ADE Summit 2026: Full Schedule

10:20am CDT

95% More Applicants: How the New Statewide Job Board Is Working for AR Districts

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am CDT

This hands-on workshop teaches district leaders the Pixar Story framework — a proven storytelling structure — to help you cut through job market noise and attract the right candidates. You'll leave with a district story you can start using immediately in your recruiting.

You'll also learn about DESE's partnership with Nimble, which gives Arkansas districts free, grant-funded access to the new statewide job board and recruiting tools. Participating districts have seen applicant volume increase by an average of 95% — this session shows you how to take advantage of these tools for free before the year is out.

Speakers

Capri Salaam

State Director of the Education Renewal Zones / 2023 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, Arkansas Department of Education

Lauren Dachille

Founder & CEO, Nimble

Krista Pfeiffer

Marketing Manager, Nimble

[Branding your District] Pixar Story Framework pdf

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Human Capital, Recruitment & Retention

11:40am CDT

The State of the State Scholarships

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:40am - 12:40pm CDT

Room 205

State scholarships play a critical role in helping Arkansas students access and afford postsecondary education. This session will provide an overview of the current landscape of Arkansas state scholarship programs, including updates to existing awards, recent policy and legislative changes, and key information affecting student eligibility and participation.

Participants will gain insight into scholarship processing, timelines, and common challenges that institutions and counselors encounter when assisting students. The session will also highlight strategies for ensuring students receive accurate, timely information about available opportunities and requirements.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how state scholarships are evolving and how they can best support students in navigating these programs successfully.

Speakers

Alisha Lewis

Assistant Commissioner, Arkansas Division of Higher Education

Alisha Lewis began service to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education in March 2017 where she serves as the Associate Director of Communications. Through Arkansas State Transformation, her role transitioned to Chief Communication Director for the new encompassing Department... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:40am - 12:40pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Operations, Finance

1:00pm CDT

Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools (TRIS): Trainings, Resources and Supports for Schools to Prepare and Respond to Traumatic Events

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Room 205

TRIS exists because in Arkansas, two-thirds of youth will face at least one potentially traumatic event before adulthood and educators often see the impacts of those events on their campus. This presentation is an overview of the trainings, resources and supports TRIS offers to school staff to help them prepare, support and respond to traumatic events.
• At the end of this presentation the audience will walk away with access to trainings for school staff on how to help them become more trauma-informed and trauma responsive on their campus.
• Participants will gain knowledge on how to use the TRIS Crisis Support Toolkit in their school’s preparation and response to traumatic events.

Speakers

Emily Robbins

Social Work Program Manager for Trauma Care, UAMS

Emily has spent 20 years working with children and families in various professional roles. The past 15 years she has been trained in evidenced based mental health treatments to treat trauma in youth ages 0-17. Strongest passion is with those involved with the court and DCFS. She has... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Student Support

2:20pm CDT

Supporting Accelerated Learning: Cambridge Programming

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:20pm - 3:30pm CDT

Room 205

Join Cambridge and Rogers Public School District as they share about implementation of Cambridge Education Programming to support accelerated learning opportunities for students. Rogers is in early stages of implementation and will share their current program implementation status and their plans for expanding program offerings in their district, aligned to providing accelerated learning opportunities, supporting attainment of the Cambridge AICE diploma and ensuring graduates are success ready.

Speakers

Charles Lee

Assistant Superintendent, Rogers Public Schools

I am an Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education at Rogers Public Schools. We are currently working on accelerated learning opportunities and the Cambridge International program at our secondary schools. I have been in education in Arkansas for 37 years serving at Assistant... Read More →

Dr. Kristy Brown

Assistant Superintendent, Rogers Public Schools

Joette Viggiano

School Development Manager, Cambridge

Joette Viggiano, School Development Manager for the Southeast U.S. with Cambridge, has 16 years of educational experience which began with teaching Cambridge Lower Secondary Science. With a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision, her... Read More →

Jeff Brewer

School Implementation Manager, Cambridge International

Jeff Brewer, School Implementation Manager for North America with Cambridge International, has 25+ years of educational experience which coincided with him leading the opening the 6th Cambridge school in the United States in 2004. With a master’s and specialist's degree in School... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:20pm - 3:30pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Instruction, Accelerated Learning

3:40pm CDT

On-Site & In-Coding: What to expect for accreditation in 2026-27

Tuesday July 14, 2026 3:40pm - 4:40pm CDT

Room 205

Accreditation is getting a refresh. Come learn what DESE will be looking for on‑site and how next year’s process and timeline will work differently. Walk away with clarity, direction, and a head start on preparing your district.

Speakers

Brooke McCain

Director of Monitoring and Accreditation, Arkansas Department of Education

Brooke McCain is a leading expert in accreditation and monitoring, with a passion for district improvement, recognized for equipping school leaders with the practical tools needed to manage compliance and drive real results. Heading Arkansas’s on-site monitoring and accreditation... Read More →

Dr. Jeanie Johnson

PSA Coordinator of Monitoring & Accreditation, ADE DESE

As Coordinator of Monitoring & Accreditation within the Office of Public School Accountability, I work alongside my team to support school districts across Arkansas in understanding and fulfilling their responsibilities under state and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Our unit... Read More →

Kristina Eisenhower

Arkansas Department of Education

Matt Douglas

State Monitoring Support Specialist, Arkansas Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Christi Parrish

ADE Summit 2026 On Site & In Coding What's New in Accreditation pdf

Tuesday July 14, 2026 3:40pm - 4:40pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Operations, Accountability

10:20am CDT

Are You Smarter than an AI Chat bot?

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am CDT

Room 205

Based on the popular ESPN show “Around the Horn” - this interactive session features Carl as host and moderator in a game that pits 3 humans vs. 1 AI chat bot. Each contestant tries their best to give a one-minute
hot take on a topic in education. The audience is a part of the action too as they post their own responses and give real-time votes for points for the panelists they most agree with. While one panelist ultimately will win and get a “walk off shot”, in the end, everyone wins.

Speakers

Carl Hooker

Faciliator, K12 Leaders

Carl Hooker has spent the past 27 years in education as a teacher and administrator focused on the thoughtful integration of technology and innovation in schools. He consults for multiple districts across the country and is a frequent keynote speaker at state and national events... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Instruction, AI

11:40am CDT

Nailed IT!

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:40am - 12:40pm CDT

Room 205

In this highly interactive session, attendees will work to complete a series of challenges in a short time limit to see if they “Nailed it”. This session builds on the framework that taking risks can be a good thing when it
comes to creating and sharing ideas. Attendees will walk away with strategies to use in their schools when it comes to engaging learners and getting them to take risks.

Speakers

Carl Hooker

Faciliator, K12 Leaders

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:40am - 12:40pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Instruction, AI

1:00pm CDT

Keeping Schools Running: Cybersecurity Incidents, Impacts, and Action Steps

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Room 205

Join the Arkansas Department of Education, in partnership with the State Cybersecurity Office, to explore some of the most frequent cybersecurity incidents reported through the Arkansas Legislative Audit and the ADE’s history of events. This session highlights real-world scenarios that have compromised systems, exposed sensitive data, and disrupted district operations, while examining the common tactics and activities behind these incidents. Participants will engage in a practical discussion on what these events mean for schools today and the steps district leaders can take to keep students safe, protect data, and maintain operational continuity.

Speakers

Jeff Killingsworth

Coordinator of K12 Cyber Policy and Strategy, Arkansas Department of Education

Jeff Killingsworth was privileged to be in the classroom for 12 years, teaching a variety of math and science classes from kindergarten through eighth grade, before joining the Arkansas Department of Education. He is currently the Coordinator of K12 Cyber Policy and Strategy, and... Read More →

Ray Girdler

IT Infrastructure Architect, Arkansas Department of Shared Administrative Services (SAS) Office of State Technology (OST)

Ray Girdler serves as an IT Infrastructure Architect within the Arkansas State Cybersecurity Office. Prior to this role, he spent several years at the Arkansas Department of Education before transitioning to the Arkansas Office of State Technology. During his time at the Department... Read More →

Kristina Cross

APSCN LAN Support Team Manager, TSS - Division of Information Systems

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Operations

2:20pm CDT

SPED Finance 101

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:20pm - 3:20pm CDT

Room 205

This session will highlight essential Special Education fiscal obligations that LEAs face on an annual basis, including High-Cost Occurrence, Maintenance of Effort, and related requirements. The Office of Special Education will also share available supports and resources designed to assist LEAs in maintaining compliance and effectively managing Special Education fiscal responsibilities.

Speakers

Josh Hart

Office of Special Education - Finance, Arkansas Dept of Education

SPED 101 pptx

Arkansas Statewide SPED Peer Review FY25 FY26 xlsx

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:20pm - 3:20pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Operations, Finance

3:40pm CDT

AI in Student Writing: Preventing Plagiarism + Enabling Responsible Use

Wednesday July 15, 2026 3:40pm - 4:40pm CDT

Room 205

Student-facing AI can support inquiry and learning, but also risks AI plagiarism in writing assignments. We must find a way to preserve authentic learning AND enable students to use AI responsibly. Come see how you can do this with Scrible, the world’s first “show your work” writing process platform. It mitigates AI plagiarism by making the writing process visible to teachers and shifting assessment to writing as a process. This is a more pedagogically sound alternative to AI detectors, which have proven unreliable and manipulable. Scrible now also offers Rese, a new genAI chatbot enabling students to use AI responsibly in a safeguarded walled garden for research and writing. It incorporates best practices recommended by AI literacy advocates and educators. Teachers can optionally enable it for assignments in which use of AI is allowed and compatible with student learning outcomes. Come learn how to thread the AI needle!

Speakers

Victor Karkar

CEO, Scrible

Scrible is an award winning all-in-one research and writing platform where students can collect sources, annotate, organize ideas, and draft in one workspace. It supports writing with citation capture, bibliography and outline editors and Google Docs and Microsoft Word integration... Read More →

Amy Hall

District Librarian, Weber School District, Utah

Link to Presenation 2026 ADE Summit Session AI in Student Writing (Shared) pdf

Wednesday July 15, 2026 3:40pm - 4:40pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Instruction, AI

10:20am CDT

Algebra 1 Readiness

Thursday July 16, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am CDT

Room 205

This one-hour session highlights the essential skills that support Algebra 1 readiness and the classroom data levers that most effectively reveal student needs. Participants will learn how simple, everyday data can guide targeted instruction and strengthen students’ pathway to Algebra 1 success.

Speakers

Kisa Morman

K-12 Math Program Manager, Arkansas Division of Elementary & Secondary Education

Kisa Morman, a native of Little Rock, is a K–12 Math School Program Manager with over 20 years in education. She is passionate about helping all students build confidence in math by mastering numeracy, accessing effective interventions, and engaging in problem-solving to foster... Read More →

Ciara Gulley

State Math Specialist, ADE

Ciara Gulley is a highly motivated and student-centered educational leader with a strong foundation in secondary mathematics education and a passion for advancing student success. Currently serving as a State Mathematics Specialist with the Arkansas Department of Education, Ciara... Read More →

Thursday July 16, 2026 10:20am - 11:20am CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Instruction, Math

11:40am CDT

Aligning Tutoring With Tier I: Making Instructional Coherence Real

Thursday July 16, 2026 11:40am - 12:40pm CDT

Room 205

High-impact tutoring is most effective when it is tightly aligned to core instruction. This session focuses on strategies for ensuring tutoring complements—not competes with—Tier I instruction. Participants will examine how classroom assessments can inform tutoring, how tutors and teachers communicate effectively, and how districts can strengthen instructional coherence across settings and systems. This session will also highlight an ongoing professional learning pilot at an AR district engage in an Outcomes-Based Contract with Instructional Coherence as the objective.

Speakers

Dori Klar

Amplify Tutoring

An educator for 25 years, I represent the Amplify Tutoring team, coaching tutors across the country and managing various Tutoring initiatives and engagements. I have teaching experience in upper elementary grades, an MEd and certification in school administration, and am trained in... Read More →

Amy Counts

Director of Curriculum Projects, Arkansas Division of Elementary & Secondary Education

Since 2003, I have worked in K-12 education in Massachusetts, Texas, Maryland, and Arkansas. During that time, I have worked in both rural and urban school districts, teaching students in fifth to twelfth grade. In 2019, I joined the Arkansas Division of Elementary & Secondary Education... Read More →

David Byers

Maynard School District

Sarah Goodwin

ELA & Course Advisor, ADE - DESE

Formerly a high school ELA teacher, I now serve on the Humanities team at the Arkansas Department of Education – Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (ADE-DESE). As the ELA & Course Advisor, I focus on secondary English Language Arts across the state and oversee course... Read More →

Isaac Cross

Humanities Specialist, Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

Isaac Cross serves as the Humanities Specialist with the Arkansas Department of Education, supporting statewide initiatives in world languages, social studies, community service learning, Arkansas Celebrates America250, the Arkansas Literacy Tutoring Grant, and the High Impact Tutoring... Read More →

Aligning Tutoring with Tier 1 Handout pdf

Thursday July 16, 2026 11:40am - 12:40pm CDT
Room 205 Hot Springs Convention Center

Instruction, High-Impact Tutoring

1:00pm CDT

Collaborative Leadership for CLASS Implementation: Lessons from Bald Knob Early Childhood

Thursday July 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Room 205

This session showcases the collaborative work of Local Lead Amy Pinkston and Preschool Director Abby Baker as they share how a strong Local Lead–program partnership can support effective CLASS implementation. Over the past year, Bald Knob Early Childhood Center has integrated CLASS through shared goal‑setting, aligned professional development, targeted coaching, and clear communication structures. Amy and Abby will outline how building leadership capacity, using observation data intentionally, and establishing manageable SMART goals have strengthened classroom practices and staff confidence. Attendees will gain practical strategies for partnering with their own Local Lead to implement CLASS with fidelity and support continuous improvement.

Speakers