The Consortium convenes study groups to explore topics of mutual interest, such as school leadership, 21st Century Skills, student learning, and assessment. Below is a list of the Consortium’s study groups:
The Tri-State Consortium Superintendents’ Network will meet on a monthly basis for intense and collaborative learning focused on the unique challenges educational CEOs face as they (1) focus on improving teaching and learning at scale, (2) promote coherent, systemwide change, (3) support the learning of each and every child, (4) work with boards to create a sustainable and focused local policy environment, and (5) respond to forces disruptive to the educational mission.
The Network will use dynamic and collaborative processes anchored in all that the field knows about how leaders learn best. We will:
Work on problems of practice that are relevant and timely to the issues superintendents are facing in their districts
Use problem-based learning, simulations, and case studies to ensure that discourse is anchored in the real and practical realities leaders face
Import sources of expertise--from proven leaders and scholars--that can challenge our thinking and point toward more optimal solutions
Create a culture that balances pressure and support, fostering the conditions for superintendents to discuss sensitive topics in honest ways and to give each other productive feedback
Put superintendents in the driver’s seat, leveraging their lived experiences and deep sources of expertise to frame the topics at hand and identify potential solutions.
The group is facilitated by:
Richard Lemmons - Executive Director, Partners for Educational Leadership
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (8:30 am - 11:30 am, breakfast provided)
September 18
October 10
November 12
December 5
January 8
February 12
March 26
April 23
May 21
This study group is composed of deputy and assistant superintendents and district level directors of curriculum. The group pursues questions about what constitutes 21st Century skills, and district leadership's role and responsibility to collaborate with staff by managing changes required in curriculum, instruction and administration to ensure that students graduate in possession of these skills. This dynamic group functions as a real-time think tank for participants as, in addition to big questions around 21st century skills, the group also confronts critical issues confronting public education today.
The group is facilitated by:
Bryan Luizzi - Superintendent, New Canaan Public Schools
Kevin Smith - Superintendent, Wilton Public Schools
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (8:00 am - 11:30 am, breakfast provided)
September 17
November 19
December 17
February 11
March 18
April 22
May 20
The Special Education Directors Study Group is designed to support the study of topics relevant to the challenging work of Special Education Administrators. The group meets four times each during the school year. The study group uses protocols and/or a Socratic approach to engage the thinking of each member. A typical study group question is : How can we use current brain research to support students with disabilities with Common Core Standards?
This group is facilitated by:
Assistant Superintendent for Special Education and Student Services, Scarsdale Public Schools
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (12:00 pm - 2:00 pm, lunch provided)
October 25
December 13
January 31
This group meets several times annually. Centered on the power of leadership study, the group has analyzed texts (Thomas Friedman's Hot, Flat and Crowded; Leadership on the Line by Heifetz and Linsky; Creative Innovators by Tony Wagner, for example) and also focuses on case studies presented by members of the study group.
The group is facilitated by:
Lou Wool - Superintendent, Harrison Public Schools
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (8:30 am - 11:30 am, breakfast provided)
October 8
January 14
March 11
May 6
The Middle School Principals Study Group meets three times annually. In recent years, the group has been reading texts and discussing case studies presented by members of the group. This year, the group will take a future-focused look at where middle schools are headed, particularly in our region. The group will engage in full-group and small-group discussions, exploratory research/readings and interest-based planning sessions.
This study group is self-facilitated by:
Scott Wynne - Principal, Farragut Middle School, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (8:30 am - 10:30 am, breakfast provided)
October 24
February 4
April 23
This study group meets four times each year and will focus on topics relevant to your current work. The agendas will be co-created to support your leadership in your various initiatives and goals. Some topics may include specific content, such as literacy, science, and math, instructional practices, assessment of student learning, teacher evaluation, school culture, and innovation. Meetings may begin with discussions of relevant readings and end with discussions of case studies presented by members of the group.
The group is facilitated by:
Jen Lamia - Superintendent, Byram Hills Central School District
Tim Kaltenecker - Deputy Superintendent, Byram Hills Central School District
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (9:00 am - 11:00 am, breakfast provided)
October 9
December 12
January 28
April 1
This study group is open to all Assistant Principals in our member districts. Assistant principals typically do not have opportunities to discuss their roles with each other, so the topics for discussion are based on the role of the assistant principal at all levels of the system and are often linked to relevant concerns and professional articles.
This study group is facilitated by:
Andrew Selesnick - Executive Director, Tri-State Consortium
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (8:30 am - 10:30 am, breakfast provided)
October 11 (Cancelled)
December 13
January 10
March 25
May 12 (Please note new date)
The language of the Tri-State benchmarking rubric is reviewed by a group of experienced visit team co-leaders. The goal is to clarify and refine the indicator definitions, study questions, and scoring rubrics based on the experience of having used them in the visit setting. The group's recommendations are submitted for review and approval by the Steering Committee. This group meets biannually.
School districts are currently facing an uphill battle to preserve democracy in public education. There is no more important topic in the school curriculum than civic education, which is essential to students' knowledge, skills, and values as citizens of the world, but many roadblocks are hindering democratic growth for students, educators, and school-communities. This study group will explore the current landscape of civic education through the lens of society, school institutions, and the classroom. The facilitators will use case studies and relevant research to frame discussions for school leaders from the Tri-State Consortium with the aim of expanding our professional knowledge and collaborating on strategies to provide high quality, active, and informed civic education through each layer of the school system. This study group is for superintendents, principals, curriculum specialists, and teachers interested in pursuit of democratic education.
This study group is facilitated by:
Christopher Zublionis - Superintendent, North Shore School District
Seth Gordon - Director of Social Studies, North Shore School District
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (8:30 am - 11:00 am)
September 20 (Cancelled)
October 18
November 22
January 24
February 24 (Note: Corrected Date)
March 28
April 25
May 23
As districts continue to build their systems and supports, this group will focus on exploring various methods for implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and ways that leaders can continue to provide professional learning opportunities within their identified support models through a lens of equity.
NOTE: This Study Group is open to all who did NOT participate in the group last year. Those who did participate last year will receive a separate invitation should they wish to continue.
This study group is facilitated by:
Joseph Simoni, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Pearl River School District
Karen Smith, Director of Special Education and 504 Services, Chappaqua Central School District
Click HERE to register.
Whitby Castle, NY (8:30 am - 12:00 pm, breakfast provided)
October 28
February 13
May 5
The Consortium responds to requests from members to conduct study groups based on specific topics of mutual interest. In previous years, two such study groups were convened, each for one session - one focused on programs for gifted students, and one focused on alternatives to Advanced Placement courses.
These study groups usually are facilitated by the people initiating the requests to meet.