Hundreds of educators from across Maryland, including first-time and return participants, will attend the Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) 2004 Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) training from July 12-16 at the Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center in Ellicott City. Maryland’s program is used as a model nationally and has shown positive results-decreased numbers of suspensions and office referrals and less loss of class time-and will become a required intervention strategy in the fall of 2004 as part of the recently adopted House Bill 1288 for elementary schools that have suspension rates in excess of 18%.
The weeklong training will train school-based teams in early behavioral intervention strategies to maintain safe school environments that are conducive to learning. According to State Superintendent of Schools Nancy S. Grasmick, "PBIS is so successful because it focuses on changing behavioral expectations within schools, not just individual student behaviors. As a result, school cultures and environments have changed, making way for the kind of academic learning that we want for all Maryland’s children."
Members of the media are invited to attend any workshops at the training and interview presenters and participants. Several MSDE experts, including Dr. Grasmick and Dr. Lynn Linde, Chief of Student Services and Alternative Programs at MSDE, are available for interviews/comments. Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center is located at 2700 Turf Valley Road, Ellicott City, Maryland, 21041, 410-465-1500. A partial schedule of events follows:
Program Highlights
TUESDAY, JULY 13 (Returning school system teams and coaches)
9:00 to 9:30 a.m. Opening Remarks
· Dr. Lynn Linde, Student Services and Alternative Programs Branch, MSDE
· Dr. Carol Ann Baglin, Assistant State Superintendent for Special Education, MSDE
· Dr. Steve Sharfstein, President, Sheppard Pratt Health System
· Dr. Nancy Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools, MSDE
9:30 to 10:15 a.m. PBIS Maryland Report (Update/statistics on results at participating schools)
Milton McKenna, MSDE PBIS Specialist, and Jerry Bloom a coordinator of PBIS at Sheppard Pratt Health System
10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Workshop Sessions ranging from violence prevention and dealing with challenging students to educating African American Male children
1:00 to 3:30 p.m. Workshop Sessions ranging from educating African American Male children to high school best practices and after school programs.
3:30 to 5:00 p.m. Reception/Recognition of PBIS Exemplar Schools (schools being honored by MSDE and Sheppard Pratt Health System) Exemplar schools will display work and have staff on hand at exhibits to discuss their successes.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, (Returning School Teams and Coaches)
9:00 to 10:15 a.m. Keynote, Dr. Terrance Scott, from the University of Florida-Gainesville, a consultant with the National Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports at the University of Oregon. Dr. Scott will address the critical importance of using school data to make informed decisions about intervention strategies.
10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Workshop Sessions ranging from data-based decision making and Q&A with national and local experts on challenges, motivations, and roadblocks to PBIS to how to assist students returning to schools from outside agencies, such as juvenile detention facilities.