Xerox Document University, Leesburg, Virginia
Thursday, June 16 -- Sunday, June 18, 2000
Overview

The New Visions National Priorities Retreat (June 2000), which was jointly sponsored by the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at Iowa State University and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), was designed to carry forward the dialogue which began in the New Visions planning meeting held June, 1999, in Aberdeen Woods, Georgia. Participants at this retreat included designated representatives from numerous foreign language professional associations, those individuals who expressed interest in attending, and most of the participants from the 1999 meeting. For those who had not been present in 1999, training on systemic change was provided. More than 160 New Visions attendees then worked on examining and exploring the products from the 1999 conference as well as the extensive feedback that had been generated nationally in response to the New Visions papers. Working groups refined the ideas, set priorities, and developed action plans for the five goal areas: 1) Architecture of the Profession; 2) Curriculum, Instruction, Articulation, and Assessment; 3) Teacher Development; 4) Teacher Recruitment and Retention; 5) Research. These action plans identified action steps and who would be involved in carrying out these action steps. Included here is the agenda for the retreat with accompanying photos.
 
Working Agenda -- Thursday, June 15, 2000

Welcome, Introductions, and History of Process
ACTFL and NFLRC Representatives
Dr. Lee Fritschler, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education,
U.S. Department of Education

Emily Spinelli, Chair of New Visions 2000, introduces Dr. Fritschler, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education who gave the keynote address.
 
Purposes, Agenda, Community Building -- Contextualize Group
Al Bertani and Joanne Quinn

Initiating and Sustaining Individual Change
New Participants - Joanne Quinn

Joanne Quinn addresses new participants on initiating and sustaining individual change.
 
Facilitator Training
1999 New Visions Participants - Al Bertani

Al Bertani trains those who participated in the 1999 New Visions Planning Meeting to be facilitators at New Visions 2000.

Initiating and Sustaining Systems Change
New Participants - Al Bertani

Facilitator Training
1999 New Visions Participants - Joanne Quinn

Future Search -- Advancing the Change Process
All Participants - Al Bertani and Joanne Quinn
 
Working Agenda -- Friday, June 16, 2000

Joanne Quinn listens to a question as facilitators meet with her to plan who will lead each dialogue session.

Dialogue Sessions for Clarifications -- Four Majors Papers
Participants assigned to small groups that rotate through four facilitated discussions, each discussion about one of the four papers:

Architecture of the Profession
What Do We Need Organizationally and Structurally?
Participants Assigned to Small Discussion Groups

Ann Tollefson (right) facilitates a small discussion group while Jane Baskerville (far left) and Charlotte Gifford consider the point being made.
 

Validation of Majors Themes from Dialogue Sessions
All Participants

Working Agenda-Saturday, June 17, 2000

New Visions Action Planning - Phase 1
Small Working Groups - Individuals Self -Select One Area

Mimi Met clarifies the tasks of the small groups before participants who are working on action planning for the topic of Teacher Development divide into groups.

New Visions Action Planning - Phase 2

Small Working Groups-Individuals Self-Select One Area

New Visions Action Planning - Phase 3

All Participants

Participants rotate through each of the five topic areas and identify the best ideas on the charts using colored dots. This group is examining action plans proposed for Teacher Development.

Nancy Rhodes and Helene Zimmer-Loew visit the "parking lot" to explore ideas posted there that are not part of the main topic areas but that should not be lost in the discussions.

Al Bertani and Joanne Quinn (backs to the camera) meet with the New Visions steering committee to plan details of the last day's activities and future action steps. From left, Emily Spinelli (back to camera), Ann Tollefson, Marcia Rosenbusch, Liz Hoffman, Mimi Met, and June Phillips. Ed Scebold and Paul García are not visible.

Working Agenda- June, Sunday 18, 2000

Developing Commitments to Action
All Participants

Participants sign up to be part of a small group within one of the five topic areas that will plan specific action steps.

A small group creates its action plan.
 
Closing Ceremonies
Acknowledgement

Al Bertani and Joanne Quinn, thank Cynthia Galik (left) and Ed Scebold (second from right) from ACTFL for their role in organizing the June 2000 retreat.

Acknowledgements

The steering commitee and participants in New Visions 2000 warmly thank Joanne Quinn, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and Al Bertani, Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, for the expert job they did in facilitating this important meeting.

The National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages thank the U.S. Department of Education for its grant support for this retreat. Funding was secured by the NFLRC and subcontracted to ACTFL to organize the June 2000 meeting and to pay participant stipends and other related costs.

Both organizations hope that their collaboration will inspire other organizations and individuals to seek out new alliances and collaborative efforts to accomplish the work envisioned at the retreat. The NFLRC and ACTFL plan to continue their collaborative efforts to facilitate future work in support of the New Visions Initiative.