ARRA Webinars
Advancing the Goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
WestEd offered several free webinars related to the education goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The series featured leading experts on themes and principles for making progress on state and local education reforms, including topics such as early childhood, low-performing schools, and English learners.
Lessons Learned From the Evaluation of the Texas School Dropout Prevention and Reentry Program Grants
Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
This webinar will present information about the effectiveness of the Texas School Dropout Prevention and Reentry Program Grants in reducing the dropout rate in Texas and improving student outcomes. The event is part of a series of WestEd-sponsored webinars related to the education goals of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Presenters will focus on the impact of the expansion of the Communities In Schools model, present the findings from the evaluation, and discuss lessons learned and implications for states and districts. Presenters will include Jaclyn Tejwani, Valentin Pedroza, and Jodie Hoffman from WestEd's Evaluation Research Program; Chris Caesar and Jessica Navarro from the Texas Education Agency; and Monica Ordonez from Communities In Schools of Dallas.
What Happens to High School Dropouts Who Return to School?
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
This webinar will present new information about a previously overlooked student population group: those who drop out but subsequently reenroll.
A better understanding of these students' challenges, demographics, reenrollment histories, and outcomes can provide educators and policymakers with critical information to shape dropout prevention and intervention practices and policies. BethAnn Berliner and Vanessa Barrat, Senior Research Associates at WestEd's Regional Educational Laboratory West, and Paul Shirk, Assistant Superintendent of Research and Technology, San Bernardino City Unified School District, California, will present at this webinar.
Reducing School Dropout Rates
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
This webinar will offer research-based recommendations for reducing school dropout rates.
Marlene Darwin, Senior Research Analyst at the American Institutes for Research, and Nikola Filby, Director of WestEd's Innovation Studies program, will showcase the recommended practices in the Institute of Education Sciences' Doing What Works: Practice Guide, which includes strategies for identifying and advocating for at-risk students, implementing programs to improve behavior and social skills, and keeping students engaged in the school environment.
This webinar will also provide a brief introduction to the resources from the Doing What Works website, illustrating how these recommendations have been carried out.
Transforming Schools: Charter Schools as a Strategy for School Turnarounds
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
This webinar will describe how the California Charter Schools Association has worked with three low-performing schools in San Diego to transform them into successful charter schools.
Key presenters will be Sarah Feldman, Senior Research Associate in WestEd's Innovation Studies program; Myrna Castrejon, Senior Vice President, Development and Support, California Charter Schools Association; and Tim Wolf, CEO, King Chavez Public Schools. They will provide an overview of the Transform My School website. This website features resources, including videos, sample materials, case studies, and slide shows, from three schools in San Diego, California, that became charter schools in order to improve student achievement. See the SchoolsMovingUp webinars page for more information, including specific topics to be addressed by this webinar.
Early Head Start: Providing a Quality Comprehensive Program for Infants, Toddlers and Their Families, Part III
Date: Monday, June 15, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Head Start recently issued a Request for Proposals (RFP), due July 9, 2009, for expanding Early Head Start throughout the nation, using the additional funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
First 5 California, in partnership with WestEd's Center for Child & Family Studies and Preschool California, will conduct an additional webinar (Part III) to help Head Start/Early Head Start grantees, school districts, and community-based organizations think about their capacity to effectively serve infants and toddlers. Parts I and II of this Early Head Start webinar series supported participants with assessing whether applying for funds was appropriate for their agency. The addition of Part III to this series resulted from numerous technical assistance requests on how to write a federal grant proposal.
This online event will focus on the key elements of understanding RFP processes and is aimed at those unfamiliar with writing federal grant proposals. Suzanne Burns, Senior Development Associate at WestEd, will provide a general understanding of the approach to federal grants, including some concrete examples to help participants write compelling federal grant proposals. Scott Moore, Senior Policy Advisor at Preschool California, will help participants understand the allocation of resources related to fiscal braiding and budget development.
For key content elements for the Early Head Start expansion grant opportunity, please visit the Office of Head Start Early Learning and Knowledge Center. Additional background content information is available in Part I and Part II of this webinar series.
Recommendations for Addressing the Needs of English Language Learners: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
Robert Linquanti, Director for English Learner Evaluation and Accountability Support in WestEd's Comprehensive School Assistance Program, will moderate a webinar panel comprising select members of the English Language Learner (ELL) Working Group. This Working Group recently issued recommendations for using ARRA funds wisely to meet the needs of our nation's English learners. Panel members will discuss their recommendations during this free webinar.
The ELL Working Group was convened by researchers at Stanford University, the Center for Applied Linguistics, and the American Institutes for Research, and consists of researchers nationwide with extensive experience in educating English learners and a substantial understanding of the research on effective strategies for this population. The recommendations to the U.S. Department of Education, states, districts, and advocates for English learners are based on the group's knowledge, experience, and sense of where opportunities for innovation may be found.
Download the free report issued by the ELL Working Group.
Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools: Resources From Doing What Works
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
This webinar will offer research-based recommendations to improve low-performing schools from the IES Practice Guide, Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools (PDF). The webinar also will showcase resources from the Doing What Works website, illustrating how these recommendations have been carried out successfully.
Presenters include Nikola Filby, Director of WestEd's Innovation Studies Program; Rebecca Hermann, Principal Research Scientist at the American Institutes for Research; Fred Tempes, Director of the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd; and Jan Phlegar, Director of Learning Innovations at WestEd. If you are unable to participate in this event, you may view the recorded presentation in the webinar archives, beginning the day after the event.
Making Progress on Essential Standards and Assessment Reforms
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
In this installment of WestEd's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act webinar series, Stanley Rabinowitz, Director of the WestEd/CRESST Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center, will describe innovative state-level strategies to define, develop, and benchmark (nationally and internationally) rigorous college/career-ready core standards. These strategies include considerations for English learners, students with disabilities, and low-performing students.
Rabinowitz will discuss implications of such standards for high-quality assessment systems that are aligned and balanced. He will highlight:
If you are unable to participate in this event, you may view the recorded presentation in the webinar archives, beginning the day after the event.
- evidence-based principles and best practices for rigor and quality that states cannot afford to ignore, with special attention to subgroups of students at risk for academic failure,
- methods to ensure proper articulation, PK-13, within and across content areas,
- approaches to identify and integrate content knowledge and essential skills,
- examples from states that are adhering to best practices, and
- how state policies and strategies based on best practices will play out whether the state is working alone, part of a regional consortium, or linking to a national core.
Early Head Start: Providing a Quality Comprehensive Program for Infants, Toddlers and Their Families, Part II
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Head Start will soon issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for expanding Early Head Start throughout the nation, using the additional funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. First 5 California, in partnership with WestEd's Center for Child & Family Studies, the California Head Start Association, and Preschool California, will conduct two webinars to help Head Start/Early Head Start grantees, school districts, and community-based organizations think about their capacity to effectively serve infants and toddlers. The webinar series is open to participants throughout the United States who are interested in applying for Early Head Start funding.
Kay Wernert, Director of Marin Head Start; Cheryl Williams-Jackson, Instructor in the Child Development Department, Modesto Junior College; and Pamm Shaw, Executive Director of the Berkeley-Albany YMCA Early Childhood Services Branch, will lead the webinar.
Part II is a continuation of the webinar presented on April 7, 2009, further supporting participants with assessing whether applying for funds is appropriate for their agency. Program and fiscal blending, including successful blended models, will be discussed. If you are unable to participate in this event, you may view the recorded presentation in the webinar archives, beginning the day after the event.
Early Head Start: Providing a Quality Comprehensive Program for Infants, Toddlers and Their Families, Part I
Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2009Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Pacific Time
Register or View Archive: SchoolsMovingUp
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Head Start will soon issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for expanding Early Head Start throughout the nation, using the additional funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. First 5 California, in partnership with WestEd's Center for Child & Family Studies, the California Head Start Association, and Preschool California, will conduct two webinars to help Head Start/Early Head Start grantees, school districts, and community-based organizations think about their capacity to effectively serve infants and toddlers. The webinar series is open to participants throughout the United States who are interested in applying for Early Head Start funding.
Kay Wernert, Director of Marin Head Start; Cheryl Williams-Jackson, Instructor in the Child Development Department, Modesto Junior College; and Pamm Shaw, Executive Director of the Berkeley-Albany YMCA Early Childhood Services Branch, will lead the webinar.
In Part I, participants will learn about the parameters of an Early Head Start RFP, the regulations and performance standards regarding the operation of a quality Early Head Start program, and how to assess whether to apply for funds. If you are unable to participate in this event, you may view the recorded presentation in the webinar archives, beginning the day after the event.