At this first 2009 Advanced Institute -January 20-23 -leaders from across the continent will be gathering to collectively address critical elements of raising educational standards and closing gaps, featuring processing time with some of educations foremost practitioners and researchers. This Advanced Institute is brought to you in collaboration with: Arizona State University, Department of Education Partnership and the Arizona School Boards Association. This highly interactive, working gathering will provide a forum for participants to develop a network of like-minded peers to learn about and share the latest research and best practices on what’s working to sustain achievement and close gaps.

Facilitated and informed by some of the best researchers and practitioners in our industry (including Thomas Guskey author of “Developing, Grading and Reporting Systems”, Al Bertani, Senior Researcher in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Dennis Sparks, emeritus executive director of the National Staff Development Council), these workshops will develop techniques for doing the same with your expanded teams when you return home.
• Carefree is going to be a forum for creating of a National Learning Community.
• The event will have advanced presentations from all keynote speakers providing more depth on each given topic
• Content will be processed during team processing time (like we always do)
• Additional processing times will be given for team-to-team sharing (what’s working, what’s not)
• Districts will be matched according to size and demographics (to the extent possible) for the team-to-team sharing
• Additional networking times will be allotted for “like” roles (Supt will be in a team of Supt, Principals with other principals, etc)
• Teams will come to the event with something prepared in advance-artifacts, etc. could be used in a round table discussion for team to team sharing
• Teams should come to the event prepared with an action they want solved.

ADVANCED DISCUSSIONS ON:
• Building Leadership Capacity
• Failure Is Not an Option: Creating High-Performing School Cultures
• Collaborative Teaming Focused on Teaching and Learning
• Using Data to Guide Decision Making and Continuous Improvement
• How are other schools handling the challenges your school is struggling with?
• What best practices can they share with you—and you with them?

Location/Hotel : Carefree Resort and Villas, 37220 Mule Train Road, Carefree, Arizona 85377, (888) 667-6690; http://www.carefree-resort.com; Room rate begins at $175.00 for a resort room, $195.00 for a Sonoran Villa, and $285 for a Deluxe Senoran Villa. We recommend you book your room now as this event normally fills rapidly and –room rates double in 2009


I find these energized gatherings to be nothing less than communities of learners and leaders. If these educators return to their schools with the same vigor, hopefulness, and inventiveness I observed.... watch out!
Roland Barth, Author, Learning By Heart, and Founding Director, Harvard Principals’ Center


To work with HOPE is to work with hope - that is active, inspirational and dedicated to
sustainable improvement rather than superficial change.
Andy Hargreaves, Brennan Chair, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA



To join us: Just hit reply or call me at 812.355.6004 to let me know how many seats you are thinking about so you have them by Dec 30, and I’ll get them on the roster for you. Later, when the names and financing are determined send them with their names, etc to complete your enrollment.

We understand that the economy has made things much more challenging for the coming school year—especially as it relates to professional development. In order to both save you important professional development dollars, and increase the overall impact of your professional development in the coming year, we have developed a special two-tier package with deep discounts for school districts or coalition of districts of 50 or more regional educators you might want to consider as it also contains a follow up PD date at your site. ----offer valid until Dec. 31, 2008, Contact me for more details.

2009-
January 20-22 Advanced Institute -Carefree, AZ [near-Phoenix] Tom Guskey and Dennis Sparks
link to complete details:
http://hopefoundation.org/OR/GO/go.php?o=OR/GO/Carefree09/OB_GO

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach me.

Regards,
Stan

Ps Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
-Benjamin Franklin


Stan Gould
sgould@hopefoundation.org
ph.812.355.6004 fx.812.323.8140
[The HOPE Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit]

Pre-release special until Dec 31, 08: Based on an ASCD Educational Leadership article titled Seven Practices for Effective Learning (McTighe & O’Connor, November 2005), this three-part DVD and leaders guide provides a roadmap to how teachers can measure and report learning in a way that also promotes it. Featuring: Jay McTighe, Carol Tomlinson, Alan Blankstein, Ken O’Connor, Larry Bell, Michael Fullan, Linda Darling-Hammond, Ernest Morrell and school practitioners from two high-performing school districts Available January 2009. Early-bird special: $495 (regularly $595; SAVE $100). Available on DVD. Pre-order your copy today using the faxable order form attached. As always, we offer a 30 day preview with full money back guarantee.