Connections-4-Life: Building Relationships that Supersede Circumstances!

Format

Poster Presentation

Location

Harborside Center

Strand #1

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Connections-4-Life:Building Relationships that Supersede Circumstances relates to the Heart Strand: Social and Emotional Skills- Fostering social and emotional skills and the social climate for all children and youth especially in high-poverty populations.

Attending to the social and emotional challenges that our children encounter in priority schools generates a culture and climate conducive for academic success.

Brief Program Description

"Connections-4-Life” is an interactive and engaging session designed to empower participants to discover and cultivate the components necessary to create an environment conducive for learning for all! Join us as we explore promising practices and researched based strategies that moved a high priority, Title 1 middle school into a thriving culture with sustainable gains in three years.

Summary

Research highlights the teacher as the most decisive element in the classroom and the impact an effective teacher has on the lives of children! Connections- 4-Life will compel participants to expand that thinking to encompass how an environment focused on relationship building can supercede some of the most challenging circumstances found in our lowest performing schools. Utilizing a researched based approach towards building community, collective efficacy and mutual accountability, participants will learn how to cultivate and transform a high poverty environment into a school on the move!!

Participants will experience first-hand how a school wide positive behavior approach, intense focus on transforming school culture and climate and the deliberate inclusion of parents and families created an oasis in the midst of the storm. This highly engaging and interactive session will encompass evidence based materials and first-hand knowledge to take participants inside the halls of one middle school to experience how a low-income community school transformed into a thriving zone in a three year period. Attendees will examine how scientific strategies and techniques generated quick wins and how these applicable tools can be utilized immediately in their own domain. Everyone will walk away with a Connections-4-Life toolkit!

Focal points to include the following:

  • Teachers: Protect, Defend, Reward!

  • Students: Instilling Greatness!

  • Parents: How to Recognize and then Alleviate Past Experiences & Fears relating to the school experience.

Outcomes:

  • Higher teacher retention rates, improved culture, climate and morale, improved teacher/ student attendance rates, decrease in disciplinary incidents, increase in academic achievement!

Evidence

Utilizing the research-based strategies and promising practices described in the proposal submitted, a challenging, Title 1, low performing middle school where I served as principal garnered an 80% reduction in teacher turnover rates, a 58% decrease in student disciplinary incidents, teacher and student attendance rates above the 95% goal and double digit gains in language arts and math on annual state assessments after two years.

Biographical Sketch

Le Andrea Ware, currently serves as the Director of Secondary Schools and Priority Programs for the Hamilton County Department of Education in Chattanooga, TN. During this 20 year tenure, she has successfully served as an elementary and secondary classroom teacher, reading specialist, consulting lead teacher, assistant principal, principal, and priority schools director.

Mrs. Ware possess a Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Education, a masters degree in Administration, Supervision and Leadership, a second masters in Strategic Leadership, an Ed. S in Instructional Leadership. She is currently pursuing an Ed. D in School Leadership.

Keyword Descriptors

Relationships, Culture, Climate, Collective Efficacy, Empower, Mutual Accountability, Inspire, Conducive Environment, Hands-On, Engaging

Presentation Year

2016

Start Date

3-8-2016 4:00 PM

End Date

3-8-2016 5:30 PM

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Mar 8th, 4:00 PM Mar 8th, 5:30 PM

Connections-4-Life: Building Relationships that Supersede Circumstances!

Harborside Center

"Connections-4-Life” is an interactive and engaging session designed to empower participants to discover and cultivate the components necessary to create an environment conducive for learning for all! Join us as we explore promising practices and researched based strategies that moved a high priority, Title 1 middle school into a thriving culture with sustainable gains in three years.