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Agenda
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Arrival and Welcome 8:00 - 8:30 AM
Chris Sweeney, Jill Jacoby, Deion Jordan, & Julianna Charles Brown
Begin the day with arrival, registration, and light refreshments. Opening remarks will frame the vision and goals for the day, situating the summit within the broader regional movement toward personalized and competency-based learning in Pennsylvania.
Kickoff Session 8:30 AM
Perspectives on PL in SWPA, A Unified View Across Roles
Perspectives on PL in SWPA, A Unified View Across Roles
Speakers: Madeline Loring, Dr. Christian Lesnett, Dr. Autumn Turk
Moderator: Deion Jordan
The opening conversation explores personalized learning through the lens of the people leading and experiencing the work every day. Panelists will discuss instructional shifts, enabling conditions, student empowerment, systems leadership, learner agency, and the future of personalized learning across Southwest Pennsylvania.
Participants will hear how educators, leaders, and students are collectively shaping more responsive, equitable, and future-ready learning systems
Morning Preview & Breakout Orientation: 8:30 - 9:15
Morning Preview & Breakout Orientation: 8:30 - 9:15
A brief overview of the morning experience, breakout sessions, and pathways for participant engagement throughout the summit.
9:15 - 9:35
Team Planning Time: Structured district/school team planning facilitated through reflection prompts focused on current needs, priorities, and next steps for advancing personalized learning within their local context. This session intentionally creates space for teams to slow down, align, and strategically plan amidst the realities of implementation work.
Team Planning Time: Structured district/school team planning facilitated through reflection prompts focused on current needs, priorities, and next steps for advancing personalized learning within their local context. This session intentionally creates space for teams to slow down, align, and strategically plan amidst the realities of implementation work.
9:35 - 10:35
Thematic Peer Dialogue: Participants will select one facilitated conversation centered on a key area of systems transformation.
Thematic Peer Dialogue: Participants will select one facilitated conversation centered on a key area of systems transformation.
Operationalizing a Portrait of a Graduate
Operationalizing a Portrait of a Graduate
Facilitator(s): The Consortium for Public Education
Explore how districts are translating Portraits of a Graduate from vision statements into actionable systems, instructional practices, learner experiences, and implementation strategies.
School Structures & Policy Flexibility
School Structures & Policy Flexibility
Facilitator(s): Carrie Morgan-Davis, Butler Area SD
This dialogue examines how schools are leveraging Pennsylvania policy flexibility around instructional time, scheduling, grading, and learning structures to support learner-centered environments.
Outcomes & Performance Assessment Systems
Outcomes & Performance Assessment Systems
Facilitator(s): Thomas Gaffey & Ayris Sanders, Building 21
Participants will explore emerging approaches to competency-based assessment, learner evidence, and performance systems that move beyond traditional grading structures toward demonstrations of mastery.
Classroom Practices for Personalized Learning
Classroom Practices for Personalized Learning
Facilitator(s): Personalized Learning Ambassadors
This session highlights practical classroom-level shifts that strengthen learner agency, voice, authentic engagement, and facilitation-centered instruction.
Student Voice and Leadership
Student Voice and Leadership
Facilitator(s): Emily Sanders, Hempfield Area SD
Explore structures and practices that authentically center student leadership, belonging, wellness, and learner ownership within personalized learning environments.
Break: 10:35 - 10:45
10:45 - 11:45
PL Deep Dive I (Session I)
PL Deep Dive I (Session I)
Facilitated hands-on deep-dive, focused on providing opportunities to learn, collaborate, and share new ideas that lead to implementation. Participants leave with concrete, actionable steps and resources.
Encouraging Contagious Excellence from Within: A faculty's journey to embrace student-centered-learning through collaboration and professional development
Presenters: Chartiers-Houston SD Team
This session explores how instructional change can become contagious in a school that prioritizes student-centered learning. The Chartiers-Houston team will share the critical inflection points that began an instructional growth in their school and invite participants to explore how to reflect upon their own systems to identify where student-centered learning can best be applied and shared from classroom to classroom.
Personalization and Precision Teaching: Redesigning the High School Experience
Personalization and Precision Teaching: Redesigning the High School Experience
Presenters: Butler Area SD Team
Learn how Butler Area SD leveraged Precision Teaching, personalized educator evaluation systems, and a Ninth Grade Academy model to redesign student learning experiences and strengthen learner engagement through facilitation-centered instruction.
Building a Learner-Centered Ecosystem: Examples from Practice
Building a Learner-Centered Ecosystem: Examples from Practice
Presenters: Hampton SD Team
This session explores practical examples of learner-centered systems and how districts can shift from school-centered models toward more responsive and empowering learning environments.
Centering Culture, Amplifying Voice: Using Arts Learning to Deepen Personalized Learning
Centering Culture, Amplifying Voice: Using Arts Learning to Deepen Personalized Learning
Presenters: Yael Silk, Nina Unitas & Pittsburgh Public Schools / Arts Education Collaborative Team
Participants will explore how arts-based and culturally responsive practices deepen personalized learning implementation, strengthen learner identity, and amplify student voice through authentic and equitable learning experiences.
Next Talks
Next Talks
Moonshot Grant Innovation Showcase: Rapid-fire presentations highlighting innovative learner-centered practices emerging through Remake Learning Moonshot initiatives.
Moonshot Grant Innovation Showcase: Rapid-fire presentations highlighting innovative learner-centered practices emerging through Remake Learning Moonshot initiatives.
Presenters:
Dr. Rachel Nagy, California Area SD, Moderator
Tessa Karel, Open Up
Deborah Lange, Ruach Cycling
Jon Engel, Rivers of Steel
Gina Masciola, WQED
Lunch 11:45 - 12:30
Afternoon Plenary 12:30 - 1:05
PL in PA
PL in PA
Presenters: Thomas Gaffey & Ayris Sanders, Building 21
Moderator: Deion Jordan
Pennsylvania is building momentum around personalized, competency-based learning through strong regional collaboration, innovative district leadership and flexible policy conditions. This work is advancing a shared vision for learner-centered systems that empower students through authentic learning, flexible pathways and meaningful demonstration of mastery.
Break: 1:05 - 1:15
1:15 - 2:15
PL Deep Dive (Session II)
PL Deep Dive (Session II)
Rethinking the Credit: Operationalizing a Broader Definition of Student Success
Rethinking the Credit: Operationalizing a Broader Definition of Student Success
Presenters: Thomas Gaffey & Ayris Sanders, Building 21
In this session, you will learn how Building 21 helps schools operationalize competency-based learning and replace time-based credits with personalized learning pathways for all students. Working with schools in PA and across the country, we've developed this approach through years of practice and partnership.
Studios in Motion: Building Future-Ready Skills Through Personalized Learning in Middle School
Studios in Motion: Building Future-Ready Skills Through Personalized Learning in Middle School
Presenters: Autumn Turk & Travis Welch
Explore Burrell’s middle school Studio model, where learners engage in immersive, interdisciplinary experiences driven by student interests, real-world challenges, and career pathways. Participants will learn how Burrell redesigned schedules, spaces, and instructional roles to support agency, collaboration, and authentic learning.
Beyond the Bell: Designing a Future-Ready High School Experience
Beyond the Bell: Designing a Future-Ready High School Experience
Presenters: Emily Sanders, Hempfield Area SD & Jason Lucia, Central Westmoreland CTC
Explore how schools are redesigning the high school experience through career-connected learning, internships, cross-sector partnerships, and future-ready pathways. Participants will examine innovative approaches to rethinking the senior year and expanding authentic learning opportunities.
Next Talks
Next Talks
PL Ambassador/Educator Spotlight Talks: Short-form practitioner talks highlighting instructional shifts, implementation lessons, learner agency, and classroom transformation stories from across the region.
PL Ambassador/Educator Spotlight Talks: Short-form practitioner talks highlighting instructional shifts, implementation lessons, learner agency, and classroom transformation stories from across the region.
Presenters:
Madeline Loring, 2026 PA Teacher of the Year | Jefferson-Morgan
Justin Gavazzi | Chartiers-Houston
Amanda Wilhelm | Grove City
Transition: Networking 2:15 - 2:20
2:20 - 3:00
Facilitated Reflection: The Future of PL in SWPA & Closing
Facilitated Reflection: The Future of PL in SWPA & Closing
Participants will engage in a facilitated regional reflection exploring emerging opportunities, barriers, and next steps for advancing personalized learning and systems transformation across Southwest Pennsylvania.
Post-Summit Social Networking | Location TBD
3:00 - 5:00
Participants are invited to continue conversations, strengthen partnerships, and build connections across districts, organizations, and regional learning communities.
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