8:00 – 9:15 AM
Opening Breakfast Keynote | Gov. Jeb Bush
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Keynote Lunch | A 21st Century Education: Critical Skills for Every Student’s Success
Code.org founder Hadi Partovi, finance expert Tim Ranzetta and mathematics professor Dr. Steven Strogatz create a vision to prepare students for lifelong success with courses in computer science, data science and financial literacy. These critical skills are fast becoming an essential part of a 21st-century education, which every student will need to learn and employ during their school years and beyond.
Moderator Stefanie Sanford leads an engaging discussion with these innovators who are at the forefront of big ideas—and bold actions—to propel students forward. Stefanie is Chief of Global Policy and External Relations for the College Board and president of the College Board Foundation, working with policymakers and building partnerships to measurably advance educational access and opportunity for all students.
3:15 – 4:30 PM
General Session | Smart Brevity with Mike Allen
Today’s media landscape is littered with content. One media company, Axios, is dominating the market with effective and concise messaging. How? Their strategy dubbed Smart Brevity™ is a transformative approach for punching through the noise and bringing attention to what matters most.
In a compelling keynote session, Axios co-founder Mike Allen will share powerful communications lessons and provide essential advice on how to use Smart Brevity.
Join the American Federation for Children in conversation with former Assistant Secretary of U.S Department of Education, Jim Blew. Hear takeaways from the effort to make K-12 education parent- and student-centered, confronting a pandemic that shuttered schools, and working in an administration unlike any other.
Join Amplify Education to learn more about the high quality, successful learning acceleration approaches anchored in the Science of Reading and powered by mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition, the gold-standard in early literacy formative assessments.
The Covid pandemic fundamentally changed education and is forcing policymakers to rethink their approach to accountability. This session will be an interactive discussion with participants sharing ideas and innovative approaches to focus on how metric and data driven accountability systems can intersect, overlap, and complement school accreditation systems and continuous improvement efforts. Learn from experts and each other about how policymakers are reimagining oversight and accountability to be more student focused and growth minded. We look forward to having a robust discussion that results in a list of actionable ideas.
As you may have guessed, student learning has not yet fully rebounded from the setbacks caused by the pandemic’s disruptions. More students are below grade level in phonics than before the pandemic, and more students are behind in numbers and operations. However, there are some bright spots where learning is approaching pre-pandemic averages and schools that are beating the odds and accelerating learning for students furthest behind. Join a Roundtable hosted by Curriculum Associates learning more about the State of Student Learning from two recently released National Research Reports using iReady data.
As we look at the challenges our K-12 education system faces, it’s clear that virtual learning has an important role to play. But key questions remain: what should that role be, and how do we ensure that virtual learning experiences are high-quality? Join Edmentum and Whiteboard Advisors for an important conversation that explores topics and themes from the recent whitepaper, A Human-Centered Vision for Quality Virtual Learning. Based on input from dozens of experts and practitioners, this work delves into the opportunities presented by virtual learning to provide the learning experiences our students want and need while highlighting secrets of success for quality programs already in place. Spoiler alert: it’s about the people, not the technology.
State leaders from North Carolina are committed to making a difference in the lives of teachers and students, including life-changing professional learning. Early literacy results indicate they are on the path to success! Join this session to hear precisely how North Carolina leaders are leading a collaborative initiative to positively impact education from PreK – Higher Education – focusing on the science of reading, what is proven to work, and building a coalition to further student outcomes by investing in teachers. Participants will hear directly from colleagues and subject-matter experts how LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) practices lead to enhanced teaching, improved learning, and better outcomes for all students.
During this roundtable, Dr. Katie McClarty, Chief Academic Officer for McGraw Hill, will discuss how to both create clear, consistent expectations for education while retaining flexibility in execution. We will discuss how to set appropriate expectations for all K12 students but allow flexibility in how students get there – including where standardization is critical, where flexibility and choice can better personalize and accelerate the learning experience for students, and where decisions about flexibility should be made.
The pandemic has underscored both the importance and fragility of state assessment and accountability systems, while the influx of federal funds makes new investments possible at an unprecedented scale. Please join NWEA for a discussion about what our data is showing about the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic on student growth, as well as what we are learning from our state and district partners about recovery and transformation. We are excited to share how we are working with states to rethink measurement of student progress and navigate some of the federal policy obstacles to innovation.
Personalization is a buzzword in 2022. Across the economy, companies are changing their business models to provide consumers a more personalized experience – from shopping to dining to medical appointments and beyond. But how can we personalize education for students, families, and educators? This session will explore ways that policymakers can embrace personalization in education and how that can deliver improved outcomes for every child.
Tutoring programs have become a leading strategy to address COVID-19 learning loss, but not all tutoring is created equal. What evidence-based principles can district and school leaders draw on to design, implement, measure, and improve high-quality tutoring programs? And what are districts who are piloting these programs learning about how to maintain fidelity to those principles, while also adapting to the specific needs of their contexts? Get on-the-ground insights from experts on building a sustainable, district led high-impact tutoring program.
Parent appetite for nontraditional education models grew to record levels during the pandemic. Many of these started outside of conventional education systems: as microschools, learning pods, hybrid homeschools, community centers, online platforms, and much more. Many of them were the embodiment of “permissionless education,” families and educators coming together to solve education challenges and innovate at a scale not seen in decades. Join Stand Together Trust and the Vela Education Fund to learn about this bottom-up approach to education and the implications for policymakers and public policy.
During this roundtable discussion, Dr. Stacey Ludwig Johnson, acting Senior Vice President of WGU and Executive Dean of the School of Education, will offer insights into how WGU’s Community of Care is a pioneering model of student support intervention. With lessons learned over the past two decades at WGU, Dr. Ludwig Johnson will also share with educators and administrators across the education ecosystem the expertise on how they can start their own institution’s Community of Care, how to measure success, and how to engage faculty in this model to strengthen their own experiences and those of students.
Pre-Film Reception and Screening sponsored by Amira Learning.
8:00 – 9:15 AM
Breakfast Keynote | Solving America’s Literacy Crisis with the Science of Reading
Join journalist Emily Hanford, education leader Kareem Weaver and ExcelinEd’s Dr. Kymyona Burk for a keynote conversation on solving the early literacy crisis in America’s elementary schools. They’ll dive into why millions of students nationwide are struggling to read and lead a tactical discussion on the proven policies – grounded in the science of reading- needed to turn things around. Policymakers and educators in every state will want to hear more about these timely solutions to one of education’s most serious and pressing problems.
9:45 – 11:00 AM
General Session | Recovering Learning: How Are Countries Faring Since the Pandemic?
International expert Andreas Schleicher returns to the National Summit with his well-researched and insightful global perspectives on education. With data gleaned through his work at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Schleicher will share insights on how dozens of countries are performing, intervening and helping students recover from the pandemic. He’ll address what high-performing countries have in common as well as the education policies needed to foster improvement. Education leaders at every level, whether focused on nations, states, communities or classrooms, will want to learn more about these proven and impactful strategies to turn around student achievement.
12:30 – 1:45 PM
Closing Lunch Keynote | What Do Schools of the Future Look Like
Join Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Governor Kevin Stitt and education visionary Sal Khan, founder & CEO of Khan Academy, for an inside look at the education innovations unfolding in Arizona and Oklahoma.
Learn about Arizona State University’s groundbreaking partnership with Khan Academy in launching Khan World School @ ASU Prep – plus how Arizona’s pioneering policy landscape is fostering innovations with the power to transform education and transform lives.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has made improving education a priority of his administration and most recently set priorities to expand choice for families and students. In proposing an education scholarship account where money follows the student -and not the system- Gov. Stitt offers insights and inspiration for placing students at the center of education.
Governor Jeb Bush moderates this leadership session and will cap the event by presenting Governor Ducey with ExcelinEd’s Excellence in Education Award. The award recognizes the trailblazing contributions of visionaries who are transforming education and elevating student achievement. Prior honorees include Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Success Academy’s Eva Moskowitz and Khan Academy’s Sal Khan.
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