Creating meaningful literacy progress for students with disabilities requires more than just compliant documentation—it requires intentional alignment. In this session, participants will dive into the intersection of evidence-based literacy instruction, IEP goal development, and Student Reading Plans (SRPs) to ensure that what’s written in the plan is actionable and streamlined in practice. Through real-world examples, case studies, and guided collaboration, educators will learn how to craft precise, measurable IEP goals that reflect students’ specific reading needs and align with their SRPs. Emphasis will be placed on using assessment data to drive both goal creation and instructional alignment. Participants will walk away with practical tools and strategies to strengthen coherence between IEPs and reading plans—ensuring that every student is supported with a plan that is both personalized and setting them up for success.
In this session, elementary school leaders will learn how to harness artificial intelligence to streamline their workflows and enhance classroom instruction. Participants will explore the VBCPS AI Guiding Principles to ground their understanding of our division’s vision for AI usage. They will engage with practical tools that administrators and teachers can use to boost productivity, as well as programs that support effective planning and teaching.
Effective coaching hinges on clarity—both in teaching and in the guidance coaches provide to teachers. This session, *"Coaching for Clarity: Guiding Teachers in the Effective Use of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria,"* equips instructional leaders and coaches with the knowledge and tools to support teachers in designing and using clear, purposeful learning intentions and success criteria. Participants will explore what makes these elements powerful drivers of student learning, analyze real classroom examples, and engage in coaching simulations to practice giving targeted feedback. Whether you're new to coaching or looking to deepen your impact, this session will strengthen your ability to foster clarity and precision in instructional practice.
Make a splash in your math PLCs with Dive In!—an engaging session designed especially for elementary leaders. Explore hands-on, immersive experiences that empower and equip teachers to strengthen math pedagogy/content knowledge, build confidence in math instruction, and implement meaningful learning experiences for young learners. Whether you're launching a new PLC or refreshing your current one, you’ll leave with practical tools to inspire growth, foster teamwork, and make math come alive for both teachers and students. Let’s dive deep and grow together!
Are you a K–5 administrator or instructional coach looking to strengthen your leadership team and align your work with Compass 2030? This dynamic, hands-on session is designed specifically for you. Learn how to build or enhance a high-impact instructional leadership team (ILT) that is focused, collaborative, and ready to lead meaningful change in the 2025–2026 school year. Grounded in the district’s vision, you'll explore practical structures, alignment strategies, and tools to enhance coherence across your school. Walk away with a personalized action plan and renewed clarity to lead with purpose, build capacity, and drive student-centered outcomes at the elementary level.
Start the day with purpose and possibility! Join us to discover how Morning Meetings can become a launchpad for science thinking. Experience integrated examples, analyze existing Morning Meetings to identify how they support science content, and engage in hands-on planning. Explore how this simple daily routine can support SEL, academic content, and Future-Ready skills—all at once. Walk away with ready-to-use ideas, strategies for analysis, and inspiration to help students connect, wonder, and grow.
Are you spending more time managing student behavior than leading instruction in your school? In this session, you'll learn how to shift the way staff view behavior—seeing it not as defiance, but as a sign of missing skills, trauma, context, or unmet needs. By changing this mindset, this will empower teachers to manage their classrooms effectively to move from merely surviving daily disruptions to thriving as confident, supported professionals. We’ll also explore how to build a positive school climate through intentional structures and routines that foster respectful relationships, student engagement, and a safe, supportive environment for all.
Effective coaching hinges on clarity—both in teaching and in the guidance coaches provide to teachers. This session, *"Coaching for Clarity: Guiding Teachers in the Effective Use of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria,"* equips instructional leaders and coaches with the knowledge and tools to support teachers in designing and using clear, purposeful learning intentions and success criteria. Participants will explore what makes these elements powerful drivers of student learning, analyze real classroom examples, and engage in coaching simulations to practice giving targeted feedback. Whether you're new to coaching or looking to deepen your impact, this session will strengthen your ability to foster clarity and precision in instructional practice.
Pull up a chair at the Future Ready Café, where every voice matters and bold ideas are on the menu. This session uses a World Café-style structure—participants will rotate through small group conversations, sharing ideas, building on each other’s thinking, and blending diverse perspectives. Together, we’ll explore how to bring our Future Ready Profile to life through instruction, student goal setting, and a thriving school climate. You’ll leave with more than just inspiration—you’ll walk away with a ready-to-use activity designed to spark meaningful conversation with your staff at the start of the school year.
Participants will become familiar with the new Social Studies standards and curriculum while discussing best practices for high-quality instruction and planning.
Supporting special educators in math instruction can feel like navigating a maze—where do you even start? In this dynamic session, elementary principals will explore a clear, 3-pronged framework to jumpstart and sustain effective, math-specific professional learning for their special educators. Learn how to balance specially designed instruction with grade-level content, use vertical articulation to plan with purpose, and apply high-impact math pedagogy. Hear firsthand from school and instructional leaders who took different paths to the same goal: building up their teams with targeted, replicable strategies that work. Walk away ready to lead with clarity, confidence, and a plan.
Father behaviors have the biggest impact on their children's lives. Research consistently shows that active involvement from fathers can positively influence a child’s academic success, especially in literacy. This session aims to highlight the critical role fathers play in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children, with a focused lens on learning to read. At the end of this session elementary educators, family engagement specialists and administrators will be equipped with strategies to engage fathers and support them in fostering early literacy at home and in educational settings that positively affect academic outcomes of students by making reading time a priority.
In today’s diverse classrooms, ensuring every student thrives in mathematics requires more than just good intentions—it takes targeted, adaptive, and research based instructional tools. This session explores how Imagine Math helps lift up all learners by providing differentiated pathways, real-time support, and powerful data insights that empower both students and educators. Participants will meet with representatives to hear how Imagine Math fosters academic growth through its adaptive learning platform, rigorous content, and built-in live teacher support. Special focus will be given to how the platform addresses unfinished learning, supports multilingual learners, and encourages math confidence in underserved populations. Through real-world implementation examples, data-driven strategies, and interactive discussion, attendees will leave with concrete tools and next steps to elevate mathematics achievement in their schools.
How can we ensure students take ownership of their learning and progress toward becoming future ready? This session will explore practical strategies for embedding student goal setting, student-led conferences, and reflection into classroom routines, all aligned with the VBCPS Future Ready Profile. Participants will learn how to guide students in setting meaningful goals, curate and reflect on evidence of learning, and lead conferences that promote agency, communication, and self-awareness. The session will feature student work samples, templates, and a roadmap for schools seeking to build a culture of reflection and readiness.
Join this energizing exhibition of learning as we explore the Morning Meeting Stockpile—a treasure trove of ready-to-use resources to uplift every classroom! From greetings, sharings, and activities to Spanish-translated materials, videos of VBCPS students in action, and real teacher impact stories, this collection has it all. Walk away with tools to empower your staff, strengthen classroom culture, and spark engagement from the moment students walk through the door.
How do we create a culture of support to “build up” new educators? Landstown ES will share their journey of strengthening new teacher support through intentional mentoring, collaborative structures, and a shared sense of responsibility among staff. Participants will explore their own support ecosystems to broaden perspectives on who contributes to new teacher success. Leaders will preview the new Mentoring Scope and Sequence document to better understand how mentors are supporting new educators and how they can align and amplify that work, building-wide. There will be dedicated planning time to identify actionable next steps for deepening new educator support in your own school.
Discover how to harness your professional knowledge of the SOLs to design effective learning trajectories using HMH Modules. In this interactive session, you’ll explore the role of learning intentions and success criteria in creating clear, impactful instruction. Participants will collaborate to strengthen PLC practices, ensuring they produce actionable, data-driven instructional plans. Hands-on activities and real-world examples will guide you in aligning planning with student success.
Leveling up science instruction requires strategic moves grounded in the skills and behaviors of leadership. Learn how to use the tools of assessment, look-fors, and PLCs to elevate science instruction and move all teachers to the next level. Participants will learn how to lead teachers in implementing and responding to formative assessments that align with the SEP-embedded science standards and how to use walkthrough tools to provide feedback to teachers and to determine next steps in PLCs. Power up and help teachers and students reach the next level of learning!
Vocabulary learning occurs in a multitude of ways. Children learn the meanings of most words incidentally, through everyday experiences with oral and written language. This indirect or incidental learning occurs in three ways: by engaging in conversations with other people—especially adults, by listening to others read to them, and by reading extensively on their own. While research points out the need for some vocabulary words to be directly taught in order to understand specific text, it also supports teachers learning ways to help children improve incidentally learning of vocabulary. (Oakhill, Cain, 2015) Elementary students should learn around 2,000–3,000 new words per year to keep up with expected vocabulary growth. Therefore, training to improve word knowledge cannot strictly be through direct instruction. The sheer number of words students need to acquire yearly in order to comprehend more rigorous text would never be met.
This session offers a deep dive into the design and implementation of Behavior Academies as a proactive, tiered intervention to address student behavior. Participants will learn how to create structured, skill-building sessions that align with MTSS frameworks and support positive student outcomes. With a focus on data-driven decision-making, progress monitoring, and practical tools, this session equips elementary educators and leaders with strategies to implement Behavior Academies that are both impactful and sustainable.
