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TRANSFORMING SCHOOLS AND SUSTAINING EDUCATIONAL CHANGE

Education is currently in a crisis. Teachers are stressed, kids are bored, and surveys find that both parents and teachers think that education is getting worse. A 2024 Pew Research Center survey found 77% of K-12 teachers are stressed, 47% say students show little or no interest in learning, and few are optimistic about the future of education. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that about half the US adults (51%) felt K-12 public schools were going in the wrong direction and that a majority of teachers (82%) believe that K-12 education has gotten worse in the last 5 years.

But what if we could transform education to better serve the needs of students and teachers. The Science of Learning may help by providing more effective, efficient, and meaningful research-based strategies and more sustainable teaching practices to improve learning, teaching, assessment, edtech, and leadership. And a 2019 Deans for Impact survey found that a majority of educators (60%) agree that research-based strategies would make teaching more effective.

This interdisciplinary conference will explore the "Science of Learning" and ways to use the latest research and evidence-based strategies to innovate and transform teaching, assessment, reading, edtech, and leadership. You will learn ways to boost memory and learning; examine powerful, effective, and sustainable teaching practices; rethink formative assessments, feedback, and grades; create a culture of curiosity, exploration, and engagement; learn the power of retrieval practice, explanations, and explicit instruction; explore the impacts of relationships, social media, AI, and edtech; develop classroom technologies and spaces for innovation and discovery; improve reading and literacy; and develop school leadership skills for the future.

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This conference will be presented as a hybrid conference. You can either attend in person or participate virtually. Click here for more details.

Featured Speakers

The Science of Teaching

David B. Daniel, PhD

Conference Chair: Professor of Psychology, James Madison University; Former Executive Director and Founding Board Member, International Mind, Brain, and Education Society; Former Managing Editor, Mind, Brain, and Education Journal; Winner of the 2013 L&B/IMBES “Transforming Education Through Neuroscience” Award; Recognized in the “Top 1% of Educational Researchers Influencing Public Debate” in the US; Co-Author, “Toward an Ecological Science of Teaching” (2021, Canadian Psychology), “Educational Neuroscience: Are We There Yet?” (2019, Wiley Handbook on Education) and “Promising Principles: Translating the Science of Learning to Educational Practice” (2012, Applied Research in Memory and Cognition)

The Science of Learning: Memory & the Brain

André A. Fenton, PhD

Director, Center for Neural Science; Professor of Neural Science, New York University; Founder, Director, Chairman of the Board, Bio-Signal Group Corp.; Co-Host of “NOVA Wonders” on PBS; Co-Author, “KIBRA Anchoring the Action of PKMζ Maintains the Persistence of Memory” (2024, Science Advances), “Aversive Experience Drives Offline Ensemble Reactivation to Link Memories Across Days” (2023, bioRxiv), “Children's Social Representations of Utopian Societies” (2022, Children & Society), “Cognitive Control Persistently Enhances Hippocampal Information Processing" (2021, Nature), and “Navigating Clues to Success in Academia” (2021, Neuron)

The Sustainability of Teaching for the Future

Andrew P. Hargreaves, PhD

Thomas More Brennan Chair; Research Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College; Visiting Professor, Director of Change, Engagement and Innovation in Education, University of Ottawa; Honored with the “Horace Mann” Award in the US, the “Robert Owen” Award in Scotland for services to public education, and the “Excellence in Teaching With Technology” Award from Boston College; Elected President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement and Elected Member of the National Academy of Education; Co-Author, Leadership From the Middle (2023); Co-Author, The Age of Identity (2023), Well-Being in Schools (2021), Five Paths to Student Engagement (2021), Teaching in the Knowledge Society (2016), Professional Capital (2013), and The Global Fourth Way (2012)

Developing Teen Minds in a Digital Age: Research and Innovation Toward a Future Science of Learning

Patricia K. Kuhl, PhD

Co-Director, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences; Professor, Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington; The Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning; Recipient of the “William James Lifetime Achievement Award”, the “George A. Miller Prize” in Cognitive Neuroscience, the American Psychological Association’s “Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award”, and the “Karl Spencer Lashley Award” from the American Philosophical Society; Co-Author, “Brain Myelination at 7 Months of Age Predicts Later Language Development” (2022, Neuroimage), Developing Minds in the Digital Age: Towards a Science of Learning for 21st Century Education (2019), How Babies Think: The Science of Childhood (2001), and The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind (2000)

10 Timeless Principles for Learning, AI, and Emerging Technologies in Education

George Couros, MEd

Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Consultant, George Couros Consulting; Adjunct Instructor, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania; Former Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning, Parkland School Division, Alberta, Canada; Former Classroom Teacher; Author, The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity (2015); Co-Author, What Makes a Great Principal (2024), Innovate Inside the Box: Empowering Learning Through UDL and the Innovator's Mindset (2023), Because of a Teacher, Volume II: Stories From the First Years of Teaching (2022), and Because of a Teacher: Stories of the Past to Inspire the Future of Education (2021)

How Does Learning Happen and What Does It Look Like?

Carl Hendrick, PhD

Professor of Education, Academica University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands; Former Head of Learning and Research, Wellington College; Co-Author, How Teaching Happens: Seminal Works in Teaching and Teacher Effectiveness and What They Mean in Practice (2022), How Learning Happens: Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice (2020), and What Does This Look Like in the Classroom?: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice (2017)

10 Timeless Principles for Learning, AI, and Emerging Technologies in Education

Katie L. Martin, PhD

Chief Impact Officer and Co-Founder, Learner-Centered Collaborative; Chief Impact Officer, Altitude Learning; Former Director of Professional Learning, University of San Diego; Former Director of District Leadership, Buck Institute for Education; Former Middle School Teacher and Instructional Coach; Author, Evolving Education: Shifting to a Learner-Centered Paradigm (2021) and Learner-Centered Innovations: Spark Curiosity, Ignite Passion, and Unleash Genius (2018)

Creating a Culture of Innovation and Engagement

Thomas C. Murray, MA

Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools®, a project of All4Ed; Former Elementary and Middle School Teacher and Principal; Former Director of Technology and Cyber Education; Former Adjunct Professor, Wilkes University; Named one of the “Top 100 Influencers in Education” in 2024 by District Administration, the "2018 National/Global EdTech Leader of the Year," by EdTech Digest, the "2017 Education Thought Leader of the Year," one of "20 to Watch" in 2016 by NSBA , and the "Education Policy Person of the Year" in 2015 by the Academy of Arts and Sciences; Author, Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences That Impact a Lifetime (2019); Co-Author, Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow's Schools, Today (2017); Contributor, 10 Perspectives on Innovation in Education (2018)

Enhancing Learning and Assessments: The Benefits of PreTests, Prequestions, and Feedback

Shana K. Carpenter, PhD

Cognitive Psychologist; Professor, School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University; Author, “Prequestioning and Pretesting Effects: A Review of Empirical Research, Theoretical Perspectives, and Applications” (2024, PsyArXiv), “Encouraging Students to Use Retrieval Practice: A Review of Emerging Research From Five Types of Interventions” (2023, Educational Psychology Review), “The Effects of Immediate Versus Delayed Feedback on Complex Concept Learning” (2021, Experimental Psychology), and “Prequestions Enhance Learning, But Only When They Are Remembered” (2020, Experimental Psychology Applied)

The Science of Learning: Building a Culture of Cognitive Engagement and Learning

Doug Lemov, MBA

Internationally Best Selling Author; Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer, Think Like a Champion; Former Managing Director, Uncommon Schools; Author, Teach Like a Champion 3.0: 63 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College (2021), The Coach's Guide to Teaching (2020), and Teach Like a Champion 2.0 (2015); Co-Author, Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging (2022), Reading Reconsidered (2016), and Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better (2012)

Powerful Teaching: Practical Tips to Unleash Learning in Your Classroom

Pooja K. Agarwal, PhD

Cognitive Scientist; Former K-12 Teacher; Former Director of K-12 Student Assessment, Illinois State Department of Education; Founder, RetrievalPractice.org; Assistant Professor, Berklee College of Music; Author, “Personal Reflections on Science Communication and Sharing Retrieval Practice Research With Teachers” (2024, Educational Psychology Review), “Retrieval Practice: A Power Tool For Lasting Learning” (2020), and “Advances in Cognitive Psychology Relevant to Education” (2012, Educational Psychology Review); Co-Author, Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning (2019)

1) THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING: RESEARCH TO IMPROVE MEMORY & READING

Developing Teen Minds in the Digital Age: Research and Innovation Toward a Future Science of Learning

Patricia K. Kuhl, PhD

Co-Director, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences; Professor, Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington; The Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning; Recipient of the “William James Lifetime Achievement Award”, the “George A. Miller Prize” in Cognitive Neuroscience, the American Psychological Association’s “Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award”, and the “Karl Spencer Lashley Award” from the American Philosophical Society; Co-Author, “Brain Myelination at 7 Months of Age Predicts Later Language Development” (2022, Neuroimage), Developing Minds in the Digital Age: Towards a Science of Learning for 21st Century Education (2019), How Babies Think: The Science of Childhood (2001), and The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind (2000)

The Science of Learning: Memory and the Brain

André A. Fenton, PhD

Director, Center for Neural Science; Professor of Neural Science, New York University; Founder, Director, Chairman of the Board, Bio-Signal Group Corp.; Co-Host of “NOVA Wonders” on PBS; Co-Author, “KIBRA Anchoring the Action of PKMζ Maintains the Persistence of Memory” (2024, Science Advances), “Aversive Experience Drives Offline Ensemble Reactivation to Link Memories Across Days” (2023, bioRxiv), “Children's Social Representations of Utopian Societies” (2022, Children & Society), “Cognitive Control Persistently Enhances Hippocampal Information Processing" (2021, Nature), and “Navigating Clues to Success in Academia” (2021, Neuron)

The Science of Reading and Learning

Daniel T. Willingham, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia; Member, National Board for Education Sciences; Writer, “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” Column, American Educator; Author, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (2023), Why Don’t Students Like School? (2021, 2nd Edition), “A Mental Model of the Learner: Teaching the Basic Science of Educational Psychology to Future Teachers” (2017, Mind, Brain, & Education), The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads (2017), and Raising Kids Who Read: What Parents and Teachers Can Do (2015); Co-Author, “Making Education Research Relevant: How Researchers Can Give Teachers More Choice” (2021, Education Next)

How Does Learning Happen and What Does It Look Like?

Carl Hendrick, PhD

Professor of Education, Academica University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands; Former Head of Learning and Research, Wellington College; Co-Author, How Teaching Happens: Seminal Works in Teaching and Teacher Effectiveness and What They Mean in Practice (2022), How Learning Happens: Seminal Works in Educational Psychology and What They Mean in Practice (2020), and What Does This Look Like in the Classroom?: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice (2017)

Engage the Brain: 20 Unforgettable Strategies for Growing Dendrites and Accelerating Learning

Marcia L. Tate, EdD

Chief Executive Officer, Developing Minds, Inc.; Former Executive Director of Professional Development, DeKalb County School System; Author, Formative Assessment in a Brain-Compatible Classroom: How Do We Really Know They're Learning? (2024, Updated Edition), Healthy Teachers, Happy Classrooms (2022), Preparing Children for Success in School and Life (2022, 2nd Edition), and 100 Brain-Friendly Lessons for Unforgettable Teaching and Learning - K-8 (2019); Editor, Engaging the Brain: 20 Unforgettable Strategies for Growing Dendrites and Accelerating Learning (2024)

Lessons Learned: What Cognitive Scientists Around the World Say About the Science of Learning

Bradley Busch, MSc

Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society; Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Care Professionals Council; Director, InnerDrive; Former Associate Lecturer, The Open University, England; Translator on teaching and learning research; Leading Expert on cognitive science in education; Co-Author, Teaching & Learning Illuminated: The Big Ideas, Illustrated (2023); The Science of Learning: 99 Studies That Every Teacher Needs to Know (2021), Retrieval Practice 2: Implementing, Embedding & Reflecting (2021), A Parent’s Guide to The Science of Learning (2021), and Release Your Inner Drive (2017)

Aligning Digital Learning and the Science of Reading

Doug Lemov, MBA

Internationally Best Selling Author; Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer, Think Like a Champion; Former Managing Director, Uncommon Schools; Author, Teach Like a Champion 3.0: 63 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College (2021), The Coach's Guide to Teaching (2020), and Teach Like a Champion 2.0 (2015); Co-Author, Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging (2022), Reading Reconsidered (2016), and Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better (2012)

2) SUSTAINING TEACHING: EVIDENCE FOR EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM PRACTICE

The Sustainability of Teaching For the Future

Andrew P. Hargreaves, PhD

Thomas More Brennan Chair; Research Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College; Visiting Professor, Director of Change, Engagement and Innovation in Education, University of Ottawa; Honored with the “Horace Mann” Award in the US, the “Robert Owen” Award in Scotland for services to public education, and the “Excellence in Teaching With Technology” Award from Boston College; Elected President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement and Elected Member of the National Academy of Education; Co-Author, Leadership From the Middle (2023); Co-Author, The Age of Identity (2023), Well-Being in Schools (2021), Five Paths to Student Engagement (2021), Teaching in the Knowledge Society (2016), Professional Capital (2013), and The Global Fourth Way (2012)

The Science of Teaching

David B. Daniel, PhD

Conference Chair: Professor of Psychology, James Madison University; Former Executive Director and Founding Board Member, International Mind, Brain, and Education Society; Former Managing Editor, Mind, Brain, and Education Journal; Winner of the 2013 L&B/IMBES “Transforming Education Through Neuroscience” Award; Recognized in the “Top 1% of Educational Researchers Influencing Public Debate” in the US; Co-Author, “Toward an Ecological Science of Teaching” (2021, Canadian Psychology), “Educational Neuroscience: Are We There Yet?” (2019, Wiley Handbook on Education) and “Promising Principles: Translating the Science of Learning to Educational Practice” (2012, Applied Research in Memory and Cognition)

If It’s Not Sustainable, It’s Not Best Practice

Paul Emerich France, MA, BEd

National Board-Certified Teacher; Literacy Specialist; Founder and Consultant, Make Teaching Sustainable; Former 3rd Grade Teacher and Academic Chair, The Latin School of Chicago; Author, My Kids Can′t Write, K-5: How to Advance Achievement Through Cross-Curricular Writing (Forthcoming), Make Teaching Sustainable: Six Shifts That Teachers Want and Students Need (2023), Reclaiming Personalized Learning: A Pedagogy for Restoring Equity and Humanity in Our Classrooms (2022, 2nd Edition), and Humanizing Distance Learning: Centering Equity and Humanity in Times of Crisis (2020)

Powerful Teaching: Practical Tips to Unleash Learning in Your Classroom

Pooja K. Agarwal, PhD

Cognitive Scientist; Former K-12 Teacher; Former Director of K-12 Student Assessment, Illinois State Department of Education; Founder, RetrievalPractice.org; Assistant Professor, Berklee College of Music; Author, “Personal Reflections on Science Communication and Sharing Retrieval Practice Research With Teachers” (2024, Educational Psychology Review), “Retrieval Practice: A Power Tool For Lasting Learning” (2020), and “Advances in Cognitive Psychology Relevant to Education” (2012, Educational Psychology Review); Co-Author, Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning (2019)

The Art and Science of Teaching: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Instruction

Zach Groshell, PhD

Distinguished Teacher; Instructional Coach; Education Consultant; Director, Steplab, North America; Director, Education Rickshaw; Cognitive Science Enthusiast; Host, “Progressively Incorrect” Podcast and “The Direct Instruction” Podcast; Author, Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching (2024); Contributor, Amplify Learning: A Global Collaborative: Amplifying Instructional Design (2022)

Connecting Research With Effective Teaching

Mariale M. Hardiman, EdD

Co-Founder and Director, Neuro-Education Initiative (NEI); Professor, School of Education, Johns Hopkins University; Author, The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model for 21st Century Schools (2012) and Connecting Brain Research With Effective Teaching: The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model (2003), and “Informing Pedagogy Through the Brain-Targeted Teaching Model (2012, Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education); Co-Author, “Exploring Changes in Teacher Self-Efficacy Through Neuroeducation Professional Development” (2023, The Teacher Educator) and “The Effects of Arts-Integrated Instruction on Memory for Science Content.” (2019, Trends in Neuroscience and Education)

 

Teacher Quality and Impact: Why It Matters and How to Get More of It

Dylan A. R. Wiliam, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Educational Assessment, Institute of Education, University of London; Former Dean and Head of the School of Education, King’s College London; One of the World’s Leading Authorities on the Science of Learning and Formative Assessments; Author, “Teacher Quality: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Get More of It” (2023, Impact), Creating the Schools Our Children Need (2018), and Leadership for Teacher Learning: Creating a Culture Where All Teachers Improve So That All Students Succeed (2016); Co-Author, Making Room for Impact: A De-implementation Guide for Educators (2023)

3) ENGAGING LEARNERS: FOSTERING EXPLORATION, CURIOSITY, & INNOVATION

The Science of Real-World Exploration Across Development: Novelty, Choice, and Curiosity

Catherine A. Hartley, PhD

Director, Hartley Lab; Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science, New York University; Co-Director, NYU Institute for the Study of Decision Making, Center for Language, Music, and Emotion (formerly Max Planck-NYU CLaME); Author, “How Do Natural Environments Shape Adaptive Cognition Across the Lifespan?” (2022, Trends in Cognitive Sciences); Co-Author, “Novelty and Uncertainty Differentially Drive Exploration Across Development” (2023, eLife) and “Real-World Exploration Increases Across Adolescence and Relates to Affect, Risk Taking, and Social Connectivity” (2022, Psychological Science)

Creating a Culture of Innovation and Engagement

Thomas C. Murray, MA

Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools®, a project of All4Ed; Former Elementary and Middle School Teacher and Principal; Former Director of Technology and Cyber Education; Former Adjunct Professor, Wilkes University; Named one of the “Top 100 Influencers in Education” in 2024 by District Administration, the "2018 National/Global EdTech Leader of the Year," by EdTech Digest, the "2017 Education Thought Leader of the Year," one of "20 to Watch" in 2016 by NSBA , and the "Education Policy Person of the Year" in 2015 by the Academy of Arts and Sciences; Author, Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences That Impact a Lifetime (2019); Co-Author, Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow's Schools, Today (2017); Contributor, 10 Perspectives on Innovation in Education (2018)

Informed by Research, Inspired by Practice: Creating Experiences to Spark Curiosity and Passion in a Digital Age

Katie L. Martin, PhD

Chief Impact Officer and Co-Founder, Learner-Centered Collaborative; Chief Impact Officer, Altitude Learning; Former Director of Professional Learning, University of San Diego; Former Director of District Leadership, Buck Institute for Education; Former Middle School Teacher and Instructional Coach; Author, Evolving Education: Shifting to a Learner-Centered Paradigm (2021) and Learner-Centered Innovations: Spark Curiosity, Ignite Passion, and Unleash Genius (2018)

The Science of Learning: Building a Culture of Cognitive Engagement and Learning

Doug Lemov, MBA

Internationally Best Selling Author; Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer, Think Like a Champion; Former Managing Director, Uncommon Schools; Author, Teach Like a Champion 3.0: 63 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College (2021), The Coach's Guide to Teaching (2020), and Teach Like a Champion 2.0 (2015); Co-Author, Reconnect: Building School Culture for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging (2022), Reading Reconsidered (2016), and Practice Perfect: 42 Rules for Getting Better at Getting Better (2012)

Laying the Foundation for Innovation in Education

George Couros, MEd

Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Consultant, George Couros Consulting; Adjunct Instructor, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania; Former Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning, Parkland School Division, Alberta, Canada; Former Classroom Teacher; Author, The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity (2015); Co-Author, What Makes a Great Principal (2024), Innovate Inside the Box: Empowering Learning Through UDL and the Innovator's Mindset (2023), Because of a Teacher, Volume II: Stories From the First Years of Teaching (2022), and Because of a Teacher: Stories of the Past to Inspire the Future of Education (2021)

Learning With an Explorer Mindset: Cultivating Engagement and Empowerment in the Classroom

Kelly M. Koller, MS

Technology Integration Specialist, Howard-Suamico School District; Advanced Leadership in Teaching and Learning Graduate Studies Program, University of Wisconsin Green Bay; Researcher; EdTech Developer; National Geographic Certified Educator with Society-supported projects focused on shark conservation in the Hawaiian islands and one on the impact of outdoor learning in secondary schools in Tanzania; Developer of a Explorer Mindset web-based tool and app where users can customize their own explorer mindset; Author, “Integrating Exploration as a Learning Context Impacts Feelings of Empowerment and Engagement” (2024, International Journal of Educational Research) and “Teaching and Learning With an Explorer Mindset” (2019, Wisconsin School News)

4) ASSESSING STUDENTS: EVIDENCE-BASED FEEDBACK, GRADES, & ASSESSMENTS

The Science of Learning and Formative Assessment

Dylan A. R. Wiliam, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Educational Assessment, Institute of Education, University of London; Former Dean and Head of the School of Education, King’s College London; One of the World’s Leading Authorities on the Science of Learning and Formative Assessments; Author, “Teacher Quality: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Get More of It” (2023, Impact), Creating the Schools Our Children Need (2018), and Leadership for Teacher Learning: Creating a Culture Where All Teachers Improve So That All Students Succeed (2016); Co-Author, Making Room for Impact: A De-implementation Guide for Educators (2023)

Enhancing Learning and Assessments: The Benefits of PreTests, Prequestions, and Feedback

Shana K. Carpenter, PhD

Cognitive Psychologist; Professor, School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University; Author, “Prequestioning and Pretesting Effects: A Review of Empirical Research, Theoretical Perspectives, and Applications” (2024, PsyArXiv), “Encouraging Students to Use Retrieval Practice: A Review of Emerging Research From Five Types of Interventions” (2023, Educational Psychology Review), “The Effects of Immediate Versus Delayed Feedback on Complex Concept Learning” (2021, Experimental Psychology), and “Prequestions Enhance Learning, But Only When They Are Remembered” (2020, Experimental Psychology Applied)

Grading With Integrity: A Research-Based Approach That Accurately Reflects Student Performance

Thomas R. Guskey, PhD

Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology, College of Education, University of Kentucky; Visiting Professor at 10 universities in the US; Visiting Scholar at universities in Australia, Canada and New Zealand; Fellow, American Educational Research Association; Former Director, Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning; Author, Engaging Parents and Families in Grading Reforms (2024), Grading with Integrity (2024), Get Set, Go!: Creating Successful Grading and Reporting Systems (2020) and On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting (2014); Co-Author, Life Skills for All Learners: How to Teach, Assess, and Report Education’s New Essentials (2024)

Hack Assessment and Go Gradeless in Any School Environment

Starr Sackstein, MS

Massachusetts State Coordinator, Educator Rising, PDK International; Student and Family Advocate; Chief Operating Officer, Partner, Mastery Portfolio, LLC; Author, Student-Led Assessment: Promoting Agency and Achievement Through Portfolios and Conferences (2024), Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways To Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School (2022, 2nd Edition), Assessing with Respect: Everyday Practices That Meet Students’ Social and Emotional Needs (2021), and From Teacher to Leader: Finding Your Way as a First-Time Leader without Losing Your Mind (2019); Co-Author, Solving School Challenges: The Everything Guide to Transformative Change (2025) and Hacking Learning Centers in Grades 6-12 (2021)

5) INNOVATING SCHOOLS: LEVERAGING SPACES & EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

Leveraging Timeless Principles for Learning, AI, and Emerging Technology in a Modern World

Katie L. Martin, PhD

Chief Impact Officer and Co-Founder, Learner-Centered Collaborative; Chief Impact Officer, Altitude Learning; Former Director of Professional Learning, University of San Diego; Former Director of District Leadership, Buck Institute for Education; Former Middle School Teacher and Instructional Coach; Author, Evolving Education: Shifting to a Learner-Centered Paradigm (2021) and Learner-Centered Innovations: Spark Curiosity, Ignite Passion, and Unleash Genius (2018)

Leveraging Timeless Principles for Learning, AI, and Emerging Technology in a Modern World

George Couros, MEd

Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Consultant, George Couros Consulting; Adjunct Instructor, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania; Former Division Principal of Innovative Teaching and Learning, Parkland School Division, Alberta, Canada; Former Classroom Teacher; Author, The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity (2015); Co-Author, What Makes a Great Principal (2024), Innovate Inside the Box: Empowering Learning Through UDL and the Innovator's Mindset (2023), Because of a Teacher, Volume II: Stories From the First Years of Teaching (2022), and Because of a Teacher: Stories of the Past to Inspire the Future of Education (2021)

Leveraging EdTech for Meaningful Student Engagement

Thomas C. Murray, MA

Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools®, a project of All4Ed; Former Elementary and Middle School Teacher and Principal; Former Director of Technology and Cyber Education; Former Adjunct Professor, Wilkes University; Named one of the “Top 100 Influencers in Education” in 2024 by District Administration, the "2018 National/Global EdTech Leader of the Year," by EdTech Digest, the "2017 Education Thought Leader of the Year," one of "20 to Watch" in 2016 by NSBA , and the "Education Policy Person of the Year" in 2015 by the Academy of Arts and Sciences; Author, Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences That Impact a Lifetime (2019); Co-Author, Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow's Schools, Today (2017); Contributor, 10 Perspectives on Innovation in Education (2018)

What's In Your Space? Five Tips to Better School and Classroom Design

Dwight L. Carter, MEd

Internationally Recognized School Leader; Instructional Coach; Director of Student Support Systems at Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools; Inducted into the Jostens Renaissance “Educator Hall of Fame”; Named a 2013 “Digital Principal of the Year” by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the 2014 “High School Principal of the Year” by the Academy of Arts and Science Education, the 2015 “Principal of the Year” by the Ohio Alliance of Black School Educators, and a 2021 “Sankofa Emerging Leader” Award by the Columbus Afrocentric Early College; Author, Be Great: Five Principles to Improve School Culture from the Inside Out (2022); Co-Author, Leading Schools in Disruptive Times (2021), and What′s in Your Space?: 5 Steps for Better School and Classroom Design (2016)

From Research to Practice: How to Create the Learning Spaces Kids Need

Thomas C. Murray, MA

Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools®, a project of All4Ed; Former Elementary and Middle School Teacher and Principal; Former Director of Technology and Cyber Education; Former Adjunct Professor, Wilkes University; Named one of the “Top 100 Influencers in Education” in 2024 by District Administration, the "2018 National/Global EdTech Leader of the Year," by EdTech Digest, the "2017 Education Thought Leader of the Year," one of "20 to Watch" in 2016 by NSBA , and the "Education Policy Person of the Year" in 2015 by the Academy of Arts and Sciences; Author, Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences That Impact a Lifetime (2019); Co-Author, Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow's Schools, Today (2017); Contributor, 10 Perspectives on Innovation in Education (2018)

Understanding the Teen Brain: Multitasking, Memory, and Motivation

Bradley Busch, MSc

Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society; Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Care Professionals Council; Director, InnerDrive; Former Associate Lecturer, The Open University, England; Translator on teaching and learning research; Leading Expert on cognitive science in education; Co-Author, Teaching & Learning Illuminated: The Big Ideas, Illustrated (2023); The Science of Learning: 99 Studies That Every Teacher Needs to Know (2021), Retrieval Practice 2: Implementing, Embedding & Reflecting (2021), A Parent’s Guide to The Science of Learning (2021), and Release Your Inner Drive (2017)

6) INNOVATING LEADERSHIP: EMPOWERING LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE

From Teacher to Leader: Finding Your Way as a First-Time Leader Without Losing Your Mind

Starr Sackstein, MS

Massachusetts State Coordinator, Educator Rising, PDK International; Student and Family Advocate; Chief Operating Officer, Partner, Mastery Portfolio, LLC; Author, Student-Led Assessment: Promoting Agency and Achievement Through Portfolios and Conferences (2024), Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways To Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School (2022, 2nd Edition), Assessing with Respect: Everyday Practices That Meet Students’ Social and Emotional Needs (2021), and From Teacher to Leader: Finding Your Way as a First-Time Leader without Losing Your Mind (2019); Co-Author, Solving School Challenges: The Everything Guide to Transformative Change (2025) and Hacking Learning Centers in Grades 6-12 (2021)

Leading with Learning in Mind: Putting the "Education" in Educational Leadership

Jim Heal, EdLD

Professor of Evidence-Informed Education Leadership, Academica University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam; Lecturer and Former Director of Practice at Research Schools International, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Former Director of Impact Academy, Deans for Impact; Leading Advocate for bridging the worlds of research and practice in education; Co-Author, Mental Models: How Understanding the Mind Can Transform the Way You Work and Learn (Forthcoming) and How Teaching Happens: Seminal Works in Teaching and Teacher Effectiveness and What They Mean in Practice (2022)

Leadership From the Middle

Dennis L. Shirley, EdD

Professor, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College; Fellow, Royal Academy of the Arts, UK; Editor, Journal of Educational Change; Author, The New Imperatives of Educational Change (2017); Co-Author, Well-Being in Schools (2021), Five Paths to Student Engagement (2021), The Mindful Teacher (2016), and The Global Fourth Way (2012)

Leadership From the Middle

Andrew P. Hargreaves, PhD

Thomas More Brennan Chair; Research Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College; Visiting Professor, Director of Change, Engagement and Innovation in Education, University of Ottawa; Honored with the “Horace Mann” Award in the US, the “Robert Owen” Award in Scotland for services to public education, and the “Excellence in Teaching With Technology” Award from Boston College; Elected President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement and Elected Member of the National Academy of Education; Co-Author, Leadership From the Middle (2023); Co-Author, The Age of Identity (2023), Well-Being in Schools (2021), Five Paths to Student Engagement (2021), Teaching in the Knowledge Society (2016), Professional Capital (2013), and The Global Fourth Way (2012)

Leading Schools During Disruptive Times: Five Steps to Survive Hyper-Change

Dwight L. Carter, MEd

Internationally Recognized School Leader; Instructional Coach; Director of Student Support Systems at Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical Schools; Inducted into the Jostens Renaissance “Educator Hall of Fame”; Named a 2013 “Digital Principal of the Year” by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the 2014 “High School Principal of the Year” by the Academy of Arts and Science Education, the 2015 “Principal of the Year” by the Ohio Alliance of Black School Educators, and a 2021 “Sankofa Emerging Leader” Award by the Columbus Afrocentric Early College; Author, Be Great: Five Principles to Improve School Culture from the Inside Out (2022); Co-Author, Leading Schools in Disruptive Times (2021), and What′s in Your Space?: 5 Steps for Better School and Classroom Design (2016)