The national institute From Structure to Instruction: Sharing Best Practices and Lessons Learned From High School Redesign will take place on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, June 28–30, 2010. Designed by practitioners for practitioners, the institute provides teams of teachers, administrators, and district staff with programmatic tools and strategies to strengthen their high school redesign efforts.

Based on the success of the 2008 and 2009 conferences, the planners (who include a national advisory group of practitioners) will maintain the event’s unique combination of presentations by educators with “in the trenches” experience in transforming high schools and personalized coaching sessions. Such coaching gives teams expert advice as they tackle the intensive work of instructional improvement and structural change.
Pre-institute workshops on Sunday, June 27, offer indepth information and assistance on selected topics in a small-group format. This year’s topics are:

• Aligning Instruction With Essential Knowledge and Skills
• Refining and Sustaining Small Learning Communities
• How Interdisciplinary Teams Personalize Instruction
• Shifting Resources To Close the Achievement Gap

Dr. Beverly Hall of Atlanta Public Schools, the 2009 National Superintendent of the Year, is slated to give the opening address. Hall is credited with transforming the 102-school system in Atlanta through a comprehensive reform agenda in which graduation rates at several high schools have risen sharply.

This year’s presentations target six topics that will help participants move their schools from structure to instruction:

1. Accelerated Learning in English and Mathematics
2. Continuous Program Improvement
3. Career Academies and Career/Technical Education
4. Postsecondary Readiness
5. Detracking Issues and Practices
6. Planning and Supporting High School Transformation

Registration is now open. Conference organizers encourage people to register early as registration is limited to 550 participants and the previous two years’ institutes sold out. Discounts are available if you and/or your team register by March 31.

Visit the institute’s event page regularly for up-to-date information.