8:30-9:00 am
General Session: Welcome! Stacy Smith, Deputy Commissioner, Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Horner Hall
9:00-10:15 am
Keynote: Dr. Tessie Bailey,
Part I: Lessons Learned from Supporting Local Implementation of Specially Designed Instruction
Horner Hall
Presenter SDI Handouts
Presenter Lessons Learned Handouts
Presenter SDI Myths and Facts Handouts
10:15-10:30 am Break: Exhibits Open
Bridging the Gap: C to B Transition
Room 201-202
The transition from Part C early intervention to Part B preschool services is a critical bridge in a child’s educational journey. This session will focus on strategies for ensuring smooth, timely, and effective transitions that support children, families, and schools. Participants will learn how to strengthen collaboration, address common challenges, and build bridges that connect early supports to long-term success.
Danita Pitts
Connecting CTE Secondary Education to Enrollment, Employment and Enlistment Through Career Pathways
Room 203-204
This session provides a discussion of the REVISED CTE Pathways and how these updates create stronger bridges from secondary education to enrolling in college, entering employment, and/or enlisting in the military after high school graduation. Participants will explore the revisions, share feedback, and learn how the updated pathways support smoother transitions for students as they cross into postsecondary opportunities.
Ross White and Sonja Wright-McMurray
Shared Strategies, Strong Foundations: Pre-K-3 Quick Tips for Positive Behavior
Room 207
Discover evidence-based behavior strategies that strengthen consistency across Pre-K–3. This session will focus on practical, shared approaches that support early learners and establish strong foundations for long-term success.
Nicheyta Raino and Sandy Crawley
The AI Advantage: Building Bridges to Meaningful Access for Students with IEPs
Room 208
Creating meaningful access for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to thrive requires more than physical presence. It demands thoughtful (and sometimes challenging) adaptation and modification of curriculum and activities to ensure meaningful access and participation. This session explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can revolutionize the process of modifying student work, empowering educators to provide personalized support efficiently and effectively.
Jessica Saum
Clear Pathways to Meaningful Futures: Graduation and Course Codes
Room 209
Beginning in 2026, all ninth-graders—including students with disabilities—must earn credits through instruction from content-licensed teachers, as required by the Meaningful Access Implementation Timeline. While Arkansas has made progress in including more students with disabilities in general education since 2021, this shift represents a major change for many districts. This session will provide guidance on creative staffing strategies and address key issues such as course codes, licensure, grading, and their impact on graduation pathways.
Jeff Adams and Becky Bell
11:30 am-1:00 pm Lunch
Lunch on Thursday will be on your own. A concession service will be available in the Plaza Lobby by Horner Hall, featuring a Chef's Choice menu for $15.00. Food trucks are also located directly across the street from the Hotel Hot springs.
A variety of restaurants are within walking distance of the Convention Center.
It’s a Bridge Not a Barrier: Acquisition and Use of Knowledge and Skills in the Early Years
Room 201-202
Early childhood is a critical bridge between development and lifelong learning. This session will explore how young children acquire and use knowledge and skills, emphasizing strategies that remove barriers and strengthen supports in the earliest years. Participants will learn how intentional practices and data-driven decisions can build strong spans that connect early learning experiences to future academic and social success.
Danita Pitts
Two Tracks, One Destination: Connecting ALE and Special Education
Room 203-204
CW Gardenhire
Presentation slides
Crossing the Bridge to I-13 Compliance
Room 207
Effective transition planning is the bridge that connects secondary students to the life they want beyond high school. This session will focus on IDEA’s Indicator 13 requirements, highlighting the importance of compliance and the services Arkansas Transition Services provides to maintain compliance. Participants will learn strategies to close compliance gaps, strengthen IEP transition planning, and build bridges that support meaningful futures for students.
ATS Team
Presentation Slides
Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Trends in Dispute Resolution
Room 208
Disputes in special education can feel like troubled waters for families and schools alike. This session will highlight recent trends in mediation, complaints, and due process, and examine how shifts in policy and practice are shaping dispute resolution. Participants will explore strategies to move from conflict to collaboration, building stronger partnerships that support meaningful outcomes for students.
Rick Porter
Constructing Pathways through the Meaningful Access and Participation Project (MAP)
Room 209
The Southwest Jr. High team will share their experiences, lessons learned, and key accomplishments from participating in the MAP Project. This session will highlight how educators strengthened instruction, built systems of support, and used collaborative strategies to close learning gaps and increase meaningful access for all students.
Alonzo Terrell and Team Southwest Jr. High
Presentation Slides
Keynote: Dr. Tessie Bailey,
Part II: Myths and Facts About Specially Designed Instruction with MTSS
Presenter SDI Handouts
Presenter Lessons Learned Handouts
Presenter SDI Myths and Facts Handouts
