Lesli Laughter

June 6th 8:30 - 10:00

Morning Keynote

Dr. Dale Castro

June 6th 10:15 - 11:30

A Hawaii School’s Teaming Approach to School Improvement

Are you a school administrator, teacher leader, or district leader trying to support a school that is stalling or underperforming? Every student deserves a school where they can thrive with options and opportunities. Hear our team’s approach to continuous improvement starting with our needs assessment and applying resources for systemic change. - Sharing of strategies and resources,Performance outcomes, lessons learned

Continuous Improvement

Dr.Sam Nix

June 6th 10:15 - 11:30

Brandon Ligon

June 6th 10:15 - 11:30

STEM & LaughterRx: The Prescription for Educator & Student Wellness

Prepare to snort, giggle, and discover the therapeutic wonders of STEM in our laughter-filled session! Uncover how the STEM experience, the unexpected therapy you didn’t know you needed, crafts resilience in educators and students alike. Dive into success stories that will tickle your funny bone while gaining tangible strategies to weave STEM seamlessly into teaching practices. Geared for educators, this session promises laughter, insights, and tools to boost both teaching and personal resilience. Learning Objectives: Unearth the profound impact of STEM on mental wellness for both educators and students., Explore real-world strategies for integrating STEM into daily teaching practices., Connect the dots between STEM experiences and building resilience in educators and students.

Mental Health/Wellness

Serita Dotson & Kyla Prusek

June 6th 10:15 - 11:30

Leading With Purpose

Leaders will unpack their campus mission and vision statement and reflect or refine on how they lead with the core principals always at the front of every decision. This session will engage campus administrators or campus leadership teams to actively participate in shaping mission and visions to contribute to well-informed decisions. Why? The leaders on the campus must always have a guiding compass to support decisions. What? This will support leaders to be confident in all decision making, even when it is a tough decision. How? Leaders will be able to support their leadership team and campus with being able to answer "why" they do what they do.

Instructional Leadership

Latikka Magee & Jacque Tolliver

June 6th 10:15 - 11:30

Collaboration in Action: Navigating Title IV Funds for Student and Educator Health and Wellness

Take a trip to embark on a transformative session and explore the dynamic intersection of ESSA Title IV funding and employee (and student) well-being. Uncover strategic ways to utilize Title IV funds, to positively impact wellness initiatives and foster a harmonious work environment. Gain practical insights, expert guidance, and actionable steps to enhance both fiscal support and physical well-being within your organization. Soar into the symbiotic relationship between employee well-being and Title IV funding and delve into strategic leveraging for amplified wellness programs. Join us for a holistic discussion, navigate the nexus of financial resources and well-being, empower your organization to thrive on multiple fronts.

State & Federal Programs Leadership

Dr. Cara Malone

June 6th 1:30 - 2:45

Pathways to the Classroom: Strategic Staffing for a Shifting Educational Landscape

Hiring the teachers of tomorrow requires strategic thinking today! Find out how and why the public education landscape for staffing has changed, learn strategies for attracting teachers, developing teachers, and retaining teachers-- from job sharing to residency programs-- to rethinking the one teacher-one classroom model. Learn how one fast-growth district is working to fill 100% of vacancies and working to provide students with the best learning environment possible.

Continuous Improvement

Alicia Unruh

June 6th 1:30 - 2:45

Implementing change? Remember the system.

This session will present main concepts of systems thinking and its application when making change in schools or school districts. It is aimed to help school and district leaders to: See their organizations from a 30,000 feet perspective and identify their individual components, Understand how these components are interwoven and how a change in one area can impact the entire system, Deconstruct the process when planning for change using an example from one school district and try some tools to assess their own sphere of influence to start making the change.

Transformational Leadership

Josh & Ali Worsham

June 6th 1:30 - 2:45

Coaching Traditional Teachers for Modern Classrooms

Today’s students have unique needs- with one foot in traditional learning and one in modern skill sets, we must continually evolve our pedagogy to fully prepare our students. In this session, we’ll discuss how to coach traditional teachers through the process of adapting their approach to meet the needs of Gen Z and Gen Alpha students.

Instructional Leadership

Karla Burkholder

June 6th 1:30 - 2:45

Aritificial Intelligence: the New Disruptor in Education

AI is here, and tools like ChatGPT are disrupting teaching and learning. The session is for all educators who have influence and impact instruction including campus and district administrators, instructional coaches, curriculum coordinators and technology leaders. Participants will gain valuable insights and ideas to navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence during this interactive session. Participants will: understand the benefits of generative AI for teachers, students and leaders, understand important challenges of AI including information validity, ethical use, bias, security and privacy, and make connections of the benefits and challenges of AI to their daily work "

Instructional Leadership

Cindy Gibson

June 6th 1:30 - 2:45

The AI Edge in Education: From Data Analysis to Enhanced Planning

This session, for any leader hoping to innovate and save time, will explore the asset based role of AI through the lens of the USDE’s 7 recommendations for AI in education. Bring some data (or use our mock data) to dig into how AI dissects and deciphers to get you going deeper into data conversations and building better plans…all types of plans… swifter and smarter. Leave equipped with tools, templates, and specific ChatGPT prompts. Note: This session is part 1 of 3 in the 806 University course and certification program, The AI Edge in Education. Attendees of this session will gain complimentary access to parts 2 & 3 of obtaining a Level 1 AI Certification.

Continuous Improvement

Caleb Campbell

June 6th 3:00 - 4:30

Keynote

Once known as “America’s Athlete”, Caleb Campbell is a West Point graduate and former Army officer who became the second player in the history of West Point to ever be selected in the NFL draft and the first player, under a new policy implemented by the Department of Defense (DOD), given the permission to play and serve simultaneously. Caleb’s dream came to a halt when the DOD rescinded that policy hours before signing his first NFL contract–launching him into his own internal war that would almost cost him his life. While serving his country, Caleb kept his NFL dream alive and eventually found himself playing in the NFL–demonstrating to audiences everywhere how facing our fears, committing to mental and emotional health and staying authentic will make us stronger—even in our weakest moments. Far from offering clichéd "do better, be better" advice, Caleb skillfully guides his audience through discussions on vulnerability, emotional intelligence, heart-centered leadership and whole-person success. Above all, Caleb’s message acts as a powerful catalyst for internal transformation—fostering emotional, relational, and collective growth on an unmatched scale.

Justin Richardson

June 7th 8:30-9:45

Morning Keynote

Be a Waymaker: Soulful Leadership Practices to Keep Us Moving Toward Our Purpose. Amidst the complexities of today's educational landscape, leaders often find themselves navigating without a clear sense of direction. Along with a pervasive culture of perpetual busyness, the relentless urgency of daily tasks can lead to a reactive "just get through the day" approach to leadership, leaving leaders feeling adrift. Can you relate? Fear not, for there is hope. The good news is that the answer lies within you. Join Dr. Justin Richardson for an insightful exploration of the soulful side of leadership through engaging stories and reflective questions. Take a moment to pause and rediscover your sense of direction. Justin will share practical leadership strategies to empower you to: - Clearly define your personal values and cultivate a sense of belonging within your team. - Maintain focus on your purpose through strategic moments of pause. - Foster authentic relationships that contribute to your organization’s success. Connect the dots between who you are and what you do…be the leader people want to follow!

Ashlee Boothe

June 7th 10:15 - 11:30

The Model Classroom Approach

Model Classrooms set the standard for excellence regarding structure, procedures, and standards, while serving as an exemplar for other teachers to follow. Campus and district leaders will gain tools needed to create model classrooms, create a systematic approach to building teacher leader capacity, and connect the dots to setting a campus standard of excellence.

Continuous Improvement

Meghan Buchanan & Christy Fox

June 7th 10:15 - 11:30

The Wheel of School Improvement - How we ROLL in Austin ISD

In this interactive session, participants will explore School Improvement Planning as a wheel of aligned and collaborative district systems working together to keep teaching and learning rolling at the campus level. Participants will also hear about the inclusive and transparent process Austin ISD implemented in 2023 to redesign campus improvement planning. This process centered the voices of campus principals to transform improvement planning from a focus on compliance to reflexive and authentic praxis. Participants will engage with their own wheel of school improvement as they consider alignment and synergy in their own context. Learning Objectives: - Participants will critically reflect on continuous improvement efforts in their organization to identify areas of alignment and also areas for improvement - Participants will hear about improvement planning in Austin ISD and be invited to share connections from their own context as an effort to connect the dots and learn and grow together - Participants will create their own wheel model of school improvement in their district and identify strategies for supporting alignment so that their wheel can “roll.”Target Audience:Participants will be able to connect to session content regardless of their relationship or proximity to school improvement but this session will be especially relevant to district and campus leaders involved in continuous improvement efforts.

Continuous Improvement

Rob Thornell

June 7th 10:15 - 11:30

Five “Hats” Effective School Leaders Wear!

The role of the principal is becoming increasingly more complex and challenging. Model schools are led by Model principals and while there is no single correct way for a school leader to be effective, there are common traits that the best principals share. Doing the job of an effective principal requires flexibility and acknowledgement of the many different roles that the job entails. This session is designed to explore five distinct hats a principal may wear, often multiple times in the same day. They are: Instructional Leader, Servant Leader, Lead Learner, Communicator, and Reflective Practitioner. This session is designed to share intentional activities principals can use while wearing each of these hats by providing user friendly ideas that can help all school leaders become more effective in their role.

Instructional Leadership

Lisa Vernon

June 7th 10:15 - 11:30

“To be honest, I’m not okay!”

"In this session, participants will learn about the importance of incorporating practical applications to promote well-being and put a paperclip in the pace of the workplace and be intentional to focus on self perservation. Encourage a healthy balance between work and personal life. Educate employees on recognizing and preventing burnout. Assess and embrace the need to build adult self-awareness Incorporate movement and mindfulness as an added element excitement for students and energetic spontaneity."

Mental Health/Wellness

Evan Edwards

June 7th 10:15 - 11:30

Blueprints for Brilliance: Crafting Centralized Solutions for Student Excellence

Join "Blueprints for Brilliance" to revolutionize student learning in your school. Designed for educational administrators, this session focuses on three key objectives: - Building Strong Teams - Learn strategies for assembling and empowering effective teams to support student learning. - Effective Communication Structures - Discover techniques for engaging and clear communication - Time Management for Leaders - Discover methods to streamline administrative tasks, allowing more time for focusing on instructional leadership and direct student impact.

State/Federal Focused Leadership

Zandra Jo Galvan, Dr. Dale Castro, Dr. Sam Nix, Alica Unruh, Corey Green

Lunch & Expert Panel

Dr. Jordan Goines

June 7th 1:30 - 2:45

Building a System of Continuous Improvement with Site Leaders

This session will provide district and school leaders with tangible, equitable tools to support the continuous learning and differentiated support of site leaders. Participants will have the ability to understand how differentiating leadership work, coaching and training supports the growth of site administrators in building effective systems that promote the achievement of the whole child. This session provides an overview of the Continuous Improvement cycle applied to building leadership competencies that have long term positive implications for implementation of site work throughout their school sites. - District and Site Leaders will be able to - Identify processes that allow for their own continuous growth - Apply learning to their school own leadership, while providing them the ability to gain an understanding of core competencies in terms of leadership.

Continuous Improvement

Devon Hawks

June 7th 1:30 - 2:45

A Journey from Comprehensive to Commendable: Practical leadership strategies that guarantee school transformation

A district administrator and a high school principal will share over 50 strategies that resulted in a 20% increase in the graduation rate and a 36% increase in 9th grade on track in four years. School and district leadership teams will take away practical strategies that can be immediately implemented, along with wholistic concepts that lead to systemic change.

Transformational Leadership

Janelle & Tim Persall

June 7th 1:30 - 2:45

Playbook Precision: Practice Makes Perfect, Processes Make Possible

Learn a process for creating an instructional framework to target Tier 1 instruction. While practice is crucial for skill development and mastery, having clear and effective processes enhances the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes. This session is for district and campus leaders, instructional coaches and teachers. Participants will: - Engage with a mental model to deepen understanding of how to plan for learning and how we experience learning, - Explore the value of a focused, shared set of instructional strategies across all classrooms, and - Establish how to CONNECT THE DOTS to support implementation through a shared language of feedback and coaching.

Instructional Leadership

Justin Richardson

June 7th 1:30 - 2:45

Growing Leaders from Within: Developing Today's Teachers into the Leaders of Tomorrow

In a time of teacher shortages and rising leadership vacancies, schools need to invest in their teachers as the leaders of tomorrow. This session will provide a roadmap for developing teacher leaders at all levels. We'll focus on: The critical role teacher leaders play in creating high-quality educational experiences and a thriving school culture. Specific strategies to establish a supportive system for early career teachers, allowing them to build foundational skills and gain confidence. Practical tools to strengthen communication skills, empowering teachers to take on leadership roles. Techniques to cultivate a purpose-driven culture where current leaders inspire teacher growth and leadership development. Connect the dots: Quality leaders are the key to organizational wellness – now and in the future.

Transformational Leadership

Nick Davis

June 7th 1:30 - 2:45

Compliance