NAPSA: Annual Conference 2006

WHEW! The 2006 Conference has come and gone and my year as conference chair as well. What a joy it was to see each of the attend­ees actively involved in professional development, collegial collabora­tion, and well deserved R & R. This was my reward and blessing after a year of challenging program plan­ning. Thank you to all who at­tended and to a very supportive and helpful NAPSA board. I am espe­cially thankful to Lee Johnson and John Correll for patience and encouragement; Gwen Willis for all she did as the site chair (everything from A.V. equipment and water bottles, to lei’s for the luau!); Daniel Lopez for the fabulous NAPSA bags; LRP for partnering activities and financial support; and the Kozliks for underwriting the cost of the DJ.

As the conference week un­folded, so did a student-centered focus and theme. Presentations created a tapestry, woven from one hour to the next over the course of three days. On Sunday, Dr. Prasse set the pattern with threads of intervention design, intervention outcome evaluation, and data-based decision making, followed by Ryan Delaney’s fast-paced menu of quality ideas for engaging students, parents and staff in learning. Monday’s threads further illustrated the role that a positive school climate, student engagement, and accountability play in restoring civility to our schools. Melinda Baird spent Tuesday weaving our legal responsibilities and practices into the tapestry of how we must help ALL students achieve, and Wednesday completed the conference with additional progress monitoring strategies that add value to teaching and to learning. Themes of the week may best be highlighted as follows:

This newsletter is devoted to providing members with a summary of conference presentations. I hope that you will find them enlightening. If you would like additional infor­mation about any of the presenta­tions or the conference, please feel free to contact presenters directly or call me for assistance.

For those of you who were unable to attend, we missed you and hope that you will join us back in Myrtle Beach for the 2007 Conference. We are in the process of finalizing a contract with a NEW hotel and conference center, just opened in August 2006. The rooms are still incredibly priced with beachfront views. The suggestions offered by attendees this year will be reflected in our new venue, as well as in the program. We welcome your feedback and program ideas.