Agenda

We encourage you to check in on Wednesday to avoid lines on Thursday morning and ensure a smooth start to your Symposium experience.

Learning Labs

Join FullScale for an engaging half-day workshop to explore how states can use flexibilities in federal policy to support student-centered learning. This workshop is specifically intended for state leaders and their local intermediary partners to come together to explore opportunities for flexibility in policies affecting assessment, accountability, and professional learning, learn from other states, and start to plan to use those flexibilities to achieve their goals. Hear from state leaders and their intermediary partners doing the work, learn about specific approaches to pressing policy issues, and leave with ideas for how to align policy to achieve your state’s vision for teaching and learning.

 For additional information, contact Juliana.Finegan@fullscalelearning.org.

Leveraging Flexibility to Support Student-Centered Learning
Jennifer Kabaker, Michael Ham, FullScale

Join FullScale for an engaging half-day workshop to explore how states can use flexibilities in federal policy to support student-centered learning. This workshop is specifically intended for state leaders and their local intermediary partners to come together to explore opportunities for flexibility in policies affecting assessment, accountability, and professional learning, learn from other states, and start to plan to use those flexibilities to achieve their goals. Hear from state leaders and their intermediary partners doing the work, learn about specific approaches to pressing policy issues, and leave with ideas for how to align policy to achieve your state’s vision for teaching and learning.

Mapping the Markers of Quality: Understanding and Advancing High-Performing Competency-Based Learning in U.S. High Schools
Rae Lymer, FullScale

What does high-quality competency-based learning (CBL) actually look like in practice—and what conditions allow it to thrive? This interactive pre-conference convening will bring together leaders from 10 nationally selected CBL high schools, policymakers, funders, technical assistance providers, and system leaders to explore findings from a national study examining the relationship between CBL practices, student outcomes, and enabling policy conditions. Participants will engage with practical tools, cross-sector dialogue, and peer learning designed to clarify what distinguishes high-quality CBL, what the evidence suggests about impact, and what must shift at the policy and system levels to support responsible scale. The session will culminate in identifying coordinated next steps for strengthening coherence and impact across the field.

Reimagining Readiness through the ISTE+ASCD Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate
Dr. Joseph South, Jessica Garner, ISTE+ASCD

What does it truly mean to be “ready” for an AI-augmented workforce? It’s not about mastering a specific tool—it’s about a fundamental shift in the student experience. Join ISTE+ASCD leaders for a high-impact, 3-hour preconference session that moves beyond teacher productivity and focuses squarely on the learner.

Together, we will explore the ISTE+ASCD Profile of an AI-Ready Graduate, a framework that elevates students from passive consumers to empowered Problem Solvers, Storytellers, and Synthesizers. Rooted in the Transformational Learning Principles, this collaborative session will help you:

• Empower Agency: Shift from “AI literacy” to “AI fluency,” where students use AI to get “unstuck,” set self-directed goals, and iterate on their work.
• Nurture Human Connection: Discover how AI can act as a Connector, breaking down language barriers and simulating divergent perspectives to build empathy.
• Guide Strategic Inquiry: Train students to evaluate claims and find patterns in an era of information overload.

Whether you are just starting your AI journey or are already piloting new experiences, you will leave with a clear roadmap, actionable pathways for your district, and a peer network ready to move the work forward.

Rural AI Strategy Lab Pre-Convening
Megan Benay, FullScale

Derived from lessons learned from FullScale’s Rural AI Strategy Lab — a six-month initiative in which 13 rural school district teams explored, piloted, and implemented AI in ways that reflected their local priorities and realities — participants will engage in cross-sector dialogue, explore practical examples of AI in action in rural K–12 contexts, and reflect on what it takes to move from promising ideas to implementation. Through structured collaboration and peer exchange, attendees will surface key lessons, identify enabling conditions, and help shape what responsible AI adoption can look like for rural schools and the communities they serve.

Potential Futures Showcase

AI in Action: How Arizona Is Driving Learner-Centered Innovation

Jill Loveall, ASU Preparatory Academy

Every Student Deserves the School They Need: Spreading Innovation Through a Public Microschool Network in Indiana

Nate McClennen, Getting Smart; George Philhower, Indiana Microschool Collaborative/Eastern Hancock School District

Additional Potential Futures Showcases coming soon!

Place Showcase

Beyond GPA: Making Durable Skills Visible, Portable, and Recognized in a Community Ecosystem 

Rachel Wagner, Elizabethton City Schools, Jeff McClellan, StartSOLE

New England District-Community Consortium: A Regional Effort Fueled by Local Solutions

Paulina Murton, Great Schools Partnership

Year 5 of Washington’s MBLC Demonstration Sites Project: Focus on Sustainability through Continued Networking, Professional Development, and the Building of Local Expertise through Living Lab and Impact Fellows Initiatives

Seema Bahl, Washington State Board of Education

Additional Place Showcases coming soon!

Progress Showcase

Can You Prove It? Using AI Simulations to Assess What Students Can Actually Do

Chris Unger, Northeastern University; Taryn Campbell, Cambiar Education 

Evidence, Iteration and Impact: Data-Driven Design Defines a Path Forward

Nathan Auck, Catalyst for Coherence; Keslie Green, Salt Lake City School District

Measuring What Matters in Math: Centering Student Voice and Discourse

Emily Amick, PowerMyLearning

Telling the Whole Story of PBL: Designing Systems That Capture How Learners Grow

Sabrina Tirachen, The Possible Zone

Additional Progress Showcases coming soon!

Practice Showcase

Building Coherent Career-Connected Learning Systems for English Learners and Immigrant Youth

Jon Harriman, Marguerite Lukes, Internationals Network for Public Schools

Competent in Competencies: Classroom-Level First Steps in Competency Integration

Kat McRitchie, Michelle Davies, Crosstown High

If It’s Not Better for Students, It’s Not Transformation: How SAU #9 is centering the student experience in district transformation

Sandra Moumoutjis, Ayris Sanders, Building21; Christa Biche, Aimee Frechette, School Administrative Unit #9

Additional Practice Showcases coming soon!

Policy Showcase

A Bridge to New Models: How State Assessment Systems Can Build to the Future 

David Nitkin, Transcend

Designing and Implementing Performance Assessments in Service of Promoting Competency-Based Education

Ellen Vorenkamp, Michigan Assessment Consortium; Ninette Soares, Farmington Public Schools

Designing for Integrity: How Leaders Can Build Trust and Authentic Learning in the Age of GenAI

Aaron Schorn, Unrulr

From Listening to Learning Infrastructure: Designing Local Accountability Through Community-Rooted Systems

Rob Collins, Sarah Snipes, Kentucky Department of Education; Karen Perry, University of Kentucky

Local Accountability Systems That Last

Adam Hicks, Dan Pfaff, Shelby County Public Schools; Brian Stack, Jonathan Vander Els, V&S School Solutions

People Showcase

Beyond the Screen: A School-Based Family Digital Literacy Model

Lia Dossin, All4Ed; Shannon McClintock Miller, Van Meter (IA)

Designing the Adults Who Design the Future: Reimagining Educator Roles Through R&D, Inquiry, and Community Partnership 

Danielle Ragavanis, Philip Baker, Thomas A Edison Career & Technical Education High School (NYCPS)

Stop Running Leadership Programs. Start Building a Latino Workforce Strategy for 2050 

R.D. Leyva, Manny Cruz, Latinos for Education

Summer Educator Residency: Cultivating Innovation

Pam Wright, Steve Strothman, Missoula County Public Schools

The Prism Challenge: Co-Designing Effective Teaming Models 

Amy Junge, Education Evolving; Hannah Foley, Empower Schools

Perspective Showcase

Brave Pack Rising: Elevating Student Voice Through the KPS Student Impact Team

Emma Presley, Ben Boar, Glacier High School; Hudson Capser, Keegan West, Bella Hernandez, Flathead High School; Roni Saavedra, Linderman Education Center

Designing for 90,000 Fans: How Project-Based Learning Turns Math into Meaningful, Real-World Problem Solving

Alyson Morse, Mount Vernon School

From Portfolio to Performance: Student-Led Design of a Competency-Based Defense of Learning 

Dr. Caren Roberts Williams, Kim Mawhiney, Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies

Additional Perspective Showcases coming soon!

Beyond Voice and Choice: What True Student Agency Really Looks Like in Practice – and How to Catalyze It in Your School

Andrew Calkins, Jessica Paulsen, LEAP Innovations; James Hill, Taundra Miles-Cranor, The Match High School & Career Center

From Pockets to Systems: Building State R&D Infrastructure to Scale Learner-Centered Education

Timothy Michalak, Alliance for Learning Innovation; Sydnee Dickson, Former Utah State Board of Education; Sarah Bishop-Root, Education Reimagined

Making Equity Irresistible: Designing Adult Learning People Actually Use—at Scale

Caroline Hill, 228 Accelerator

Rural AI in Action: Lessons from Three National Cohorts  

Megan Benay, FullScale

Scaling Networked Learning: Building Local Ecosystems for Innovation, Workforce Development, and Change Management

Edward Montalvo, XQ Institute; Ginger Spickler, Crosstown High; Angela Daniel, PSI High; Dustin Hensley, Elizabethton High School; Chris Hanks, Grand Rapids Public Museum Schools

State Lines and School Design: A Road Trip to Innovation

Emily Brixey, Kyle Anderson, KnowledgeWorks; Ann Ellefson, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction; Jeanine Collins, Center for the Future of Learning; Chad Geston, Arizona Institute of Education and the Economy; David Cook, Learning Ecosystems Design LLC

Supporting Future-Ready Teachers: Instructional Practices, Career Trajectories, and Systems Shifts in CBE Models

Heather Harlen, Building 21; Jessica Royer, Conway Intermediate School/SAU 9; Linnoya Watkins, Sledge Institute; Charles Schmied, Bridgeview Academy of Health, Science, Innovation, and Technology; Riley Paolino, Building 21 High School Philadelphia

The Innovation Slowdown: Why Bold District Transformation Gets Softened Over Time

Chelsea Waite, Bree Dusseault, Center on Reinventing Public Education

The Mastery Shift: Redesigning Assessment and Instruction for Learner-Led Success

Toni Rose Deanon, Michael Hakkarinen, Modern Classrooms Project; Starr Sackstein, Starr Sackstein Consulting, LLC; Saenovia Smith, Frankie Woods McCullough Academy; Heather Starks, Christel House Dors

Beyond the LMS and SIS: Building the Learning Infrastructure CBE Depends On

Scott Welch, John Myers, Edsby

Insights for Tomorrow: Leveraging Co-Design and Alumni Data to Drive Change 

​​Shelton Daal, Tiffany Leones, Taylor Alexander, Digital Promise

Additional Book and Research Talks coming soon!

CBE with Heart and Soul: Connecting MTSS and CBE to Personalize Schools for Learners with Special Needs

Hawar Khalandi, Platte County School District; Rebecca Midles, Getting Smart; Mike Ruyle, Marzano Resources

Educational Ambidexterity: Creating Space for Innovation in Traditional Learning Systems

Ben Koch, Building 21 Philadelphia; Tamika Henry, Grand Rapids Public Museum School; Andrew Hoyt, Portage School of Leaders; Diego Arambula, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

From Margins to Models: Alternative Schools as Hubs of Learner-Centered Innovation

Jeff Petty, School Foundry

The Community Is Our Classroom – Virtually experience real excursions Museum High School

Nate Langel, Kameron Sumoski, Joshua Olexa, Ki’Ahir Baker-Noble, Jonathan Coronelgalan, Ben Hoff, Grand Rapids Public Museum School

The Superintendent’s Dilemma: Why Leading System Innovation Is Harder Than It Looks

Chelsea Waite, Center on Reinventing Public Education; Stephen Bowen, Hoover Institution; Jeremy Tucker, Liberty Public Schools; Bill Kimball, Maple Run Unified School District

Beyond Retention: Measuring What It Actually Means for Teachers to Thrive

Pete Fishman, Ally Skoog-Hoffman, NewSchools Venture Fund

Potential Futures

Beyond the Building: Reimagining Education as an Ecosystem

Geoffrey Roehm, Runway Green

Built Together: A Home for Learning Life

Kristel Barr, Raymore Peculiar School District

Public Microschools as Lab Schools for System Change: Small Schools. Big Impact

Jeffrey Imrich, Rock by Rock

Place

Designing AI-Resilient Pathways: Lessons from Scaling a Statewide Work-Based Learning Intermediary 

Kelsey Bickett, QuantHub

From the Capitol to the Community: Building Digital Learning Infrastructure for the State You Actually Have 

Lisa Bechtold, MTDA; Mike Agostinelli, Montana Digital Academy

From Vision to Vibrant Learning: Building a Bold New Future Through Kentucky’s Innovative Teacher Fellows

Dr. Robin Hyden, Kalli Colley, Kentucky Department of Education

Progress

Change Management: Comparing Tech Promises Around Unified Data Platforms

Kelly Ronnebeck, Amy Linn, East Moline School District 37

From Innovation to Evidence: Measuring What Works in Real-World Math

Beth Boesche-Taylor, Out Teach

Surveying Equitable Assessment Practices Through Teacher and Student Perspectives

Ellen Vorenkamp, Michigan Assessment Consortium; Ninette Soares, Farmington Public Schools

People

Distributing the Spark: Scaling Personalized Learning Through Teacher-Leaders

Dana Burns, Andrew Wall, Jennifer Raymond, Pattonville High School

From “Too Many Competencies” to Focused Growth: What We Learned About Leader Development

Christina Aries, Laura Furlong, Citizens of the World Charter Schools

Who Gets to Teach? Dismantling Barriers for Educator Pathways 

Shanita Pryor, Jessica Cardullo, TNTP

Creating an Education Ecosystem: How Arizona Policy Enables School System Diversity to Better Serve Students

Emily Brixey, KnowledgeWorks

Empowering Math Learners Through Standards-Based Grading: Evidence, Tools, and Lessons from the Field

Steven Kramer, John Baker, Tyrone Dash II, The 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education

Puentes & Possibilities: An Book Talk with Teaching K-5 Science- Encouraging Exploration, Inquiry and Problem Solving

Coral Zayas, Coqui Learning Lab

A K-12 System’s Approach at Authentically Creating Agency Across K-12: How Southern Berkshire works with their community to implement agency

Holly Reardon, Nik Namba, Transcend; Jane Schur, Sarah Tetreault, ​​Southern Berkshire Regional School District

Architects of Agency: Linking Educator Efficacy to Learner-Led Success

Theresa Ewald, KnowledgeWorks; ​​Joyce Daigle, Madisyn McDole, Keeling Elementary, Amphitheater School District

Beyond the Poster: Operationalizing the Portrait of a Graduate

Jordan Lewis, SpacesEDU by myBlueprint; Jason Smith, Palos Heights School District 128; Shannon Creemens, Oregon CUSD 220; Jennifer Pepper, Riverbend School District

Designing for Student Agency in the Age of AI: Reimagining systems to emphasize the process of learning and learning-to-learn skills for future-ready learners

Nikita Khetan, Red Bridge; Michelle Rainey, Da Vinci Schools; Jane Bryson, Transcend; Brian Griffin, Lindsay Unified School District

Kuleana in Action: Redesigning Learning Systems to Honor Identity, Grow Agency, and Ensure Mastery

Kaʻulu Gapero, Danielle Sanchez, Roxanna Kala, Leayne Patch-Highfill, Waianuhea Paleka, Kamehameha Schools Hawaii

New, Now, Next: Why Building a Comprehensive Assessment System Is Both Necessary and Hard

Justin Wells, Jillian Juman, Envision Education 

Small School Solutions for Multi-Grade Classrooms through Blended Learning Rotations and Teacher-Informed EdTech Decisions

Kristin Mansell, Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer, Michael Strange, Texas Tech University; Andrea Guerrero, Uvalde CISD

So You Want Systems Change: Leveraging Federal Waivers to Advance Student-Centered Learning Policies

Kirsten Carr, Foresight Law + Policy; Lillian Pace, KnowledgeWorks; Chris Domaleski, Center for Assessment; Doannie Tran, Center for Innovation in Education; David Nitkin, Transcend

Where Students Lead: What a Decade of Alumni Data Reveals About the Long-Term Impact of Career-Connected Learning

Corey Mohn, CAPS Network; Zandria Brewer, Baptist Health College / Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Designing Beyond One-Teacher, One-Classroom: Educator Teams for Student Success

Lennon Audrain, Arizona State University’s Next Education Workforce Initiative

Grading Isn’t Just About Grading: How Improvements to Grading Practices Unlock Deeper Learning and Accelerate Instructional Innovation

Joe Feldman, Crescendo Education Group

The Age of Storytellers: Mathematics as Creative Force

Dr. Kevin Berkopes, MathTrack Institute

Sessions coming soon!

“Nothing about us, without us”: Redesigning Learning with Students, Not for Them

Sang Hee Kim, Edward Merrill, Hector Estrada, Mesa Public Schools; Theresa Ewald, KnowledgeWorks

AI Agency as a Core Competency: How Indiana School Systems Are Redefining What It Means to Teach and Learn

Arion Clanton, Playlab AI

Beyond the AI Handbook: Shaping AI Adoption through Real-Time Mapping of Social Norms

Jennifer Poon, Doannie Tran, Center for Innovation in Education; Shereen El Mallah, University of Virginia, Center for Promoting Effective Youth Development (Youth-Nex)

Designing for Durable Skills: Building Scalable Systems for Competency-Based Learning

Michael Reagan, Evangeline Horel, Addison (Crim) Stewart-Fatzinger, One Stone; Nerel Winter, David Bautista, Bostonia Global; Shane Krukowski, Headrush Learning

Innovation Schools as a Tool for Creating Sustainable, Customized Learning

Rachell Avery, Empower Schools; Stephen Bowen, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Mike Calvanese, Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership; Cody Stipes, Cold Spring School; Monique Uzelac, Washtenaw Educational Outcomes Consortium

Rethinking the Diploma: Indiana’s Bold Bet on Personalized, Competency-Aligned High School

Eric Waters, TNTP; Ron Sandlin, Indiana Department of Education

Scaling Rural Pathways: Reinventing High School to Create Upward Mobility for Communities

Kimberly Smith, Digital Promise; Scott Ross, Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology; Seth Walker, Troy University

The First Year Playbook: What Successful Schools Get Right

Andrew Vega, NewSchools Venture Fund; Dermoth Mattison, South Shore Charter School; Alexa Sorden, LEAD

Balancing Act: How Policymakers Can Mitigate the Risk and Maximize the Opportunities of AI

Juliet Squire, Bellwether

Built for Learning: Lessons from AI-Powered Ed Tech in Practice

Marisa Mission, Bellwether

Competency-Based Practices: From Barriers to Breakthroughs — Implementing Competency-Based Practices That Last

Bill Zima, Marzano Academies; Brian Stack, Jonathan Vander Els, V & S School Solutions

Connecting Competency-Based Education (CBE) with Career and Technical Education (CTE): A Model for School Innovation and Workforce Readiness

Dr. Mike Ruyle, Marzano Resources; Rebecca Midles, Getting Smart; Dr. Hawar Khalandi, Platte County Schools

From Purpose to Postsecondary Outcomes: Building a Learning-Centered Infrastructure for Career Readiness

Patrick Rametti, Uncommon Schools; Ryan Hoch, Overgrad; Briana Anderson, nXu

Listening to Learn: Using Cognitive Labs for Student-Centered, Competency-based Assessment Development

Dr. Jilliam Joe, FullScale

Reimagining the Teaching Role: How Tech‑Enabled Staffing Models Expand What Educators Can Do

Ashley Williams, Public Impact; Krissy Fisher, Level Data; Paymon Rouhanifard, Timely Schools; Lamar Grant, Coursemojo

The Montana Movement — Scaling Statewide Transformation

Matt Jensen, Sara Cole, Kalispell Public Schools; Micah Hill, Pam Wright, Missoula County Public Schools; Krystal Smith, Montana Office of Public Instruction; Jason Neiffer, Montana Digital Academy

Scalable Teacher-Led Tutoring with Causal Impact: How a Virtual Platform Enables Access and Accelerates Learning

Adam Maier, Amy Dray, Edmentum

Additional Book and Research Talks coming soon!

Practice

Levers for Living the Portrait of a Graduate — A Real-Time Story of PoG

Kimberly Erickson, Norwalk Public Schools; Abby Benedetto, Core Shifts

From Points to Purpose: How Students Reclaimed Their Learning

Josh Brown, Evanston Township High School

Transformational Contribution: Redesigning the Student Experience Through Bilingual Project-Based and Competency-Based Learning

Danya Villanuevea,Vanessa Rocha, Bostonia Global

Policy

Harnessing the Power of Accreditation to Drive CBE Reform

James Mattiace, Vickie Swann, Assessment and Competency Collaborative

Additional Policy Stories of Learning coming soon!

Perspective

Apprenticeship as Organizational Learning Approach to Transforming Teaching Workforce 

Andrew Salmon, MathTrack Institute

Mindset Before Machine: What the National Math Partnership Taught Us About Leading AI Integration 

Britney Wray, Leading Educators

The Innovation Loop: Turning AI Into Capacity for Continuous Improvement

Jason Neiffer, Montana Digital Academy

Play

Making PBL Easier: The Power of TEACH

Jason Colombino, PBL Works

Redesigning Middle Grades for Agency, Alignment, and Access

Lindsey Lovern, East Central Educational Service Center

Seeing My Skills: A Student Story Beyond GPA

Rachel Wagner, Elizabethton City Schools

Don’t forget to pick up your grab-and-go lunch in the hallway before heading to the airport or Learning Labs!