Participants will:

• Practice applying the mindsets and modes of Liberatory Design to activate student voice and agency in solving local challenges;
• Imagine ways to build collaborative student leadership models; and
• Learn practical and meaningful ways to partner with students in co-designing solutions to local challenges or problems of practice.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Learning Practices

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Learning Designs

Topics: Design Thinking/Human-Centered Design, School and system reform, Student or teacher voice/agency

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, Principals, Assistant Principals, Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents

Participants will: 

• Distinguish between true rigor and excessive difficulty in curriculum and instructional materials;
• Identify key indicators of rigorous content and instructional design; and
• Develop action plans for collaborative curriculum planning that fosters student success.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Professional Expertise

Topics: Curriculum-based professional learning, Instructional Leadership and Supervision, Learning for all, Other

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders/Mentors/Team Leaders

Participants will: 

• Understand the structure and purpose of Delaware’s Educator Recruitment Self-Study Guide and Action Plan;
• Assess current recruitment and retention practices using six research-based domains;
• Develop a draft action plan tailored to local workforce needs and priorities; and
• Apply tools and strategies to implement early wins and long-term improvements in educator recruitment and retention.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Professional Expertise

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Learning Practices

Topics: Educator recruitment, Educator retention, Learning for all

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, District Office Personnel (Directors/Consultants for Instruction, Technology, Curriculum, Human Resources, and Assessment), Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents

Participants will: 

• Identify the factors that contribute to teacher burnout and learn how to determine purpose and restore the passion inherent in the profession;
• Discover the correlation between humor, optimism, games, and increased immunity;
• Gain an understanding of the importance of quality nutrition, exercise, and sleep to support physical well-being; and
• Learn how to create a classroom that leads to optimal student success.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Professional Expertise

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction

Topics: Educator wellbeing, Efficacy (Teacher/Leader, Collective, Self), Understanding life skills and well-being for all learners

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders/Mentors/Team Leaders

Participants will: 

• Explore the factors that evidence shows do and do not contribute to the effectiveness of professional learning;
• Learn how to use the five levels of evidence that are essential in evaluating professional learning practices and experiences;
• Develop strategies for planning effective professional learning experiences that impact teaching practices and result in improved student performance; and
• Use group conversations to explore past personal professional learning experiences and reactions/responses of various stakeholders (i.e., teachers, school leaders, students, parents/families, and board members).

Primary Alignment to Standard: Evidence

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Resources

Topics: Change Theory/Management, Practical measures, Professional learning policies

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, Policy Makers and Community Stakeholders, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches

Participants will: 

• Co-create and design an innovative continuum of adult learning constructs aligned to the Standards for Professional Learning;
• Identify powerful structures for each of the adult learning constructs and unique ways to reimagine time for them;
• Align science of learning principles to craft inspirational learning experiences for adult learners; and
• Create a tool for providing high-quality feedback on various professional learning designs.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Learning Designs

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Leadership

Topics: Creating a shared PL vision, Design Thinking/Human-Centered Design

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches

Participants will: 

• Articulate a simple model of the mind to ground understanding of how learning happens;
• Identify key learning science principles that ensure instructional effectiveness;
• Analyze components of successful evidence-to-practice implementation in teacher induction and professional learning; and
• Develop a Theory of Change plan that takes initial steps for building capacity for evidence-informed professional learning in your school or district.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Learning Designs

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Professional Expertise

Topics: Brain science/science of learning, Instructional Coaching, Instructional Leadership and Supervision

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, Principals, Assistant Principals, Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents

Participants will: 

• Learn the “why” behind mentoring and the impact mentoring can have on new teachers;
• Understand and apply mentor roles, responsibilities, expectations, and key attributes in their work with new teachers;
• Recognize and apply strategies from the Mentor Cycle framework for developing new teachers’ knowledge and skills; and
• Apply tools and strategies that establish trust between a mentor and a new teacher to build strong, learning-focused relationships.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Learning Designs

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Leadership

Topics: Continuous Improvement Cycles, Induction and Mentoring

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, Principals, Assistant Principals, Teacher Leaders/Mentors/Team Leaders

Participants will: 

• Explore a framework for designing and facilitating powerful professional learning that is directly aligned to Standards for Professional Learning;
• Experience a learning environment that meets the physical, social/relational, and learning needs of adults;
• Engage with facilitators as they model brain-friendly strategies that capture and hold learners' attention and increase retention; and
• Prepare to use tools provided in the session for designing future high-quality professional learning.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Learning Designs

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Professional Expertise

Topics: Brain science/science of learning, Design Thinking/Human-Centered Design, Facilitation

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches

Participants will: 

• Focus on using artificial intelligence as a tool with specific engagement purposes;
• Develop an action plan to make learning meaningful and relevant in any classroom context; and
• Explore real strategies and structures that drive engagement in a 21st-century learning environment.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Learning Designs

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Curriculum, Assessment, & Instruction

Topics: AI - Artificial Intelligence and professional learning, Design Thinking/Human-Centered Design, Personalized learning

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders/Mentors/Team Leaders

Participants will: 

• Learn to use and recognize advanced coaching skills that surface and challenge self-imposed limitations;
• Embrace the concept of coaching the person rather than the problem to challenge and shift mindsets; and
• Learn protocols for safe coaching practices.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Implementation

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Professional Expertise

Topics: Efficacy (Teacher/Leader, Collective, Self), Instructional Coaching, Managing conflict

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders/Mentors/Team Leaders

Participants will: 

• Define the purpose and responsibilities of beginning instructional coaches;
• Identify initial steps for building coaching relationships and fostering trust;
• Find strategies for enhancing initial instruction to boost student growth and achievement; and
• Increase confidence and clarity in navigating the coaching role within current systems.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Implementation

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Learning Designs

Topics: Continuous Improvement Cycles, Efficacy (Teacher/Leader, Collective, Self), Instructional Coaching

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders/Mentors/Team Leaders

Participants will: 

• Examine the psychology of change by exploring the emotional and psychological factors driving resistance;
• Engage in interactive activities to identify forms of loss experienced during transitions and develop strategies to foster acceptance and agency;
• Apply tools and frameworks to lead change efforts with empathy, understanding, and effectiveness; and
• Reflect on small, actionable changes that can enhance processes to better support the human side of change.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Implementation

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Leadership

Topic: Change Theory/Management

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Office Personnel (Directors/Consultants for Instruction, Technology, Curriculum, Human Resources, and Assessment), Principals, Assistant Principals, Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents

Participants will: 

• Explore how AI can enhance and support coaching conversations;
• Consider use cases of when to use AI and when not to use it; and
• Learn how to use tools that incorporate AI into coaching.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Implementation

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Learning Designs

Topics: AI - Artificial Intelligence and professional learning, Leadership Coaching, Technology for Professional Learning

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders/Mentors/Team Leaders

Participants will: 

• Uncover the skills and structures that impact the first 5 minutes;
• Explore listening and inquiry skills to strengthen relationships, build trust, and create a culture of inquiry;
• Connect the importance of building community to learning; and
• Practice skills for credibility and rapport to build relationships and connect you and your passion to your audience.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Leadership

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Culture of Collaborative Inquiry

Topics: Facilitation, Managing conflict, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches

Participants will: 

• Gain a deep understanding of the content and structure of the Standards for Professional Learning;
• Apply the concepts in the standards to their own roles, responsibilities, and contexts by engaging in interactive and collaborative activities;
• Explore strategies for implementing Standards for Professional Learning and accompanying tools; and
• Leave with strategies and resources that support individual and collaborative professional learning growth around the Standards.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Leadership

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Implementation

Topics: Creating a shared PL vision, Professional learning policies, Transforming School Culture and Climate

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches, Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents

Participants will: 

• Identify why we hesitate to have hard conversations;
• Consider questions to ask ourselves before we choose to speak up;
• Articulate in professional language the topic we want to address; and
• Determine the goals of the conversation and write an action plan of support.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Leadership

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Culture of Collaborative Inquiry

Topics: Change Theory/Management, Leadership Coaching

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Office Personnel (Directors/Consultants for Instruction, Technology, Curriculum, Human Resources, and Assessment), Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches

Participants will: 

• Make the connection between collaborative, teacher-led learning and improved instruction and student learning;
• Take steps to launch a learning team cycle with five key stages and examine how to implement each with specific strategies and supporting protocols;
• Adapt the cycle to fit specific school and district calendars and initiatives; and
• Leave with a road map to focus on the day-to-day actions in classrooms among students, educators, and instructional materials for maximum impact.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Culture of Collaborative Inquiry

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Implementation

Topics: Continuous Improvement Cycles, Data-Driven Decision Making, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: Principals, Assistant Principals, School-based Professional Development Leaders/Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders/Mentors/Team Leaders

Participants will: 

• Learn the high-leverage actions and behaviors associated with systemwide continuous improvement;
• Reflect on the strategies and actions taken to apply cycles of continuous improvement to address problems of practice;
• Describe the next steps to demonstrate shared responsibility for improving learning for all students; and
• Align the practices of high-quality professional learning and collaborative continuous improvement to advocate for the use of continuous improvement in all learning environments.

Primary Alignment to Standard: Culture of Collaborative Inquiry

Secondary Alignment to Standard: Implementation

Topics: Continuous Improvement Cycles, Learning Networks

Session Length: Preconference Session — 6-hours

Audiences: District Level Professional Development Leaders, District Office Personnel (Directors/Consultants for Instruction, Technology, Curriculum, Human Resources, and Assessment), Superintendents, Assistant Superintendents