Projects

Career and Academic Support for Teachers (CAST)

• Tucson-area teachers who do not have teaching contracts will soon be given the opportunity to join the CAST.   Career and Academic Support for Teachers is setting out to provide professional development and networking opportunities to keep non-contracted teachers connected to their profession.  CAST opportunities will be designed to help teachers keep their skills current and learn new skills, as well as allow them to network with other educators throughout the region.  Current trends in curriculum design, teaching methods, and classroom management are among the topics to be offered.  Other opportunities may include visits to non-traditional educational settings (i.e. museums) to learn from their educators. See UALinks.org  at http://www.ualinks.org  for more information.

Overcoming Communication Challenges: Building District Leadership

• School district leadership teams are invited to participate in the Harvard Public Education Leadership Project (PELP experience.  This opportunity is designed for teams of 3 to 6 participants, led by the superintendent or a leader chosen by the superintendent.  The teams will develop and implement a plan for improving student achievement and leadership team communication using case studies from PELP and McREL and experts from the field and the University of Arizona.  This opportunity is a partnership between AZ LEADS, University of Arizona – College of Education, Educational Leadership, and UA LINKS. See UALinks.org  at http://www.ualinks.org  for more information.

Exploring New Modalities for Learning: Professional Development for Professional Developers and Instructional Leaders

• Professional developers and instructional leaders in school-districts and at the University of Arizona are invited to attend this one-day conference on Friday, October 30, 2009.  This conference will focus on issues of professional development and technology as well as building skills for effective professional development.  Dr. Barry Fishman from the University of Michigan, School of Education will be providing the keynote address.  Breakout session topics include considerations of adult learners, aligning professional development with standards, and outreach resources through the University of Arizona. See UALinks.org  at http://www.ualinks.org  for more information.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a school-wide system where behavioral expectations are defined and taught like academics.  PBIS is designed to replace "behavioral errors" with pro-social behaviors, diminish disruptions that impede teaching and learning, and establish a positive school climate. We provide a variety of presentations on PBIS including informational presentations for school leaders, PBIS team training on PBIS implementation, and follow-up support for schools already implementing PBIS.  Please contact us for complete descriptions of all of our training topics and fees:  links@email.arizona.edu. Please see the Tucson PBIS  website at http://protectiveschools.org/pbs/  for more information.