Rural schools have worked hard to expand opportunity for students through pathways, partnerships, credentials, concurrent credit, regional collaboration, and local innovation. But creating opportunity and helping students successfully navigate it are not the same thing. This session makes the case for the next phase of rural education work: building coherent systems that make opportunities visible, understandable, and usable — for students and families, and for the educators and leaders trying to serve them.
Passionate and excited lead learner focused on bringing the real world into the classroom. I believe that strong community engagement fosters opportunities for student-focused learning.
Assistant Director of Research and Programming, Office of Innovation for Education
After graduating out of Valley View in Jonesboro, I spent six-and-a-half years in the United States Marine Corps (first as an infantryman, then as a formal marksmanship instructor). I then began honing my expertise in research methodology, statistics, and human behavior at the University... Read More →
Explore how Star City School District is moving from instructional alignment to measurable impact. This session highlights how the district uses its District Dashboard to connect curriculum, instruction, and assessment, ensuring decisions are driven by real-time data. Participants will learn practical strategies for creating instructional coherence and using district systems to strengthen teaching and improve student success.
As one of the first to implement the Cambridge International pathway in Arkansas, the Rogers Public School District navigated the uncharted territory of bringing a globally recognized curriculum to the Natural State. Join us for a practical, "nuts and bolts" guide for administrators to launch Cambridge as an accelerated learning opportunity to YOUR district. We will share our firsthand experience and provide a clear roadmap for implementation, covering essential steps like curriculum mapping to Arkansas standards, structuring the master schedule, securing specialized teacher training, and building critical community buy-in. Whether you are actively exploring alternatives to AP and IB or simply curious about the Cambridge model, you will leave with an actionable playbook for your district.
I am an Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education at Rogers Public Schools. We are currently working on accelerated learning opportunities and the Cambridge International program at our secondary schools. I have been in education in Arkansas for 37 years serving at Assistant... Read More →
Director of Advanced Programs, Rogers Public Schools
Dustin Seaton (Ed.S., Arkansas Tech University) is the Director of Advanced Programs at Rogers Public Schools, and previously held the position of Gifted & Talented Specialist at Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative from 2017 to 2023, where he organized program options for 16 public s... Read More →
School leaders play a critical role in creating systems that develop, support, and retain effective educators. This session is designed for principals, district leaders, and instructional administrators seeking to strengthen teacher growth through intentional leadership practices.
Participants will explore strategies for building comprehensive onboarding and mentoring programs that support new teachers from their first day through their first three years in the profession. The session will also examine how leaders can establish a culture of data ownership by equipping teachers with the tools, knowledge, and accountability needed to monitor student progress and drive instructional improvement.
Additionally, attendees will learn how to lead and support Professional Learning Communities focused on Questions 3 and 4 of the PLC process: ensuring timely interventions for students who have not yet mastered essential learning and providing meaningful extensions for those who have. Through practical examples and leadership-focused strategies, participants will gain actionable ideas for building systems that improve teacher effectiveness and increase student achievement across their schools and districts.
District School Improvement Specialist, Jonesboro Schools
Mandy Zipfel is the District School Improvement Specialist in the Jonesboro School District. She is starting her 20th year in education. Prior to her current role, Mrs. Zipfel served as mid-level ELA/Social Studies teacher, school counselor, school improvement specialist, assistant... Read More →
Bring our research-based products to your classroom to help all of your students succeed. i-Ready®, i-ReadyClassroom Mathematics, and Ready® deliver meaningful assessment and data-driven, differentiated instruction.Magnetic Reading Foundations connects the art of teaching with the... Read More →
Math leaders face a daily challenge: supporting stretched teachers while meeting the needs of every student. In Mayflower Public Schools, this sparked a shift from one-size-fits-all instruction to a more personalized, student-centered, mastery-based approach.
In this session, co-presented with The Modern Classrooms Project, district leaders will share how they are equipping educators with aligned resources and coaching to move beyond lecture toward targeted, responsive support. Participants will hear Mayflower's story, gain practical strategies, and see how this partnership is driving stronger engagement and measurable growth in math outcomes.
District-Level Staff or Administrator (e.g., superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, professional learning coordinator, etc.), MAYFLOWER SCHOOL DISTRICT
In education policy and practice, "growth" is often assumed to mean doing better on a test than last year. But is improvement the same as growth? This session unpacks the critical differences between intuitive notions of student progress—such as higher scores or gains from one year to the next—and how "growth" is formally defined within the Arkansas Department of Education Value-Added Model (VAM).
Participants will explore how the Arkansas VAM conceptualizes growth as a statistical estimate of student performance relative to predicted outcomes, rather than simple score increases. Participants will examine how this distinction affects teacher evaluation, accountability decisions, and classroom practice. Through clear examples and practical scenarios, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how growth models work, what they measure (and what they do not), and why the definition of growth matters for educators, leaders, and policymakers.
This session invites educators to think critically about what it truly means for students and schools to grow.
Assistant Commissioner of Public School Accountability, Arkansas Department of Education
Hope Worsham serves as the Assistant Commissioner of Public School Accountability at the Arkansas Department of Education, where she leads statewide efforts to support school performance and ensure meaningful use of data in decision-making. With a career spanning multiple leadership... Read More →
Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am CDT Salon A (M)
What does real accountability look like in today’s classrooms? This engaging workshop explores how educators can take ownership of instructional practices that drive measurable student growth. Participants will learn practical strategies to set clear expectations, monitor learning with purpose, respond to data effectively, and create a culture where both teachers and students “own” the learning.
How much assessment is enough — and what actually moves instruction forward? Join cadre leaders and a representative from Public School Accountability for a candid conversation about balancing accountability requirements with meaningful classroom practice. This panel will explore how to right-size assessment systems so they reduce noise, elevate clarity, and position formative assessment as the primary driver of daily instructional decisions. Participants will also learn about statewide opportunities to engage in ongoing conversations throughout the year and preview learning modules currently in development to support this work. Walk away with practical insights for building coherence between state measures and classroom moves that accelerate student growth.
Project Manager - CCFAL, Office of Innovation for Education
After seven years in the classroom, Chrissy joined the Office of Innovation for Education to have a greater impact on education. She is passionate about students being the focus of learning and creating a learning environment that supports students. She now leads the charge in the... Read More →
Assistant Commissioner of Public School Accountability, Arkansas Department of Education
Hope Worsham serves as the Assistant Commissioner of Public School Accountability at the Arkansas Department of Education, where she leads statewide efforts to support school performance and ensure meaningful use of data in decision-making. With a career spanning multiple leadership... Read More →
Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm CDT Salon B (M)
You’ve got ATLAS data. CFAs. VAM scores. Dashboards full of numbers. But is your system actually driving student growth?
Join us to explore how an educational cooperative partners with principals, curriculum leaders, superintendents, and teachers to move beyond compliance and into coherence. Learn how teams analyze ATLAS results, strengthen CFAs, leverage VAM scores, and align instruction to create measurable, sustainable student growth.
Walk away with practical strategies to evaluate your current systems, tighten alignment, and turn data into action—not just activity.
Because initiatives don’t change outcomes. Systems do.
Arch Forward System Support Specialist, Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative
System Support Specialist with the Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative through the Arch Forward Consortium. I am the Past President of both the Arkansas Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ACTM) and the Arkansas Association of Mathematical Leaders (AAML) as well as the Affiliate Coordinator of the Natio... Read More →
Tuesday July 28, 2026 12:20pm - 1:05pm CDT Manning (M)
How can schools transform linguistic diversity into a competitive advantage? This session provides a comprehensive walkthrough of supporting students through the state and global Seal of Biliteracy application processes.
Using Heritage High School as a case study, presenters will detail how to build sustainable systems that empower significant populations of multilingual and first-generation students to earn the Seal of Biliteracy. We will cover the "Who, How, and Why" of the program, moving from initial identification to the final award application. Attendees will walk away with a strategic roadmap, including ready-to-use templates and implementation examples to scale these programs effectively at their own sites.
The newly revised CTE Pathways for the 2026-2027 school year includes a focus on durable skills such as problem-solving and communication that are essential across all career fields. Come hear from DCTE on what this will look like in your district.
State Career and Technical Education Director, Arkansas Department of Education
Ross White, director of Career and Technical Education (CTE), has served as the state CTE director since May 2021, bringing extensive experience in secondary and statewide CTE leadership. He has led the update of the state Perkins V plan, the implementation of Success Ready Gradu... Read More →
Renaissance Intelligence is the first and only Education Intelligence System that unifies assessment, instruction, practice, and curriculum alignment into one cohesive experience—powered by adaptive, contextual, educator-guided AI. This isn't AI that piles on more steps—it's intelligence embedded into what teachers already do, bringing personalization, efficiency, and fidelity to every classroom. In this session, participants will see how Renaissance Intelligence brings together systems district leaders have spent years trying to coordinate—reducing fragmentation, providing real-time instructional guidance, and delivering immediate visibility into student performance. No matter where your district is on its improvement journey, Renaissance Intelligence can illuminate the path forward. Participants will hear directly from districts preparing to implement this fall and learn how they're leveraging Renaissance Intelligence to support coherent instruction and accelerate student achievement.
When time is short and materials are limited, “rigor” often turns into more worksheets instead of better thinking. This session shows how to convert any standard or objective into a high-engagement micro-challenge using only paper, pencil, and a timer—while keeping topics community-safe and student anxiety low. Participants will experience three fast structures (argument, design, and reasoning), then leave with a simple planning template and a ready-to-use menu of micro-challenges they can run tomorrow.
Providing meaningful access to grade-level instruction is a central expectation for inclusive schools serving multilingual learners and students with disabilities, yet in many classrooms, the presence of two teachers does not always translate into true participation, language development, or equitable learning opportunities for students. This session examines the gap between the intention of meaningful access and the realities of classroom practice. Drawing on practitioner research focused on co-teaching for multilingual learners with disabilities, participants will explore common challenges that prevent co-teaching from fully supporting student access, including unclear instructional roles, limited attention to academic language, and structural barriers within school systems. Through classroom scenarios and guided discussion, school leaders will consider how leadership decisions, such as scheduling, collaborative planning structures, and expectations for language development across content areas, influence the effectiveness of co-teaching models. Participants will explore practical leadership moves that administrators can implement to strengthen instructional partnerships and ensure multilingual learners experience genuine access to rigorous learning. By the end of the session, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how leadership structures influence inclusive practices and with concrete strategies for supporting co-teaching teams in ways that promote meaningful participation, language development, and academic success for multilingual learners.
The newly revised CTE Pathways for the 2026-2027 school year includes a focus on durable skills such as problem-solving and communication that are essential across all career fields. Come hear from DCTE on what this will look like in your district.
State Career and Technical Education Director, Arkansas Department of Education
Ross White, director of Career and Technical Education (CTE), has served as the state CTE director since May 2021, bringing extensive experience in secondary and statewide CTE leadership. He has led the update of the state Perkins V plan, the implementation of Success Ready Gradu... Read More →
Explore how newer AP course offerings create meaningful entry points into rigorous, accelerated learning while helping students prepare for life after graduation. Courses highlighted include AP Seminar/AP Seminar English 10, AP Business with Personal Finance, AP Precalculus, and AP Cybersecurity.
Participants will gain practical strategies to expand AP programs, strengthen alignment to graduation pathways, and equip students with the career-ready skills needed for success beyond high school.
What happens when creativity becomes the heartbeat of instruction? In this engaging and practical breakout session, participants will explore how arts integration can transform student engagement, strengthen academic achievement, and build a thriving school culture. Through real classroom examples, interactive experiences, and ready-to-use strategies, attendees will discover how the arts can move beyond "specials" and become a powerful tool for deeper learning across all content areas. Whether you are a classroom teacher, instructional coach, arts specialist, or school leader, this session will leave participants inspired with creative ideas, collaborative strategies, and practical next steps for bringing learning to life in your school.
Being the District Testing Coordinator is a heavy lift. With new assessments and assessment monitoring coming at us each year, having a system for tracking who was supposed to and who successfully attempted an assessment is paramount to having a successful testing season. Determining eligibilities, managing students expecting to test as students continuously move into and out of the district, and ensuring you reach 95% tested for accountability purposes can all be accomplished by pulling data from the TIDE platform, feeding the dataset into R, and producing an interactive Google Sheet. These sheets allow for tracking of student enrollment along with test completion and produces an overall snapshot of percent tested as we move throughout the testing windows. Completing these sheets at the district level saves schools time and people hours during testing.
District Testing Coordinator, Springdale Public School District
I am the district testing coordinator for Springdale. This is my 21st year in education. Having started out in math education Missouri, I came to Arkansas to attend grad school and never left. I have experience working with accountability models and large data sets.
Starting the school year as a new administrator can feel overwhelming, especially when navigating the complexities of special education. In this session, experienced special education leaders from across the state will share the most critical information new administrators need from day one. From understanding the process of referral to dismissal and everything in between, participants will gain practical guidance to ensure compliance and support student success. This session is designed to build administrator confidence, strengthen decision-making, and set new administrators up for a successful start in leading special education programs.
School improvement efforts are most effective when teachers understand the "why" behind the work and have access to systems that make data meaningful and actionable. This session is designed for principals, assistant principals, and instructional leaders seeking practical strategies for building staff capacity around school improvement initiatives.
Participants will explore how school leaders can increase teacher understanding of state accountability systems by translating complex accountability measures into clear, relevant information that connects directly to classroom practice. Presenters will share strategies used to help teachers develop ownership of school performance goals and understand their role in improving student outcomes.
Additionally, attendees will learn about systems developed to monitor, analyze, and discuss student achievement data throughout the school year. The session will highlight processes for tracking student growth and proficiency, facilitating data conversations, and aligning intervention efforts with school improvement priorities. Through real-world examples from a large junior high school, participants will gain practical tools for connecting accountability, data analysis, and instructional decision-making in ways that strengthen teacher efficacy and improve ATLAS results.
How can we anchor our teaching in innovation to ensure every adolescent learner succeeds? This session introduces the Arkansas Adolescent Literacy Intervention, an approach rooted in the internationally recognized Strategic Instruction Model (SIM). Operating on the foundational principle that all students can achieve when provided with research-validated tools, SIM offers a powerful framework for transformative teaching and learning. Participants will explore an overview of innovative strategies and routines designed to boost student engagement, academic growth, and overall success. We will focus on two core components: *Content Enhancement Routines: Discover teacher-focused tools designed for planning and leading learning for a diverse group of students, ensuring content is clear, accessible, and memorable. *Learning Strategies: Explore student-focused strategies that teach students how to learn, equipping them with essential skills for acquiring, storing, and expressing knowledge independently.
Additionally, we will introduce Xtreme Reading, a spiral curriculum designed to help close reading gaps, and discuss its correlation to the Science of Reading.
You will leave this session able to identify specific teaching routines and strategies to enhance literacy and academic success for students in grades 4-12.
Join us to discover how Arkansas’s own SIM powerhouse, the Mashburn Center for Learning at the University of Central Arkansas, supports educators in implementing these evidence-based practices to meet the needs of all learners. Partner with us to explore how to equip your students with the strategic tools they need to thrive and leave with a comprehensive overview of routines and strategies you could learn to implement in your classroom.
Explore how Advanced Placement resources can support subject acceleration and advanced coursework readiness. Participants will explore how AP formative and summative data, provided through AP Classroom and AP Instructional Planning reports, can be used to monitor student progress and guide instructional adjustments. Participants will also explore how AP Potential can be used to identify students for future accelerated coursework through AP.
Participants will leave the session ready to create action plans for using AP data to impact student outcomes.
Starting the school year as a new administrator can feel overwhelming, especially when navigating the complexities of special education. In this session, experienced special education leaders from across the state will share the most critical information new administrators need from day one. From understanding the process of referral to dismissal and everything in between, participants will gain practical guidance to ensure compliance and support student success. This session is designed to build administrator confidence, strengthen decision-making, and set new administrators up for a successful start in leading special education programs.
Conway High School Principal, Conway Public Schools
Dr. Katti Worley has dedicated 15 years of service to the students, staff, and families of Conway Public Schools, building a career centered on instructional leadership, organizational growth, and a steadfast commitment to student success. She began her career at Conway Junior High... Read More →
