2024 Great Ideas in Education Conference

Learn how to use formative and interim assessments to create a coherent and effective assessment system that aligns with standards, supports student learning, and drives instruction.  In this session, we will look at updates for this coming school year, how to utilize formative/interim assessments to drive instruction, the new math teacher guidance document, and resources teachers can utilize in the classroom.

Students and teachers are rapidly engaging with artificial intelligence tools for use in classroom environments, challenging the boundaries of current building and district policy in many cases. This session is intended primarily for district and building leadership to discuss effective policy, guidelines, and best practices for addressing advanced technology, particularly artificial intelligence tools, in Kansas K-12 academic environments. During the session the current state and capability of available tools will be outlined, and presenters will share activities in other states across the nation as well as where to find guidance from multiple national organizations. Current experiences in some Kansas districts will be described. A significant portion of the session will be allotted to discussion of attendees’ key concerns.

In October 2023, John Calvert was one of approximately 150 people who were able to go through a guided tour of the 1200 building at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the building where the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history took place. This building was frozen in time, and has sense been demolished. Come listen to key takeaways and lessons learned from walking the building with the lead prosecutor in the case.

Many underage victims of human trafficking are students in the America’s school systems. No community, school, or student demographic is immune. Incidents of child sex trafficking can be found in every area of Kansas whether it is rural, suburban, or urban settings including in our schools. There are few crimes more appalling or challenging for schools to recognize and address than human trafficking. This course is divided into three sections. The first section will discuss awareness. The first step in fighting human trafficking is to understand the dynamics and be aware of the indicators and warning signs associated with trafficking. The second section discusses intervention so teachers and administrators will be better prepared to recognize the indicators and be prepared to respond to trafficking within their school to keep students safe. The third section will discuss prevention, awareness resources, and educational programs for students to make them more aware and safer.

Ensuring students and staff feel safe at school requires a multifaceted approach. Since 2018, Wichita Public Schools has included school safety as part of the district’s strategic plan success outcomes. This presentation will focus on physical security measures adopted to increase physical security as well as initiatives implemented to improve students’ connectedness to school. Together these initiatives help us enhance safety and belonging and protect our schools.

Curriculum Leaders/Assessment Coordinators