Mark your calendars for December 8, 9, 10, and 11, 2024. Registration is now open for SAS Institute 2024, Purposeful Leadership: Support. Empower. Partner. 

To receive the discounted rate at the Hershey Lodge you can contact the Hershey Lodge Reservation office at 855-729-3108, and ask for the room block for the SAS Institute - PA Dept of Education Conference, December 08 - 11, 2024.

Reservations can also be made directly online, click the button to be directed to the link.

Early Bird STEELS Seminar at no cost (book provided) on

Sunday, December 8th from 1:00pm-4:30pm

Cosponsored by PenSELA

......

As districts around the state adopt new science curricula aligned with the PA STEELS standards, we need to develop our understanding of the science practices that are a key dimension of this new approach to science instruction. Designed for district and school leaders and instructional coaches, this seminar will provide an overview of the science practices, a set of supervision tools, and resources for exploring how the practices can be integrated into K-12 classrooms. This seminar will engage practitioners in learning about implementing these practices in K-12 schools. Drawing on the book, “The Instructional Leaders’ Guide to Implementing K-8 Science Practices”, two authors from the book will engage in a hands-on, interactive workshop about the K-12 Science Practices.

Foci of the seminar will include:

• Introduction to the ILSP (Instructional Leadership for Science Practices), Deep Dive into Investigating Practices 
• Using the ILSP Framework for Observation & Feedback, Addressing Common Misperceptions, Deep Dive into Sensemaking Practices
• Using the ILSP Framework to Support Professional Learning, Deep Dive into Critiquing Practices, Introduction to New Materials 

Facilitators:

Rebecca Lowenhaupt, Ph.D. is a Professor of Educational Leadership at Boston College. Drawing on multiple methods of empirical research, including survey analysis and qualitative analysis, she has engaged in research about school leadership, educational reform, and co-led the NSF-funded study of Instructional Leadership for the Science Practices with Dr. Kate McNeill. A former middle-school teacher, she holds degrees from Harvard University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the W.T. Grant Foundation.

Benjamin R. Lowell, Ph.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU educating science teachers. He previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Boston College, supporting the rollout of high-quality science instructional materials across Massachusetts. His research focuses on how teachers customize materials to support instructional contexts. He completed his doctorate at Boston College, where he worked on the Instructional Leadership for Science Practices team. Before beginning his doctoral work, he was a chemistry and environmental science teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he also served as department chair and a leader of district-wide professional development.

Chase Mielke is an award-winning educator, writer, and speaker focusing on preventing teacher burnout and increasing student engagement. His most recent book, Illuminate the Way: The School Leader’s Guide to Addressing and Preventing Teacher Burnout, outlines three dimensions of burnout and provides methods to foster agency relatedness, and competence in staff. Chase hosts the Educator Happy Hour podcast with Ming Shelby. His most recent venture has been creating professional growth for busy educators. As an engaging speaker, he speaks with students and educators on topics of resilience, mindset, applied neuroscience, and positive psychology.

Orion Jean is a 13-year-old from Texas. After winning a national kindness speech contest, he used his prize money to start the “Race to Kindness” campaign. His initiatives include the “Race to 500 Toys,” Race to 100,000 Meals,” and “Race to 500,000 Books.” His pursuit of kindness is fueled by this simple mantra- “If you see a problem, fix it.” He is the author of A Kids Book About Leadership, a book focused on inspiring the young (and young-at-heart) to develop the leader inside of them. Orion was also selected as the 2021 TIME “Kid of the Year.” He has been featured on numerous local, national, and international media outlets.

Michael Bonner is a renowned leader, innovator, and performance booster, who is a trailblazer in leadership development and organizational culture. He is a dynamic keynote speaker and a recent recipient of Atlanta's 40 under 40 awards . He is the CEO of Bonnerville, a business that promotes the value of self-care and a highly respected team member at the famed Ron Clark Academy. He empowers leaders to build genuine relationships and establish a positive organizational culture, vision, and team development. His presentations challenge leaders to reflect, strategize, and execute in order to increase efficiency in the workplace. He empowers leaders to build genuine relationships with their teams and colleagues.

Mark C. Perna is the founder and CEO of TFS Results, a full-service strategic consulting firm at the forefront of the national paradigm shift in education and workforce development. As an international generational expert, Mark has devoted his career to empowering educators and employers to unleash the tremendous potential of today's young people. Mark founded the Education with Purpose & Employment with Passion movement to help communities connect the pipelines between education, business, and economic development. His work has helped countless parents, educators, employers, and national organizations across North America to engage with the younger generations more effectively.