This workshop will be held at Mascoutah # 19 421 W. Harnett Mascoutah, IL 62258. Join Mascoutah High School # 19 Instructional Coach Tara Sulcer as you take your social studies instruction to the next level with this engaging and practical professional development session! Designed for educators who want to deepen student inquiry, critical thinking, and writing skills, this course will provide hands-on strategies for effectively integrating Document-Based Questions (DBQs) into your curriculum.  Participants will explore the DBQ process step by step, with a focus on scaffolding historical thinking, developing strong analytical writing, and guiding students through the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. You’ll leave with ready-to-use resources, instructional techniques, and a clear framework for helping students engage with primary and secondary sources in meaningful ways. Whether you're new to DBQs or looking to refine your approach, this session will equip you with the tools and confidence to make document analysis an integral part of your classroom. Attendees should bring a fully charged device, registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date unless tickets are sold out.  

Jim Kestner, nationally recognized for his youth character development programs, will present practical, hands-on strategies for implementing SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Standards that help you prepare students for success in the real world through activities and perspectives that won't require you to devote unrealistic amounts of time.  The session will provide opportunities for you to identify topics most relevant to your circumstances. Here's a sample of issues we will address together:

• Connecting the SEL Standards to your current curriculum
• Empowering students to overcome setbacks that threaten their success
• Equipping students with practical strategies to navigate complex interpersonal interactions
• Improving students' conflict management skills
• Teaching real methods for making individaul students accountable for group success
• Teaching perspective taking as a means of enhancing student empathy
• Identifying perspectives for healthy and unhealthy tolerance
• Coping with differences that impact opportunity and fairness (appearance, means, ability, status, etc.)
• Engaging students in meaningful processes for addressing negative behaviors and attitudes

PDC Member Districts $325.00, Non PD Co-op member districts $375.00 (lunch is included on site). All pre-work must be submitted no later than Sunday, July 20 at 12:00pm or participants will not be able to attend the academy. The learning outcomes for the two-day academy include: - Participants will be able to use assessments and measurement models in determining the student growth attributable to individual teachers and to understand how different types of assessments are used for measuring growth. - Participants will be able to use data from the evaluation rubric, other evidence collected and best practices relative to evaluating student growth, to link teacher and school-level professional development plans to evaluation results. - Participants will create, in collaboration with teachers, supportive, targeted professional development plans that consider past results, contribute to professional growth, and assist teachers in aligning professional development and goal-setting to school improvement goals. - Participants will communicate evaluation outcomes and findings in constructive and supportive ways that enable teachers to set goals and improve practice. - Participants will demonstrate a high rate of inter-rater reliability using the required performance evaluation ratings (i.e., excellent, proficient, needs improvement, and unsatisfactory). - Participants will observe instruction competently in multiple subject areas provided to varied and multiple student populations (i.e., English language learners, students with IEPs, students in career and technical programs, etc.) - Participants will use data from the evaluation rubric, other evidence collected and best practices relative to evaluating professional practice, to link teacher and school-level professional development plans to evaluation results. - Participants will know how to create, in collaboration with teachers, supportive, targeted professional development plans that consider past results, contribute to professional growth and assist teachers in aligning PD and goal-setting to SIP goals. - Participants will communicate evaluation outcomes and findings in constructive and supportive ways that enable teachers to set goals and improve professional practice. - Participants will understand sources of personal bias and be able to recognize and control for bias when conducting an evaluation and determining results. Evaluators will be required to complete pre-session learning components for this course. If you do not complete the pre-session learning components in the required time frame prior to the workshop, you will not be allowed to attend the workshop and will still be responsible for the registration fee. This event has a maximum number of 15 attendees. Participants must bring a fully charged laptop to both days of the academy. Cancellations must be made by July 18 at 12:00pm or the amount will be non-refundable.

Join Kindergarten teacher Marsha McGuire for a fun-filled, hands-on workshop designed to reignite the joy of learning in your early childhood classroom! In this session you'll discover exciting activities that support the development of fine motor skills, boost sensory experiences, and revolutionize your math centers. Learn how to integrate creative, engaging games that not only enhance critical skills but also make learning feel like play. By the end of the day, you’ll walk away with a practical toolkit of innovative games and strategies to make your students excited to learn, eager to engage, and ready to explore! Perfect for educators seeking fresh ideas to inspire and motivate young learners.  What will you LEAVE with on this awesome day? Marsha is the author behind Differentiated Kindergarten https://differentiatedkindergarten.com/. Marsha has a master's degree in early childhood education with a focus on Differentiated Instruction. While Marsha has taught preschool and first grade, she has spent most of her 20-year teaching career in Kindergarten in Michigan. Registration will close 4-5 days prior to registration unless tickets are sold out (40 minutes will be provided for lunch (on your own).

Get ready to revolutionize your classroom with a wealth of innovative strategies designed to captivate your students and transform your teaching with Kindergarten teacher Marsha McGuire! This session will explore dynamic morning work bins that set a positive tone for the day, movement-infused activities that keep energy high while reinforcing key skills, and practical handwriting tips that promote legibility and fluidity. You’ll also discover how to create literacy centers that foster independence and spark a love of reading and writing. Walk away with a toolbox full of engaging, easy-to-implement techniques that will make your classroom more interactive, exciting, and effective.  What will be in your free toolbox? Perfect for educators looking to inspire students and streamline their daily routines! Marsha is the author behind Differentiated Kindergarten https://differentiatedkindergarten.com/. Marsha has a master's degree in early childhood education with a focus on Differentiated Instruction. While Marsha has taught preschool and first grade, she has spent most of her 20-year teaching career in Kindergarten in Michigan. Registration will close 4-5 days prior to registration unless tickets are sold out (40 minutes will be provided for lunch (on your own).

This event is SOLD OUT.   This Administrator Academy is free for all to attend. Academy credit or professional development hours can be issued. Note this academy will be held at the Center for Academic & Vocational Excellence ("CAVE") 7645 Magna Drive, Suite 1 Belleville, IL 62223. Breakfast 8:00-9:00am, Academy 9:00am-12:00pm. This course provides information to school administrators on standards for the conduct, ethics and rights of school personnel. This course discusses the various standards an administrator needs to be aware of in the everyday course of doing their job; including laws, regulations, and mandates for the management of school personnel. If attendees are wanting Academy Credit, administrators must watch 2 of the 4 videos provided and complete and submit the provided application/dissemination on or before Monday, August 11 at 12:00pm. If attendees are wanting PD credit an evaluation must be completed.

Walk-ins will only be able to earn pd credit.

Registration closes 7.31.25 at 12:00pm unless tickets are already sold out.

This workshop is an extension of the April 29 workshop (Navigating the K-12 Illinois Standards for Science: A Deep Dive into NGSS Principles with Dr. Jeff Spencer, Science Instructional Coach, ROE # 17, Bloomington.

 

In this second meeting, participants will build off of material covered in the first NGSS training, offered in Spring 2025. This session will include a model activity to ground discussion on considering how to evaluate resources based on a nationally-recognized, peer-reviewed rubric to determine alignment with the NGSS. This session will establish a framework where participants can assess and become a critical consumer of science resources to help meet the vision of the NGSS.

In this workshop, participants will:

• Be introduced to a rubric that considers NGSS alignment

• Evaluate a model activity using the rubric

• Understand if teaching or curricula are aligned to the current standards.

• Consider ways to shift your current teaching to better align with the NGSS

Registration will close on August 19 at 3:00pm. Time will be given for lunch (on your own).

This workshop will cover topics such as but not limited to Title IX, Mandated Reporting & Faith's Law.  Any adult working in public schools is highly recommended to attend this session with Michelle Denault.  This sessions builds on the foundational 'Grooming 101 - A Predator's Playbrook,' and offers an in-depth exploration into the complexitites of grooming and sexual abuse. This session delves deeper into the risk factors, signs to watch for, and the lasting impacts on victims. It aims to educate adults about the nuances of grooming and the critical steps that can be taken for prevention and intervention.  This comprehensive initiative is designed to empower participants with a profound understanding of predatory behaviors and the grooming process, thereby enabling attendees to safeguard the well-being of children and young adults effectively. Registration closes August 21 at 12:00pm unless tickets are sold out.    

Attendees can earn one of the following: academy credit, pd hours or ceu hours. Lunch will be provided on site.  Registration closes August 29 at 3:00pm. Attendees should bring a fully charged device with you to this event. the application/dissemination must be completed and submitted prior to your departure the day of the academy.  PD Co-op member districts $185.00, Non PD Co-op districts $200.  Join Dr. Jason Major, Principal of Denver School, for an Administrator Academy that will show you how to Enhance Your School's:

• Learning Initiatives
• Operating Systems
• People’s Skills

Success Criteria/Learning Goals With this Content, employing science-based practices, you will learn to:

• Collaborate and build connections
• Experience a new group of administrative colleagues
• Learn Practice tips to implement in your school the next day
• Implement the Wellness Wheel and Maslow’s Hierarchy

Who Should Attend? Aspiring Curriculum Leaders, Curriculum Directors, Principals, Teacher Coaches, Teachers, Administrators

Meet Jason Major: Finding Your Balance as a School Administrator/Leader - You are not alone! The school administrator position can be one of education's most challenging and stressful jobs. Chicago principal Jason Major shares practical tips, strategies, ideas, and activities to keep your mind and body grounded in and out of school in a collaborative and empathetic environment. Cancellations must be made by Friday, August 29 at 3pm or the amount paid will be non-refundable.