2024 Great Ideas in Education Conference

History, Government, and Social Studies (HGSS) teachers in Kansas have created a model for education that has set them apart nationally. Our five high-quality state standards (yes, we only have FIVE K-12 standards!) create an opportunity for our content to be vertically aligned smoothly from kindergarten through high school. Our content provides a foundational component for structured literacy, and our teachers are already equipped with how best to develop discipline literacy in our students. Our unique state assessments are the very definition of “balanced.” Our Classroom Based Assessments have become a model for other states on how best to assess what students are actually learning. With the framework of claim, evidence, and reasoning as our guide, we offer teachers the freedom to create effective measures for assessment growth while being rooted in high-quality instruction. If you want to see how best to incorporate the KSDE Four Fundamentals in one content area, look no further than HGSS!

In this session, educators will be introduced to the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) in Mathematics framework, designed to foster deep mathematical understanding and student engagement through problem-solving, collaboration, and independent thinking. Participants will explore practical strategies for creating dynamic, student-centered learning environments where thinking is valued and celebrated. Through hands-on activities and real-world examples, teachers will learn how to implement rich tasks that promote critical thinking, teamwork, and ownership of learning, transforming traditional math instruction into an engaging, thought-provoking experience.

Ensuring that your classrooms are filled with high quality instruction and high quality materials is vital. Walk-throughs may be required, but are they resulting in the reflective practices and the educator support that you want to provide? Often teachers view walk-throughs in a negative light; our new tool provides you with a different approach to the process. Join us in unpacking the NEW History, Government, and Social Studies (HGSS) Constructive Coaching tool developed by Kansas educators to elicit meaningful and productive conversations between observers and classroom educators regarding high quality instructional practices, HGSS content and skills, and professional growth reflection.

KSDE updated the guidance document for Kansas schools in 2023 for mental health in the area of suicide prevention, intervention, reintegration, and postvention. Attendees will learn about these updates as well as the resources available to staff and students to support needs of anyone in the school building who may be experiencing a mental health crisis. The updated guidance includes identification of risk factors, protective factors, screening, safety planning, consistency of care when a student receives support outside the school building, and how to provide a safe return to school when the student reengages with their learning community. Best practices in postvention after a tragic event will also be discussed. We hope you join us to sharpen your skills as we face the 2024-25 school year. Stay connected and stay well.

Superintendents/District Admin.