Speakers Guild | Stacy Scott

Dr. Stacy L. Scott is the head of the Center for Understanding Equity, specializing in Educational Consulting and Training, Executive Coaching and Development, and Diversity Training. The Center for Understanding is committed to developing resources for increased understanding of issues of equity in schools and society at large.

Dr. Scott holds and Ed.M. and an Ed.D. from Harvard's School of Education in Counseling and Consulting Psychology. He received a B.A. in International Government with an emphasis in Spanish language and culture from Harvard College. Dr. Scott has developed a practice of organizational consulting and coaching working with educational institutions, Fortune 500 corporations and non-profits. Dr. Scott began his career teaching math in middle school and has served as a school counselor and administrator for grades k-12. He was appointed by Governor William Weld to serve on the Massachusetts State Board of Educators. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in Massachusetts. Dr. Scott has developed training models for diversity, leadership development, organizational improvement, and his premier workshop, Making Equity Work, and authored a book by the same title.

Specialty Areas: Improving the performance of teachers, principals and administrators through leadership development • Managing data and improving the use of data to change school cultures • Problem solving and strategy formulation • Diversity management with a focus on results

Keynotes
Making Equity Work: Closing the Achievement Gaps
This keynote for educators examines the challenges in making equity work and strategies for closing the achievement gap. The presenter examines the causes within school culture which contribute to student underperformance and describes ways to remove obstacles to success. The presenter uses autobiographical material, music and video to engage the audience.

Changing School Culture
5 Steps to Changing School Culture
This presentation reviews the key elements in changing school culture to erase achievement gaps. Participants consider the role of culture, data, motivation, expectations and accountability in managing change. Participants are engaged through the use of musical, visual and interactive components of the presentation. Full day and other formats are possible for more comprehensive coverage of each topic.

Retreats
Leadership Development Retreat
This two or three day workshop facilitates leadership development on an individual or team level. Participants are led to self and team related insights through simulations for planning and process reengineering, games for team learning, role plays, feedback and personality inventories for learning about self, conflict management, managing change and influence. Teams may use this session to work on solving and planning for specific school related challenges that need facilitation and support.

Seminars
Making Equity Work
Making Equity Work in the Classroom (One to Three Days)
Making Equity Work for Leaders (One to Five Days)
This seminar for educators examines the challenges in making equity work and strategies for closing the achievement gap. Participants deconstruct the causes within school culture which contribute to student underperformance and create a plan for removing obstacles to success. This seminar works well in a two day format and has been very well received as a keynote which gives a short overview using the presenter's autobiography, music and video to engage the audience.

ID3: Instructional Decisions Driven by Data (One to Two days)
This workshop for lead teachers and school leaders takes participants through the challenging decisions that must be made to use data effectively in schools. Topics range from how to analyze data to creating and managing data teams. This seminar helps leaders of schools, teams and districts to gain understanding on how to shape school culture through data. With student performance data and school improvement plans in mind participants consider the processes and skills needed for solving the complex problems within school culture.

Daily Disciplines for Leaders
This workshop for senior leadership teams examines the role of the leader in managing school change and accomplishing the district's mission. Participants look at relationship between the values, policy and practice of a district or school and identify ways to eliminate obstacles to growth. Highlights of this seminar can be offered in three hour presentations for principals and aspiring leaders in settings such as leadership academies. Participants should read Doug Reeves' Daily Disciplines of Leaders.

Data team development
Building data teams is one of the most important and neglected pillars in an improvement effort. Teachers and team leaders are supported in data analysis, data reporting, team management and goal setting. Leadership development for grade level and subject team leaders builds skills for managing the development of their teams. They also are given guidance in running and reporting to school wide data teams.

Accountability Design
Accountability planning is critical for central office staff who must lead district wide planning efforts. Training and critical staff development compliment planning efforts that lead to coordinated district wide and school level goals. Training focused on data analysis, goal setting and staff development planning. Planning efforts include coordination of Board mission and vision with district initiatives and efforts.

School Improvement Planning
SIP involves review of data and areas needing improvement. Relevant power standards are reviewed. Strategy formulation leads to an integrated, targeted strategy.

Power Standards
Analysis of student performance on standards leads to discussion of critical areas needing improvement. Power standards are those standards which help students get the essentials from year to year. Focus on power standards leads to accelerated performance as teachers also determine strategies to make standards come alive through essential questions and performance tasks.

Differentiated Instruction One to Five Days)
Differentiation of instruction involves building a basic understanding of how an effective combination of effective teaching strategies plus brain-based learning strategies. In this seminar, teachers practice classroom strategies while gaining an understanding of the concepts of differentiation. Teachers understand student learning strategies including how they process information and produce their best work. Teachers consider new ways to present content. They also learn the importance of student interests and learning styles.

Dr. Stacy L. Scott offers consulting services to districts seeking support for leaders who are managing improvement or change processes. As a critical friend, Dr. Scott plays the role of facilitator or expert in change processes. Such support enables school and district-wide restructuring and planning.