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!

Our littlest learners are filled with wonder! Are you curious how you can support sensemaking in the elementary science setting? Join us for a session centered around how to best align lessons to our state science standards and engage students in knowledge building. This session will feature elements of lesson design, opportunities for cross-content integration, and how to support our early readers as they grapple with building vocabulary and background knowledge.

Join us for an engaging professional development session tailored to administrators looking to enhance math instruction in their schools. In this session, we will delve into the myriad benefits of integrating IXL into your daily curriculum.

IXL serves as a powerful ally in supporting the core curriculum, offering a comprehensive diagnostic tool that allows educators to precisely gauge students' knowledge levels. By leveraging this tool, teachers gain valuable insights into each learner's proficiency, enabling them to craft personalized next steps for optimal growth.

One of the key features of IXL is its ability to provide up-to-date insights whenever needed, ensuring educators have access to real-time data to inform their instructional decisions. Through personalized practice and the innovative recommendation wall, students are empowered to take ownership of their learning journey, fostering a sense of autonomy and engagement in the classroom.

IXL's versatility extends to whole class instruction, allowing educators to seamlessly integrate targeted skills that complement their core curriculum. With a wealth of quizzes at their disposal, teachers can tailor assessments to suit the needs of their students, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

Furthermore, administrators will discover how to tap into IXL's robust analytics to identify students in need of additional support and tailor interventions accordingly. Armed with insightful information, educators can effectively plan next steps to address individual learning needs and propel students towards proficiency.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore the transformative potential of IXL in your school's math instruction. Join us as we unlock new possibilities for personalized learning and student success.

This presentation targets principals and building leaders who want to learn more about how to support ESOL staff, general education staff, English Language Learners, and their families.

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.

Come and take a deep dive into the standards alignment and balanced assessment tools for secondary science. During this session we will take a close look at how our state science standards are formatted and how to create and recognize classroom assessments aligned to all three dimensions of the standards to drive high quality instruction and learning.

Reviewing  the significance of interim assessments in guiding instructional practices is essential to growing and measuring student knowledge. Understanding the unique contributions of each interim assessment and the methods for analyzing the data they generate is crucial for informed decision-making in education. This reflective process allows educators to effectively utilize assessment data to enhance teaching strategies and improve student outcomes. KAP summative assessments feature higher text complexity and longer passages than students may be accustomed to.  Comparison of passages from grades 3-8 will be prominent, addressing standard 9

We will address the changes to TTS accommodations on the KAP, the rationale as well as purposes for using TTS and using data to drive decisions.

Math on IXL is FREE through KSDE with no end currently stated. Come learn the ins and outs of the program to help in classroom whole-group instruction, support classroom instruction, and individual growth. IXL is aligned with Kansas State Standards and major textbooks. Ties in with MAP and ACT preparations. Provides real-time, continuous diagnostics to support Tier instruction along with enrichment. Immediate feedback to students with additional support through supporting lessons and videos. Teacher "Live Classroom" allows immediate intervention for struggling or disengaged students. Multiple analytics are available to see individual and group data.

This session explores the concept of "Thin Slicing," which delineates a sequential progression of a lesson from prior knowledge to grade level standard. Learn how to quickly gather insights into student thinking through targeted tasks and observations. Discover how Thin Slicing can inform your instruction, differentiate learning, and propel students towards deeper mathematical understanding. Math teachers will experience and work together to create thin sliced lessons. They will collaborate on how to launch the lesson and provide tasks that increase rigor and ability to avoid frustrations and boredom while instilling perseverance and patience.

Come and take a deep dive into the fundamental of Standards Alignment in this session targeted towards science. During this session we will walk through; What is in the KSDE Standards Alignment Tool Kit for science, how to use it, where to find it, how to share it with teachers.