Morning session presenters Dr. Jack Baldermann, Superintendent, and Dr. Carla Braun, Assistant Superintendent, from Westmont District 201, along with Dr. JR Entsminger, Director of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation at Steger School District 194, and authors of the recently published book Improving Student Attendance: How Connection and Belonging Combat Absenteeism, share proven strategies for improving student attendance by strengthening connection, belonging, and daily engagement, closing the gap between absent and invested students. The session will also highlight the value and importance of building a confident mind in students.
In the afternoon, Dr. Laura Koehler from Linden Oaks Behavioral Health helps attendees understand school refusal, the factors that contribute to it, and effective strategies for supporting students and families in improving school engagement and attendance. Koehler oversees partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs for adults, adolescents, and children as Manager of Anxiety Services, and integrates Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Exposure Therapy to help patients build skills for regulating emotions.
Ideal for: Student Service Administrators, School Counselors, School Social Workers, and Deans