business Council
of Westchester’s 40 under 40 Rising Stars, and her most recent publications are a chapter co-authored
with David McCorkle, LCSW in a book entitled Loss, Hurt and Hope and an article co-authored with
Dr. Sandra Bloom in the journal, “Reclaiming Children and Youth”.
Kelly M. Zimmerman is a School Psychologist with the Amherst Central School District in Amherst,
NY. Kelly obtained her B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from the University at Buffalo, and her
M.S. in School Psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology and has been a practicing School
Psychologist for 13 years. For the past six years, she has played a lead role in district initiatives to reform policies, practices, and procedures in regards to issues of disproportionality and culturally responsive teaching within Amherst Central Schools. This included an on-going district self-review of data
related to special education classification, placement, and suspension rates for minority student populations. During this time, she has participated in various trainings and seminars provided by NYU, The
People’s Institute, and Gary Howard. As a turnkey trainer, she has worked to develop and implement a
training curriculum used for administrators, teachers, and staff throughout Amherst Central Schools.
She has also led book studies and other staff development on topics related to racism, diversity, and
cultural awareness.
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Presenter Biographies
David Ziskin has served as principal of Amsterdam High School in Amsterdam, New York since December of 2008. Prior to becoming the principal, Ziskin worked for the Successful Practices Network,
a not-for-profit partner of the International Center for Leadership in Education, managing an initiative
funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation whose objective was to identify and bring to scale
the most successful practices of 75 high schools around the nation identified as promising by their
states’ chief education officers. Prior to that Dave served as a teacher and administrator at BroadalbinPerth High School and as principal of Fonda-Fultonville High School. Since becoming principal at
Amsterdam Dave has focused on raising expectations for all students and improving instruction. Since
Dave’s arrival, Amsterdam High School has implemented a de-tracking initiative, dramatically increased the ratio of students with disabilities in less-restrictive settings, created organizations structures
to allow for common planning time for core instructional teams, facilitated embedded coaching to support improving instructional practices, and has emphasized cultural responsiveness. The high school’s
Comprehensive Education Plan Team under his leadership has been recognized as a strong model for
developing a comprehensive plan for school improvement.
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Map of NYU Kimmel Center
4th and 8th Floors
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Map of NYU Kimmel Center
9th and 10th Floors
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Map of New York University
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Summer Institute Information
Metro Center Staff
Metro Center staff welcomes you to the 2011
Summer Institute! We are eager to assist you
with any questions you may have. Stop by our
Registration Desk for answers. Staff will also be
on hand throughout the day to assist you. Look
for the “purple torch” stickers on our name tags
and ask us for help!
Metro Center will be videotaping the presentations
and panel discussion that take place in the Rosenthal
Pavilion. Metro Center will also be taking photographs during presentations in the Rosenthal Pavilion
and during workshop and presentation sessions. By
entering the Rosenthal Pavilion and/or attending any
of the workshop and presentation sessions, you consent to be videotaped and/or photographed and acknowledge that you will not be compensated for any
uses made of the recording or photos. A copy of the
NYU Media form is in this program.
Registration Desk and Hours
The Registration Desk is located on the 10th
Floor of New York University’s Kimmel Center, by the Rosenthal Pavilion.
Evaluations
Evaluation forms are included in your Summer Institute materials. Please complete and return them to
either a Metro Center staff member or the marked
box on the Registration Table prior to leaving Summer Institute.
Admissions
Attendees must display their Summer Institute
name tag for admittance to all sessions. Session
entrances will be monitored.
Session Capacity and Location
Attendees can choose from a variety of breakout sessions. These sessions will last for 1.5 hours. Some
will be repeated, some will not. Please check the
Summer Institute Session Schedules in this program
for specific information. All sessions have limited
capacity and attendance is on a first-come, first-serve
basis.
All sessions will be held on the 4th, 9th, and 10th
floors of New York University’s Kimmel Center for
University Life. A Kimmel Center floor plan is included in this program.
Metro Center Recording Policy
No audio or video recording of any Metro Center sessions or activities is permitted. This policy is strictly
enforced.
NYU Media Release Authorization
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Thank You
The Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality (TACD) wishes to extend our appreciation and
gratitude to all who were involved in making this Institute a success. Without their hard work, dedication and commitment, our Summer Institute would not have been possible. We’d like to thank:
NYU Kimmel Center for University Life
NYU Media Services
NYU Copy Central and Reprographics
NYU Bookstore
Top of the Square Catering
Cooper Square Hotel
Summer Institute volunteers
Metro Center Finance Department
New York State Education Department
Guest Speakers and Presenters
Institute Participants
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The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education
Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality
726 Broadway, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 998-5100
Fax: (212) 995-4199
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/tacd
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