INFORMATIONAL

  The Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia
  Association of Secondary School Principals extend a cordial
  invitation to principals, assistant principals, division
  superintendents, directors of instruction, supervisors,
  college personnel, and administrators of non-public
  secondary schools to attend and participate in the annual
  Virginia Middle and High School Principals' Conference &
  Exposition.  This important conference will be held June 21-24,
  1998, at the Williamsburg Marriott Hotel, 50 Kingsmill
  Road, Williamsburg, Virginia.  Conference registration
  materials are being sent directly to all school principals.

  A pre-conference clinic on school law will be held on
  Sunday, June 21, 1998, from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. 
  Participants at the clinic will hear outstanding national
  and state presenters on topics that address recent court
  decisions affecting legal and policy issues surrounding
  student conduct, discipline, IDEA, Section 504, teacher and
  principal evaluation for assessment, and newly enacted
  General Assembly and Congressional laws.  The annual
  conference will officially begin at 11:00 a.m. on Monday,
  June 22, 1998, and adjourn at approximately 11:00 a. m. on
  Wednesday, June 24, 1998.

  This single, annual event is held jointly by the Virginia
  Department of Education and the Virginia Association of
  Secondary School Principals (VASSP) to collaboratively
  develop and enhance middle and high school administrators'
  leadership skills, increase their understanding of current
  issues, and expand their appropriate knowledge base for
  educational change.

  The theme for the annual conference this year is "Leading
  Tomorrow's Leaders Today."    Much attention and detail have
  been given by the VASSP and the Department of Education to
  ensure conference attendees a wide offering of presentations
  and general sessions that will professionally benefit them. 
  A major emphasis at the conference will be an introduction
  to the statewide training initiative for the implementation
  of the Standards of Learning and the Standards of
  Accreditation, which includes:

        interpreting test data for instructional purposes,
        instructional strategies to implement the Standards
          of Learning, and
        technology applications to implement the Standards
          of Learning.

  A preliminary conference program synopsis is enclosed.  A
  detailed announcement about the general session speakers,
  workshop presenters, topics, etc., will be mailed to you in
  mid-May.

  The Williamsburg Marriott Hotel will house all the
  conference programs this year.  Hotel accommodations are
  available on a first-come-first-served basis, and we
  encourage you to return the enclosed accommodation
  application form as soon as possible to avoid
  disappointment.  The Williamsburg Courtyard and the
  Kingsmill Quality Inn will serve as the overflow hotels. 
  All rooms not confirmed with a reservation by May 20, 1998,
  will be released.

  Enclosed is a conference registration and accommodation
  application form.  Please duplicate the forms as needed for 
  others in your building who would be interested in attending
  the conference.  The registration form must be completed and
  returned to: Summer Conference, VASSP, Box K 170, Richmond,
  VA 23288 no later than May 20, 1998.

  Hotel accommodation forms are to be sent via mail directly
  to the Williamsburg Marriott Hotel.  Only the enclosed
  official accommodations application form or duplicates of
  this form will be accepted by the hotel.   As in past years,
  the hotel will not accept room reservations over the
  telephone (this includes facsimile), written letter, or in
  person for this event.  This procedure helps to assure some
  degree of fairness that everyone has an opportunity to
  receive the conference announcement and respond in a timely
  fashion.  Room accommodations are reserved only on a 
  first-come-first-served basis via the enclosed form.

  If you have questions about the conference or desire
  additional information, please call Patricia I. Wright,
  Director of Secondary Instructional Services at (804) 225-2880, 
  or contact VASSP at (804) 288-2777.

  PDS/eh

  Enclosures:  A copy of this memo and its enclosures will
               be sent to the superintendent's office