8:30 - 11:30 AM MORNING- Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS): Data-Driven Decision Making for Educators and School Teams

This interactive training invites educators and school teams to discover the Team Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) framework, a practical, hands-on approach for turning student data into meaningful action. Through engaging activities, real-world scenarios, and collaborative exercises, participants will experience how TIPS streamlines meetings, sparks creative solutions, and fosters a culture of shared problem-solving. You'll not only learn how to use data to pinpoint challenges and track progress but also build powerful team skills that make every meeting purposeful and productive. Join us to learn practical tools you can apply right away, build your confidence in leading team initiatives, and connect with peers. You'll leave with strategies to support measurable improvements in student outcomes.

Training Objectives By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Define TIPS framework and its role in team-based decision making.

• Establish effective meeting foundations

• Use data to identify and analyze problems

• Develop and implement contextually fit solutions

12:30 - 3:30 PM AFTERNOON: Building Data Literacy: Practical Strategies for Everyday Use

Training Description:

This hands-on training empowers classroom educators to confidently explore, manage, and use data to inform instruction and improve student outcomes. Designed with simplicity and practicality in mind, the session introduces foundational data literacy concepts and walks educators through easy-to-implement strategies for collecting, analyzing, and applying data in their daily teaching routines. Whether you're new to data or looking to refine your skills, this training offers tools and techniques that fit seamlessly into classroom practice.

Training Objectives:

• By the end of the training, participant will be able to:

• Define the Core Elements of Data Literacy

• Apply Data to Instructional Decision-Making

• Streamline Data Practices for Efficiency

• Use data to engage in continuous improvement

The Far-Reaching Impact of Supporting the Development of Executive Functions throughout your daily routines. If you have ever wondered why some children just seem to need one more explanation, one more prompt, one more example before understanding an assignment. If you have found yourself saying,” You knew this yesterday, why don’t you know it today?” If you can predict which students will need transition support and which students will struggle with auditory directions, then this is the training for you. Adaptable thinking, planning, self-monitoring, self-control, working memory, time management, and organization are all executive functioning skills that can be encouraged in learning environments. Research supports intentionally providing guidance and experiences that encourage the development of those executive functioning skills in young children. 

Define executive functioning and the role it plays in a child’s development.

        ▪ Identify the three categories of executive functions

        ▪ Identify the connection between executive functions and the key indicators.

        ▪ Explain how executive functioning impacts literacy and math skills as well as social skills.

        ▪ Identify and prioritize strategies and resources to promote the development of specific 

           executive functioning skills in young children.

Stephanie Lester has over 35 years in education including: teaching preschool and a Project-Based Learning Multiage K-1st program, professional development speaker, author, Assistant Principal, Early Childhood Education Director, and Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment.

Currently Stephanie partners with school communities as an Educational Consultant focusing on providing literacy support aligned with the science of reading, as well as professional development training on a variety of topics. Stephanie believes that children learn best when they are excited, engaged, and experiencing success in the learning environment. Stephanie has published two books: Year-Round Project-Based Activities for STEM and Science Through the Year. Stephanie is passionate about inspiring, educating, and motivating teachers to implement evidence-based instructional practices with the goal of developing the social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills that children will need to experience SUCCESS as 21st Century learners.

Stephanie Lester holds a MA degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction, an Administrative Credential, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, a CLAD Certification, CLASS certification, and a Program Director Child Development permit. 

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is one of the most common, yet often under-identified, communication disorders in children. Children with DLD experience persistent difficulties in understanding and/or using language, and these challenges significantly impact learning, literacy, social-emotional development, and long-term academic outcomes. This session will begin with an overview of DLD, including key diagnostic features, prevalence, and points of overlap with other developmental and learning challenges, then take a deeper dive into the unique needs of elementary school–aged children with a focus on evidence-based strategies and interventions that speech-language pathologists and special education staff and educators can integrate into daily practice for children with DLD.

Dr Laurie Swineford Thompson CCC SLP 

Associate Professor WSU Elson S Floyd College of Medicine  Education 

PhD Communication Sciences and Disorders, Florida State University MA Communication Sciences and Disorders, Florida State University BS Speech Language and Hearing Sciences, Kean University 

Courses Taught SHS 545 Autism SHS 542 Infant and Toddler Language and Communication Research Interests Prelinguistic Communication Social Communication Language Development and Disorders Developmental Disorders Autism Spectrum Disorder Developmental Trajectories Assessment and Measurement 

Ready to close math gaps and boost student success? Join us for a powerful day of learning where you'll walk away with practical strategies, ready-to-use resources, and the confidence to deliver targeted math interventions that make a real difference! 

This full-day  training is designed to equip educators with practical, evidence-based strategies to support students in grades 3–6 who are performing below proficiency in mathematics. Grounded in the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, this session provides a deep dive into how to use data to inform instruction, implement Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions, differentiate core instruction, and monitor progress consistently to ensure interventions are working. Educators will engage in hands-on learning, collaborative discussions, and resource exploration, all focused on building strong foundations in number sense, operations, fractions, and problem-solving. Teachers will leave with ready-to-use tools for small group instruction, progress monitoring templates, and actionable plans to accelerate math achievement for all learners.

Stephanie Lester has over 35 years in education including: teaching preschool and a Project-Based Learning Multiage K-1st program, professional development speaker, author, Assistant Principal, Early Childhood Education Director, and Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment. Currently Stephanie partners with school communities as an Educational Consultant focusing on providing literacy support aligned with the science of reading, as well as professional development training on a variety of topics. Stephanie believes that children learn best when they are excited, engaged, and experiencing success in the learning environment. Stephanie has published two books: Year-Round Project-Based Activities for STEM and Science Through the Year. Stephanie is passionate about inspiring, educating, and motivating teachers to implement evidence-based instructional practices with the goal of developing the social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills that children will need to experience SUCCESS as 21st Century learners.

Stephanie Lester holds a MA degree in Education: Curriculum and Instruction, an Administrative Credential, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, a CLAD Certification, CLASS certification, and a Program Director Child Development permit. 

This session is designed to equip school personnel with the knowledge and practical tools necessary to support students with disabilities, particularly those with developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, intellectual disability) in their transition from school to successful employment. We will move beyond traditional academic preparation to focus on hard (e.g., technical) and soft (e.g., social) skills that are critical for obtaining and maintaining meaningful work. Participants will explore the unique strengths and challenges these individuals may experience in the workplace and learn how to effectively identify, assess, and foster the skills that lead to employment success and satisfaction. The session will emphasize a strengths-based approach to transition planning, providing actionable strategies that can be immediately implemented in the classroom and other educational settings.

Learning Objectives: 

• Define and differentiate between hard and soft skills required in today's workplace.

• Identify the common strengths and potential challenges of individuals with developmental disabilities related to employment skills.

• Utilize a variety of formal and informal assessment tools to create a comprehensive skills profile for individual students.

• Develop targeted intervention strategies and instructional methods to build critical hard and soft skills, with skill selection being informed by assessment.

Dr Keith Radley, Ph.D., BCBA-D, NCSP is the Dee Endowed Professor of School Psychology and  Chair, Department of Educational Psychology  University of Utah. He is also a licensed psychologist and behavior analyst. Dr. Radley’s research interests center on the application of behavioral interventions within academic settings, particularly for individuals with developmental disabilities. Further, his research focuses on data collection, visualization, and decision making in both research and applied contexts.

2024 – Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah Director of Training, School Psychology Program, University of Utah

2023 – Associate Chair, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah

2018 – 2024 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah, Director of Training, School Psychology Program, University of Utah

2012-2018  Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

2012-2018 Director, Southern Miss Autism Research and Treatment (SMART) Lab, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi