T r u s t e e / S c h o o l H e a d C o n f e r e n c e S a t u r d a y , F e b r u a r y 2 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Registration South Galeria Continental Breakfast Biltmore Bowl Foyer 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. General Session Biltmore Bowl Welcome and Announcements James McManus Executive Director, California Association of Independent Schools Introduction Nora Malone Board Vice President and Chair of the Elementary Board of Standards, CAIS, and Head of School, Village School Keynote Address Paul Tough Author “The Hidden Power of Character” 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Workshop Session One 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Lunch Biltmore Bowl 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Workshop Session Two 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Workshop Session Three 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Reception Biltmore Bowl S u n d a y , F e b r u a r y 3 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Breakfast Biltmore Bowl 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. General Session Biltmore Bowl Introduction Lucinda Lee Katz Board President, CAIS, and Head of School, Marin Country Day School Keynote Address Patrick F. Bassett President, National Association of Independent Schools “25 Factors Great Schools Have in Common” S e s s i o n O n e 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Marketing for the Whole Campus: Onsite and Online Jon Moser, CEO/Founder, finalsite, and Reveta Bowers, Head of School, The enterC for Early Education Crystal Ballroom What does a visitor to a school’s campus, or to its website, see first? Is each parent, student, alumnus, or friend welcomed and directed to what they need? Using school case studies, as well as examples from the corporate world, the present- ers will offer their perspective on the “user-oriented” climate that can spell success at independent schools. Topics ad- dressed will include the following: “unmarketing,” branding, user experience, and setting the tone for a school’s team and beyond. These strategies and big picture ideas will help to energize your discussions on campus and promote the development of truly welcoming environments. Reasonable Accommodation of Students Michael Blacher, Attorney, and Donna Williamson, Attorney, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore Cordoban Room Accommodating students with disabilities is an increasingly pressing issue for schools. Parents are making more de- mands—as are their attorneys. This presentation will examine what schools can, and cannot, ask about student dis- abilities during the application process. It will lay out the legal requirements under federal and state law when it comes to accommodating student disabilities. It will also examine the meaning of “reasonable accommodations” and how that applies to K-12 programs. Participants will learn the law and spend time discussing best practices in this area. Online Learning: Five Critical Challenges, Five Unprecedented Opportunities Brad Rathgeber, Director, Online School for Girls, and Stuart Posin, Director of Academic and Administrative Technology, Marlborough School Corinthian Room Independent schools are beginning to see opportunities for online learning, but they also recognize many of the chal- lenges. School brands are at stake. Finances can be bolstered or undermined. Faculty can engage in or resist online learning. And most schools don’t know where or how to get started. This presentation will identify five critical chal- lenges and five unprecedented opportunities that independent schools face as they consider integrating online learning into their programs. Particular focus will be paid to the areas of pedagogy, finance, administration, communication, and professional development. Attendees can expect to leave this presentation with an understanding of directions for success and pitfalls to avoid when building an online program at their school. Here are the Numbers! Data and Highlights from Independent School Surveys Gretchen Reed, Senior Director, Professional Development, National Business Officers Association, Martha Ambros, Director, Cal-ISBOA (California Independent School Business Officers Association), and Mayer Riff, Chief Financial Officer, The Center for Early Education Gold Ballroom NBOA (National Business Officers Association) and Cal-ISBOA (California Independent School Business Officers Associa- tion) collect extensive data annually covering the financial and operational aspects of hundreds of independent schools. This presentation will share comparative data on enrollment statistics, financial aid ratios, tuition levels, compensation levels, financial ratios, investment returns, and more. Two veteran business officers will demonstrate how to glean very useful data from the Cal-ISBOA survey, the NBOA Financial Position Survey, the NBOA Compensation Benchmark and Staffing Study, the Commonfund Endowment Survey, and more. Overall trends revealed by these surveys will also be highlighted. Keynote Follow-Up Session Paul Tough Roman Room This session will provide participants with the opportunity to pose follow-up questions and to carry on conversation with the keynote speaker. Re-Thinking the New Trustee Orientation Eric Temple, Head of School, and Pam Hommeyer, Chair, Trustee Committee, Lick-Wilmerding High School Bernards Room New Board members often bring prior trustee experience and some knowledge of governance dynamics with them as they join their peers at the Board table. Thus, the new trustee orientation must be more sophisticated than simply acquainting new members with the basics of the school’s finances and governance. Using backwards design and the framework of differentiated instruction, this session will help trustees and heads re-think the goals for new trustee orientation and develop creative ways to achieve these goals. Though the presenters will share a model new to their school, the session is designed for trustees and heads to leave with concrete planning that can be used for their own next new trustee orientation. The Triple Bottom Line: Why Greening Your School Makes Sense/Cents Paul Chapman, Executive Director, Inverness Associates Athenian Room Why should schools develop a culture of environmental sustainability? With increasing environmental challenges in recent years, the “triple bottom line” has helped us focus on the importance of “people, profit and planet” in steward- ing our organizations. Applied to education, the “triple bottom line” in green schools can help save money, improve achievement, and promote health. This workshop, presented by the former Head of Head-Royce School, describes the features of green, sustainable schools and how to develop them. It highlights the vital leadership role school heads and Boards play in the process. Case studies from Paul Chapman’s two books, Greening America’s Schools 1.0 and 2.0 (NAIS, February 2012, 2013), will highlight best practices from independent schools across the country, and especially those schools that have documented significant cost savings. A New Approach to Accreditation Damon Kerby, Trustee, The Branson School, and CAIS Representative on the WASC Commission, James Astman, Headmaster, Oakwood School, and James McManus, Executive Director, California Association of Independent Schools Emerald Ballroom CAIS has spent four years completely revamping its accreditation process, and 13 member schools are piloting a new accreditation manual for the Association this year. The new approach is both more streamlined and more probing, with a heightened emphasis on analysis, intelligent use of data, and identification of the dynamics that drive school change. This session will focus upon the major changes in the accreditation process, the new Independent School Dashboard that all schools will begin using by 2013-14, and new accreditation standards that relate to trustees and their vital work in leading their schools. Trusteeship 101 Roger Weaver, President, The Weaver Group Tiffany Ballroom This session, designed specifically for new trustees, will provide an overview of seven dimensions of Board service that are essential for effective governance: legal responsibilities, oversight and stewardship obligations, governance-admin- istration separation of powers, characteristics of effective trustees, characteristics of high functioning Boards, potential trustee pitfalls, and productive communication practices. This session is intended to be interactive, with ample oppor- tunity for questions and discussion. Managing Risk After The Sandy Hook Elementary School Tragedy Ronald C. Wanglin, Chairman of the Board, Bolton & Company, and Rick Shaw, President, Awareity Heinsbergen Room The tragic events that recently took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as those at Taft Union High School, have become a lightning rod for schools and their Boards in reevaluating their exposure to armed attacks and in deter- mining how they can best provide a safe and secure environment for their students, faculty, and staff. This session will address best practices for identifying potential exposures, including evaluating school policies and procedures, conduct- ing a campus/school risk assessment, physical solutions, insurance, and risk management protocols. The presenters will also explore innovative web-based platforms that have been used by K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to automate risk management best practices and avert preventable incidents, lawsuits, and tragedies. S e s s i o n T w o 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Admissions, Marketing, Demographics, and Affordability: The Changing Landscape Donna Orem, Chief Operating Officer, National Association of Independent Schools Tiffany Ballroom This session will provide an overview of issues