2026 GOCSD Innovation Summit has ended

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2026 GOCSD Innovation Summit

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9:00am CDT

Heroes Within: A Framework for Empowering Students to Own Their Learning Journeys Main BallroomAaron Hansen

10:30am CDT

Active Literacy: Engaging Reluctant Readers Short Creek 3Zachary Hamby Beyond the Page: Sparking Deeper Critical Thinking Through Interactive Read Alouds Fall CreekLori Waltz Fluency First Aid: Practical Interventions for Striving Readers Cooper Creek 1Lindsey Conner • Anna Schneider From Apathy to Agency: Student-Driven ELA Pathways Boston FerryJoey O'Neal • Allison Centanni GOWellness Network Session Hensley FerryNancy Leonard How Clearly Defining Culture can Create Better Attendance and the School Environment Short Creek 4Justin Snider Math That Makes Sense: CGI for Every Learner Short Creek 2Constance Powell Podcast to Proficiency: Building Communication and Digital Literacy Through Podcasting Old Glory - Hilton PromenadeCaitlin Selle Setting up, Managing & Maintaining Student-led Classrooms Main Ballroom (Enter right side)Nathan Fleming Start Small, Think Big: Real-World Learning Made Practical Bee CreekXann Boyd Supercharge Your Culture Short Creek 1Matt Pearce • Erin Wayt Deep Dive with Keynote Aaron Hansen Part 1: Heroes Within: Empowering Students to Own Their Learning Cooper Creek 2/3Aaron Hansen From Vision to Action: Designing Your 3-Year School Transformation Compton FerryAshley Curtin • Brian Owen

1:00pm CDT

Becoming Apprentices to Developing Apprentices Boston FerryBetty Glasgow GoLiteracy Network Session Cooper Creek 1Lindsey Conner It Takes a Village: Reimagining School Community Short Creek 1Niki Dailey • Natosha Hulett Power of Pulling: Why Retrieval is the Key to Long-Term Learning Old Glory - Hilton PromenadeKatherine Morrison • Melisa Dodd Rebuilding Readers: Effective Intervention for Grades 3+ Short Creek 2Kristin Maerke School Finance 101 - Empowering Educators to Advocate for Missouri Public Schools Short Creek 3Tony Rosetti • Dr. Brenten Byrd Speak. Listen. Learn: Maximizing Student Understanding in Grades 4-12 Bee CreekShanna Pugh • Brittany Thompson Teaching the ADHD Brain: Executive Function in Real Classrooms Main Ballroom (Enter right side)Rachael Shreve The Power of Expectations: Transforming Student Culture Through Accountability and Incentives Short Creek 4Gretchen Pendley • Stephanie Kuper Deep Dive with Keynote Aaron Hansen Part 2: Heroes Within: Empowering Students to Own Their Learning Cooper Creek 2/3Aaron Hansen GOSPED Network Roundtable Hensley FerryChris O'Neill Portrait of a Learner: The "How-To" Session Compton FerryChristy Coursey • Amy Summers • Alissa Basta • Alison Holt RWL Cohort 2 Onboarding (by invitation only) Board Room (next to Ballroom)Mike Dawson • Carol Furman • Dennis Wiggins

2:00pm CDT

From Absences to Engagement: A PBIS Approach to Improving Attendance Boston FerryTiffany Buttram • Dallas DeWeese From Ideas to Impact: Building Student Leadership with Lead4Change Main Ballroom (Enter right side)Karla Spear • Tori Frisbee GOCoach Network Session Hensley FerryBrooke Gantt • Lydia Ross LITTLE students reading BIG words: multisyllabic words in the elementary classroom Short Creek 4Laurie Fine RTI at Work in Secondary Schools: Systems, Structures, and Impact Short Creek 3Jennifer Renegar Smarter Teaching with AI: Tools, Strategies, and Safeguards Short Creek 1Tim McBride Spell Yeah!- a Crash Course in Spelling for Teachers Short Creek 2Kristin Maerke The Brain Behind Behavior: What Every Educator Should Know Cooper Creek 2/3Audra Kingery The Clarity Blueprint Old Glory - Hilton PromenadeMelisa Dodd • Katherine Morrison Tips and Tools for Behaviors and Teaching in a Special Education Classroom Fall CreekRachel Ward Unlocking Literacy: Harnessing the Science of Reading for Grades 6-12 Bee CreekShanna Pugh • Brittany Thompson Real Businesses, Real Projects: Designing Teacher Externships That Drive Authentic, Real-World Learning Compton FerryKristen Mills • Brad Brown Beyond the Score: Using Descriptive Dashboards to Tell Your District's Story Cooper Creek 1Holly Schrage • Charles Pearson

3:00pm CDT

Assess, Impress, Progress: Crafting Quality Assessments and Tracking Growth Short Creek 3Jennifer Renegar Beyond the Dance: Turning Prom Planning into Powerful Real-World Learning Main Ballroom (Enter right side)Cassie Nobles From Busy to Brilliant: Student Engagement Through Powerful Protocols Old Glory - Hilton PromenadeTammy Heiney • Wendy Holden From Intention to Impact: Mini Lessons and Interventions That Promote Student Growth Short Creek 4Kaley Greek • Ashley Harting From Spreadsheets to Systems: Building a PLC Data Hub That Drives Action Short Creek 2Angela Holman • Jared Patrick From Standards to Student Thinking: Using AI to Design Meaningful Math Tasks Bee CreekWhitney Wenzel • Tanya Ketchum Skills Before Content: Teaching Self-Regulation for Lifelong Success Cooper Creek 2/3Jennifer Shipley Teaching Through Story: Turning Any Lesson into a Human Story Boston FerryFernando Sustaita The Literacy Toolkit: Ready-to-Use Strategies for Engaging Readers Short Creek 1Morgan Lockmiller Un-Googleable by Design: Reclaiming Rigor in the Age of Instant Answers Fall CreekKinsey Martin Beyond the Blueprint: Leveraging AI "Gems" for Precision State Test Prep Hensley FerrySandy Leech • Jessica Gray Agriculture For All- A PBL Approach: GOCSD Grant Recipient Board Room (next to Ballroom)Melissa Ruble-Porter GOTech Network Kickoff 26-27 The Cove (glass office beside Roark Creek /behind Vendor Check-In)Christian Plaster • Jeramie Price Developing Skills That Matter: Real World Learning for All Freshmen Compton FerryAshley Bateman

8:30am CDT

Beyond the Checklist: Bringing Indicators to Life Through Shared Understanding Bee CreekBrittany Flowers • Calen VanNess • Natasha Adams Breaking the Busy Work Cycle: Authentic Enrichment for Advanced Learners Fall CreekChristina Wallace • Chandi Koeppel Calibrate Confidently: Examples of Creating Consistent Grading Practices Boston FerryAbigail Groves • Candace Miller Making Growth Visible with Effect Size, Quadrants, and Routines Short Creek 3Jennifer Renegar Quick Coping Strategies You Can Put Into Practice This School Year Short Creek 4Elizabeth Deckard Sprinkling Joy: Everyday Ways to Uplift Your School Community Short Creek 2Maggie Barnett Stripes School Store: A Student-Led Journey in Entrepreneurial Experiences and MVAs Old Glory - Hilton PromenadeLeigh Jennings • Rachel Kirkman Unleashing Mathematical Brilliance: What Students Need to Truly Understand Cooper Creek 1Patrick Sullivan • Brandi Compass Wild About Wellness: Helping Staff Bloom to Support Student Success Main Ballroom (Enter right side)Nancy Leonard • Taylor Shields Wonder in the Elementary Classroom Short Creek 1Patricia Rodriguez Between the Lines: A Roundtable for Instructional Coaches Hensley FerryLydia Ross Connecting the Dots from RWL MVA's to Registered Youth Apprenticeships and Internships Compton FerryBetty Glasgow • Rachel Pryor Deep Dive with Keynote Thomas C. Murray: Shifting Mindsets: The Best Leaders are Great Communicators! Cooper Creek 2/3Thomas C. Murray

9:30am CDT

Aligning Your Actions with Your Priorities in the Principalship Bee CreekChristy Coursey • Camie Lyons • Erin Wayt Dollars & Sense: One Last Look Before the Bell Rings Boston FerryJordan Henegar • Jason Hoffman From Burnout to Balance: Building Habits That Support Well-Being Short Creek 1Rachel N. Johnson GOData Network Session Short Creek 3Jennifer Renegar Hands-On > Screen Time: Bringing Math to Life with Manipulatives in Upper Elementary Short Creek 4Savannah Gregorio Set It Up, Don't Clean It Up Fall CreekKrista Gore Taking it from the Classroom to the Community: Senior Projects Hensley FerryMelanie Clark The Great! The Good! The Bark! Therapy Dogs Paws-itively Impacting Student Success! Old Glory - Hilton PromenadeAmy Jo Kilgore Using Math Mini-Lessons and Games for Tier 1 Instruction Short Creek 2Hadlee Goldberg Math You Can Touch: Everyday Objects That Make Math Click! Cooper Creek 1Tanya Ketchum • Whitney Wenzel Connecting Passions to Purpose: The Power of Community-Connected CTE Compton FerryGage Tiller

10:30am CDT

Shifting Mindsets: Creating a Culture of Innovation Main BallroomThomas C. Murray