5th Annual LASER Urban Education Research Conference RAISING THE ROOF: Higher Visions for Research in Urban Schools and Communities September 22-24, 2005 Pre-Conference: September 21 USF Embassy Suites - Busch Gardens Tampa, Florida Sponsored by Project Linking Academic Scholars to Educational Resources (LASER), funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Thank you for making the 2005 LASER Conference a great success!

Project LASER Conference Highlights

Highlights included:
Dynamic presenters

View a summary of their presentations by selecting their names.

Dr. Na'im Akbar Florida State University	Dr. Kathryn Au University of Hawaii-Manoa
Dr. Marilyn Cochran Smith Boston College	Dr. Ruben Donato University of Colorado-Boulder
Dr. Donna Ford Vanderbilt University	Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Russell Skiba Indiana University-Bloomington

Research Marketplace:

Project LASER's Research Faculty Scholars present urban school research projects. All participants will have opportunities to provide input on a national research agenda to improve educational outcomes for urban children.

View a PowerPoint presentation of
LASER scholars and staff accomplishments, 2004-2005

Youth Cultural Night:

During the Thursday night dining experience, university and public school students presented dance and theatrical presentations.

Community Town Hall Meeting:

On Saturday, September 24, a town hall meeting provided a forum for teachers, parents, students, and others to inform the national urban research agenda.

Parent Empowerment Luncheon:

A motivational luncheon featuring Dr. Na'im Akbar and area youth. Parents attended an afternoon of inspiration, networking, and entertainment.

Reality Teaching Workshop

A pre-conference workshop for teachers, principals,
school psychologists, counselors, and parents

Wednesday, September 21, 2005
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Patterned after the recent spate of reality TV shows, the reality teaching workshop actually shows teachers how to effectively teach urban, culturally diverse children in grades K-12, connect with their families, and get positive results.

This full-day culturally responsive workshop involved children and their parents in demonstrations of strategies that facilitate partnerships among children, teachers, and parents. The facilitators modeled effective instructional, communication, and behavioral strategies for teachers, principals, social workers, and school psychologists. Fifty years after Brown, we are still reconstructing education for urban children with all deliberate speed.

Facilitators

USF is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action Institution. Persons with a documented disability requesting accommodations should contact the Division of Conferences and Institutes (number and e-mail above) at least ten (10) working days prior to the program to make arrangements. Persons with hearing or speech impairments should contact the Division via the Florida Dual Party Relay System, 1-800-955-8770 (voice) or 1-800-955-8771 (TDD). Photographs and other recordings may be made of the program. If you do not wish to be included in any recordings, please speak with the program staff when you check in.