We can’t wait to collaborate and learn along with you at Summer Summit 2025!
July 29 and 30, 2025: In-Person Sessions for Leaders at MVHS
DCSD Staff:It is DCSD’s policy to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including the provision of appropriate auxiliary aids and services to employees with disabilities to ensure effective communication. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation from DCSD under the ADA, visit the DCSD ADA website. to learn more or fill out the ADA Reasonable Accommodation Request Form. (If you are employed with one of the Charter Schools within DCSD, please contact your school administration for any needed accommodations).
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Executive Director of Schools, Douglas County School District
Kristin has over 30 years in Douglas County School District in multiple roles including classroom teacher, Professional Learning Specialist, Professional Development Coordinator, High School Administrator, Elementary Principal, and now the Executive Director of Schools for the Parker... Read More →
Participants will learn about twice exceptional learners and how we work as a district to identify them, plan for them and provide appropriate programming in collaboration with other departments.
Beyond Prompting: Understanding AI as Disciplinary Literacy. In Douglas Adams’ sci-fi satire The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a group of hyper-intelligent beings builds a supercomputer, Deep Thought, to answer the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. After 7.5 million years of computation, the answer—famously—is “42.” The problem? No one knew the actual question. Today’s AI-when viewed as a merely a tool-can produce answers just as easily. Without thoughtful questioning and disciplinary framing, AI answers often lack meaning and real application. At worst, they hallucinate. This session invites instructional leaders to embrace AI as disciplinary literacy. Grounded in the aligned standards of true disciplinary literacy, participants will explore how AI can sharpen disciplinary thinking rather than dilute it, and enhance—not replace—the work of thinking, questioning, and learning. In this session, leaders will explore the cultural and historical development of AI, discuss its implications for society and education, and apply frameworks such as RISEN to tools such as custom GPTs, and explore how to better coach teachers and PLCs in designing, critiquing, and integrating AI prompts to aligned standards-based, inquiry-driven instruction.
In this hands-on session, we will explore how AI can help synthesize key school documents. Participants will learn how to customize their own AI-powered notebook to support decision-making, organization, and strategic planning at their school.
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Coordinator, Douglas County School District
I believe in shared leadership focused on synergy, visioning, coaching, learning, pushing boundaries and student agency. My journey includes 25 years in education in multiple roles including classroom teacher, Professional Learning Specialist, Professional Development Coordinator... Read More →
In this session, school leaders will explore state-level data visualizations, analyze trends, and begin strategizing their school improvement plans based on key insights and performance metrics.
This session will provide participants an opportunity to reflect on the middle school philosophy as described by AMLE Characteristics of a Middle School and then consider goals and next steps for the 25-26 school year.
Leaders will learn how to use the UFLI Leadership Walkthrough Tools to guide PLC conversations and support teachers with targeted, differentiated next steps. This session will focus on using walkthrough data to grow teacher practice and move UFLI implementation forward across classrooms.
This session is designed to deepen leaders’ and coaches’ understanding of rigor in the context of math instruction. Participants will analyze examples of tasks and lessons to distinguish surface-level coverage from deep, conceptual engagement. Through scenarios and role-play, leaders will sharpen their ability to recognize rigorous opportunities within high quality instructional materials, reflect on coaching strategies that elevate thinking, and practice giving feedback that cultivates mathematical reasoning, productive struggle, and student discourse.
Executive Director of Schools, Douglas County School District
Kristin has over 30 years in Douglas County School District in multiple roles including classroom teacher, Professional Learning Specialist, Professional Development Coordinator, High School Administrator, Elementary Principal, and now the Executive Director of Schools for the Parker... Read More →
There is a lot of research that shows clustering gifted students is good for all students! It is a very effective and cost saving way to meet the needs of advanced and gifted students while decreasing the range of abilities in all classrooms which helps teachers in providing support for all students. Participants will learn about the school wide cluster model, how to set up clustering at your school and how to avoid the pitfalls.
This session is designed for school leaders who are currently implementing, or planning to implement, the Depth and Complexity Framework.The focus will be on how leaders can support teachers and students in using the framework to deepen thinking and increase the level of rigor required of students. Participants will explore strategies to strengthen implementation through self-reflection and observation rubrics, coaching questions, key “look-fors” during classroom visits, induction resources for new staff, and next steps after completing the advanced course.
This session will move beyond basic usage to explore advanced prompting techniques, integrated workflows between Gemini and NotebookLM, data analysis, and strategies to make your work more efficient.
The most effective schools thrive when instructional coaches and principals operate as strategic partners—leveraging their distinct roles to drive collective efficacy, align instructional practices, and meet the needs of every learner. This session supports principal–PLS teams in clarifying roles, aligning efforts, and developing systems that boost instructional efficiency and collective efficacy. Through reflection, protocols, and practical tools, participants will co-design workflows that enhance collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and schoolwide impact.
What does it take to lead a truly data-responsive classroom culture? This session will explore how instructional leaders can support the use of real-time student data to inform instructional decisions, guide intervention, and strengthen differentiation. Participants will engage in practical exercises and reflect on leadership strategies that promote responsive teaching practices schoolwide. This foundational session is designed to spark ongoing learning and leadership around responsive, student-centered instruction.
In this session, school leaders will explore state-level data visualizations, analyze trends, and begin strategizing their school improvement plans based on key insights and performance metrics.
By the end of the session, participants will walk away with practical tools and strategies to spark meaningful Emergenetics conversations within their teams. Together, we can create a more connected, dynamic school culture!
Designed for middle and high school teams ready to deepen their collaboration, this session focuses on the next-level practices that move PLCs from functional to high-impact. Using Amplify Your Impact and The Teacher Team Leader Handbook as guides, participants will explore tools, protocols, and leadership strategies that support clarity, collective efficacy, and student-focused results.
What does it take to lead rigorous instruction in today’s classrooms? This session explores the essential role of school leaders in advancing three-dimensional instruction—a framework that integrates disciplinary knowledge, authentic practices, and conceptual thinking to deepen student learning across content areas. Participants will examine how three-dimensional learning increases rigor, supports transfer, and drives equity, while also identifying the leadership moves needed to sustain it. Through collaborative discussion, practical tools, and examples from multiple disciplines, school leaders will leave with strategies to align instructional vision, support PLCs, and foster a school culture where inquiry, sense-making, and engagement are the norm. Whether you're leading science, social studies, literacy, or math, this session will help you guide your staff in creating classrooms where every learner thinks deeply, reasons critically, and applies learning in meaningful ways.
