Session Proposal Template
Please use this Word document to turn your idea into a well-written proposal.
We select winning proposals based on the following criteria:
 Quality of content
 Clarity of proposal/writing
 Attendee interest in the topic
 Relevance of content to attendees’ jobs and engagement during presentation
 Presenter background and experience
 Included handouts, resumes or other supplemental materials you submit with
your proposal.
We hope that you will attend our call for proposals informational webinar on October
13.
When you’re ready to submit your proposal, please click here to submit by October
16. We do not accept proposals via email.
Submission Guidelines
Please consider the following session guidelines when shaping your proposal. These
criteria will influence the selection of sessions to be presented.
Overall, our attendees want:
 Sessions with a greater depth of content
 Best practices & tools they can use right away and share with colleagues
 Sessions designed to engage & educate
 Differentiated content for veterans
 Sessions showcasing innovations
 Plenty of time for Q&A – at least 15 minutes of Q&A & audience engagement
Attendees do not want:
 Sales pitches or promotion of products or services
 Sessions with basic content, unless they are specifically designed for beginnerlevel attendees
 Sessions that don’t include practitioners as presenters
 Presentations that do not match the session description



Sessions without engagement
Sessions that are unorganized and presenters who are underprepared
To be lectured. Instead, they want to be engaged and trained.
2016 attendees will be asked in the session evaluation if a sales pitch was directly made
or implied. If over 25% of respondents indicate a sales pitch was made in a particular
session, the presenters will not be permitted to present at future conferences. If less
than 30% of attendees submit session evaluations presenters will be less likely to
present in the future.
Submission Deadlines
Call for Session Proposals opens
October 5, 2015
All proposals due by
October 16, 2015
Notification of session status
February 5, 2016
Notification of session schedule
March 28, 2016
Deadline for presenter conference registration
April 15, 2016
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Session Overview and Information
Strand:
Select one: Leadership, Policy, Governance, Operations, Instruction
Content Level:
Based on participant experience or knowledge:
Beginner: Very basic content for attendees that are new to the topic or have less
than three years with relatable content.
Intermediate: More in-depth content that goes beyond basics intended for
attendees with at least 4 years of experience on the topic or relatable content.
Advanced: In-depth analysis and discussion intended for attendees with 10 or
more years of experience on the topic or relatable content.
Target Audience:
Identify up to two: Administrators, Advocacy Specialists, Architects, Board
Members, Charter Authorizers, Communications, Counselors, Curriculum
Specialists, Developers, Education Business Representatives, Finance Specialists,
Fundraisers, Development Specialists, Government Officials, IT/Data
Management Specialists, Legal Specialists, Management, Operations Specialists,
Policy, School Leaders, Suppliers to schools (non-curriculum), Teachers,
Technology Specialists
Session Format: What is your main intended delivery style for your content? (Select
One)
Lecture (Solo presenter; no group work)
Panel (Up to 3 speakers and a moderator)
Duo (Two presenters; preferred over panels)
Debate
Interview
Group Work
Hacks & Tips
Meet Up (60 min networking)
Breakfast Networking (15 min presentation; 45 min networking)
Problem Solving
Speed Dating
Fishbowl/Roundtable
Un-Conference (audience drives the conversation)
What interactive and adult learning elements will be part of your session?
[text box]:
Does your session require special room set-up or technical needs? Our typical room setup includes a podium with a microphone, a projector and screen, and a head table with
microphones for panel presentations, as well as chairs for participants. Additional A/V,
including WiFi, may carry a fee.
Select all that apply:
Audience Polling
Flip Chart Paper and Markers
Speakers/Sound for Video
Tables for Participants (for activities or writing)
No Tables for Participants (chairs only – best for active sessions)
Video Conference (Skype, Google Hangouts, etc.)
WiFi
Other: Please define [text box]
======================
Tags
Tags Governance:
Accountability
Application
Authorizer
Board
Board Member Role
Bond Financing
Closures
CMOs/EMOs
Creative Funding
Finance
Fundraising/Grants
Management
Meeting Management
Recruitment
Renewal
Risk Management
Startup
Strategic Planning
Tags Instruction:
Academic
Achievement
Arts
Assessment
Behavior
Blended Learning
Classroom Management
Common Core
Communication
Creativity
Critical Thinking
Early Childhood Education
Elementary School
English Language Learners
Executive Classroom Skills
High School
Literacy
Middle School
On-line Learning
Rigor
Special Needs
STEM
Teacher Evaluations
Team Teaching
Tags Leadership:
Bullying/Safety
Burnout/Retention
Career Pathways
College Readiness
Common Core
Culture
Development
Drop-out prevention
Improving Academic Performance
Parent Involvement
Standards
Succession
Sustainability
Time Management
Turnaround
Unions
Tags Operations:
Budget
Communications
Counseling
Employment Law/Practices
Enrollment
E-Rate
Grants management
Facilities
Finance
Healthcare Reform
Human Resources
Information Technology
Mental Health
Nutrition/Health
Operating Procedures
Professional Development
Recruitment/Retention
Retirement
Special Education
Team
Tags Policy:
Advocate
District
Education Reform
Elected Officials
Engagement
Equitable Funding
Executive Branch
Federal
Gridlock
Law
Legislation
Local
Parent Advocates
Partnerships
Re-regulation
State
Teacher Advocates
Trends
Tags Broader:
Autonomy
Best-practices
Choice
Collaboration
Equity
Evaluation
Expansion
Future
Growth
Implementation
Innovation
Other
Quality
Replication
Rural
Strategy
Suburban
Success
Urban
======================
Specific Session Information
Title: Make it interesting, marketable, and accurate. Some of our best sessions include a
question as the title (10 word limit).
Description: Make sure it’s aligned to your content, focuses on learning outcomes, and
provides information that would help a participant decide if they want to attend your
session (75 word limit).
How much knowledge and experience do you have on this topic/content? (Select one)
I have presented this content before and have 8 or more years of experience in
this topic.
I have not presented this content before to an audience, but have trained other
in my organization or at my school.
This would be my first time presenting this content, but I’m eager to do a good
job.
Other (please describe): [text box]
Why is this topic/content important to teachers or school leaders? Select all that
apply:
This content will help my audience do their regular jobs better.
This represents an important emerging issue in education.
This information is relevant to an audience bigger than just teachers and school
leaders.
This topic will be important to teachers in a more general sense, not necessarily
applicable to their regular jobs, but important.
Other (please describe): [text box]
Why is the National Charter Schools Conference (NCSC) the right place to present your
content? Select all that apply.
It’s relevant to charter school teachers and leaders.
It’s relevant to the Charter Schools movement.
It needs to be presented on a national stage.
I want to be a presenter at the NCSC.
I’m local to Tennessee and want to highlight local success.
Other (please describe): [text box]
Video Pitch: A video of you presenting at a conference or a video of you pitching your
session idea to us to give us a better sense of you and your content (optional).
Engagement: I have participated in a presenter webinar and have included methods to
engage attendees in the session presentation. Yes or no.
Objectives: What is the purpose of this session? (25 word limit)
Practical Application: After attending your session, what actions would the
participant realistically be able to use immediately upon returning to his or her job?
(50 word limit)
Tools/Resources: Attendees will be provided tools/resources they can use in their work
as part of the session? Yes or no.
======================
Resources and Experience
Resources – Upload
Our participants love handouts and take-home materials. You can upload up to
three resources, materials, or documents that help support your proposal. This
could include your resume/CV, handouts, materials, background information, or
ways to continue learning after your session ends that you would share with
participants.
Upload 1:
Upload 2:
Upload 3:
Presenter Experience: Have you or your co-presenters ever presented or a previous
National Charter Schools Conference? (select one)
Yes
No
If no, have you presented at any past conferences (not NCSC)? Please indicate the
conference, year and location.
If applicable, has your school met AYP in the past year?
Yes
No
N/A
Does this session present an innovative or award winning practice? Yes or
No
===================
Presenter Contact Info (complete all info for each presenter)
Honorific (Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr.):
First name: Last name:
Title:
Organization:
Street/Mailing Address:
City:
State:
Zip code:
Mobile Phone (xxx-xxx-xxxx):
Office Phone (xxx-xxx-xxxx):
Email:
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Thank You
We will notify you on the status of your proposal by February 5, 2016. If your proposal is
accepted, you will have to accept the presentation terms and conditions by February
19, 2016 and register for the conference by April 16, 2016.
If you have any questions, please contact us at: presenterinfo@publiccharters.org.
We look forward to reading your proposal!