MSA Annual Teen Summit 20111: Cool Tools for Changing Schools (January 14th, New England College, Henniker, NH)

MSA and the Center for School Climate and Learning presented the 2011 Teen Leadership Summit: Cool Tools for Changing Schools. This summit brought 165 student leaders and their adult mentors from New Hampshire and Massachusetts to the New England College campus. Student leaders learned how to use poetry and performance to move their school, how to communicate to their school community through Talking Walls, how to stand up to bullies and bystanders, and learned a few tips for an amazing life!

Watch this video to see student leaders participating in this year’s summit.

Oklahoma State Department of Education Safe and Drug-Free Schools Conference
(November 5th, 2010, Oklahoma City, OK)

Dr. William Preble was a session presenter at the Oklahoma State Department of Education Safe and Drug-Free Schools Conference. He presented School Climate through Students’ Eyes and Transforming School Climate and Learning: How Students, Adults, and Action Research Can Create Safe and Respectful Schools. Over 1,000 participants from Oklahoma attended this conference and Kevin Jennings, Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, United Stated Department of education was the keynote speaker.

Fifth Annual APEX II Summer Leadership Institute - Dropout Prevention and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: Improving High School Culture and Climate Through Teamwork, Leadership, and Data-based Decision-making
(August 18-19th, 2010, Attitash Inn & Conference Center, Bartlett, NH)

Bill Preble and APEX II Student Leadership Team members engaged in a “Student Leadership Working Session”, then presented to the conference participants about the important role of student leaders in driving high school improvement efforts.

13th Annual Summer Institute 2010: Creating the Foundation for Comprehensive School Climate Reform Sponsored by the Center for Social and Emotional Education and the City University of New York, School of Professional Studies
(July 6-8th, 2010, Fordham University, New York, NY)

Bill Preble presented a session on “School Climate Through Student’s Eyes” discussing the utilization of students as school climate researchers and the importance of student voice in analyzing and improving school climate.

Preventing Bullying, Building Respect & Engaging All Students
(June 29-30th, 2010, Meredith, NH)
MSA and the Center for School Climate and Learning presented the second annual conference to help New England educators address issues of school climate and bullying. The conference brought together experts on cyber bullying, creating anti-bullying policies, conducting school investigations, using strategies for reducing bullying, and methods for employing effective teaching practices to improve school climate and learning for all students. Kevin Jennings, Director of the US DOE Office of Safe & Drug-Free Schools presented the Keynote Address.

Conference Agenda
Learn more about the conference presenters
Learn more about the workshops to be presented at the conference
View the PowerPoint of Kevin Jennings' Keynote Address

National Dropout Prevention Center/Network Radio Webcast
(April 13, 2010)
Bill Preble and student leaders shared their work to improve school climate and learning on a broadcast presented by the National Dropout Prevention Center and produced by Clemson University.
Click here for more information

School Counselor and Administrator Leadership Institute
(February 9, 2010, Murfreesboro, TN)
Bill Preble and a team of teachers and administrators from Sullivan County presented on the nationally-recognized school climate improvement work that they have been doing with MSA over the past five years which has produced positive results in terms of both climate and academic performance. Later this year the Tennessee State Department of Education will have an opportunity to submit a competitive grant application for funding from the U.S. Department of Education to establish a pilot school climate assessment process for the entire state. Kevin Jennings, the Administration’s new appointee to head the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, delivered a keynote address at the Institute and also met personally with Bill Preble to discuss the possibility for using MSA’s SafeMeasures program model on a national level.

NH ELO Summer Institute
(July 21st & 22nd, 2009, Nashua, NH)
Bill Preble, Larry Taylor and Katie Knowles worked with a team of student leaders from schools across New Hampshire at the 2nd annual New Hampshire Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Institute. Student Leaders engaged in MSA’s change simulation game, specifically tailored towards developing ELOs in schools. The group then discussed the challenges and successes that they or their schools have faced in developing and participating in ELOs. Bill, Larry and Katie helped these students prepare a presentation to the entire group of educators on the importance of these opportunities for engaging many different students and their commitment to helping their schools develop ELOs.

MSA Webinar Series: Pillars of a Respectful School
Strategies for Student Engagement to Improve School Climate and Learning
Rick Gordon, founder of the Compass School in Westminster, VT, presented the first webinar in MSA’sseries. Drawing on the experiences of teachers and students at his school, this webinar discussed innovative ways to engage students in the learning process and in their school community. The webinar includes discussion points and activities for school leaders wanting to explore how use these strategies at their own schools.

Utilizing Diverse Student Leaders as Partners in School Improvement
Bill Preble and Larry Taylor of New England College and Main Street Academix presented this webinar using examples from student leadership projects in Maine, Florida and Tennessee. This webinar shows how empowering diverse groups of students as partners with adults in school improvement efforts can spark engagement, enthusiasm, and vitality to your schools’ work.

Effective Student Discipline: Assessing, Preventing and Responding Using Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS)
In this webinar, Howard Muscot, Director of the NH Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports discusses the PBIS program and alternative approaches to school discipline through positive school climate.

Please see the Resources page for lists of resources related to the topics presented in these webinars.
All of MSA’s webinars can be purchased at anytime in their recorded version. See the Events page to learn more about upcoming webinars or to register to receive the recorded or live versions of all of the webinars in this series.