The KSDE Division of Learning Services has announced a few of the session titles for the Great Ideas in Education Conference, July 28-30. 

Be sure to identify the members of the district and/or building leadership teams who will attend the conference and register by July 15. Room reservations can be made here.

The following sessions are on the conference agenda: 

• Leveraging the Math and Science Toolkits: Your GPS to Mastering Standards Alignment: Join us in this interactive professional learning session where we’ll dive into the Kansas State Department of Education’s Math and Science Standards Alignment Toolkits. We will discuss the standards alignment process in addition to the toolkit's features, resources, and how it can support your lesson planning and standards alignment. Note: Please bring a device (laptop or tablet) to this session. 
• Living in a VUCA World (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity): How do educators perform at high levels living in a world that is unpredictable? In this interactive session, participants will engage in strategies to discover how to address adaptive challenges. 
• Navigating the ELA and HGSS Toolkits: Let the KSDE humanities team be your guide for an engaging journey through the critical components of the English Language Arts and History, Government, and Social Studies toolkits. This dive into the toolkits will also include a valuable discussion covering effective examples of HGSS and ELA integration at the elementary level. 
• Boosting Brilliance: How Administrators Can Support Quality Instruction in Early Childhood Classrooms: Learn how administrators can effectively support quality instruction in early childhood and early elementary classrooms. This session will cover quality observation tools, what play-based learning looks like and why it is important, strategies to ensure play-based learning is intentionally aligned to standards, things to look for and encourage in quality classroom environments, and KSDE resources.   
• Modernizing CTE: This session covers how the real-world application of reading, math and science strengthens academic skills through practical use. Career and Technical Education (CTE) engages students by connecting learning to career interests through project-based learning, technology integration and collaborative problem-solving. Real-world application increases relevance and retention, preparing students for career readiness and postsecondary success. 
• The Sunflower State Shield: Cybersecurity for Education: With the increasing prevalence of cyber threats targeting schools, it’s critical to understand the steps needed to safeguard sensitive information and maintain trust within your educational community. While this falls mainly on the shoulders of the technology team or staff, it is important for teachers and administrators to understand what they can do to help and make sure students are utilizing technology properly and protecting their security and privacy. 
• Protecting your Data Assets: How to Ensure your Data is Secure, Private, Accurate, Available, and Usable: In this session, we will discuss best practices in data management from data collection through data reporting. KSDE IT staff will cover policies, processes, and strategies to help keep your data safe while also allowing it to be used for the purpose it was collected for - improving student outcomes. Whether a district is large with established procedures or small with limited staff, data governance ensures well-defined roles and responsibilities (such as data owners and stewards), standardized protocols for data collection and management, a commitment to maintaining data quality, and careful attention to student privacy are all in place. 

The following sessions are full day opportunities on Tuesday, July 29:  

• Safe and Secure Schools - Narcan training will be offered. Also, the FBI Kanas City Office has expressed initial interest in doing a presentation on either the path to violence, threat assessments or updates on threats to juveniles in schools. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center staff may do a formal presentation on threat assessments. More information will be provided when available. 
• Fiscal Budgeting – Drop in at any time to get your fiscal budgeting/school finance questions answered. 
• KESA Facilitator Training – This training is specifically for the School Improvement Day facilitators. 
• Literacy Summit for LETRS Cadre – This training is specifically for the LETRS trainers at the local district level.   

Contact Pat Bone, pat.bone@ksde.gov, with questions.