Monday, December 5

1:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Pre-Conference Workshop

Sponsored by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)

Integrating Higher Education Appropriations, Finance and Tuition Policy:  An Invitational Legislative Leadership Institute

This two-day workshop for state legislators will focus on key issues related to aligning higher education apropriations, financial aid, and tuition policy to promote access and success in higher education.  Participants will examine the nuts and bolts of higher education policy, examine innovative state strategies, and discuss how federal and state policy intersects.

This workshop is for legislators only and space is limited.  Contact Julie Davis Bell at 303-364-7700 if you are interested in attending.

Tuesday, December 6

8:00 am - 2:30 pm

Integrating Higher Education Appropriations, Finance and Tuition Policy:  An Invitational Legislative Leadership Institute

Wednesday, December 7

7:00 am - 5:30 pm
8th Street-Lobby Level

Registration

Site Visit to Horace Mann Math, Science and Technology Academy Sponsored by the Foundation for State Legislatures Education Technology Partners 

Horace Mann Academy is a K-8 school within the Chicago Public School district with an enrollment of approximately 957 students.  This visit offers the opportunity to observe classrooms, speak with the principal, a technology team, and ask teachers and students about how technology is being used in the school. 

Education Technology Partners Business Meeting

Facilitators:  Delegate Nancy King, Maryland
Representative Dave Hogue, Utah
Co-chairs, Education Technology Partnership 

Education Technology

This session features two principals from the Chicago area who are leading the way in using technology in their schools.  They will discuss why technology is important in an educational setting and how their schools are using technology to help meet district and state goals and the needs of the 21st century learner.

Facilitators:  Delegate Nancy King, Maryland
Representative Dave Hogue, Utah
Co-chairs, Education Technology Partnership

Speakers:  Dr. Lawrence Turner, Horace Mann School, Chicago
Mrs. Lucile Adams-Johnson, Marya Yates Elementary School, Matteson, Illinois

Higher Ed on the Edge
Joint with the Fiscal Leaders Seminar and the Budget and Revenue Committee

Quality higher education is key to a creative economy, yet competing spending pressures have caused some states to cut back funding for these institutions.  How do such reductions affect the scope, quality and performance of two- and four-year colleges?  This session will consider financial and demographic concerns facing higher education and explore potential solutions.  

Opening Plenary:  The Economic Outlook in an Uncertain Time

The destruction wreaked by Hurricane Katrina has left many economists uncertain about its short- and long-term effects on the nation's economy--on energy prices, jobs, agricultural commodities and many others.  A member of the Chicago Federal Reserve will offer his insights into the country's economic outlook.

Speaker:  William Strauss, Senior Economist and Economic Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank, Chicago

Steering Committee Meeting

Chairs, vice-chairs and staff chairs of the standing committees are members of the steering committee and are strongly encouraged to attend this important meeting.

Thursday, December 8

7:00 am - 5:30 pm
8th Street-Lobby Level

Registration

Plenary Breakfast:  Emergency Preparedness--Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina

Preparing for and responding to disasters is clearly a joint responsibility of the federal, state and local governments.  This was one of the fundamental lessons learned from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and learned again in the response to Hurricane Katrina.

Speaker:  Stephen Johnson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. 

Federal Update

A review of federal actions providing additional flexibility on NCLB and a quick look at regulatory actions impacting states under the reauthorized IDEA.  

Presiding:  Senator Bob Plymale, West Virginia
Chair, Education Committee

Speaker:  David Shreve, NCSL Washington Staff

Special Education Placements

This session looks at private and cross jurisdictional placements of special education and what the states' responsibility is in providing IDEA services to students in private settings.  Who pays and who is responsible for oversight?

Working Lunch:  Federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILTS) and Impact Aid for Education

An update on the federal programs intended to compensate state and local governments for the deleterious impact of federally-owned lands and federal installations.

Presiding:  Senator John Vratil, Kansas
Vice-Chair, Education Committee

Speakers:  M. Lynne Corn, Ph.D, Specialist in Natural Resources, Congressional Research Service, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Tom Madden, Lamont High School Township, Illinois
Scott Nemanich, Esq.  

State Governance Issues in Career-Technical Education
Joint with the Labor and Workforce Development Committee

This session looks at vocational and technical education in the age of standards accountability.  Where does it fit and how do we govern it? 

Pre-Kindergarten:  Economic Analysis and Financing Options

What is the economic impact of Pre-Kindergarten programs for states and how are states financing large-scale programs?  Learn the various approaches to assessing the economic impact of Pre-K, illustrated through one state's impact analysis.  State financing options will also be discussed and two state models will be presented. 

Speakers:  Calvin Kent, Center for Business and Economic Research, Marshall University, West Virginia
Kay Henderson, Illinois State Board of Education
Senator Bob Plymale, West Virginia

Steering Committee Meeting 

Chairs, vice-chairs and staff chairs of the standing committees are encouraged to attend this review of standing committee policy actions acted upon in Chicago.

Reception at the Art Institute of Chicago

Join your colleagues for a reception at the Art Institute of Chicago, a short walk from the hotel, and one of America's greatest museums.  The reception will be in the historic and stunning Trading Room, preserved from the former Chicago Stock Exchange.  The museum will be open for you to tour during the reception.

Friday, December 9

8:00 am - 1:00 pm
8th Street-Lobby Level

Registration

Special Briefings:

The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina:  Rebuilding a City and Its People
Marquette-3rd Floor

The debates began well before the water started to recede.  To rebuild New Orleans or not was the first question.  The second was how?  This session looks at the challenges and opportunities of rebuilding a unique and important American city--its infrastructure, economy, education system, culture and families.

Eminent Domain:  Where Do We Go From Here?
Waldorf-3rd Floor

The Supreme Court's recent Kelo decision provoked an uproar among property rights advocates and others.  Congress and some state legislatures moved immediately to limit use of eminent domain for economic development.  This session will try to get beyond the rhetoric and emotions of the issue to explore nuances and potential effects of this important case.

The States, Schools and Global Competitiveness
Joliet-3rd Floor

Thomas Friedman's recent book, The World is Flat, has had a significant impact with state policymakers.  Several states are taking innovative steps to respond to the challenges of global competitiveness.  This session examines how states and schools are paving the way to prepare students for the new global economy. 

Speakers:  Richard Longworth, Chicago Council on Foreign Relations
Clark Plexico, Clark Plexico Consulting Inc., Former state senator, North Carolina
Mayor Richard Daley, Chicago (invited)
Dan Langenberg, Professor of Physics and Chancellor Emeritus, University of Maryland

Business Meeting

Plenary Lunch:  American Politics Chicago Style

Chicago politics is the stuff of mythology.  For decades, Americans have been fascinated by the rough and tumble politics of this Midwestern city.  A long-time observer of the Chicago political scene will explore the history of Chicago politics with the latest iterations.  

Legislative Education Staff Network Seminar 

All legislative education staff are invited to participate in this meeting that continues through Saturday afternoon.  There is no fee for this seminar; however, a separate registration is required.