Embracing Literacy 2025 Events

Introduction
Literacy isn’t just an instructional issue—it’s a systems issue. And that means it's your issue. As school and district leaders, your ability to align priorities, people, and processes directly determines the success of every student. In this provocative session, we’ll confront a hard truth: if literacy outcomes are stagnant, the system is misaligned—and leadership is the lever. Discover how to own your role as a literacy leader by designing coherent systems that empower educators, support sustainable practices, and drive measurable impact. Leading literacy means leading through the system—not around it. The future of student success depends on what you do next.

Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Examine how system misalignment contributes to stagnant literacy outcomes and identify key leadership actions that can drive change.
2. Analyze the roles and responsibilities of school and district leaders in aligning priorities, people, and processes to build coherent, literacy-focused systems.
3. Develop actionable strategies to strengthen systemwide coherence, support sustainable instructional practices, and drive measurable literacy improvement across all levels of the organization.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?

Introduction

You don’t need a title to be a leader, but you do need skill. Today’s teacher leaders are not just content experts; they’re agile thinkers, system-aware collaborators, and trusted influencers who know how to lead up, across, and within their schools. In this session, you’ll sharpen the mindset and tools needed to navigate complexity, read the room, and move ideas forward, even when you don’t have formal authority. Learn how to advocate for what matters, build trust with decision-makers, and become the kind of leader your school system needs, right from where you are.

Session Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Define the characteristics of agile teacher leadership and explore how influence can be exercised without formal authority.
2. Apply strategies for navigating complex school systems, including how to read organizational dynamics and lead from the middle.
3. Develop approaches to effectively advocate for instructional priorities, build trust with decision-makers, and contribute to systems-level change from the classroom.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?

Introduction
Join this dynamic keynote panel as national leaders in language and literacy come together to explore the transformative practices shaping the future of education. Through the lens of research, implementation, and equity, panelists will share actionable insights and innovative strategies that elevate instruction and strengthen outcomes for students across the language and literacy continuum. From early language development to adolescent literacy acceleration, this conversation will highlight the critical components of high-quality instructional practices, professional learning, and system-wide alignment. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to translate evidence into action, support sustainable change, and empower educators at every level to meet the diverse needs of students.
This robust discussion is designed to energize and inspire the work ahead in Wyoming as we continue to build a strong, evidence-based foundation for student success statewide.

Introduction:
Writing is a potentially powerful lever for deepening knowledge, improving reading comprehension and analytical thinking, and enabling all students to access grade-level material. But it’s also the most difficult thing we ask students to do. To unlock the power of writing instruction, we need to: (1) make writing less overwhelming by starting at the sentence level if that’s what students need; (2) teach grammar and writing conventions in the context of students’ own writing; and (3) embed writing activities in the content of the core curriculum—in any subject and at any grade level. This presentation will provide examples of effective activities.
Explain how writing can serve as a catalyst for improving reading comprehension, analytical thinking, and access to grade-level content across subjects.

Objectives

1. Describe the importance of starting writing instruction at the sentence level to reduce cognitive overload and build confidence.
2. Demonstrate how to teach grammar and writing conventions in the context of students’ own writing, rather than in isolation.
3. Identify ways to embed purposeful writing tasks within core content areas to support deeper learning at all grade levels.  
4. Apply practical examples of writing activities that can be implemented immediately in classrooms to support student growth.
   
   
   

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?

Introduction
Scaling an effective intervention requires more than enthusiasm—it requires intentional design, strong leadership, and system-wide alignment. This session draws on insights from statewide initiatives to explore what it takes to expand successful educational practices across schools and districts. Participants will examine common barriers and enablers to scale, explore models of statewide implementation, and discuss strategies for adapting interventions while maintaining fidelity. Whether you're expanding a literacy initiative, instructional framework, or professional learning model, this session offers practical guidance for scaling with integrity and impact.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Analyze key factors that influence the successful scale-up of educational interventions across school and district contexts.
2. Examine lessons learned from statewide initiatives to identify common challenges and solutions in expanding effective practices.
3. Design actionable strategies to adapt, scale, and sustain high-impact interventions while preserving core components and fidelity of implementation.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?

Introduction:

This keynote takes on a tricky truth: even in the science of reading, not all experts see eye to eye. While some ideas are well established, others are still up for debate—with passionate voices on all sides. The presentation walks through key areas of disagreement and helps teachers make sense of the noise. Instead of waiting for perfect consensus, it encourages educators to stay curious, focus on strong evidence, and make thoughtful choices that work for their students.

This keynote takes on a tricky truth: even in the science of reading, not all experts see eye to eye. While some ideas are well established, others are still up for debate—with passionate voices on all sides. The presentation walks through key areas of disagreement and helps teachers make sense of the noise. Instead of waiting for perfect consensus, it encourages educators to stay curious, focus on strong evidence, and make thoughtful choices that work for their students.

Objectives:

• Identify key areas of agreement and disagreement among experts within the science of reading.
• Analyze how differing viewpoints in the field influence instructional practices and decision-making.
• Evaluate claims and recommendations by applying principles of strong research evidence and scientific reasoning.
• Reflect on how to remain professionally curious and open-minded in a landscape where not all answers are settled.
• Apply practical strategies for making informed, student-centered instructional choices despite ongoing debates in the field.

Credit Reflection Questions: Applying Learning to Practice

• What new insights did you gain from the presentation, and how did they connect to your existing knowledge or experience?
• In what ways did the presentation deepen or enhance your understanding of the topic?
• How do you plan to apply what you learned in your work? Who will benefit from it, and what changes or improvements do you expect to see?