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

Designed for school and district leadership teams, the Learning Labs are a guided leadership experience that combines protected planning time, structured facilitation, peer collaboration, and coaching from nationally recognized experts. Together, your team will identify a strategic priority, align around shared goals, and apply Symposium learning directly to your district’s context.

 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
Winston Roberts, 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.

More Than the Sum of Our Parts

Moderator: Amy Loyd, All4Ed
Panelists: Dr. Bill Hite, Bezos Family Foundation; Yusuf Ahmad, Playlab; Dr. Justin Terry, Forney ISD; Zarek Belt, Glacier High School

Potential Futures Showcase

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

Jill Loveall, ASU Preparatory Academy

Building Shared Infrastructure to Support the Future

Beth Holland, FullScale

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

The Living Transcript: Visualizing Competency with Mastery Map AI

Dr. Anais Campa, PSI High

86% of High School Students Approved. And We Didn’t Even Feed Them.

Kenneth Bouwens, Louisa County Public Schools

Place Showcase

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

Rachel Wagner, Chantal Sastre, Elizabethton City Schools, Jeff McClellan, StartSOLE

Is Your Region Ready for Expanded Learning Opportunities? Building a Community Infrastructure for Learning Ecosystems

Nate McClennen, Getting Smart

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

Paulina Murton, Great Schools Partnership

The Consortium Advantage: Building Sustainable Ecosystems for Student Access — A District’s Strategy for Aligning Partners and Resources

Conrad Woodhead, Lower Yukon School District

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

Progress Showcase

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

Chris Unger, Northeastern University; Taryn Campbell, Cambiar Education 

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

Aaron Schorn, Unrulr

Improving Academic Performance by Focusing on Restorative Practices and First Instruction

Bill Kimball, Maple Run Unified School District

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

Sabrina Tirachen, The Possible Zone

Practice Showcase

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

Eduardo Antonetti, Dr. Kristen Erichsen, Internationals Network for Public Schools

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

Kat McRitchie, Michelle Davies, Crosstown High

Designing Systems for Personalized Pathways: Building Infrastructure for Durable Skills, Equity, and Real-World Readiness

Nerel Winter, David Bautista-Rios, Bostonia Global; Michael Reagan, Evangeline Horel, One Stone

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

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

You Mean There’s Still a Test?! Combining Competencies and Standards in Courses with Mandatory High-Stakes Testing

Kat McRitchie, Michelle Davies, Jacob Weaver, Crosstown High

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

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

Karen Perry, University of Kentucky

Local Accountability Systems That Last

Adam Hicks, Dan Pfaff, Shelby County Public Schools

People Showcase

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

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

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

R.D. Leyva, Dr. Elvira Salazar, 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

Roni Saavedra, Ben Boar, Bryson Wakefield, Xinnia Hansen, Claire Timm, Z Belt, Bella Hernandez, Kalispell Public Schools

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

Alyson Morse, Mount Vernon School

Ditch the Intercom: Reimagining the First Five Minutes of the School Day

Kari Moulton, Bourbonnais Elementary School District #53

From Equity to Architecture: Designing Belonging in Personalized Math Systems

Saroja Warner, John Jacobs, WestEd

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

Lindsey Cahoon, Ryan Miller, Charli Williams, Xiomara Santiago, Amara Person, Adelaide Smith, James-Kegan Yezdanian, Edith Bordeaux, Northeast Academy for Aerospace and Advanced Technologies

Designed for Every Student: AI and the Promise of Learner-Centered Futures

Moderator: Beth Rabbitt, FullScale
Panelists: Babak Mostaghimi, LearnerStudio; Sandra Moumoutjis, Learning Innovation Network at Building 21; Julia Freeland Fisher, Christensen Institute

The New Evidence of Learning: What Counts, How Much, and for What Purpose?

Danielle Eisenberg, ETS; Aneesha Badrinarayan, ABG Learning and Assessment; John Dugan, CELO

What Schools Are For: Communities, Quality, and the Future of Public Education

Moderator: Katie Martin, Learner-Centered Collaborative
Panelists: Bibb Hubbard, Learning Heroes; George Philhower, Eastern Hancock Schools, Indiana Microschool Collaborative; Felicia Cumings Smith, National Center for Families Learning; David Miyashiro, Cajon Valley Union School District

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, Michelle Molitor, 228 Accelerator

Rural AI in Action: Lessons from Four National Cohorts  

Ashley Fellows, Dr. Megan Benay, FullScale; Aidan O’Donnell, Accelerate; Scott Frauenheim, LEAP Innovations; Lindsay Berger, aiEDU

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, Ashley Ellison, Building 21; Jessica Royer, Conway Intermediate School/SAU 9; Linnoya Watkins, Sledge Institute

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

Aubrey White, Modern Classrooms Project; Starr Sackstein, Starr Sackstein Consulting, LLC; Heather Starks, Christel House Dors; Katie Collins; Hoover City Schools

An Instructional Shift: A Four-Value Framework for Redesigning the Student Learning Experience

Rebecca Brown, Justin Meyer, Aeries

Why Your SIS and LMS Can’t Do Outcome-Based Assessment, And What Can

Jon Asbury, Bailee Ziegenhagel, Edsby

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

​​Shelton Daal, Taylor Alexander, Digital Promise

The Rural AI Opportunity Framework: How Rural Educators Can Lead the Next Generation of Learning

Dr. Jason Bell, Polk County Schools

What is the Portrait of a Teacher in the Age of AI?

Nate McClennen, Ed3

Indiana GPS: A Shared Vision, A Brighter Future. How Collective Leadership is Redefining Student Success

Moderator: Scott Bess, Indiana State Board of Education & Indiana Charter Innovation Center
Panelists: Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education; Dr. Keeanna Warren, Purdue Polytechnic High Schools; Claire Fiddian-Green, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation; Silas Fredenburg, Eastern Hancock High School

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; Jeremy Lugbill, Career Academy Network of Public Schools; Denise Thorne, 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

From One State to National: What Maine’s Competency-to-Credential Model Proves Is Possible

Craig Larabee, Generation US; Kim Acker Lipp, Samantha Brink, JMG; Virgel Hammonds, FullScale; Glenn Cummings, Maine Department of Education

Potential Futures

Beyond the Building: Reimagining Education as an Ecosystem

Niki Patel, Runway Green; Alexis Rubin, Launch Schools

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

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, 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, 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

Beyond a Portrait: Learning Opportunities That Stick

Lara Ohanian, Dave Kershner, 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

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 Smit, 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; Cinnamon Scheufele, 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, Envision Education 

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

Kristin Mansell, Heather Greenhalgh-Spencer, 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

The Infrastructure Paradox—Does Scaling Always Destroy Innovation?

Beth Rabbitt, FullScale

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

Bridging Turbulence to Transformation: Shaping the Future of Learning

Katie King, KnowledgeWorks

Implementing and Scaling Durable Skills: Lessons from North Carolina’s Statewide Skills for the Future Pilot

Kristine Barberio, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Kelly Hawes, NCDPI and ETS; Shannon King, AASA; Susie Bell, ETS

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

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

New Approaches to Staffing and Instructional Design: Innovation, Learning & Scale

Bryan Hassel, Public Impact

Two Engines, One System: Building the Infrastructure for Bridges That Last

Katie Martin, Devin Vodicka, Learner-Centered Collaborative

From Practice to Shared Knowledge: Designing for Learning Across Networks

Ashley Fellows, FullScale

Innovation and Research Advancing the Evidence Base for Student-Centered Competency-Based Learning Systems

Jilliam Joe, Rae Lymer, FullScale; Seema Bahl, Washington State Board of Education

Policy Systems That Learn: Connecting Practice, Evidence, and Leadership to Shape What Comes Next

Michael Ham, Beth Holland, FullScale; Doug Casey, Connecticut State Commission for Educational Technology

A Personalized Learning Journey to Increase Students Performance in Aldine ISD

Fernanda Flores-Bolivar, Nadia Stafford, Aldine Independent School District; Paige Stavena, Untapped Genius

Breaking the Mold: District Perspectives of How Collaborative Teaming in Westminster Public Schools (CO) and Shelby County Public Schools (KY) Led to a More Inclusive Student-Centered System Focused on Learning for All

Jennifer Rizzo Hamilton, Dr. Jeni Gotto, Westminster Public Schools; Dr. Adam Hicks, Shelby County Public Schools

What Does Learner-Centered Practice Look Like? Building a Foundation for the Field

Milissa McClaire Gary, Education Reimagined; Katie Martin, Learner-Centered Collaborative

From Individual Classrooms to Collaborative Teams: Redesigning How Educators Work Together

Nicole Assisi, Nicole Allard, Thrive

From CTE to Future Pathways: Rural AI Strategies You Can Adapt

Dr. Megan Benay, FullScale; Ted Paton, Ionia County Career Center; Kenneth Bouwens, Louisa County Public Schools; Heather Steel, Elko County School District; Stephanie Cottle, Martin County Schools

From Policy to Performance: Backing Portrait of a Graduate Commitments with Research-Based Assessment and Accountability Systems

Dr. Michelle Barrett, Edmentum; Sean Roberts, Digital Promise; Bob Behning, Indiana House of Representatives

Gamification and 21st Century Skills: Educational Games Teaching Skills and Content

Benjamin Little, The ACE Program at Brookline High School

Grading for Learning: The Logic Model Grading Revolution

David Wartowski, Steve Oertle, Learning Portrait; Josh Brown, Evanston Township High School

Redesigning the Student Experience: How Three Districts Are Shifting from Tools to Transformation

Dr. Mike Hastings, Grand Rapids Public Schools; Kari Moulton, Bourbonnais Elementary School District #53

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

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

Arion Clanton, Playlab AI; Matt Maple, Jac-Cen-Del School Corporation

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)

Community-Connected Learning: Lessons We’ve Learned

Megan Benay, FullScale; Derek DiStefano, Morgan Elementary School; Roberto Moctezuma, Carlos Aceves, Raíces del Saber Xinachtli Community School; Rebecca Midles, Getting Smart; Abe Fernández, National Center for Community Schools

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

Hannah Foley, 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; Andy Allen, Plainfield Community Schools; Brad Rhorer, Ascend Indiana

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

Katherine Dames, Digital Promise; Seth Walker, Troy University

The First Year Playbook: What Successful Schools Get Right

Andrew Vega, NewSchools Venture Fund; Dermoth Mattison, South Shore Charter School; Emily Kafle, Autism Collier Charter School

We Know Where We Want to Go. So Why Aren’t We There Yet?

Juliana Finegan, FullScale; James Mattiace, Assessment and Competency Collaborative; Christopher Lagoni, National Rural Education Association

What’s Next for Learning? Help Build It with the Learning to Flourish Network

Stephanie DiStasio, Babak Mostaghimi, Melanie Dukes, LearnerStudio 

Who Do You Know? What 250 Internship Programs Taught Us About Social Capital

Lexi Ortiz, ImBlaze / Big Picture Learning

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, Kelly Organ, FullScale

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

Ashley Williams, Public Impact; Krissy Fisher, Level Data; Jake Lessem, Timely Schools; Lamar Grant, Coursemojo

System-Embedded R&D: Creating the Conditions for Scalable, Sustainable Change

Katie Martin, Learner-Centered Collaborative

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

Lessons From the Front Lines of Measuring Agency and Critical Thinking in Student GenAI Use

Aaron Cuny, AI For Equity

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

Amy Dray, Edmentum

Practice

From Points to Purpose: How Students Reclaimed Their Learning

Josh Brown, Evanston Township High School

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

Kimberly Erickson, Gwinnett County Public Schools; Abby Benedetto, Core Shifts

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

Danya Villanuevea, Vanessa Rocha, Bostonia Global

Policy

Building Bridges Between Policy and Practice: Lessons from an Intermediary Network Advancing Secondary School Transformation

Cheryl Jones-Walker, Learning Policy Institute; Devin Vodicka, Learner-Centered Collaborative

Harnessing the Power of Accreditation to Drive CBE Reform

James Mattiace, Assessment and Competency Collaborative

The Learning Was Bigger Than the Metrics: A Story of Measuring Competency-Based Learning

Rae Lymer, FullScale

Perspective

Being Agentic about Student Agency

Pat Phillips, Bismarck Public Schools

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

Vicky Wolfe Bender, PBLWorks

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, Phoebe Holly, Macie Reed, Elizabethton City Schools

Don’t forget to pick up your grab-and-go lunch in the hallway before heading to the airport or the Vibe Coding session. Registered attendees for the paid Learning Labs session should also pick up their lunch before the session begins.

Vibecoding a glimpse into the ‘future of work’ in 90 minutes

Alex Kotran, Lindsay Berger, The AI Education Project (aiEDU)