The State Board of Education, along with its partners, the Department of Education, the State Action for Education Leadership Project, the Delaware Principals Academy and the Delaware Association of School Administrators, will be holding a summit on issues facing Delaware's secondary schools on April 26^th, 2005. The conference will provide discussion designed to focus attention on Delaware's middle and high schools and serve as a basis for additional programs and professional development in the coming years.

First and foremost, the summit's goal will be to explore the areas research have identified as being of importance in better preparing our high school students to enter a college or work environment.

The targeted audience for this Summit will be high school principals, administrators, teachers, and students, as well as parents and the community at large, to collaborate on improvements to the system on a statewide basis.

The six strands for discussion include:

• increasing curriculum rigor,
• distributing leadership,
• personalizing learning,
• connecting with parents and communities,
• creating learning environments, and
• leaving no child behind.

Presenters Joe DiMartino, Director of the Secondary School Redesign Education Alliance at Brown University, and Michael Cohen, from Achieve, Inc. and the American Diploma Project, will discuss these topics as well as give specific recommendations for advancing Delaware's secondary school system. The conference will also include student voices from across the state giving personal insight into their hopes for Delaware high schools in the future.

Districts and organizations will be invited to send teams of 6 to 8 individuals. There is no registration fee, but a registration form will be required for each person.

For more information, contact:
Ann Case
State Board of Education Policy Analyst
Phone: (302) 739-4603
Email: acase@doe.k12.de.us