December 3, 2003

Contact:
Mara Kiffin, (954) 224-4642

Opening Day at NSU's National School Reform Conference Highlights Education of the Future

ORLANDO, FL – The first day of Nova Southeastern University's National School Reform Conference began on a high note for the more than 500 educators from private and public sectors, who attended general and workshop sessions on subjects ranging from "Increasing Student Achievement," and "Leading the Journey to Excellence" to "Perspectives on Leadership." Hosted by NSU's Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services (FGSEHS), the four-day conference held at the Disney Contemporary Resort, brings together elementary, middle and high school teachers who want to learn "Best Practices in America's Best Schools," featured by National Blue Ribbon School models of excellence.

Today's opening session showcased a video created by students at Houston County High School that highlighted the schools' use of technology. The session also featured exciting information about the 21st Century Schools of Distinction Award program, which awards over $200,000 in cash prizes to 20 schools.

"This is the fifth year of our conference," said H. Wells Singleton, Ph.D., education provost and university dean of FGSEHS, "and every year it gets bigger and better. This conference is great because it brings together outstanding, deeply committed people who care about the education of children."

Judith Kenny, an administrator with Massillon City Schools in Massillon, Ohio, came to the conference to learn about new high school curriculum teaching techniques, particularly the use of advanced technology in the classroom. "We have 5,000 students in our district, and we are continually working to improve our delivery formats. The conference is offering several workshops on improvement in high schools and that's the kind of information we need," she said.

On Thursday (December 4), attendees will have a choice of 30 workshops, offered in three blocks of ten at 9:00 a.m., 10:15 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., before having the afternoon and evening off. Highlights of the day include: "There is No Finish Line…The Ongoing Journey to Excellence," [9 a.m., Fantasia E & F] addressing the new implications of No Child Left Behind for future growth and improvement; presented by Eaton Elementary School, Tennessee; "World Class Teachers," [10:15 a.m., Nutcracker III] highlighting best practices, strategies and techniques of top performing teachers, presented by educators selected by the Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence; and "East Meets West for Advancement and Excellence," [11:30 a.m., Fantasia C & D] featuring the methods of Experimental High School, which is attached to Beijin Normal University and boasts 95 percent of its 3,000 students attending first class universities, presented by Aijun Yuan, principal of Experimental High School, Beijin, China.