Department of Education
Dr. Tim Webb, Commissioner
Training Information (SY 2009-2010)
Below you will find current training events for the 2009-2010 school year. To learn more about any of the trainings listed on the site simply click on the appropriate link.
Lions-Quest Service-Learning Training
Service-learning is an innovative teaching strategy that combines volunteer service and classroom instruction. Workshops will be provided in various locations across the state to equip teachers with the skills and materials necessary to effectively incorporate service-learning into their classrooms. High school educators will receive everything necessary to meet the state’s standards and curriculum frameworks for course code 9395, “Success Skills through Service-Learning.”
Lions Quest International will train and provide materials valued at $500 for a cost of only $35 to Tennessee educators, youth workers, college of education students, and any other interested individuals through a grant from the Lions Clubs International Foundation, the Lions Clubs of Tennessee, and the Corporation for National and Community Service, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and Volunteer Tennessee. That’s a savings of $465! This grant ends in summer 2010—take advantage of the $35 training rate while it lasts!
For more information, please visit www.volunteertennessee.net and click on Lions-Quest Service-Learning Training or contact Meredith Freeman, Lions-Quest Service-Learning Coordinator at (615) 741-9242 or Meredith.Freeman@tn.gov.
LifeSkills Training in Tennessee (December 4th and December 11th Training Dates Available!!!)
Recognized by the US Department of Education as an exemplary prevention program and recommended by the Center for Disease Control, LifeSkills Training (LST) is one of the most successful proven prevention strategies in the country - based on over 20 years of research. Studies testing the effectiveness of LST show it reduces the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use by up to 87% when implemented with fidelity.
The LST program is aligned with universal learning standards and is taught in sequence over three years. Level 1, taught in 6th grade, consists of 15 lessons (plus 3 optional violence prevention lessons). Level 2, taught in 7th grade, consists of 10 lessons (plus 2 optional violence prevention lessons). Level 3, taught in 8th grade consists of 5 lessons (plus 2 optional violence prevention lessons).
Team training is available and prepares participants to deliver all three levels. Schools planning to implement LifeSkills should send a team of 3-5 (teachers, counselors, or other classroom personnel) representing each grade to the one-day training. School Resource Officers and Safe and Drug-Free School Coordinators are also encouraged to attend as part of the team. Teams must acquire their principal’s approval and commit to implementation fidelity. Many schools choose to deliver LST in Health, Science or Social Studies, but the curriculum works equally well in Language Arts, Guidance, and exploratory/elective courses. Afterschool programs funded through 21st Century or LEAPs are also invited to participate, as well as Alternative Educators. Schools already participating in LST are allowed to send additional teachers to the training. Each participant will be provided one teacher manual and one classroom set of (30) student workbooks appropriate to the grade level at which they plan to deliver LST.
To inquire about LifeSkills registration, training and Technical Assistance, or student materials, please contact Stefanie Ellis at (615) 253-6379 or by e-mail at stefanie.ellis@tennessee.edu.
The Methamphetamine Awareness Project
The Department of Education is pleased to announce a new training opportunity for Tennessee educators and others working in a school setting. The Methamphetamine Awareness Project will focus on the drug methamphetamine and its impact on children.
Participants receive a basic overview of the drug as well as learn how to recognize the signs and symptoms of children living in a home where methamphetamine is being produced or used. Appropriate intervention strategies will also be identified. These trainings are made possible through a collaboration between the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Criminal Justice Programs and is supported by the Governor’s Methamphetamine Initiative Grant.
Any questions about the trainings may be directed to Lori Ungurait at (615) 253-6382 or via email to lori.ungurait@tennessee.edu. (A confirmation and directions will be sent once registration is received.)
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
The Tennessee Department of Education, in collaboration with STARS Nashville and Clemson University, is pleased to announce the availability of certification training for the Olweus Bullying Prevention (OBP) Program. The Olweus Program is heavily researched and recognized around the world as the premier bullying prevention program.
Detailed information about the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program be found at www.starsnashville.org.
PREPARE Training
The Tennessee Department of Education has partnered with Vanderbilt Community Mental Health Center to provide a professional development training called PREPARE. PREPARE is designed to develop and disseminate information to school districts that will assist in advancing an “after the crisis” response plan. This is an excellent, hands-on, interactive training designed to assist school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists and crisis team members in what to do after a crisis. The training is free.
Registration materials can be obtained by emailing Rose Cope at Rosemary.Cope@vanderbilt.edu. General questions about the training can be directed to Nichole Cobb, Director of School Counseling at (615) 741-5113 or via email to Nicole.cobb@tn.gov.
Student Discipline and Alternative Education Institute 2010
In collaboration with the Department of Education's Office of General Counsel, the Office of School Safety and Learning Support and the UT Law Enforcement Innovation Center present the 2010 Student Discipline and Alternative Education (SDAE) Institute. The conference will be held in middle Tennessee. The registration fee for the conference is $99.00, which will include breakfast and lunch during the two day event.
The conference will promote proactive approaches to dealing with student discipline, as well as legal and procedural issues/practices related to the field. This will include an in-depth training on how to conduct a disciplinary hearing and provide due process prior to making a disciplinary decision regarding suspension or expulsion. Exemplary practices in alternative education will also be explored. Experts in the field of educational law, student discipline, social and emotional learning, and alternative education will provide a wide variety of breakout sessions for participants. Specific training dates, times and the location will be forthcoming.
For more information regarding the Institute contact Lori Ungurait at (615) 253-6382 or via email to lori.ungurait@tennessee.edu.
When Bullying Comes to School: Addressing Bullying, Harassment, and Hazing Through Effective Policy and Practice
A civil and respectful learning environment is an essential foundation for teaching and learning. Public Chapter 153 as enacted by the 2009 General Assembly mandates specific actions on the part of schools relative to bullying, harassment and intimidation. This seminar will provide an overview of these and other related requirements with a particular focus upon insuring that policy is reflected in effective practice.
Questions regarding the seminar may be directed to Mike Herrmann by phone at (615) 741-3248 or via email at mike.herrmann@tn.gov.
The Tennessee School Safety Center is a project of the Tennessee Department of Education. Funding is provided, in part, by the US Department of Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program.
