All ABOARD to a Model School
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 | Erica Grant,
Board member, Tuscaloosa City Schools |
How a unified and supportive school board collaborating with district principals and school leaders was the ticket to helping the Tuscaloosa City Schools get on the right track for student achievement and academic improvement district wide.
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An Educator's Playlist
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 | Anthony Colannino,
Principal, Athol Community Elementary School, President, Leading and Teaching for Growth |
Music has helped us share in the joy, wonder and sadness of the human condition since the very beginning. Recently, opera singer Renee Fleming and NIH Director Francis Collins teamed up to dive deeper into music’s effect on the brain from treating Parkinson’s Disease to improvements in concentration as well as enhancing our moods and our social emotional well-being. In this interactive session, Anthony Colannino, will DJ through his educator playlist tied to skills, strategies and approaches that strengthen the learning experience for teachers, students and administrators. Come listen, tap your toes or get up and dance if the mood strikes to rock, pop, country, blues, rap and funk from the 1960s to current artists.
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Centering for Successful and Engaged Communities
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 | Jessica Alfonso ,
Centering for Successful and Engaged Communities, Berkeley County Schools |
Where does engagement begin? It starts with meaning for students, teachers and leaders. Where does meaning begin? It’s starts with belonging – that my presence, voice and personhood matter to all. In this 60-minute presentation participants will learn the elements, skills and strategies to increase engagement and belonging in classroom and strengthen relationships to build a community through check-ins, circles and mindfulness.
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Channeling A Student
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 | Derek Pitts,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Learning can be messy, frustrating, and uncomfortable. For many, learning is hard work, but when obstacles are overcome, there’s nothing like that feeling of accomplishment. Join Derek for some uncomfortable, awkward, nerve-racking, and even cringe-worthy experiences where he models what it is like from the eyes of a student. He will share the story of his journey, what he learned, and new insights and ideas to use in your classrooms and schools that will lead to deeper understanding and greater growth.
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Connecting to the Needs of Generation Z
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 | William Anderson,
Assistant Principal, Columbus City School, Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center |
Introducing the new kids on the block; the self proclaimed ”Not Like Us” learners labeled as Generation Z or IGen, and their non-traditional needs to benefit from K-12 education. Traditional methods in education do these customers injustice. Let's make learning more relevant to build connections and engage learners of today.
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Cultivating Authentic Writing in the Age of AI
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 | Misty McClain,
AI Enthusiast, Wordie, Ed Tech Evangelist and Segment Director , HMH |
 | Naomi Discepola,
AI Enthusiast, Wordie, True Heart Writer and Account Manager, HMH
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Educators, especially those in the secondary grade levels, are highly concerned about students using generative AI in completion of writing assignments. Students also have unease and confusion about how AI can and should be used. In this session, we examine an opinion piece written by ChatGPT with the lens of 5 discernment questions. Through a structured, collaborative conversation, the opinion piece is analyzed by groups before each individual is afforded the opportunity to revise the piece to make it his/her own. Bring your laptop or tablet for an optimal experience!
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Deepening Student Discourse
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 | Denise White,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Plan for and facilitate high-impact classroom discourse that empowers all students—regardless of their skill or confidence level—to actively engage in meaningful conversations about their learning. Discover easy-to-implement, low-prep strategies that spark curiosity, sustain engagement, and drive deeper academic discourse.
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Empowering Multilingual Learners in Evolving Educational Environments
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 | Lauren Black,
Product Enablement Director, HMH |
In the face of rapid demographic shifts, technological advancements, and policy changes, educators are tasked with creating learning environments where multilingual students can excel. This session provides participants with practical strategies to cultivate a classroom culture that honors linguistic diversity and harnesses the power of students' multilingual skills, navigate the challenges of supporting multilingual learners during periods of institutional transformation, and advocate for and implement systemic supports that prioritize the success of multilingual learners. Join us to explore actionable insights and foster an inclusive, dynamic educational experience for all students.
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Fostering a Culture of Ambitious Instruction
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 | Robert Thornell,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Instructional leadership is certainly not the only role of a principal, but it is possibly the most critical. Fostering a learning culture of ambitious instruction requires intentional practices to support high-level teaching and learning. This session will focus on an instructional leadership cycle that includes resources to transform curriculum, instruction, and assessment on your campus. Participants will enjoy an interactive presentation that includes a portion of research on effective schools (https://consortium.uchicago.edu/surveys/5Es-FAQs), real stories of implementation of the ideas, and concepts of collaborative inquiry from campuses. Participants will also gain access to reproducible resource templates to assist them in their roles and to use with their teachers. You’ll learn to establish evidence-based systems that produce measurable growth by exploring ways in which a campus administrator can and should be involved in the curriculum and lesson design, examining the importance of high-quality teacher observation and feedback on their instruction and reviewing the importance of campus leaders in establishing a data-driven culture.
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From Burned Out to On Fire! Using SEL to Re-Ignite Passion in Teachers
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 | Rasheda Barksdale,
Principal, Author, Consultant, D. M. Smith Elementary School |
In this one-hour presentation, we will explore the critical issue of teacher burnout and how Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) can be a powerful tool to reignite passion and motivation in educators. We will delve into the causes and signs of burnout, discuss the importance of teacher well-being, and demonstrate how SEL strategies can support teachers in managing stress, building resilience, and fostering a positive work environment. Through interactive discussions, real-life examples, and practical tips, participants will learn how to integrate SEL practices into their daily routines to enhance their emotional intelligence, strengthen relationships with students and colleagues, and ultimately rediscover their passion for teaching. By the end of this presentation, attendees will leave with a renewed sense of purpose, equipped with actionable strategies to transform burnout into a blazing passion for education.
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High Performance Under Pressure
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 | Andrew Marotta,
Director, Port Jervis Schools |
Meet Andrew Marotta, leader of the Surviving & Thriving movement. Andrew is an energizing & impactful speaker, author, and school leader. He lives the words on his logo & strives to positively #IMPACT all he meets. A master storyteller, Andrew engages his audiences and fellow leaders with authentic and heartfelt stories, memorable props, and collaborative, fun, &, thought-provoking activities. In this session, Andrew dives deep into powerful stories and experiences from his time as a Division One men’s college basketball official. He will take you through the ups and downs, successes and failures, and the journey of trying to be the best you can be under the spotlight and intense scrutiny.
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It Starts with the Principal
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 | Heather Schmidt,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
School Principals play a pivotal role in leading improvement for student success. Engage in this hands-on session to discover evidence-based strategies and comprehensive tools for high-impact school leadership that improves outcomes for staff and students. Join Dr. Heather Davis Schmidt as she shares insights from UChicago Impact’s 5Essentials Framework which shows how schools excelling in at least three essentials are 10 times more likely to improve student learning.
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Leading Data Teams: Developing Individual Capacity and Collective Efficacy
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| Robert Thornell,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Nuanced school and district leaders serve as change agents, creating and sustaining a culture to build teacher efficacy and live in a model of continuous improvement. Participants will learn about the importance of defining data team expectations, protocols and processes of data team work, and most importantly why you are committed to it. Using data sources such as MAP Growth, 5Essentials, state and local assessments, student work, student feedback and many others are all important. Discover ways leaders at campus and district levels have important data conversations and strategies for sustaining data work over time.
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Leading Fast: Data Insights & Improvement Cycles
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| Heather Schmidt,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Try, try, try again—but with a method! Evaluate the impact of your team’s efforts using metrics that gauge instructional effectiveness, student achievement, and well-being, and learn how defined cycles of improvement ensure progress is focused, manageable, and measurable.
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Low-prep, High-yield Formative Assessment Strategies
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 | Alisa Braddy,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Discover fun and easy formative assessment techniques to instantly gauge student learning and adapt your teaching on the fly. This session will equip you with practical tools to keep your students engaged and on track. Join us for an interactive experience to enhance your formative assessment mojo!
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MAP Growth for Advanced Users
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 | Dr. Beth Praska,
Senior Consultant, State Professional Learning, NWEA Division of HMH and Former Consultant and Literacy Specialist for the Minnesota Department of Education and the University of Minnesota |
Are all students in your school making growth gains academically? Is it growth that will move them to higher achievement levels next year? In this session we will use our MAP Growth reports to look at growth trends first across the school and then dive deeper into growth at the classroom level, subgroups level, and then at the individual student level. After this deep data dive, we will develop action plans to focus and maximize student growth.
Audience: Advanced MAP Users, Building Level Leaders, Instructional Coaches, Teachers
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MAP Growth for Beginning Users
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 | Dr. Susan Price,
Director of Professional Learning, NWEA |
Developing a community of engagement and empowering students to demonstrate their learning is a foundation of MAP Growth. We will practice using MAP Growth to support a goal-setting process with students. Explore ways to involve students in the process to increase their motivation, sense of ownership, and likelihood of successful academic growth. We will also identify reports and resources to share with students and families.
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Old School Love New School Vibes
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 | Dr. Phyllis Harris,
Gifted Specialist , Atlanta Public Schools |
This session takes you back via Old School Love Songs while focusing on New School Vibes using research-based and classroom-originated interventions, lessons and curriculum that will help students manage their emotions and achieve goals. This Brain-Based Learning approach focuses on teaching methods and lesson designs based on scientific research about how the brain learns, aiming to optimize learning by understanding the brain's natural processes for receiving, processing, and storing information, including factors like cognitive development and individual learning styles; essentially, it's about tailoring teaching strategies to how the brain naturally learns best. Experience how this highly effective teaching model promotes rigor, engagement and student discourse through use of music, movement, environment, humor and more.
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SOR in action: Enhancing Literacy through Multisensory Engagement
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 | Laura Gerace,
Master Teacher, Ascension Parish School Board |
Join us for an insightful session dedicated to exploring innovative reading strategies that have significantly improved literacy outcomes among our students. This interactive presentation is tailored for teachers, administrators, teacher coaches, and district leaders seeking to enhance their understanding of effective literacy practices through multisensory engagement. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with real-life examples of successful teaching techniques from experienced educators who have implemented multisensory approaches that engage students at various levels of learning, such as integrating research-based physical activity into lessons and using multisensory boxes to reach all learners. By examining these strategies, attendees will learn how to create dynamic learning environments that foster student participation and enthusiasm for reading. Together, we will uncover the transformative power of student engagement in enhancing literacy skills and share practical tools and resources for immediate classroom application.
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Straight facts on Dyslexia: What the research actually tells us
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 | Tiffany Peltier,
NWEA Senior Professional Learning Consultant, HMH |
NWEA literacy expert Dr. Tiffany Peltier will lead participants through an interactive and practically informative session on dyslexia. Dr. Peltier shares common myths and research findings, details how screenings can support instructional decision-making, and offers strategies for helping colleagues and caregivers better understand the most misunderstood learning disability.
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Tackling Problems of Practice
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 | Ryan Halstead,
Principal, St. Petersburg Collegiate High School North Pinellas |
Develop and scale solutions through inquiry and collaboration in this immersive session. Gain insights into how leadership teams at a variety of school and district levels serve as catalysts for change, modeling best practices and empowering educators to implement meaningful engagement strategies. Whether you’re from a single school or an entire district, leave equipped with a replicable framework and tools to drive improvement efforts that create lasting impact across your educational community.
Ryan Smith, Principal
Jade Hinds, 2nd Grade Teacher
Adam Inglis, 1st Grade Teacher
Lori Perez, 1st Grade Teacher
Holly Bennett, 1st Grade Teacher
School Board Trustee, Alex Woodley (potential)
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Taking Special Education Beyond Worksheets And Packets
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 | Brianna Cicero,
Director of Special Education, Pennsylvania STEAM Academy Charter School |
We've all seen it. Progress monitoring and special education programming is traditionally done via pencil, paper, and a worksheet. What if I told you it doesn't have to be that way? What if I told you students are reaching their goals at a more impactful rate when presented with hands-on learning opportunities and project-based learning opportunities in the special education classroom?
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The Power of Radical Love in Schools
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 | Rictor Craig,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The National Association of Black Male Educators |
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Toolbox Envy
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 | Theresa Atchison,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Show up to tool up. Whether polishing your existing skills or looking for a major upgrade, these innovative, fun, engaging (and effective!) instructional strategies equip any teacher to step up their game. Don’t blame us if your colleagues get jealous.
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Tools to Turn Conflict into Resolution
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 | Danny Konopasek,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Navigating the complexity of conflict is an inevitable aspect of leadership, and great leaders are equipped with the tools and systems to do it well. In this session, we’ll build your conflict resolution toolkit by delving into the nature of conflict and the research-backed strategies for approaching it productively. Collaboratively, we’ll review practical tools that support both technical and adaptive methods for preventing and resolving conflict consistently and fairly.
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What Am I Looking For?
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 | Glenn Ledet,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Get granular with WHAT teaching and learning look, sound, and feel like so that leaders and teachers share a common lens and vocabulary for shaping their daily work. We’ll walk through a simulated classroom calibration using real tools that lead to targeted debriefs and informed changes to practice.
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What is MAP Growth?
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| Dr. Susan Price,
Director of Professional Learning, NWEA |
An introduction to MAP Growth and what makes it unique. Understand the value of the data for teacher instruction and for optimizing student growth. The computer-adaptive MAP Growth assessment responds to every student individually. Students demonstrate what they know, and teachers see specific areas where individual classes may need more support. Every educator can learn to use assessment results to personalize classroom instruction—and improve outcomes for kids. We’ve been helping educators build a culture of data for decades to foster the kind of high-quality, ambitious instruction that maximizes the capabilities of MAP Growth.
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Workshop Your Words
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 | Oatanisha Dawson,
Instruction and Leadership Coach, Center for Model Schools |
Most feedback could be more timely, structured, and specific. Basically, better. Engage in workshop-style scenarios to apply a protocol that ensures valuable, actionable feedback during and after your instructional walks. Develop a community of leaders through consistency and clarity to support a system of continual professional growth.
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