2026 GOCSD Innovation Summit

What does it actually take to move from vision to classroom impact? In this interactive workshop, leadership teams co-design a clear, actionable 3-year implementation plan grounded in real constraints like time, culture, and staff readiness. Facilitated by Magnify Learning and leaders from Joplin Schools, participants will leave with aligned priorities, next steps, and a roadmap to build momentum—not just another initiative. This session models the same process used over the last decade in successful district implementations nationwide.

We will explore how each elementary building in the Republic School District is using current structures and strategies to implement newly developed Portrait of a Learner competencies. Session presenters will highlight how building educators are using student leadership teams and specials/electives/fine arts teams to explore career pathways and competencies. They will also share how current leadership portfolio practices can be used with competencies. There will be information on how to implement competency vocabulary across grade levels, as well. This is a great session for all educators.

When teachers experience industry firsthand, classroom learning becomes more relevant and career-connected for students. Branson Public Schools addressed this challenge through its Teacher Externship Program, placing educators with local businesses to design authentic client-connected projects. In this interactive session, participants will examine the externship structure, explore logistics for implementation, and analyze examples of real-world projects developed with community organizations. Participants will collaborate to identify strategies they can use to launch or strengthen externship experiences in their own districts. Attendees will leave with a practical framework, planning tips, and partnership ideas to implement a successful teacher externship model to make real-world learning available for all students.

This session highlights how all freshmen engaged in Real World Learning through client-connected projects in Freshman Focus. Students worked in teams of four to six to partner with community members, develop professional skills and dispositions, and deliver authentic products or solutions to real problems. Participants will learn how the projects were structured, how community partnerships were established, and how the culminating Showcase event was designed to celebrate student learning and impact.