Taumata Whanonga
The Taumata Whanonga was held at Te Papa on 16 and 17 March 2009. Planned by the Ministry of Education in conjunction with representatives of various organisations, it focussed on behaviour issues in schools and early childhood centres. Disruptive behaviour can lead to serious emotional issues, is a barrier to learning, and affects teacher job satisfaction. Keynote speakers at the Taumata presented research and evidence to inform priorities for teaching practice, school wide strategy and policy. Their presentations can be viewed below.
Dr John Langley JP
Chief Executive Officer for Multi Serve Education Trust
In the 2009 Honours List, Dr Langley was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM), Officer of the Order, for his services to education.
Dr Langley was appointed as principal of the Auckland College of Education in 2001. In his role as principal of the college, Dr Langley was a key figure in discussions on the amalgamation of the college and the University of Auckland, and with the formation of the Faculty of Education. Dr Langley has led the faculty since the amalgamation in September 2004.
Dr Langley has previously been Chair of the New Zealand Teacher Registration Board and, before that, a school principal. His academic background is in educational psychology. He has a Bachelor of Education, Master of Education (with Distinction) and is a Doctor of Philosophy (1997) from the University of Canterbury.
During his career John has taught deaf students, lectured at a college of education, and been principal of a large primary school. He was a founding director of a private teacher's college in Christchurch and is a qualified psychologist.
Dr Langley is now Chief Executive of Multi Serve Education Trust. Multi Serve is a charitable trust providing services to the education sector.
David Fergusson
Professor, Christchurch Health and Development Study
David Fergusson is the founder and director of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a 25 year study of a birth cohort of 1265 children born in the Christchurch region in mid 1977. Research into this cohort has produced over 250 published books and scientific articles that span a wide range of disciplines including: psychology, psychiatry, epidemiology, paediatrics, health economics and sociology. In addition he is Chairman and evaluator of the Early Start programme which is a Christchurch based family support programme. His principal research interests lie in the design analysis and interpretation of correlational data.
David is also a member of the Advisory Group Conduct Disorder and says about conduct disorder "there is no other commonly occurring childhood condition that has such far reaching implications for later health development and wellbeing".
For more information see http://www.chmeds.ac.nz/research/chds/index.htm
Dr George Sugai
Professor, Special Education, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut
Dr Sugai received his M.Ed. in 1974 and Ph.D. in 1980 at the University of Washington. His primary areas of interests are positive behaviour support, systems change, teacher training, emotional and behavioural disorders, social skills instruction, behavioural consultation, behavioural assessment procedures, and strategies for effective school-wide, classroom, and individual behaviour management.
Currently at the University of Connecticut, Dr Sugai is Carole J. Neag Endowed Chair in Behaviour Disorders and professor with tenure. Dr Sugai has been nominated for university recognition for his teaching and he is a popular presenter at local, national, and international conferences. Dr Sugai and colleagues have established the Center for Behavioural Education and Research in the Neag School of Education to improve academic and social behaviour outcomes for students in schools by engaging in the systematic study of educational issues and interventions, and dissemination to preservice and inservice school personnel.
As Project Director or Co-Director of major training or research grants totalling over $25 million, Dr Sugai has ample experience in the implementation, operation, and supervision of grant-related projects. He has published over 100 articles, numerous monographs, and two college textbooks on effective teaching practices and applied behaviour analysis. His research has emphasized effective applications of applied behaviour analysis principles and PBS procedures to problems found in educational contexts. The subject populations for these research areas includes students with severe challenging behaviour, students with at-risk behaviours, and students described as having severely challenging behaviours.
Dr Sugai is currently co-director of the National Centre on Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports. The Centre has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.
A programme called Effective Behaviour Support (EBS) has been delivered to four North Island schools under the Suspension Engagement Initiative. It is a systems-based approach to behaviour management and has been delivered by Juliet Lewis a special education adviser. Dr George Sugai has been instrumental in developing positive behaviour systems which underpins EBS.
Dr Sugai co-directs two projects www.cber.org and www.pbis.org.
Steve Aos
Assistant Director Washington State Institute for Public Policy
Steve Aos is the assistant director of the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, an applied research group of the Washington State legislature. He has 31 years of experience in conducting cost-benefit analyses and in communicating the results to policy makers in a wide range of public policy areas, as well as in the private sector.
His current work focuses on identifying and evaluating the costs and benefits of programmes and policies that reduce crime, improve K-12 educational outcomes, reduce substance abuse and tobacco use, and reduce child abuse and neglect. He also has many years of experience in energy economics and regulatory policy.
Steve’s work will contrast the operational focus of many of the participants. It will provoke participants to think about their present work practices in a more strategic way. This will assist the intended outcomes of Taumata Whanonga.
Outside the immediate Taumata participants Steve Aos’s work will also be of interest to government ministers, public sector managers and policy advisors as well as education sector practitioners and specialists.
Dr Christine Richmond
Dip Teach (MGTC), B Ed (UQ), M Ed St (UQ), Dip Sch Couns (UQ), Cert Family Therapy (Bris), Ph D (UNE), RTC, FACEL
Dr Richmond is a highly sought after and dynamic speaker in the field of behaviour management in schools. Her expertise has been honed from practical experience as a special, mainstream and tertiary educator. She has worked as a senior guidance officer, family therapist and academic, and is an experienced teacher of students with severe behaviour challenges - in both clinical and school settings.
Dr Richmond has become well known in Australian education circles through her research in behaviour management, her work in schools, and as a speaker for the NSW Chapter of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) during 2003, and the national travelling scholar for ACEL in 2007.
Dr Richmond has held academic positions at both the University of New England and Bond University before moving into private practice. You can find out more about Dr Richmond by visiting her website - http://www.christinerichmond.com.au/