Dan Barcan

In this session we will share results from 2023’s financial analysis of 6 West Virginia school districts and discuss how others can apply the results of that analysis in their own districts. This review was designed specifically to help WV district leaders fund their CIS Site Coordinators after initial state funding expires.

We will cover methods to increase revenues, particularly through a targeted approach to seeking out Federal competitive grants. We’ll also discuss multiple ways to reallocate expenses, using specific examples from the districts we studied.

Participants will have the opportunity to follow up this presentation by attending “office hours” with the presenter, during which time we can begin to work on financial issues specific to each district.

Jonathan Paul & Ashlie Ellis 

What do you feel when asked to write a grant? For most people it is fear! Walk with us as we step through the different kinds of grants and talk about how to write a grant. We want to take the fear out of grant writing and give you ways you can help fund activities for your schools.  

Brittany Brackenrich 

In this session, we assess where we invest our most precious resource and how to make more for what matters most. Re-train your brain to feel more efficient and more productive with less on your list in a culture that regards “busy” as a symbol of importance.    

Stacey Losh, Wayne County, & Kanawha County  

This session will provide an overview of the changes to the Attendance Policy and how to address chronic absenteeism using a multi-tiered system of support. Then, we will dive into a panel discussion around successful practices to target attendance.  

Jakotora Tjoutuku

Explore the Harmony  Academy Curriculum which focuses on strategies to build healthy relationships. Learn how to implement Everyday Practices of Personal and Classroom Harmony Goals, Meet Up, and Buddy Up. Delve into the Lessons & Activities resources and learn tips for the direct and explicit teaching of SEL competencies. 

Brittney Hopkinson

This presentation introduces Adverse Childhood Experiences and how they can impact school performance.  This session will cover strategies for site coordinators to create a supportive and nurturing school environment. Attendees will learn how to build resilience among students, fostering a safe and inclusive atmosphere conducive to learning and growth.  

Kelly Wiltsey & Stephanie Hayes

Prevention education is a vital component of a multi-tiered support system that enhances student well-being. When integrated into this framework, prevention services foster a safe and nurturing learning environment where both staff and students thrive. This approach not only boosts student engagement but also ensures that every learner receives the necessary support to develop essential skills for success in school and beyond. 

 This session will provide an overview of the prevention education mandated by WV State Code and WVBE Policy for students in West Virginia public schools. Attendees will explore best practices, research-based strategies, and valuable resources that promote effective prevention education. Join us to discover how to empower students with the knowledge and skills needed to make positive choices and avoid risky behaviors. 

Laura VanDeusen

Join this interactive session focusing on the significance of student engagement, parent engagement, and social-emotional learning (SEL), including what engagement means and how it and social emotional learning impact our work in schools. We will spend time exploring four assessment tools to use with students and families: the Student Engagement Survey, the Family Engagement Survey, the SEAD assessment for middle/high school students, and the brand-new CIS SEL assessment for Elementary School students. We will also delve into the advantages and potential challenges of implementing these tools in your practice, gaining valuable insights to enhance your approach and support student success.  

Persia Mohseni

Are your students using vapes and other nicotine products at school? As many of us know, there is an increased need to provide adolescent substance abuse services because of the ongoing and rapidly changing drug landscape – including the need to address teen vaping. Caron’s Education Alliance is a leader in substance use education and prevention programs and delivers adolescent nicotine cessation and reduction program curriculum training to youth-serving-professionals. By participating in the adolescent nicotine cessation and reduction curriculum training, titled: Project CONNECT Facilitator Training, adult participants will receive information and materials to help youth find success in the quitting process.

Dan Deacon

County Contacts, join this session if you want a more individualized conversation with Dan Barcan, a advisor to CIS and a Partner at Schoolhouse Partners.  

Join this session to hear about a few of our state and national resources that you could utilize during the school year to better support your students.

Caitlyn Fosse & Zach Stoll

“Data Excellence: Navigating Effective Data Entry Do’s and Don’ts” provides attendees with essential insights into best practices and pitfalls to avoid in CISDM data entry. Increase your knowledge of the nuances of CISDM Tiered Support entry forms and understand how consistent and more frequent data entry increases intentionality and data integrity. Join us to optimize your data entry, minimize errors, and maximize the quality of your student and school data. 

Cook Center – Macy Cass & Emma Nelson

Self-care is seen as the foundational work required for physical and emotional well-being. Together, we will share resources, take a mental health pause, discuss myths about self-care, share mindfulness techniques, and work through practical ways to improve self-care in your professional and personal life. Participants walk away with a personalized self-care plan. 

Cook Center – Macy Cass & Emma Nelson

Together we will focus on understanding your mind, as well as the cost of being in a caring role, which causes compassion fatigue. Being aware of your emotional, psychological, physical, and behavioral health will help you understand how to be more resilient. Participants will leave with a Compassion Fatigue Resiliency Guide that can be used in their personal or professional lives. 

Cook Center – Macy Cass & Emma Nelson

Participants will receive a QPR gatekeeper certificate for suicide prevention. QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and saves lives. This session covers key components of Question, Persuade & Refer which are the needs to know for helping someone who is having suicidal thoughts or ideations. We will cover the common causes of suicidal behavior and the warning signs of suicide, along with additional resources for managing a mental health crisis. 

Laura VanDeusen & Carla Snell 

The Game of Life: CISDM Edition, is a game version of the classic board game where site coordinators navigate the board in decision-making that impact their everyday jobs while using CISDM reports. This session aims to empower participants by enhancing their knowledge of CISDM reports, encouraging critical thinking about their applicability, and ensuring they are equipped to access relevant CISDM information effectively.   

Jazmin Danielson 

Search Institute research has identified five key elements of a relationship that, like the roots of a tree, are the source of nourishment, stability, and resilience for young people. Ongoing Search Institute studies show that when young people experience relationships characterized by the five elements of Search INstitute’s Developmental Relationships Framework, their social-emotional skills are stronger, their academic outcomes are better, and their risk behaviors are lower.  

Caitlyn Fosse & Ginny Ratliff

New CISDM Supports Sneak Peek: provides attendees a sneak-peek look  the new CISDM supports in the 2024-2025 school year. We will discuss the rationale behind these shifts as well as any plans moving forward. Increase your knowledge of the meaning behind these supports as well as how to provide impactful and meaningful supports. 

Mark Moore

Carla Snell (moderator), Todd Barcus (Wetzel), Dr. Sabrina Runyon (Mingo), Mollie Hinzman (Ritchie), Megan McCorkle (Kanawha), Krystal Stollings (Boone), Schell Hopwood (Randolph)

This session brings county contacts together to discuss best practices among those with CIS leadership roles across the state.  

*This is a repeat session from last year’s conference.

Caitlyn Fosse

During this hands-on training, participants will learn and practice art activities to build and foster relationships with students. Participants will practice 3-4 therapeutic art activities that can be adapted for 2nd through 12th grade students, as well as learn about art therapy in practice, and considerations when implementing art in individual and group settings. This session is designed for Site Coordinators of all backgrounds and art abilities.  

Georgia Hughes-Webb

The WVDE supports different data tools to help educators and administrators enter, monitor, and use student data. This session will address the data tools available to WV educators and discuss how to find and use the best information for making decisions relating to the school and student needs. This session will include an interactive demonstration of ZoomWV-e, including how to access student-level information, and a review of ways that ZoomWV-e can be used to support the work of supporting students. Participants will learn how to use key features in ZoomWV-e, including building customized groups, to track student progress in critical areas like attendance and discipline. Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet for exploratory activities during the session.  

Each year, CIS WV reflects on past experiences and develops tools to better support our site coordinators in schools and County Contacts . This year, we are introducing a CIS Planner, which includes various key aspects designed to be a guide throughout the school year. 

Each year, CIS WV reflects on past experiences and develops tools to better support our Site Coordinators in schools and County Contacts. This year, we are introducing a CIS Planner, which includes various key aspects designed to be a guide throughout the school year. 

Donovan Weekley & Teresa McCourt

Are you passionate about protecting young children from harm? Have you ever wished there was a way to protect them before they were ever harmed in the first place? Be the Boss of Your Body (BTBOYB) is a body safety curriculum for children in grades Kindergarten through 4th grade that equips children with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to take ownership over their bodies, locate and identify safe adults, and report abuse if it ever occurs. Lessons are easily facilitated through the use of storybooks, coloring activities, and facilitated discussions. Those who attend this interactive workshop will receive all curriculum materials free of charge, access to technical assistance from West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information & Services, and connection to a network of sexual violence and education professionals implementing BTBOYB statewide.