Save the Date! Friday, April 10, 2026

Session 3

1:00 - 1:50

Title: From Acquisition to Generalization: Applying the Instructional Hierarchy to Math Instruction & Intervention

Presenter: Julie Brown

Room: Susquehanna/Yellow Breeches

Description: Effective math instruction requires more than teaching skills—it requires helping students apply those skills across contexts. This session explores how the Instructional Hierarchy (Acquisition, Fluency, Generalization, and Adaptation) can guide targeted math instruction and intervention. Participants will learn how to match instructional strategies to student needs at each stage, examine examples across grade levels, and consider practical applications for classroom and intervention settings. Leave with tools to support stronger skill mastery, improved transfer, and deeper mathematical understanding.

Grade Level Focus: Overall focus (K-12)

Bio: Julie Brown is an Educational Consultant at PaTTAN Central, where she supports the Math and LEEI Initiatives through professional development, coaching, and technical assistance. She brings more than 25 years of experience in public education, including serving as a TaC Specialist with the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit and 17 years as an elementary teacher. Julie holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Penn State and an M.Ed. from Wilson College. She is the proud mother of two college-age daughters and enjoys community volunteer work, baking, outdoor activities, and reading.

Related Math Topics: Explicit Math Instruction, Math Instructional Practices

Presentation Resources:

Title: Algebra Ready? Using CDTs to identify readiness and gaps.

Presenter: Scott Snyder

Room: Keystone

Description: Are all kids ready for Algebra just because they are in 9th grade? Identify learning gaps to better support students in their Algebraic success or before placing kids in a course they aren’t ready for. CDT’s, a free tool provided by PDE, helps math teachers identify those gaps and where kids are stuck. Get a high level overview of what the CDT’s are, how they work, and the data that is produced, so your LEA can consider this as a screening tool to help level up instruction for your students’ success.

Grade Level Focus: Secondary focus (6-12)

Bio: Scott Snyder is an Educational Consultant with over 11 years of experience supporting teachers and coaches in improving instruction and technology integration. He serves as regional liaison for Classroom Diagnostic Tools and leads AI-focused work for the IU and partner districts. Previously, he spent over 2 decades supporting teaching and learning, as well as districtwide technology initiatives, at the secondary level. He is a lifetime PAECT member and chairs the Keystones program.

Related Math Topics: Coaching Math, Math Data Analysis/ Interpretation

Presentation Resources:

Title: Teaching Math Vocabulary That Sticks: An Explicit Instruction Approach

Presenter: Michelle Trostle

Room: Meadow

Description: Mathematics comprehension depends on precise understanding of academic vocabulary, yet many students struggle to learn and retain math terms. This session connects Dr. Anita Archer’s explicit 4-step vocabulary routine with Isabel Beck’s Bringing Words to Life framework to support intentional selection and instruction of math vocabulary. Participants will learn how to identify high-impact math terms and teach them explicitly using clear explanations, examples, non-examples, and structured checks for understanding. Practical classroom-ready routines will be shared to support access to rigorous math content for all learners.

Grade Level Focus: Overall focus (K-12)

Bio: Michelle Trostle is a literacy specialist and professional learning provider focused on explicit instruction and disciplinary literacy. She works with educators to apply evidence-based practices from the science of reading and learning across content areas, including mathematics.