Leadership Development Conference on School, Family, Community Partnerships

What: Conference on involving parents and communities in schoolsWhen: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Friday, March 12, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 13Where: Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel 300 South Charles St. Baltimore, Md. 21201

Education reporters are welcome to meet new sources and find story ideas at the "Leadership Development Conference on School, Family and Community Partnerships," led by researchers from The Johns Hopkins University. Approximately 150 educators, school administrators, community leaders and parents from across the country will be attending the two-day event, designed to strengthen the ties between families, communities and schools. Speakers from the university's National Network of Partnership Schools in the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships will address several topics, including:

* Meeting the requirements for family involvement in the No Child Left Behind Act* Taking step-by-step approaches to establish goal-oriented programs of family and community involvement* Helping students make smooth transitions from one level of school to the next, such as from middle to high school* Tracking and evaluating the impact of a school's family and community involvement efforts* Incorporating a community's cultural characteristics into school partnerships and activities

The conference includes a showcase social from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on March 12. Conference attendees will display and share stories of successful school/community activities and leadership approaches. The full schedule of events is available online at http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/Brochures/Mar_04_Reg.pdf

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