About the Symposium
In this unique three-day event, school and district leaders are invited to join Education Week as we convene experts, practitioners, and researchers — and tap into the deep reporting knowledge of Education Week’s editorial staff and research team — to discuss the top issues and challenges confronting leaders today.
Through a variety of session formats, guests, and topics; each day will offer attendees the opportunity to dive deep into the ever-changing landscape which school and district leaders are charged with navigating. Attendees will leave with actionable takeaways that can be adopted and adapted to schools and districts everywhere.
Attendees will gain insight into the strategies used by leaders, innovators, and influencers to:
- Rebound faster from the disruptions of the 2020-21 school year
- Learn proven tactics that help drive your strategy in the 2021-22 school year
- Discover the latest findings and best-practices delivered to you by Education Week’s K-12 journalists, experts, and Research Center
Check back as we continue to add Sessions & Speakers!
Symposium Sponsors
Agenda
May 10
Teaching & Learning
The 2020-2021 school year will be one that is studied for generations to come: the pandemic has changed how students learn, teachers teach, and administrators lead. We’re grappling with questions that will directly affect all stakeholders in the K-12 education enterprise including:
• What technological advances have we made during the year of hybrid/remote learning and what do we think the next few years will look like as a result of these learnings?
• How do we measure what students have learned and what should we be thinking about when evaluating student performance in the years to come?
• What implications will this year have on the future of curriculum and assessment, closing the achievement gap, and preparing students for the workforce?
Opening & Welcome Remarks
The Pandemic's Affects on Learning
Distributed Leadership in Curriculum Development
The Science of 69ý: Best Practices for the Early Grades
Don’t Miss the Bus: Top Trends K-12 Leaders Can’t Afford to Ignore
Content provided by: SAVVAS Learning
As we look forward to the new school year, educators are asking: How can we effectively measure learning, re-engage students, and capitalize on what we have learned during the pandemic? During this unprecedented time, students have taken on new responsibilities and experienced an entirely new form of education. Teachers have learned to use a myriad of tools and face unique challenges as students return to classrooms with a variety of mindsets and academic skills. Savvas Learning Company leaders Heidi Bruhn, a former teacher and district administrator, and Tom Hamilton, head of curriculum development, will discuss key trends — such as how to assess without over-assessing and embrace student-driven classrooms — and provide actionable strategies to support teachers and students in this new frontier of learning.
Literacy Across Subjects
How Remote & Hybrid Learning are Reshaping
K-12 Education
SEL as a Plan to Slow the Impact of Learning Loss
Content provided by Center for Responsive 69ý
The five SEL competencies create a strong foundation from which to mitigate learning loss and address the inequities that have disproportionately impacted students of color during the pandemic.
Disruptions to schooling caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in significant learning loss and is felt even more deeply among students of color, who face systemic inequities including limited access to educational resources. &Բ;
In this session, we will discuss the impacts of learning loss during the pandemic, the inequities that have emerged during this time, how social and emotional learning (SEL) can help remedy these issues. We will highlight research that shows how explicit instruction in SEL competencies supports near-term learning recovery while imparting critical skills for lifelong success in and out of the classroom. &Բ;
Is it Finally Time to Change How We Grade?
Day 1 Closing Remarks
May 11
Student Wellness & Community Engagement
We all recognize the importance of engaging and working with families, community organizations, government officials, and other partners to support academic success and student wellness. This critical work was always important; but as a result of the pandemic, we are seeing new kinds of partnerships and new stakeholders perspectives highlighting the value of this work. In these sessions, you will hear from those who identify, work with, and manage the programs that support student success and wellness. You will learn about what was working, what is working now, and what needs to be done to make sure all students are achieving their goals through sessions that will focus on:
• Social emotional learning (SEL)
• Engaging with students and their families
• Supporting underprivileged student populations
Meet the 69ý & Filmmakers: A Year Interrupted: 2020 High School Seniors Face COVID-19 and an Uncertain Future
Join us for a virtual discussion with filmmakers Elizabeth Rich and Brooke Saias of Education Week about their recent documentary, A Year Interrupted: 2020 High School Seniors Face COVID-19 and an Uncertain Future. We will also be joined by Luis Campos and Faith Achugamonu, the two students at the center of this FILM.
Opening Remarks
Flash Briefing
How 69ý Can Earn — and Deepen — Trust With Families
Meeting the Social-Emotional Learning Needs of All 69ý
The Road to Recovery: Removing the Blocks to Student Engagement
Content Provided by Newsela
School leaders face an unprecedented moment...and in that moment, deficit-oriented words like learning loss, remediation, and intervention are dominating conversations in K-12 spaces. If we’re going to help students rediscover their learning engagement in our traditional institutions, we can't revert to outdated practices of "drill and kill" remediation. During this session, Newsela’s co-founder and chief academic officer, Dan Cogan-Drew, will discuss how to make the right decisions about a path to academic success for all students, based on what decades of research have taught us about how people learn best. Let’s identify the rocks on the road for all students and understand what it takes to remove them.
Supporting 69ý Experiencing Homelessness
Education and Public Health: Forging Strong Partnerships for Student Well-Being
How 69ý Are Addressing Learning Loss: New Research from EdWeek
Content provided by Kelly Education
Are you in the midst of determining the resources, staffing, and type of solution to address learning loss? Do you know how your district’s efforts compare to others? With students expected to lose as much as a year of learning, there are many obstacles to overcome. Understanding how schools are moving ahead to solve the issue, will help you create a more stable foundation for your solution.
In this session, the EdWeek Research Center, in partnership with Kelly Education, reports on how school districts across the country plan to close the gap:
Key Takeaways:
- How schools are funding their efforts
- How often, when, and where their solutions will take place &Բ;
- Which topics matter most
- How administrators and teachers opinions differ on the topic of learning loss
The Role Communities Play in Student Success
Q&A With Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona
May 12
Leadership Post-Pandemic
The pandemic’s effects will be felt for years to come and we’re only just beginning to see the impacts it has had on the world. In education, we’re aware of what is at stake and many school and district leaders are doing everything they can to anticipate the challenges ahead. With these challenges in mind, what skills and supports will you need to make sure you’re ahead of the game and spending less time reacting. You will hear and learn from your peers about what they’re doing to stay ahead of these challenges and the skills they are honing to help them continue to meet the goals they have set to answer questions like:
• What lessons have we learned already and what hurdles do we anticipate over the coming years as a result of the pandemic?
• What skills and tools will be critical to grow and focus on in the upcoming school years?
• How do we reset from the pandemic and ensure our students and other stakeholders are able to do the same?
Welcoming Remarks
Family Engagement Post-Pandemic
COVID-19 Leadership Lessons & the Skills Needed to Lead Post-Pandemic
Transforming Teacher Professional Development
Facing the Future Together: Digital Innovative Solutions
Content provided by Pearson
At Pearson, we want to embrace, empower and elevate our community of educators, clinicians, and students. Join us to discuss how digital innovative solutions can enrich the educational experience in the K-12 environment. We’ll share how these educational enhancements can improve student outcomes while supporting district professionals as they conduct efficient, comprehensive evaluations and maintain progress monitoring. Let’s partner together so we can provide what you need to inspire your students and staff, inside and outside the classroom.
Building a Teacher Workforce That Looks Like Your Student Body
Accelerate Post Pandemic Learning Recovery: A Few Big Bets
Content Provided by Center for Grade Level 69ý
“The hurt could last a lifetime” may prove prophetic. The magnitude of the learning loss resulting from the pandemic precipitated closing of schools has left significantly larger numbers of children on the more vulnerable side of an even larger achievement gap. These are disproportionately children of economically challenged, fragile and marginalized families. Mitigating the consequences of this reality will require urgent action on an integrated set of “must have assurances” to slow and stop learning loss and placing some big bets to accelerate learning recovery. This panel presents an overview of three of the “big bets” being promoted by the Campaign for Grade Level 69ý to the local funders, civic leaders and stakeholder coalitions in the 350+ communities in its network.
He is the former Chief Executive of Chicago Public 69ý. Prior to his appointment in Chicago, he was Superintendent of 69ý for the Rochester, NY School District. Under Mr. Brizard’s leadership, both the Chicago Public 69ý and the Rochester City School District saw substantial improvements in student performance. Mr. Brizard’s experience also includes a 21-year career as an educator and administrator with the NYC Department of Education. He served as a Regional Superintendent, supervising more than 100 schools in the Borough of Brooklyn and he also served as the system’s Executive Director for its 400 secondary schools. He is a Fellow of the Broad Center, a Fellow of the Pahara-Aspen Institute, and a member of the Aspen Institute Global Leadership Network.
How to Lead Through Emotional Exhaustion and Help Your Teams Reset
Event Closing Remarks
2021 Leaders To Learn From Virtual Gala
The common thread in all of our 2021 Leaders’ work: They adapted to meet the exceptional challenges of 2020. But those adaptations were built on deliberate, often invisible work.
You'll have the opportunity to hear from our leaders as they reflect on their work and leave feeling inspired and ready to tackle the year ahead.
Attendee Fees & Pricing
This event is made free for district and school leaders in part from support from our Sponsors.
Job Function |
Price |
School & District Leaders |
Free |
All Others |
$395 |