Responsive Classroom Leadership Conference to Focus on Improving Teacher Effectiveness; Jennifer Buffett of NoVo Foundation Will Give Keynote Address

TURNERS FALLS, Mass., April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Improving Teacher Effectiveness" will be the theme of the 8^th annual Responsive Classroom Leadership Conference being held November 18–19 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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"Principals and school district leaders alike face the challenge of helping teachers be more effective in their classrooms," said Lora Hodges, executive director of Northeast Foundation for Children (NEFC), which developed the research-based Responsive Classroom approach to elementary teaching. "Schools need teachers with the skills to deliver excellent academic instruction and the skills to manage classrooms. Responsive Classroom professional development can make sure teachers have all those skills. This conference opens the door to remarkable improvements in academics and behavior through the key element of teacher effectiveness."

The conference will provide professional learning for principals, superintendents, district curriculum specialists, teacher-leaders, college professors in teacher preparation programs—anyone who works with educators to improve instruction, classroom management, and students' social-emotional competencies.

Jennifer Buffett, president of the philanthropic NoVo Foundation, will deliver the conference keynote speech about our collective responsibility to help all children reach their full potential by integrating social and emotional learning into our educational systems.

"The NoVo Foundation is a powerful advocate for children's social-emotional learning," said NEFC's Hodges. "We're pleased to welcome Jennifer Buffett to our conference, and we're proud that NoVo continues to support our efforts to give children and school communities the heart-and-head skills they need to succeed."

Two full days of sessions, interactive discussions, expert panels, featured speakers, and networking time will give conference attendees plenty of practical strategies to improve teacher effectiveness. All participants will find sessions that fit their interests, whether they're new to the Responsive Classroom approach or further along in their implementation. Conference sessions will be led by NEFC's professional staff consultants or by other educational experts. Many sessions will also be supported by principals and other school leaders actively using Responsive Classroom strategies. Topics include assessing teacher effectiveness, innovative professional development for teachers, and the role of leadership in whole-school reform, as well as specific strategies used in the Responsive Classroom approach.

In one session, Dr. Sara Rimm-Kaufman of the University of Virginia will discuss her research findings from the three-year Responsive Classroom Efficacy Study. In another, Chip Wood, noted authority on child development, co-founder of NEFC, and author of Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom, Ages 4–14, considers a developmentally appropriate approach to teaching in this age of standards.

"Participants will hear about research and theories," said Mike Anderson, a senior Responsive Classroom program developer, "but just as important, they'll leave with resources and strategies to use as soon as they get back to their schools." At the conference, Anderson, a veteran teacher and consultant, will share his expertise in academic engagement and the Common Core.

Registration for the conference, to be held November 18–19 at the Hyatt-Regency Cambridge, overlooking Boston, is now open, with an early bird discount through July 31st.

About Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. and the Responsive Classroom® approach

Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (NEFC), a not-for-profit organization, was established in 1981 by elementary school educators who envisioned a way of teaching that would bring together academic and social learning throughout the school day. That way of teaching, called the Responsive Classroom approach, is now being used in schools across the country. It has been recognized by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning as one of the most effective academic and social-emotional learning programs.

Northeast Foundation for Children offers Responsive Classroom on-site consulting services to schools and districts, workshops and institutes for educators in locations around the country, and numerous books, videos, and other resources for teachers and administrators.

For more information, visit www.responsiveclassroom.org.

SOURCE Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.