"All teachers in all schools experiencing high-quality professional learning as part of their daily work by 2007."

The Council's work is also guided by NSDC's Standards for Staff Development. The 12 standards are divided into three categories: content (what is learned); process (the means by which it is learned); and context (the organizational environments in which the learning occurs and is implemented). The standards are available at http://www.nsdc.org/standards/.

The NSDC Annual Conference is used to advance the Council's goal, strategic priorities, and standards. Carefully consider the strategic priorities and the standards as you prepare your proposal and you will assist the Council in achieving its goal.

Follow this sequence for submitting a proposal to present:

1. Review the Critical Issues and choose the one that your session will best address.
2. Use the Proposal Writing Tips and Proposal Review Process to guide the proposal development process.
3. Complete the online proposal.
4. Make a copy of your proposal and save the confirmation receipt from NSDC.
5. IMPORTANT: Once you "COMPLETE" and "SUBMIT" your proposal, no corrections will be accepted. However, you will be able to access the proposal as you submitted it.

Thank you and good luck!

Conference Critical Issues

Critical Issue 1-Leadership: School and district leaders create systems of professional learning that ensure the continuous improvement of leadership, teaching, and student achievement.

Assumptions: Leaders affect the quality of professional learning through their thoughts, words, and actions. In particular, leaders shape what is talked about and how it is discussed. Certain kinds of conversations are more effective than others in shifting mental models and stimulating action and accountability.

Sessions in this strand could address the following:

• Documenting the relationship between professional learning in schools/systems and improved student learning.
• Preparing front-line district and school leaders to improve the quality of professional development by changing the conversation in schools.
• Affecting leaders' communication and interpersonal skills for the purpose of improving professional learning and student achievement.
• Enhancing the knowledge and skills of technical assistance providers for the benefit of their leadership development efforts.
• Empowering school-based leadership teams to make high-quality professional learning a reality in all schools.
• Highlighting effective strategies and actions that leaders take to guide teacher and school improvement.

Critical Issue 2-High-Performance Cultures: School and district cultures support sustained collaboration and professional learning.

Assumptions: School cultures affect teacher and student performance. School cultures are shaped by leadership practices and various structural elements.

Sessions in this strand could address the following:

• Showcasing schools with cultures focused on high levels of learning for all students, rigorous professional learning, and continuous improvement.
• Promoting performance-oriented cultures.
• Building relationships, structures, and resources to sustain professional learning and collaboration in schools.
• Ensuring districts and schools effectively use their resources to improve the quality of professional learning.
• Sharing resources that assist school leaders in implementing job-embedded learning.

Critical Issue 3-Race, Class, and Culture: All schools with high concentrations of low-income students and/or students of color ensure quality professional learning for all educators.

Assumptions: Skillful teaching and leadership are particularly important to students in high-poverty schools; quality professional learning improves teaching and leadership.

Sessions in this strand could address the following:

• Showcasing schools that serve high concentrations of low-income students and/or students of color by promoting results-based professional learning for all educators.
• Promoting school dialogues on race, economic class, and culture as they relate to teaching and learning.
• Offering strategies for "amplifying positive deviance" in schools.
• Closing achievement gaps through professional development.
• Preparing and supporting teachers to assume leadership roles in high-poverty schools.

Critical Issue 4-Advocacy: Local and state policies promote quality professional learning for all educators.

Assumptions: Local and state policies affect professional learning; sustained, informed advocacy regarding quality professional learning increases the probability of effective policies.

Sessions in this strand could address the following:

• Using NSDC Standards, resolutions, and positions in policy making to improve the quality of professional learning.
• Addressing quality professional learning through contract negotiations.
• Influencing and leveraging NCLB to advance professional learning in schools.
• Advocating for and promoting powerful professional development policies and practices at the school, district, state/provincial, and federal levels.
• Showcasing states and local district policies and plans that improve the quality of professional learning.

Writing Guide

1. Review the proposal form before you begin writing. Prepare a draft of your responses to the questions; when you are ready, cut and paste your responses into the final proposal form.
2. Pay attention to word number requirements. Your proposal will not save if you exceed space requirements.
3. Review the sample abstracts. Make sure your abstracts offers a clear, concise description of what participants will learn and how they will learn it.
4. Address the knowledge and skills participants will gain in response to the question on Participants Outcomes. Participants Outcomes is not the place to describe the learning processes you will use.
5. Cite research and experts on whose work your presentation is based.
6. Make sure your proposal is complete. Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed.
7. The deadline for proposals is final.
8. Sessions that include school district employees are given priority. Those who work with schools are encouraged to submit presentations with practitioners as co-presenters.
9. Sessions that include diverse presentation teams are also a priority. The selection committees value diversity of presentation teams in terms of race, culture, gender, level of expertise, and areas of educational experience.
10. Due to the interest in presenting at the conference, please do not submit more than two proposals. If two proposals are submitted, at least one of the proposals must include a presenter who is employed full-time by a school system.

Proposal Review Process

Proposals are reviewed by NSDC staff, members of the Annual Conference Planning Committee, and members of the local Host Committee. Each proposal is scored by five reviewers. In addition to the scores awarded the proposal, issues that can be used to determine the selection of a proposal for the program include: number of submissions for the critical issue and/or topics addressed, number of hours requested, diversity of presentation team, and location of presentation team, and previous presentation history with the Council.

Proposal Scoring Guide

1. To what degree does the proposal address the selected conference critical issue and topics identified by presenters? (1 - 6 points)

   6. The proposal substantively addresses a critical issue and topics(s).

   5. The proposal clearly addresses a critical issue and topic(s).

   4. The proposal addresses a critical issue and topic.

   3. The proposal addresses a critical issue or topic.

   2. The proposal slightly addresses the critical issue or topic.

   1. The proposal does not address a critical issue or topic.

2. To what degree are the outcomes and content relevant to the conference participants and appropriate to the field of staff development? (1-6 points)

   6. The content is clearly relevant to all participants in role of "staff developer." Content assists all school and district leaders with staff development responsibilities. It is very clear that intended audience is all educators when serving in a "staff development" role.

   5. The content is connected to the needs and interests of most groups with staff development responsibilities. Content will be helpful to most school and district leaders with staff development responsibilities. It is clear that intended audience is all educators when serving in a "staff development" role.

   4. The content is connected to the needs and interests of many groups with staff development responsibilities. Content will be helpful to many school and district leaders with staff development responsibilities. It is clear that intended audience is all educators when serving in a "staff development" role.

   3. The content is connected to the needs and interests of few groups with staff development responsibilities. Content will be helpful to many school and district leaders with staff development responsibilities. It is somewhat clear that the intended audience is all educators when serving a "staff development" responsibility.

   2. The session is really for teachers or principals with little attention to providing tools, resources, or content from a staff development perspective. Content will have limited value for school and district leaders with staff development responsibilities. It is not clear that intended audience is all educators when serving in a "staff development" capacity. The audience is for immediate teacher and student use, and the secondary audience is for those who help others to improve performance.

   1. There is no relationship between the outcomes, content, and the work of staff development leaders. Content will be helpful to few school and district leaders with staff development responsibilities.

3. To what degree are the agenda, content, and processes aligned with the intended outcomes as well as consistent with quality staff development design?

   6. It is very clear that the time, content, and processes allocated will result in participants achieving the intended outcomes. There is a logical sequence in the proposed agenda format. The proposed strategies are appropriate for the desired outcomes. The proposed agenda offers participants opportunities for discussion, questions, and reflection. Activities are scheduled for appropriate lengths of time.

   5. It is clear that the time, content, and processes allocated will result in participants achieving the intended outcomes. Most of the proposed strategies are appropriate for the desired outcomes. Most of the activities are scheduled for appropriate lengths of time.

   4. It is somewhat clear that the time, content, and processes allocated will result in participants achieving the intended outcomes. Many of the proposed strategies are appropriate for the desired outcomes. Many of the activities are scheduled for appropriate lengths of time.

   3. It is not clear as to how the time, content, and processes allocated will result in participants achieving the intended outcomes. Some of the proposed strategies are appropriate for the desired outcomes. Some of the activities are scheduled for appropriate lengths of time.

   2. The design appears to lack an understanding of adult learners and powerful learning designs. The activities chosen are not appropriate to the outcomes and/or exceed or underestimate the time that one would view as reasonable to be completed. Few of the proposed strategies are appropriate for the desired outcomes. Few of the activities are scheduled for appropriate lengths of time.

   1. There is no connection between the agenda and the outcomes. The proposed strategies are not appropriate for the desired outcomes. Activities are not scheduled for appropriate lengths of time.

4. To what degree does the proposal address appropriate research and best practice? (1-6 points)

   6. The proposal includes 3-5 relevant research citations and best practices with an appropriate explanation of the connection for each.

   5. The proposal includes 1-2 relevant research citations and best practices with an appropriate explanation of the connection for each.

   4. The proposal includes 1-2 relevant research citations or best practices with an appropriate explanation of the connection for each.

   3. The proposal includes several research citations and/or best practices but the connection to the presentation is not specified.

   2. The proposal includes a few research citations or best practices but the connection to the presentation is not specified.

   1. Only one research or best practice citation is included. No explanation is offered.

5. To what degree does the session involve school district employees who have implemented the content or skills and can show positive results? (1-6 points)

   6. Presentation is by a team of district and school practitioners who will share processes as well as results. Presentation moves beyond "telling stories" to "teaching skills" or "building capacity" as well as offering reflection.

   5. Presentation team includes at least one district and one school-based leader who will share processes as well as results. Presentation moves beyond "telling stories" to "teaching skills" or "building capacity."

   4. Presentation team includes two or more people from the district office or a school who will share processes as well as results. Presentation moves beyond "telling stories" to "teaching skills" or "building capacity."

   3. Presentation team includes at least one district or school practitioner who will share processes as well as results. Presentation moves beyond "telling stories" to "teaching skills" or "building capacity."

   2. Presentation is primarily a "case study" of best practices as implemented and described by one district or school-based practitioner.

   1. No school district employees are featured in the presentation.