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Please share your Spring Summit feedback while your thoughts and experience are fresh. We truly appreciate you taking the time to help us improve.
Monday, March 31
 

9:00am PDT

1A-Literacy & Math Improvement Review with Teaching Matters Full
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 120
A powerful routine where improvement teams reflect on their data and learning, share a dilemma, and receive feedback from experts who can provide a fresh perspective and push. Join this fishbowl type session to experience this routine, learn more about a team’s work, and glean insights to inform your own improvement efforts.

Teaching Matters works with 23 school teams across New York City, with a focus on increasing 6-8th grade ontrack for post-high school success. A core tenet that undergirds our work is ensuring student belonging and engagement, while increasing math and ELA proficiency. Come learn more about this work, grapple with a dilemma together, and glean insights to inform your own improvement efforts.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Ryan Gallagher
avatar for Kiran Purohit

Kiran Purohit

VP of Curriculum & Instruction, New Visions for Public Schools, New Visions for Public Schools
Project-Based LearningScience curriculum designUrban high schools
avatar for Alicia Grunow

Alicia Grunow

Co-Founder; Improvement Specialist, Improvement Collective
Alicia Grunow is an educational improvement expert, specializing in how to apply the science of improvement to help teams, organizations and networks reach their improvement goals. Alicia started her career as a bilingual teacher in Denver Public School and then in New York City... Read More →
JB

Jacobē Bell

NSI Director, Teaching Matters
JK

Jeff Kitrosser

Associate Director of Research and Evaluation, Teaching Matters
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 120
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

1B-Liberatory Improvement: Reimagining the Intersections of Improvement, Equity and Justice
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Commons
Let’s have deep conversations on issues that matter to improvers. No slide decks, just real talk. Fireside chats are places for attendees to connect with luminaries, hear transformative stories, and ask questions. This is not a panel, but a free-flowing conversation where a pair of educational leaders interview one another and pursue their wonderings together.
Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.


Speakers
avatar for Amanda Meyer

Amanda Meyer

Senior Director of Improvement, CORE Districts
CS
BH
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Commons
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

1C-Harnessing the Power of Understanding Variation Full
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 148
In the pursuit of educational improvement, understanding variation is key to making informed decisions that drive real change. This interactive session will explore the power of Shewhart Charts to distinguish common from special cause variation. Using case examples, we will demonstrate how organizations, teams and networks can use these methods to accelerate their improvement efforts. 

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Erica Geary

Erica Geary

Data Scientist, HTH GSE
avatar for Brandon Bennett

Brandon Bennett

Improvement Advisor, Teacher and Author
Brandon Bennett is an advisor, teacher and author who helps organizations in health care, education and social welfare improve outcomes for the communities and individuals they serve. As the founder of ISC LLC, Brandon Bennett teaches advanced improvement methods and partners on a... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 148
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

1G-All Of Us > Any Of Us: Math Teachers Getting Better Together Filling
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 215
What gets in the way of building a great math classroom? A network of math teachers are defining and improving on common problems of practice. Join us to explore the range of tools & routines we’ve developed to structure collaborative improvement across a state-wide practice-research NIC.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session
Speakers
avatar for Joanna Burt-Kinderman

Joanna Burt-Kinderman

Project Lead, Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teachers (M3T)
Joanna Burt-Kinderman has been a math teacher and teacher of math teachers for the last 25 years. She is a project lead and developer of  Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teachers (M3T), a network improvement community of local improvement team led by math teachers across 37 West Virginia... Read More →
avatar for Breck Loudermilk

Breck Loudermilk

Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teacher, Marion County Schools, WV
avatar for Jason Massie

Jason Massie

Mountaineer Mathematics Master Teachers, Monroe County Schools WV
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 215
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

1H-From Zero to Data Hero: Co-Designing Data Measurement Strategies for Improvement
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 218
“How will we know that a change is an improvement?” An effective answer lies in the collection and analysis of data from measures across all levels of a system; however, schools and districts sometimes begin their improvement journey with limited data systems and strategies, or they experience significant changes along the way. In this session, learn how New Tech Network developed effective practices for co-designing college access data measurement systems and coaching teams to use data for improvement. Reflect on and share your experiences, and engage in a data skill-building activity that you can bring back to your network.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Ann Helfman

Ann Helfman

Senior Director of Continuous Improvement & College Access, New Tech Network
avatar for Zoe Fowler

Zoe Fowler

NTN Data Project Lead, New Tech Network
avatar for Elda Armendariz

Elda Armendariz

Continuous Improvement & College Access Coach, New Tech Network
avatar for Elisa Castillo

Elisa Castillo

Continuous Improvement & College Access Coach, New Tech Network
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 218
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

1I-Leading to Improve: Using Community Action to Address Chronic Absenteeism Full
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 205
This session will guide participants through a community-driven approach to addressing chronic absenteeism, drawing on lessons learned from ImpactTulsa’s successful Community Action Forums. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, leveraging data to identify key barriers to attendance—such as safety, mental and physical health, transportation, and housing—and co-design interventions to combat these challenges. Through collaborative discussions and case examples, attendees will learn how to mobilize community partnerships, lead cross-sector efforts, and drive improvements in attendance and student outcomes. This session is ideal for leaders focused on systemic, results-driven change through field-building and community collaboration.

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Aubrey Flowers

Aubrey Flowers

Head of Cradle to Career Initiatives, ImpactTulsa
Aubrey serves as ImpactTulsa's Head of Cradle to Career Initiatives. Aubrey is a passionate advocate seeking to facilitate meaningful change for youth, families, and communities of Tulsa. In service to all children and adults, Aubrey is also proud to be an innovator, reimagining the... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 205
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

1K-Enhancing Voice and Equity in Strategic Planning: An Improvement Science Approach Filling
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 127
Discover how improvement science can transform strategic planning in education by amplifying stakeholder voices and promoting equity. Participants will learn to align strategic goals with stakeholder input, utilize data-driven decision-making, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. This session offers practical strategies for effective planning and implementation, empowering educators, administrators, and policymakers to drive meaningful progress and equitable outcomes. Join us to enhance stakeholder engagement and ensure equity in your strategic planning and implementation efforts.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Darcie Jamieson

Darcie Jamieson

Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning, Educational Service District 105
avatar for Emily Nelson

Emily Nelson

Executive Director of Student Support, ESD 105
Emily Nelson is the Executive Director of Student Support at Educational Service District 105 (ESD 105) in Yakima, WA. Emily has over 16 years of experience with school based behavioral health integration and co-launched Together 105, ESD 105’s Licensed Behavioral Health Agency... Read More →
avatar for Shane Backlund

Shane Backlund

Superintendent, Educational Service District 105
avatar for Brandon Riddle

Brandon Riddle

Assistant Director of Student Support, Educational Service District 105
Brandon is committed to advancing educational equity by coaching and training evidence-based strategies and frameworks. With a solid background in Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 127
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

1M-From Compliance to Connection: Cultivating Relational Trust to Drive Improvement
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 219
Explore the role of relational trust in transforming leadership and fostering system-wide improvement. In this session, led by New Tech Network and Hardin County District leaders, learn how district leaders utilized improvement science tools to help foster relational trust and shift from directive leadership approaches to fostering vulnerability, inquiry, and collaboration in their system. Participants will  explore research around relational trust, engage in relationship-building activities and practice feedback protocols that supported trust-building within the district. Reflect and share  your own experiences, then consider how to apply these strategies to strengthen relationships and support continuous improvement in your own work.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Kim Frankel Marsh

Kim Frankel Marsh

District Community and Network Design Specialist, New Tech Network
Kim Frankel Marsh serves as a District Community and Network Design Specialist for the New Tech Network where she uses tools and habits from improvement science to support district-level leadership development and systems change .  Prior to joining NTN, she spent 20 years on school... Read More →
avatar for Tanya Jury

Tanya Jury

Director of High School Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Hardin County Schools
Dr. Tanya Jury graduated with a broadcasting degree from Western Kentucky University. After graduating with a Bachelors in Broadcasting and Political Science, Tanya worked in the media at various Louisville TV stations and local radio stations for five years before changing careers... Read More →
avatar for Brandy New

Brandy New

Director of Innovation, Hardin County Schools, KY
Brandy started education as an elementary classroom teacher, then Instructional Technology Coordinator and high school Computer Science teacher, before taking on the role of Director of Innovation in 2020. She has spent her entire career in Hardin County Schools in Ky, which she also... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 219
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

1P-How 12 Systems of Public Higher Education Improved their way to Transfer Student Success
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 222
80% of community college students enroll intending to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree–unfortunately, only 33% of these students will enroll in a 4–year institution, and only 16% will attain a bachelor’s degree within six years. The National Association of Higher Education Systems brought together 12 public higher education systems into a structured improvement community and has seen breakthrough results at campuses all across the country–84% of participating institutions saw year-over-year improvement in transfer student enrollment. By using rigorous improvement methods, networked learning, and building local improvement capacity, this collaborative has moved the dial for this often-overlooked population of students.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Juliette Price

Juliette Price

Senior Improvement Coach, National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH)
avatar for Tracy Schoolcraft

Tracy Schoolcraft

Associate Provost and Interim Dean of Exploratory Studies
Monday March 31, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 222
  Sessions

11:00am PDT

2A-9th Grade On-Track Improvement Review with CORE Districts
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 120
A powerful routine where improvement teams reflect on their data and learning, share a dilemma, and receive feedback from experts who can provide a fresh perspective and push. Join this fishbowl type session to experience this routine, learn more about a team’s work, and glean insights to inform your own improvement efforts.

CORE's Breakthrough Success Community connects 45 schools across California dedicated to transforming the 9th grade experience so that all students are on track towards the widest array of post-secondary opportunities. Come learn more about this work, grapple with a dilemma together, and glean insights to inform your own improvement efforts.  

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Ryan Gallagher
avatar for Jarrod Bolte

Jarrod Bolte

CEO, Improving Education
BH
avatar for Dr. Doug Kriedeman

Dr. Doug Kriedeman

Senior Improvement Coach, Core Districts
avatar for Juli Coleman

Juli Coleman

Chief of Improvement, School Networks, CORE Districts
Juli Coleman is the Chief of Improvement, School Networks, for The CORE Districts. She leads a multi-district network of 45 high schools across eight large urban districts focused on improving 9th grade on-track rates.With over 25 years of experience in education, Juli has served... Read More →
avatar for Amanda Meyer

Amanda Meyer

Senior Director of Improvement, CORE Districts
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 120
  Sessions

11:00am PDT

2C-Navigating Uncertainty: Learning and Leading Through Mistakes in Networked Improvement Filling
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High Room 108
In this session, we invite you to explore the story of an innovative improvement network that embraced the motto “Fail Forward” to make substantial strides in educational outcomes.  This session will explore how network teams—from diverse contexts—collaborated to measure outcomes, scale effective practices, and create structures for sustained growth. We’ll discuss lessons learned from early missteps, like overlooking user perspectives, and how these experiences shaped our approach. Discover the struggle of refining change ideas, the challenges of sustaining efforts at scale, and strategies for keeping teams energized. Engage with examples, key learnings, and practical applications to inspire your own improvement journey.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Beverley Jenkins

Beverley Jenkins

Coordinator, System Improvement Leads (SIL) Project
avatar for Teresa Patel

Teresa Patel

Improvement Facilitator, System Improvement Leads Project
avatar for Brandon Bennett

Brandon Bennett

Improvement Advisor, Teacher and Author
Brandon Bennett is an advisor, teacher and author who helps organizations in health care, education and social welfare improve outcomes for the communities and individuals they serve. As the founder of ISC LLC, Brandon Bennett teaches advanced improvement methods and partners on a... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High Room 108
  Sessions

11:00am PDT

2D-Prioritizing for Impact: Using Pareto Analysis to Select a High Leverage Focus Filling
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High Room 105
Not all problems are created equal—some have a far greater impact than others. In this hands-on session, participants will learn how to apply Pareto analysis, a simple yet powerful tool for identifying the most frequently occurring causes of the problems we seek to address and focusing efforts where they matter most. Using real-world education data, attendees will practice creating Pareto charts, uncovering root causes, and making data-driven decisions that maximize improvement. Walk away with practical skills to streamline your efforts, reduce inefficiencies, and drive meaningful change in your school or district.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Curtis Taylor

Curtis Taylor

Director, Meta Network, HTH GSE
avatar for Kelly McMahon

Kelly McMahon

Director, Center for Public Research and Leadership
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High Room 105
  Sessions

11:00am PDT

2H-Habits of Excellence: Systems Change through Simplicity Full
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 215
When the KIPP national network shifted to a united strategy around standard work (“One KIPP”) in its 28 regions, we needed an expanded toolkit for building improvement capability outside of programmatic NICs. This has included building our ability to “see, solve, spread” with a focus on distilling the core habits we need to encourage at every level of our system. In this session, we will share KIPP’s early learnings from Year 1 of this approach, and participants will practice with a suite of artifacts to walk through this journey themselves. 

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Jen Stocklin

Jen Stocklin

Senior Director, Continuous Improvement, KIPP
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 215
  Sessions

11:00am PDT

2J-Data that Works: Effective Data Systems for School Improvement
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 219
Are you confident that every improver on your team has access to the data systems they need and uses them as effectively as they can? Neither were we, which is why we’ve spent the past eight years building data tools for school improvement and sharing them with our partners. Come to our session to practice using a Data for Improvement Maturity Framework to assess your own data systems and identify a way to strengthen them. You’ll hear stories directly from our partner districts. You’ll also see our flagship tool, the Data Hub, and hear where we’re taking it next.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Blake Garfinkle

Blake Garfinkle

Growth Product Manager, CT RISE Network
I'd love to chat about all things data for school improvement.I'm dedicated to bringing powerful, actionable data tools to educators and schools to drive student success. For 7 years I have worked with educators and RISE to hone our data tools and processes. In our session, we will... Read More →
KS

Kristin Schmitz

Director of School Improvement, Norwalk Public Schools
avatar for Chris Lewine

Chris Lewine

Chief of Data Strategy and Product Innovation, CT RISE Network
avatar for Alan Thorne

Alan Thorne

Product Manager, CT RISE Network
Alan is the Product Manager at the RISE Network where he leads the development of the RISE Data Hub, a data platform that helps educators collaborate and support student success. A long-time data and IT leader, Alan has worked in- and with dozens of schools across the Northeast to... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 219
  Sessions

11:00am PDT

2K-Coaching for Improvement: Navigating Common Coaching Dilemmas Filling
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 124
Organizations using improvement science to guide change efforts often look to improvement coaches to support their work. Coaching can be essential to build individual and team capabilities and support progress towards an improvement goal, but there are few resources that describe this nuanced work. In this session, four categories of common improvement coaching dilemmas will be introduced, as well as ways to explore them and identify potential actions to take. Participants will engage in a scenario-based simulation to practice responding to challenges that routinely arise during coaching and also reflect on a challenge from their own practice.

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Edit Khachatryan

Edit Khachatryan

Senior Associate Networked Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Edit Khachatryan is a Senior Associate at the Carnegie Foundation, supporting system transformation work through improvement science. Edit is an improvement facilitator, researcher, and educator with a mission to create lasting educational improvements by facilitating, strengthening... Read More →
avatar for Barbara Shreve

Barbara Shreve

MD Network Improvement Science, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Barbara Shreve serves as managing director of the Networked Improvement Science team at the Carnegie Foundation. In this role, she leads strategy to advance access to and use of improvement science to address challenges in education and enable system transformation. As a senior associate... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 124
  Sessions

11:00am PDT

2N-The Core 4 (and Beyond): Monitoring Progress to Graduation in a Post COVID World
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 205
In a post-COVID world, there are a new set of challenges facing educators and students, all while pre-COVID expectations and policies are shifting back into place. In this session, we will share how continuous improvement has helped us evolve our strategy over the last 10 years to be responsive to the ever changing environment to ensure all NYC students succeed academically, mentally, socially, and professionally. Join us for a hands-on session of diving into multi-agency data around the “core 4” obstacles to graduation, and walk away with new ideas for using data to define holistic supports for students. 

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Nikki Giunta

Nikki Giunta

Chief of Staff / Project Manager, New Visions for Public Schools (Cohort 1)
MD

Mark Dunetz

President, New Visions for Public Schools (Cohort 1)
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 205
  Sessions

11:00am PDT

2O-Elevating Student Voice: Co-Designing for Well-Being, Engagement, and Belonging Filling
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 127
This session explores the transformative power of student voice and co-design in creating more inclusive and equitable learning environments. We will begin by exploring a case study from a California district that successfully used student-centered, community-driven improvement efforts to enhance well-being and belonging. Participants will then dive into national data from the Challenge Success survey and consider trends with their school or community in mind. Participants will leave with practical strategies for engaging students as active participants in the improvement process, empowering them to co-create solutions that drive meaningful and lasting school improvements.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
JN

John Nickerson

Superintendent, Acalanes UHSD
avatar for Megan Pacheco

Megan Pacheco

Executive Director, Challenge Success
Megan Pacheco, M.A., is the Executive Director for Challenge Success. She has more than 20 years of experience helping to transform schools. She has served in a variety of roles, including teacher, school coach, and organizational leader. Prior to joining Challenge Success, she was... Read More →
avatar for Matthew Swenson

Matthew Swenson

Director of Educational Partnerships, Challenge Success
Matthew Swenson is the Director of Educational Partnerships at Challenge Success, where he leads national outreach to help K-12 schools foster student well-being, engagement, and belonging. With experience as an English teacher, assistant principal, and principal, he has a background... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 127
  Sessions

1:45pm PDT

3A-College Access Improvement Review with KIPP Public Schools
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 120
A powerful routine where improvement teams reflect on their data and learning, share a dilemma, and receive feedback from experts who can provide a fresh perspective and push. Join this fishbowl type session to experience this routine, learn more about a team’s work, and glean insights to inform your own improvement efforts.

KIPP is a national network of public charter schools that includes 49 high schools. Our Match and Counseling community aims to increase the number of KIPP graduates enrolling in well-matched postsecondary options. After several years of running an improvement community with a subset of schools, the Match and Counseling playbook is now being scaled as standard work for all high schools. Improvements are supported through 1:1 coaching of all high schools' Directors of College and Career Counseling (DCCCs) and a continued community of practice. Come learn more about this work, grapple with a dilemma together, and glean insights to inform your own improvement efforts.  

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Stacey Caillier

Stacey Caillier

Director, National Coalition for Improvement in Education, High Tech High Graduate School of Education
avatar for Dr. Michelle Sadrena Pledger

Dr. Michelle Sadrena Pledger

Director of Liberation/Founder, High Tech High Graduate School of Education/Living for Liberation
Dr. Michelle Sadrena Pledger is the Founder of Living for Liberation, an organization that supports the liberation of self, systems, and society. She is also the Director of Liberation at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education, an institution that brings together practitioners, researchers and youth to address complex problems of practice... Read More →
avatar for Jen Stocklin

Jen Stocklin

Senior Director, Continuous Improvement, KIPP
KS
avatar for Camille Lafayette

Camille Lafayette

Director, Data & Analytics, KIPP Foundation
avatar for Brandon Bennett

Brandon Bennett

Improvement Advisor, Teacher and Author
Brandon Bennett is an advisor, teacher and author who helps organizations in health care, education and social welfare improve outcomes for the communities and individuals they serve. As the founder of ISC LLC, Brandon Bennett teaches advanced improvement methods and partners on a... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 120
  Sessions

1:45pm PDT

3B-How Do We Catalyze and Accelerate a Movement?: Lessons from Healthcare and the Social Sector
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Commons
Let’s have deep conversations on issues that matter to improvers. No slide decks, just real talk. Fireside chats are places for attendees to connect with luminaries, hear transformative stories, and ask questions. This is not a panel, but a free-flowing conversation where a pair of educational leaders interview one another and pursue their wonderings together.
Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Ben Daley

Ben Daley

President, High Tech High Graduate School of Education
What do we want? Deeper Learning!How will we get it? Improvement!
avatar for Cathy Casserly

Cathy Casserly

Casserly Consulting & Coaching
LP
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Commons
  Sessions

1:45pm PDT

3C-Data That Moves: Designing Actionable Displays for Improvement Leaders Filling
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 123
Educators are regularly given data that highlight problematic outcomes without providing clues for how to improve. Seeking a different approach, CORE’s 9th grade on-track network has learned to display grade and attendance data in new ways that support improvers to act. We will share emergent insights from our work with urban districts across California and improvement-focused data displays we’ve used with schools, including control charts and pareto charts. Session activities will surface participants’ collective wisdom about how to display familiar data in novel ways that catalyze action. Attendees will leave with insights to apply to data in their own context.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Juli Coleman

Juli Coleman

Chief of Improvement, School Networks, CORE Districts
Juli Coleman is the Chief of Improvement, School Networks, for The CORE Districts. She leads a multi-district network of 45 high schools across eight large urban districts focused on improving 9th grade on-track rates.With over 25 years of experience in education, Juli has served... Read More →
avatar for Amanda Meyer

Amanda Meyer

Senior Director of Improvement, CORE Districts
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 123
  Sessions

1:45pm PDT

3D-Racing to Scale: Accelerating Development of Education’s Breakthroughs Together Full
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High Room 146
Breakthrough Collaboratives are increasingly seen as promising strategies for advancing and spreading evidence-based interventions and transforming practice at scale. Most of the common professional knowledge about breakthroughs draws from IHI’s Breakthrough Collaborative model, but through this interactive session, participants will engage with design dilemmas related to launching and leading education-focused collaboratives. Participants will leave with practical insights about our shared opportunity to build requisite professional knowledge and supports for using this model to scale effective practices.

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
JS

Jennifer Sherer

Project Lead, Partners for Network Improvement
avatar for Kelly McMahon

Kelly McMahon

Director, Center for Public Research and Leadership
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High Room 146
  Sessions

1:45pm PDT

3F-Leading a Learning Hive: Building Adaptive Governance for Equity
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High Room 109
Despite a deep commitment to equity and improvement, many education leaders use traditional, inherited governance models fundamentally mismatched to the complexity of education systems and their challenges. Leaders who succeed in enabling progress toward equity fundamentally rewire how and with whom they identify, choose among, and implement policies and strategies, treating daily work as an opportunity for inquiry, improvement, and innovation. In this session, participants will explore the governance approaches at play within their own systems, identify opportunities for transition toward a model well-matched to their goals, and learn from district leaders advancing this work in New York City. 

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Alan Cheng

Alan Cheng

High School Superintendent, New York City Public Schools
Alan Cheng is a high school superintendent in the New York City Public Schools, responsible for a network of 50 schools that includes members of the New York Performance Standards Consortium, Internationals Network, and NYC Outward Bound Schools. His work focuses on supporting school... Read More →
avatar for Elizabeth Chu

Elizabeth Chu

Executive Director, Center for Public Research and Leadership
Elizabeth Chu is the Executive Director of CPRL and a lecturer of law at Columbia Law School. At CPRL, her focus is on readying graduate students and clients to use Evolutionary Learning to enhance the education sector’s capacity to improve and serve all children, particularly those... Read More →
avatar for Tom Rochowicz

Tom Rochowicz

NYC Public Schools
avatar for Meghan Snyder

Meghan Snyder

Director of Research Policy and Strategy, Center for Public Research and Leadership at Columbia University
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High Room 109
  Sessions

1:45pm PDT

3I-Beyond the Anecdote: Strengthening Empathy Interviews for Systemic Change Filling
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 215
Increase your improvement team’s capacity to meaningfully plan for and use empathy interviews in this hands-on session. Participants will learn how to identify a clear and specific purpose for empathy interviews and backwards plan towards that purpose. We’ll discuss the common missteps of empathy interviews and how to avoid them. Participants will practice analysis and application of interview findings. Strategies from this session can be modified and applied to other qualitative data teams collect such as listening sessions. Previous experience with empathy interviews is not required.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Kari Nelsestuen

Kari Nelsestuen

Co-Founder, Community Design Partners
Kari Nelsestuen brings creativity, leadership, and curiosity to Community Design Partners, an organization she co-founded in Portland, Oregon. As a skilled facilitator and advisor, she is motivated by “light bulb moments” when teams uncover root causes of problems on their path... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 215
  Sessions

1:45pm PDT

3M-Raising the Bar: Improving Graduation Rates for Students with Disabilities
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 222
In 2023, seven California school districts joined forces to address a shared challenge: improve graduation rates for students with disabilities by at least 10%. The System Improvement Leads project brought these districts together to leverage shared learning to reach this goal. Join us to hear directly from one of the districts, Anaheim Union High School District, about how they tested new strategies to achieve meaningful system improvements.

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Teresa Patel

Teresa Patel

Improvement Facilitator, System Improvement Leads Project
LK
avatar for Ashley MacGavin

Ashley MacGavin

Grant Coordinator, SELPA System Improvement Leads Project
Ashley MacGavin has worked in the field of special education for over 10 years and currently serves in the role of Grant Coordinator at Riverside County SELPA in Perris, CA. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education and an Administrative Services Credential, Education Specialist... Read More →
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High International Room 222
  Sessions

1:45pm PDT

3O-Coordinating Cross-sector Work Through a NIC to Meet the Needs of Underserved Students
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High Room 108
Discover how a Networked Improvement Community (NIC) is driving transformational change across four Fresno County school districts. In partnership with local organizations, these districts are achieving significant gains in attendance and literacy for underserved students and influencing countywide policy. Learn about essential practices, including engaging the right stakeholders, implementing clear processes, building routines with feedback loops, and using "Learn by Doing" cycles. See how tracking key data supports sustainable improvement. Join us to explore the Improvement Science framework and tools, and consider how these strategies might apply in your own work through table discussions and Q&A.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Abby Petropulos

Abby Petropulos

Executive Leadership Coach, Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools
An Executive Leadership Coach with Fresno County Superintendent of Schools. She has been a teacher, principal, and district-level administrator. Abby leads the accountability team in the FCSS model.
avatar for Justin Paredes

Justin Paredes

Executive Leadership Coach, Office of the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools
avatar for Alyson Rocco

Alyson Rocco

Executive Leadership Coach, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools (FCSS)
JS
Monday March 31, 2025 1:45pm - 3:15pm PDT
High Tech High Room 108
  Sessions
 
Tuesday, April 1
 

9:00am PDT

4A-Chronic Absenteeism Improvement Review with New Visions for Public Schools Filling
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 148
A powerful routine where improvement teams reflect on their data and learning, share a dilemma, and receive feedback from experts who can provide a fresh perspective and push. Join this fishbowl type session to experience this routine, learn more about a team’s work, and glean insights to inform your own improvement efforts.

New Visions works with 71 school teams across New York to identify different types of chronic absenteeism, and provide targeted and differentiated support. A subset of these schools are piloting regular 1:1 “check-ins” as the core intervention for “butterfly” students – students who want to be at school, but consistently miss a day or two each week. Come learn more about this work, grapple with a dilemma together, and glean insights to inform your own improvement efforts.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Ryan Gallagher
avatar for Sola Takahashi
SP
ER

Edgar Rodriguez

VP of School Support, New Visions for Public Schools, New Visions for Public Schools (Cohort 3)
avatar for Jonathan Green

Jonathan Green

Lead Continuous Improvement Coach, New Visions for Public Schools
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 148
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4B-Improvement as a Field: Where have we been? Where are we going?
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Commons
Let’s have deep conversations on issues that matter to improvers. No slide decks, just real talk. Fireside chats are places for attendees to connect with luminaries, hear transformative stories, and ask questions. This is not a panel, but a free-flowing conversation where a pair of educational leaders interview one another and pursue their wonderings together.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Manuelito Biag

Manuelito Biag

Improvement Advisor, National Center for School-University Partnerships
avatar for Louis Gomez

Louis Gomez

Senior Partner, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
Louis Gomez holds the MacArthur Chair in Digital Media and Learning in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California Los Angeles. Gomez has served since 2008 as a senior partner at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching... Read More →
avatar for Alicia Grunow

Alicia Grunow

Co-Founder; Improvement Specialist, Improvement Collective
Alicia Grunow is an educational improvement expert, specializing in how to apply the science of improvement to help teams, organizations and networks reach their improvement goals. Alicia started her career as a bilingual teacher in Denver Public School and then in New York City... Read More →
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Commons
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4C-Learning from Public Chronic Absenteeism Data: An Interactive Control Chart Dashboard
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 205
Discover a fresh perspective on Chronic Absenteeism with the NCIE data team’s interactive control chart dashboard, designed from California’s public data to drive improvement rather than accountability. In this hands-on session, participants will explore absenteeism data across California schools and districts, learning from variation and “bright spots” of success that can inspire actionable insights. For those interested in the technical side, we’ll also dive into the code and tools behind the dashboard, offering practical guidance for creating similar solutions. Join us to see how public data can be leveraged for learning and improvement.

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Ben Sanoff

Ben Sanoff

High Tech High GSE
avatar for Erica Geary

Erica Geary

Data Scientist, HTH GSE
JG

Julio Garcia-Granados

High Tech High Graduate School of Education
avatar for Brandon Bennett

Brandon Bennett

Improvement Advisor, Teacher and Author
Brandon Bennett is an advisor, teacher and author who helps organizations in health care, education and social welfare improve outcomes for the communities and individuals they serve. As the founder of ISC LLC, Brandon Bennett teaches advanced improvement methods and partners on a... Read More →
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 205
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4D-System Mapping: Making Work Visible Full
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 123
Improving outcomes requires changing the systems that produce them, but systems can be hard to see. This session introduces systems mapping as a method to visualize work as interdependent processes, uncovering key connections, dependencies, and leverage points for improvement. Through real-world case examples, we’ll show how system mapping can reveal how work happens and guide more strategic decisions. Participants will practice creating system maps and leave with practical insights for applying this tool to drive school improvements.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Amanda Meyer

Amanda Meyer

Senior Director of Improvement, CORE Districts
avatar for David M. Williams, PhD

David M. Williams, PhD

Senior Improvement Advisor, DMW / Austin
Senior Improvement Advisor I Author, Quality as an Organizational Strategy I Former Senior Lead of Leadership and Improvement Science and Methods at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement | Former Paramedic and Ambulance System Expert I Creator, Mr. Potato Head and Coin Spin PDSA... Read More →
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 123
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4E-Transforming a Large Urban High School to a Culture of Improvement: Lincoln High School
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 109
Discover how Lincoln High School transformed its culture and dramatically improved student success through evidence-based changes and the power of continuous improvement. Once facing a reality where 60% of 9th graders were off-track and credit recovery was commonplace, Lincoln embarked on a bold journey to reimagine its approach. By shifting from a culture of blame to one of collective ownership, the school empowered teachers to unleash their problem-solving potential and tackle systemic challenges.

Through the use of data-driven strategies and PDSA cycles, Lincoln reduced its off-track rate by over 20 percentage points, with even greater gains among Black students. This session will provide a deep dive into their inspiring story—how they moved from a narrative of underperformance to one of collaboration and sustained improvement. Join us to explore actionable insights and tools you can use to create meaningful change in your own context.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Stephanie Brown

Stephanie Brown

Principal, Lincoln High School
I am deeply passionate about creating educational environments where all students, especially those from historically marginalized communities, can thrive. With over 20 years of experience in high-needs public schools, I’ve dedicated my career to leading transformative school initiatives... Read More →
avatar for Juli Coleman

Juli Coleman

Chief of Improvement, School Networks, CORE Districts
Juli Coleman is the Chief of Improvement, School Networks, for The CORE Districts. She leads a multi-district network of 45 high schools across eight large urban districts focused on improving 9th grade on-track rates.With over 25 years of experience in education, Juli has served... Read More →
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 109
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4F-Beyond Change Packages: Strategies for Creating Dynamic, Silo-busting Resource Hubs Full
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 105
Join HTH GSE’s CARE Network team and their design partner, Friday, as they challenge us to acknowledge the drawbacks of PDF change packages and the benefits of a digital approach. Together, you’ll dive into the principles of atomic design, explore the benefits of consistent messaging structures, and consider how filtering and tagging strategies can break down silos between district, school, and classroom teams. Lessons will be grounded in their own work to build a more dynamic resource hub, efforts you’ll be invited to join as we work together to spread and scale improvement routines and change ideas.

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Daisy Sharrock

Daisy Sharrock

Director, CARE Network, HTH GSE
avatar for Elizabeth Cameron

Elizabeth Cameron

Co-founder & Partner, Friday
Elizabeth has over 10 years of experience partnering with mission-driven organizations to develop brands and communications that match the magic of what they do. She excels at seeing the big picture, defining the steps and strategy needed to get there, and bringing others along to... Read More →
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 105
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4G-Interrogating Improvement: Reimagining Improvement Science for Equity and Justice Filling
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 137
In this session, participants will explore the crucial role of equity and justice in the field of improvement science (IS). Participants will learn from a group of equity and justice-centered improvers about how they designed learning experiences for their team to critically evaluate and refine IS methods. The session will 1) equip participants with approaches, skills, and lenses for interrogating IS tools and methods; 2) provide a space to delve into vital connections between IS work and educational equity; and 3) help participants apply a justice-oriented framework to the design and execution of improvement projects.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
II
CS
RN
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 137
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4K-Beyond Firefighting: Solving Problems to Root Using Real-Time Problem Solving (RTPS)
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 218
Education leaders often find themselves firefighting — addressing immediate issues only to see them resurface. Real-Time Problem Solving (RTPS) offers a method that tackles problems at their root, focusing on individual incidents, rather than problem generalizations,  to uncover and address their underlying causes, then sharing these solutions across the system. Guided by the principles “systems, not people” and “solve, don’t fix,” RTPS fosters sustainable solutions that reduce inequitable outcomes. In this session, participants will engage in hands-on RTPS activities, developing practical skills and mindsets to implement meaningful, lasting improvements in their own work.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Tomás Molfino

Tomás Molfino

Improvement Specialist, WestEd
JD
JS
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 218
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4L-Hardwiring Improvement for the Student and System Results Filling
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 146
Improvement cycles are the engine to realize improved results. Learn alongside executive leaders building the capacity to scale student learning and system results based on a decade of evidence within the field.  These leaders are scaling what was learned within the School District of Menomonee Falls and leading the way to improved outcomes in highly diverse communities.  They will share how they are reducing the impact of fragmented system processes and spreading improvement capability across every classroom.  These executive leaders are demonstrating their ability to remove systemic barriers, ensure student access, and demonstrate improved results, system wide. 

We cannot improve what we can’t measure: Share your feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Jennifer Marroquin

Jennifer Marroquin

Assistant Superintendent (Educational Services), Tulare City School District
avatar for Adam Leckie

Adam Leckie

Superintendent, CGESD
avatar for Casey Blochowiak, Ph.D.

Casey Blochowiak, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Huron|Studer Education
Casey helps educational leaders create people-first organizations where individuals want to be, thrive, contribute, and grow — all while achieving results. She draws upon decades of K-12 experience as a teacher, literacy specialist, and leader in school administration. Prior to... Read More →
avatar for Whitney Holton
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High Room 146
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4M-Leading to Build and Sustain PLCs for Student Growth and Teacher Empowerment
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 124
In this interactive session, participants will learn how the Tea Area School District utilizes improvement science principles to enhance instructional practices through weekly Elementary Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings. Attendees will engage in hands-on activities that illustrate the use of student-driven Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles and effective goal-setting strategies.Through group discussions, role-playing scenarios, and real-life improvement studies, attendees will collaborate with peers to share insights and develop actionable strategies. The session will incorporate feedback loops and guidelines used in the Tea Area PLCs, highlighting the gradual release of ownership to teachers and the importance of feedback cycles in fostering teacher agency and increasing teacher collective efficacy.

Celebrate and push on the work: Give feedback on this session.
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Samantha Walder

Dr. Samantha Walder

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Tea Area School District
avatar for John Westhoff

John Westhoff

School Improvement Coach
avatar for Tracy Schmidt

Tracy Schmidt

Continuous School Improvement Coach, Tea Area School District
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 124
  Sessions

9:00am PDT

4N-From Innovation to Impact: Designing for Sustainable Scaling in a Networked Community
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 215
Our session shares the journey of evolving from an innovation-focused network to a scaling initiative, driven by a commitment to expand effective practices reliably across diverse schools and regions. We’ll discuss how we built and refined infrastructure to support routines for data collection, fostered cross-regional collaboration, and developed onboarding systems to welcome new teams while honoring the work of founding partners. Join us to explore strategies and tools that not only spread proven methods but also create a pipeline of skilled practitioners to sustain field growth and impact.

Improvers 💜 data: Complete the Session Survey.
Speakers
avatar for Stephanie Lassalle

Stephanie Lassalle

Director of Improvement Programs, Marshall Street
avatar for Kim Burdi

Kim Burdi

Director of Continuous Improvement, Marshall Street
Tuesday April 1, 2025 9:00am - 10:30am PDT
High Tech High International Room 215
  Sessions
 
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