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PROGRAM

Civic Education: Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Citizens
Harold Hodgkinson, director, Center for Demographic Policy
The data are nondebatable – births, deaths, immigrants, race, poverty rates and migration patterns. Of these, poverty is one of the strongest predictors of children’s characteristics when they become adults. Who goes to college? Who will vote? (College graduates) Who will go to jail? (People in poverty) Any discussion of civic issues must consider these demographic factors in order to create an effective democracy.

Status of the New Education Funding Legislation
Mindy Greiling, eight-term legislator, Minnesota House of Representatives
Minnesota is transforming the way education is funded. Find out how it’s going.

What Minnesota Thinks About Public Education: 2008 Alliance Survey Findings
Bill Morris, president, Decision Resources
An unveiling of the latest findings of a state survey conducted for the Minnesota Alliance for Student Achievement.

Smart Investments in Minnesota’s Students
Angie Eilers, research and policy director, Growth & Justice
Minnesota's relative prosperity over the past quarter century has been driven by our investment in education. But at the current rate we are producing students with post-secondary degrees, within two decades Minnesota will not have enough skilled working adults to sustain our economy or quality of life. A new Growth & Justice initiative presents a plan for how to invest in what works to increase by 50 percent the rate of Minnesota students who finish post-secondary education by 2020.

From Whence They Came: A Study of Poverty and Resiliance in the Schools
Stephen West, Principal, Richfield Public Schools
Stephen grew up in poverty. Today, he is committed to helping teachers reach and educate children from all backgrounds, but especially to motivate children from diverse backgrounds. As a person of color, he feels it is his responsibility to continue to advance the resources available to the kids who are now living the experience from which he came. In this session, you will learn about the situations of poverty and the culture surrounding the issues and learn strategies for student achievement.

Learning Opportunities Beyond the Classroom
Laura LaCroix-Dalluhn, Executive Director of Youth Community Connections
Research has shown youth who regularly attend high-quality learning opportunities after school or during the summer have better attendance in school and perform better in the classroom and academically in math. In addition, students who regularly take part in these learning opportunities are less likely to use alcohol or other drugs, become victims of crime, engage in crime or become pregnant. This session will provide you more information about how high-quality after-school and summer learning opportunities benefit students inside and outside the classroom.

The Critical Connection: Early Childhood Education and K-12
Alissa Frost, First Steps Preschool Teacher, St. Louis Park Public Schools and Mary O’Brien, Manager of the Youth and Family Services Programs, St. Louis Park Community Education

An ever-increasing body of research is solidifying the long-term value of high-quality early education experiences. This session will discuss how one school district combined its commitment to securing certification as International Baccalaureate elementary schools with the International Baccalaureate Early Years Programme. You’ll also hear how community education-sponsored early childhood programs, including ECFE and child care, are connecting with elementary schools to meet districtwide goals.

College Readiness: Not Just for ‘Some’ Anymore
(10 – 10:45 a.m. only)
Julie Sweitzer, Director of Leadership Initiatives for the College Readiness Consortium, University of Minnesota
In the 21st Century, we can no longer afford to prepare only a portion of our students for postsecondary education. This presentation will describe why we must increase the number and diversity of students who graduate from high school with the knowledge, skills and habits needed for success in higher education.

More Than the Sum of Its Parts: Toward a Truly Statewide Strategy for Strengthening Public Education (11 - 11:45 a.m. only)
Kent Pekel, Director of the Readiness Consortium, University of Minnesota
An enormous need exists for an overarching statewide strategy for public education. Learn why such a strategy is so important for our students and their future.

Preparing Students for Citizenship
Associate Justice Paul Anderson, Minnesota Supreme Court
A Minnesota native with experience in courts, school boards and youth volunteer services, Justice Anderson will share his perspective about civic engagement.

Moving Beyond Lake Woebegone
Matt Entenza, board chair and founder, Minnesota 2020 and
Senator Gen Olson, Minnesota Senate
Matt Entenza, a former six-term legislator and minority leader in the House of Representatives, and Gen Olson, an eight-term Republican in the Minnesota Senate, will discuss what long-term strategies are needed for educating all of our children and delivering on Minnesota's Promise.

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