HAL Professional Learning & Events
Upcoming Professional Learning Events
Nebraska MTSS Summit 2024: Super Systems for Success
September 26 & 27, 2024, Kearney, NE.
Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Learners
A collaboration of the Nebraska Department of Education & Minnesota Department of Education Book Study facilitated by Joy Lawson Davis: October 2024 – February 2025, Virtual
National Association for the Gifted Annual Conference
November 21-24, 2024, Seattle, WA.
William & Mary Twice-Exceptional Online Conference
February 27-28, 2025
College Board Webinars & Resources
Digital AP Exams: September 12th (11:00 am CT) & September 16th (9:00 am CT) – REGISTER HERE
Starting in May 2025, standard paper testing will be discontinued for 28 AP Exams—these exams will move to the Bluebook digital testing application. This webinar will provide updates and information to schools to help with preparing for the upcoming administration, including support for teachers and students to prepare for the new format.
Career Kickstart: September 23 (12:00 pm CT) – REGISTER HERE
This webinar will provide an overview of the newest program from College Board, Career Kickstart. Learn about the Cybersecurity Pathway, the first pathway to launch out of this new program designed to take the learnings from AP and apply them to CTE programming. Our team will share information about the program, its benefits for students, training for teachers, and how you can apply to be part of year 2 of the pilot in the 2025-26 school year.
BigFuture: October 10 (12:00 pm CT)
This live webinar will provide educators an overview of BigFuture, a free, comprehensive digital resource designed to help students plan for life after high school. This session will provide information about the career exploration tools, college planning tools, and scholarship resources, including how students can be entered into monthly BigFuture Scholarship drawings for $500 or $40,000!
AP Updates: October 30 (12:00 pm CT) – REGISTER HERE
This webinar will provide updates and answer questions related to AP courses and exams for the 2024-25 school year. Our team will have the most up-to-date information related to new courses, ordering, AP Classroom, and digital exams.
Introduction to College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) (November date TBD)
For over 50 years, the College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) has offered exams at a fraction of the price of a college course, saving you hundreds of dollars. CLEP exams let you test out of introductory courses and move to more advanced courses sooner, saving time toward your degree.
Understanding & Using Fall PSAT Scores December 3 (12:00 pm CT)
Learn more about understanding, interpreting, and using PSAT scores.
Preparing for Fall SAT Suite Administration – August 2024
This pre-recorded webinar will provide updates and answer questions related to the Fall 2024 Digital SAT Suite Administration. Our College Board representative for Nebraska will have the most up-to-date information related to ordering, accommodations, registering students, and preparing for the testing window.
Making the most of AP Classroom and Bluebook to prepare students for spring 2025 AP Exams – September 2024
This webinar will provide an overview of the AP Classroom and Bluebook platforms, including instructional resources, reports, and practice resources to prepare students for the spring 2025 AP Exams.
Introduction to Pre-AP Programs & Courses – November 2024
Is your district interested in offering Pre-AP courses in the 2025-26 school year? Maybe you are new to Pre-AP and want to learn more? The Nebraska College Board Team will be hosting a Pre-AP Introduction Webinar and Q&A session for Nebraska educators. This webinar will go over introductory information to Pre-AP Courses, required and optional professional learning options, accessing course resources, Pre-AP Classroom, and more to help you plan adding Pre-AP to your programming.
Course Spotlight: AP Computer Science Principles – November 2024
Computer Science Principles (CSP) introduces students to foundational concepts of computer science and challenges them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world. AP CSP was designed with the goal of creating leaders in computer science fields, attracting those who are traditionally underrepresented in computer science, and engaging them with essential computing tools and multidisciplinary opportunities. This webinar will provide more insight on the AP CSP.
Course Spotlight: AP Seminar – November 2024
Get ready for anything by building skills critical for success in all majors and careers. In AP® Seminar, students learn essential and transferable skills they can use in high school, college, and career. In this course, students choose their own topic to study while they learn and build research skills, including investigation, collaboration, writing, and presentation. This webinar will provide more insight on the AP Seminar course, including how it can be offered as English 10.
Course Spotlight: CK Cybersecurity Pathways Course – November 2024
Career Kickstart will develop courses in pathways that prepare students for high-demand, high-wage jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree. Entry-level cybersecurity roles meet that description; the first pathway we’re developing is Cybersecurity. This webinar will provide more insight on the courses that makeup the CK Cybersecurity Pathway, and how schools/districts can plan for the national launch in 2025-26.
Fall 2021 HAL Webinar Series: Planning for Sustainability
HAL/MTSS Pilot Project – Sheyanne Meadows, HAL Specialist, NDE & Tessa Fraass, MTSS Regional Support Lead, NeMTSS
September 29 – 4:00pm (CST)
High Ability Learning programs often are treated as “one more thing” or as a siloed service. Streamlining systems and serving ALL students is at the heart of multi-tiered systems of support. This includes students who are high ability. MTSS has been primarily used to identify and support struggling students. While the model has primarily been used this way, recent models have extended to include high ability learners in the MTSS system.
While there are several models of MTSS for gifted learners, there is very little data and research to support the models. In partnership with NeMTSS, we are launching a pilot program to support schools in integrating HAL into their MTSS system. This webinar will provide background information and details regarding the pilot program. Come learn with us and decide if this pilot may be a good fit for your school!
Leading District HAL Services – Julee Sauer, Director of Secondary Curriculum, Papillion La Vista Community Schools
October 6, 4:00pm (CST)
This session provides participants with a district administrative perspective on serving students with identified high-ability learning needs. Dr. Julee Sauer and Deb Rodenburg from Papillion LaVista Community Schools (PLCS) share their experiences along with the guiding principles and practices of the PLCS’s continuum of services.
Partnering with Parents of Gifted Children – Monica Hutfles, K-12 High Ability Learning Program Facilitator, Millard Public Schools
October 13, 4:00pm (CST)
Parents of gifted children want to be involved in their child’s education. We will share examples of how schools can communicate with gifted parents, as well as available resources for parents.
Secondary Services for High Ability Learners – James Klaus, High School Spectrum Facilitator, Rutherford County Schools
October 20, 4:00pm (CST)
One common question in HAL programs is how do we serve our high school students? From AP and advanced academics to college tours and post-secondary opportunities, high school HAL services vary wildly and can be a source of stress. This session will discuss one district’s model of serving secondary gifted students through affective domains and skills that will assist them in college and beyond.
Effectiveness of Synchronous/Asynchronous Webinars for Professional Learning – Sheyanne Meadows, HAL Specialist, NDE & Jude Matyo-Cepero, Professor of Gifted Education, University of Nebraska Kearney
October 27, 4:00pm (CST)
As the world becomes more connected and technology more prevalent, how can we harness it to provide wide-spread professional learning for gifted educators? This study examines the effectiveness of a series of webinars offered synchronously and asynchronously as a way to deliver professional development to educators. The data and recommendations for future practice in professional learning will be shared.
Administrator Panel
November 3, 4:00pm (CST)
Join us for a panel of administrators from schools/ESUs across the state to hear their experiences with supporting HAL programs. Administrators will range from starting HAL programs to having robust programs, as well as represent urban, suburban, and rural areas of Nebraska.
New NSCAS Growth and Implications for HAL
HAL and Perfectionism
Differentiation for High Ability Learners Webinar Series
To view recordings of the sessions, click the titles below.
Data-Based Decisions and Differentiation for High Ability Learners in an MTSS System (March 2, 2021), Presenters: Kristy Feden, Claudine Kennicut, Sheyanne Meadows
Curriculum Compacting and Tiered Lesson Plans: Practical Strategies for Teacher (March 17, 2021) Presenters: Jude Matyo-Cepero, Patricia Hoehner, Dillon Goltl, Kellsey Hoehner, Nicole Teten
Bored No More: Four Ways to Differentiate Instruction for Academically Advanced Learners (March 24, 2021), Presenter: Tamra Stambaugh, Vanderbilt University
THIS SESSION WAS NOT RECORDED
Practical Differentiation Strategies (April 14, 2021), Presenter: Kate Hough
Supporting High Ability Learners Through Creativity (April 21, 2021), Presenters: Beth Maloney, Sheyanne Meadows
The Power of Partnership (March 31, 2021) Presenters: Molly Wolfe-Koehler