2026 GOCSD Innovation Summit

What if the curriculum you already have is the starting point for meaningful, real-world learning? In this session, you’ll learn how to connect standards and curriculumn like puzzle pieces to create engaging, real-world projects. Walk away with steps and strategies that feel manageable and realistic to try for your classroom.

By middle and high school, we often assume students “have language”—but gaps in speaking and listening quietly limit comprehension, participation, and achievement. This session will show you how to: Turn classroom talk into a tool for thinking—not just participation Structure discussions so every student processes, speaks, and learns Maintain rigor while reducing linguistic barriers Through practical, classroom-ready strategies, you’ll learn how to increase engagement, strengthen reasoning, and improve retention—without adding more to your plate.

Join us for an insightful session where we’ll share effective strategies and ideas for 6-12 classroom teachers, grounded in the science of reading. Drawing on the valuable insights from our district’s 6-12 teachers participating in LETRS, this presentation will offer practical, research-based approaches to enhance literacy instruction. Whether you're looking to strengthen reading comprehension, vocabulary, or writing skills, you'll leave with actionable strategies to support diverse learners and improve outcomes in your classroom. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from both research and real-world teacher experiences!

Students often struggle with math when problems feel disconnected from their real lives. In this session, participants will explore how MagicSchool AI can be used to create personalized “rooms” and game-based practice spaces that act as on-demand tutors, meeting students where they are and helping them build understanding at their own pace while increasing engagement. Participants will also learn how ChatGPT can help teachers quickly create engaging, real-world math tasks that connect to experiences students recognize, making abstract concepts more accessible. Examples from Building Thinking Classrooms environment will highlight tasks built around familiar contexts like sports and everyday scenarios.

How can schools move beyond checklists to make observation indicators a meaningful driver of growth? This session shares how one school cultivated a shared understanding through a year-long, collaborative process grounded in efficacy theory. Educators will learn how teacher-generated look-fors, leadership alignment, and structured learning walks helped create consistency and ownership. Participants will reflect on how similar strategies can personalize growth and enhance instructional quality in their schools.

This session will provide strategies for individuals serving in leadership roles to align the time they spend each day with their priorities. Current school principals will share how they use the process of prioritization to clarify the most-important actions they must take each day. Participants will reflect on how their own actions align with the priorities of their schools and will explore tools that can help manage and organize their time.