2008 ESSARP Conference

Thomas Guskey is the Distinguished Service Professor and Co-Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Assessment at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky.  A graduate of the University of Chicago, he has taught at all levels, served as an administrator in Chicago Public Schools, and was the first Director of the Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, a national educational research center.[learn_more]
He is the author of numerous award-winning books and over 100 articles published in prominent research journals as well as Educational Leadership, Kappan, and School Administrator.  Dr. Guskey served on the Policy Research Team of the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future, on the Task Force to develop the National Standards for Staff Development, and recently was honored by the American Educational Research Association for his work relating research to practice.
He co-edits the Experts in Assessment Series for Corwin Press and has been featured on the National Public Radio programs, “Talk of the Nation” and “Morning Edition.”  As a consultant to schools throughout the United States and around the world, he helps bring clarity and insight to some of education’s most complex problems.[/learn_more]

Mr. Rose recently retired after thirty-five years in education. As the former director of education and curriculum for the Western Quebec School Board in Gatineau, Quebec, Ainsley was responsible for initiating many systemic changes that continue to impact teaching and learning within the school board today. Throughout his career as an education leader, Ainsley has incorporated his expertise within a wide range of principles, practices, and concepts, all of which have significantly improved schools. [learn_more]  These include Effective Schools, Professional Learning Communities at Work^TM, Instructional Intelligence, and standards and assessment. Ainsley is also trained in Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People®, the TRIBES teaching process, and more recently One Smart World, an approach that emphasizes the essential underlying thinking and emotional strategies of successful, intelligent, behavior. Ainsley has presented across Canada and the United States on a range of educational topics.
With experience as an elementary and secondary classroom teacher and principal, as well as an instructor of graduate-level courses for administrators and pre-service teachers, Ainsley shares perspectives that resonate with all educators. His presentations deliver practical school improvement strategies that work at every level, from within the classroom to district-wide support. Having worked in a French province in Canada his entire career, Ainsley is proficient with the French language.
Ainsley has recently taken his first tentative steps into the world of writing and recently had a chapter accepted that will be appearing this summer as part of an anthology for teachers published by Solution Tree.
Ainsley earned a Master of Arts degree and Bachelor of Arts Honors degree from the University of Western Ontario, Certificate in Education from Concordia University, and Certificate in French as a Second Language from the Adult Education Center in Cowansville, Quebec. He has served as chair of the Committee for Anglophone Curriculum Responsables and the Implementation Design Committee, and was named to the Advisory Board of English Education by the Minister of Education of Quebec. Ainsley has also received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Association of Administrators of English Schools of Quebec.
Ainsley is married with three grown children who all live in the province of British Columbia. His wife, Rahnieda, is a junior high music instructor who keeps his educational theories grounded in practical approach. His oldest son is married and his younger son is recently engaged. His daughter, the youngest, attends university. Ainsley continues to remain active by participating in sports, most notably men’s doubles Racquetball, where he competes nationally in Canada.[/learn_more]

Kate Ruttle is a teaching deputy head teacher in a UK primary school. She has taught across the primary age range for over 20 years and she also works part time as an advisory teacher for literacy in Cambridge shire. She has four post-graduate degrees and diplomas, including an M.Ed from Cambridge University. Kate has been involved in educational publishing for 15 years and has written over 100 books, mostly for Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. Kate was involved in developing key literacy components of Cambridge International Primary Programme and has been Principal Examiner (primary literacy) since Cambridge International Primary Programme’s inception.

Diane Palmer obtained a BA Hons degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University. Her first job was as Economics Research Officer for the Engineering Employers’ Federation.
After a year she decided that a desk based job was not for her and found her real passion – teaching. For the next 15 years Diane taught in a variety of roles at schools in London, Nottingham, Cambridge and Bristol and at the Sorbonne in Paris.[learn_more]
During her teaching career she participated in an early Records of Achievement project in Bath and pioneered work experience in a large comprehensive in Bristol. She also worked for University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) as an A Level examiner.
In 1989 Diane completed her Med in Curriculum and Management and decided on a career change. From 1989 to 1994 Diane worked for Common Purpose, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to building networks between senior decision makers in cities to improve joined-up thinking behind their decisions.
In 1994, Diane joined UCLES, now Cambridge Assessment, in an administrative role before working in the Chief Executive’s office as an internal consultant for two years. She then joined CIE as Assistant Director for Examinations. In June 2005 Diane was promoted to Director of Assessment Services.[/learn_more]