2003 Principals' Conference

2003 Principals' Conference
	From November 17–21, 2003, DoDDS Pacific hosted our annual principals’ conference. The conference theme, Different Students—Different Starting Points: Differentiated Instruction in a Standards-based School, provided participants with an in-depth look at how we can better meet the needs of every child. This year’s sessions focused on literacy, mathematics, and assessment, and were aligned to the DoDEA six-year curriculum development cycle and our implementation of the DoDEA Community Strategic Plan.
Welcome addresses, given by BrigGen Timothy R. Larsen, Deputy Commander, U.S. Forces, Japan, and COL Edward Patrick, U.S. Pacific Command/J1, were very complimentary to the work we are doing in DoDDS Pacific. The conference afforded DoDEA Director, Dr. Joseph Tafoya, and Associate Director of Education, Dr. Elizabeth Middlemiss, an opportunity to discuss our system’s successes, initiatives, and challenges, and to dialogue with principals.
Throughout the week, school leaders and guests were given an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the research that supports quality reading and math instruction; acquire classroom observation skills that focus on best practices and program implementation in a standards-based school; and strengthen their knowledge of how classroom assessment impacts decision making.
Our consultant, Dr. Susan B. Neuman, Professor in Educational Studies at the University of Michigan, conducted sessions on elements of successful schools and instructional programs, research-based reading instruction, strategies for struggling readers, and strategies for promoting reading comprehension. DoDEA and DoDDS Pacific specialists also provided sessions on mathematics, literacy and assessment.