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= NCMSA's 2011 Conference Archive = = //Building Achievement in the Middle// =

March 13-15, 2011 at the Koury Convention Center
=Keynote Speakers at 2011 General Sessions=

//**ANTHONY MUHAMMAD**// - Anthony Muhammad is one of the most sought after speakers and educational consultants in North America. As a practitioner of nearly twenty years, Dr. Muhammad has served as a middle school teacher, assistant principal, middle school principal, and high school principal. His tenure as a practitioner has earned him several awards as both a teacher and a principal. Dr. Muhammad's most notable accomplishment came as principal at Levey Middle School in Michigan, where student proficiency on state assessments was more than doubled in five years. Dr. Muhammad and the staff at Levey used the Professional Learning Communities at Work (PLC) model of school improvement, and they have been recognized in several videos and articles as a model, high-performing PLC. Dr. Muhammad is a contributing author to the book The Collaborative Administrator: Working Together as a Professional Learning Community. He also authored Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division.

**// SHARON FABER // -** Sharon Faber is an internationally recognized speaker and consultant with more than 30 years of experience as a teacher, building and central office administrator, university professor, and staff development trainer. She has taught at every grade level, and she has been an assistant principal, principal, English and Reading Supervisor, Director of Leadership Training, Middle School Facilitator, and college professor. Sharon served as a Senior Literacy Advisor for Modern Red SchoolHouse and has been a featured literacy expert for the Connect for Kids video, Lost for Words: Literacy in America. Dr. Faber has written extensively in the areas of literacy and leadership and is the author of the best-selling book, //How to Teach Reading When You Are Not a Reading Teacher//. Her latest book is //How to Teach Academic Vocabulary//. Sharon is noted for her high energy level, practicality, and humorous delivery.

= = =Special Guest Presenters=

**//STEVE HOELSCHER//** is coordinator of the Michigan Middle Start Comprehensive School Reform effort, a state-based partnership that provides technical assistance and professional development to middle grade schools, he provides project leadership and facilitation of the project. Steve previously served as an urban principal, counselor and teacher for thirty years in Michigan, and is an active member of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform. As a principal, he led the school community in changing from a traditional junior high to a middle grades school based on creating a community of learners. The school was recognized for its academic excellence, social equity, and developmental responsiveness and for demonstrating gains in student learning.


 * // MELBA JOHNSON //** is a national educational consultant, conducts staff development for middle school and high school teachers throughout North Carolina and across the country. The focus of her trainings includes curriculum alignment and the use of visual and tactile strategies in reading, writing, and grammar. As a consultant for Thinking Maps, Inc. and co-author of Write…for the Future, she does extensive trainings in writing workshops and Thinking Maps. Currently, she is developing another publication to assist students in preparing for college entrance exams such as the PSAT, SAT, and other standardized assessments.


 * // KEN MCEWIN //** is Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Coordinator of Middle Grades Teacher Education at Appalachian State University. He is a former sixth grade teacher and school principal, and has extensive experience as a consultant to schools, districts, state departments of education, higher education institutions, and policy-making bodies. Dr. McEwin is author of over 150 professional publications that focus on middle level education. He has served in many leadership positions, including president of the National Middle School Association. He is also recipient of a number of awards for his work in middle grades education including the John Lounsbury Distinguished Service Award and was the founding recipient of the Ken McEwin Distinguished Service Award.


 * // ERIC ROWLES //** is a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, and consultant who has worked with over 150,000 youth, adults, administrators, professionals, and policy makers. His energetic and innovative training and presenting skills, coupled with his advanced degrees in curriculum development and design, led to the creation of Leading To Change, Inc. Eric's previous experience includes his work as Senior Director of Training with the Youth Leadership Institute (CA), Director of Leadership Development at Rutgers University (NJ), Middle School Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator, (CA), and the faculties of Rutgers University and UNC-Charlotte. Eric was also a professional DJ in Los Angeles, and ran a traveling theater company that toured for over 10 years.


 * // BJ STONE //**, Principal Consultant at McREL, works nationally and internationally with school districts and educational agencies. She facilitates learning sessions with teachers, principals, district administrators and leadership teams in the areas of Balanced Leadership, research-based instructional strategies, vocabulary instruction, curriculum development, and assessment design. Dr. Stone is committed to meeting client needs through the development and delivery of short and long-term contract work related to increasing student achievement through effective professional development, leadership training, and the utilization of research-based strategies that support the use of standards and data-driven decision making.


 * // RON WILLIAMSON //** is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Eastern Michigan University. He served as a junior high and middle school teacher, school and district administrator, and served as Executive irector of NMSA. Ron was a facilitator for "Principals Make the Difference in Standards-Based Reform." Kappan cited two of his publications as part of "the essential core readings for middle level educators." In addition, he has published two books on scheduling to improve student learning. He was honored with NASSP's prestigious Gruhn-Long-Melton Award for lifetime achievement in middle level leadership. Ron is past-president of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.

Plus other special guests from NC and around the country brought you the latest strategies to help your class and school succeed!
We provided over 150 hour-long interest sessions on a broad variety of topics relevant to middle level education. Topics covered Accountability, "Closing the Gap," Classroom Management, Leadership, Organizational Structure, Safety and Discipline, Integrating Technology, Teaching Special Populations, Interdisciplinary Instruction, Student Services, Teaming, Advisor/Advisee, the Role of the Arts, Teaching in an Instructional Block, "Schools to Watch," Professional Development, Inclusion, content-specific presentations in ALL major areas, and much, much more.