Instruction

Closing student achievement gaps requires specific actions focused on acceleration and leveling up strategies to achieve grade-level proficiency or beyond. Acceleration is the pathway; we cannot continue to go backward if our goal is to move forward. Discover how to erase inequities in student learning while building hope and confidence in both teachers and students. This is equity in action.

Lorraine Radice, PhD, is an educator, author, and presenter. She is currently an assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in New York and teaches courses in childhood education and literacy at Hofstra University.

Jennifer McCarty Plucker, EdD, is the director of learning and development and a literacy consultant at Mackin Educational Resources in Burnsville, Minnesota. Her current work with educators is grounded in an inquiry approach that puts students in the driver’s seat for learning.

Dr. Fisher and Dr. Frey along with John Nelson share the steps Chula Vista took to significantly impact student achievement. Learn how you can replicate their powerful results in your school.

Wendy Terro is a principal in the Toronto District School Board with experience as a mathematics coach, student work study teacher, and classroom educator. She is passionate about inquiry learning, assessment, equity, and amplifying student voice and choice.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly shaping the future of education, yet without critical engagement, it risks reinforcing systemic biases and widening technological inequities. Dr. Stacie Chana, author of Experimenting With AI: Activities, Discussions, and Prompts for the Classroom and Beyond, empowers educational leaders to approach AI with a lens of equity and cultural responsiveness, ensuring that all learners are protected and informed about the challenges and opportunities AI presents. Participants will explore practical strategies for identifying AI bias, implementing responsible AI-driven decision making, and developing policies that support ethical AI integration. This session will equip leaders with the knowledge needed to critically assess AI tools, advocate for fair and just technology use in schools, and guide students in becoming discerning users of AI.

Joan Reimer is a retired educator and former education officer at the Ontario Ministry of Education. With experience from K–12 classrooms to teacher education, most of her career was spent in Ontario, but she also taught in Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and Malawi, Africa.

How can we harness the power of reading in our classrooms to inspire students to write and share meaningful stories from their own lives? Join Kourtney Hake and Paige Timmerman in this insightful webinar, where they will explore the essential role mentor texts play in shaping and motivating student writers.

This session explores the Big 5 components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Educators will gain practical, evidence-based strategies, examine how neuroscience informs instruction, and learn how to apply these practices within a response to intervention (RTI) framework to support all learners.

James Simons is an educator, writer, and coach passionate about meaningful learning and leadership. He partners with schools to support instructional growth, curriculum design, and educator development. His work appears in Inside Higher Ed and Edutopia.