ADE Summit 2026

This session will focus on the important difference between doing better on a test and meeting individual student growth targets. Participants will explore the distinction between proficiency gains and value-added growth, including how the value-added growth score is calculated and what it truly measures. By unpacking common misconceptions, this session will help educators better understand how students can grow academically—even if test scores do not move as expected—and how growth measures provide a more complete picture of student progress.

Failure is not inevitable. This high-impact, one-hour session provides school and district leaders with research-backed actions for sustainable transformation. This presentation focuses on the "radical improvement" required to shift school environment, instruction, and results.
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to view their school or district through the following lenses:
*Establish Urgent Leadership: Signal the need for immediate, dramatic change while building a team dedicated to turnaround goals.
*Leverage Data for Action: Utilize real-time, student-level data to adjust instructional strategies and reduce absenteeism.
*Rebuild Environment and Trust: Implement transparent communication strategies to unite staff, parents, and the community.
*Optimize Resources: Align budgetary and human resources with "mission-critical" interventions rather than widespread, superficial reforms.

This session provides an overview of LAUNCH for Students, a statewide student success planning framework. Participants will learn the purpose, key components, and expectations for implementation to support student achievement and postsecondary readiness.

School/District teams will have the opportunity to meet during this time and share what they learned.