Symposium Agenda

Day 1 | Friday, May 1, 2026

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Registration and Exhibit Hall Opens
11:00 – 11:15 AM
Lunch Buffet Opens
11:15 – 11:30 AM
Welcome Remarks
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Plenary Presentation

How to Teach Reading with Complex Text

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Timothy Shanahan, PhD

12:30 – 1:00 PM

Break

1:00 – 2:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
Room 1
Kahtnu 1

Alaska’s Shared Climb: Advancing Strong, Equitable Literacy for ALL Early Childhood Students

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

• Heather Hennessey, EdD

Room 2
Kahtnu 2

Rock Your Literacy Block

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Room 3
Tubughnenq’ 3

The Writing Rope: Bridging Research to Classroom Practice

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Darren Schlepp, MEd

Room 4
Tubughnenq’ 4

“All Hands on Deck!”: Keys to Building a Collaborative Culture!

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Anthony Muhammad, PhD

Room 5
Tubughnenq’ 5

The Science of Writing in Practice: Aligning Transcription, Language, and Learning Through the Instructional Hierarchy

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Pam Kastner, EdD

Room 6
K’enakatnu Boardroom

Building a Framework for Reading Success

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Timothy Shanahan, PhD

Room 7
Idlughet 1

Scaling the Science of Writing: NHED Implementation

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Leslie Laud, EdD

• Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Room 8

Idlughet 3

What? We have a reading problem. Now what? Flipping the pyramid. It’s time to rethink the system.

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Brittany Blackwell, M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning

2:00 – 2:20 PM

Break

2:20 – 3:20 PM

Breakout Sessions

Room 1
Kahtnu 1

Alaska’s Shared Climb: Advancing Strong, Equitable Literacy for ALL Early Childhood Students

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

• Heather Hennessey, EdD

Room 2
Kahtnu 2

Rock Your Literacy Block

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Room 3
Tubughnenq’ 3

The Writing Rope: Bridging Research to Classroom Practice

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Darren Schlepp, MEd

Room 4
Tubughnenq’ 4

Are We Professionals? Improving Professional Practice to Improve Student Learning!

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Anthony Muhammad, PhD

Room 5
Tubughnenq’ 5

The Science of Writing in Practice: Aligning Transcription, Language, and Learning Through the Instructional Hierarchy

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Pam Kastner, EdD

Room 6
K’enakatnu Boardroom

Building a Framework for Reading Success

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Timothy Shanahan, PhD

Room 7
Idlughet 1

Scaling the Science of Writing: NHED Implementation

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Leslie Laud, EdD

• Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Room 8
Idlughet 3

What? We have a reading problem. Now what? Flipping the pyramid. It’s time to rethink the system.

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Brittany Blackwell, M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning

3:20 – 3:45 PM
Break
3:45 – 4:45 PM
Breakout Sessions
Room 1
Kahtnu 1

Alaska’s Shared Climb: Advancing Strong, Equitable Literacy for ALL Early Childhood Students

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

• Heather Hennessey, EdD

Room 2
Kahtnu 2

Talk, Know, Write: Using Collaboration as a Tool for Applying Knowledge
in Writing

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Angie Gates, MEd

Room 3
Tubughnenq’ 3

The Writing Rope: Bridging Research to Classroom Practice

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Darren Schlepp, MEd

Room 4
Tubughnenq’ 4

“So, How Do We Get Buy-In?”: Leveraging The Guiding Coalition to Build Consensus

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Anthony Muhammad, PhD

Room 5
Tubughnenq’ 5

The Science of Writing in Practice: Aligning Transcription, Language, and Learning Through the Instructional Hierarchy

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Pam Kastner, EdD

Room 6
K’enakatnu Boardroom

Building a Framework for Reading Success

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Timothy Shanahan, PhD

Room 7
Idlughet 1

Scaling the Science of Writing: NHED Implementation

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Leslie Laud, EdD

Room 8
Idlughet 3

Our Story: Coming Together to Be One, Presented By Copper River School District

READ DESCRIPTION →

  • Laura Scott, BA in Elementary Teacher
  • Shawna Goodwin, M.Ed.
  • Jennifer Hodges
  • Benjamin Dolgner
  • Jodi Carty, MA in Teaching
  • Jason Roslansky
  • Alyson Geldersma
  • Jeremy Clark, MS in Elementary Education
4:45 – 5:00 PM
Networking Reception
5:00 – 5:35 PM
Banquet Dinner Buffet Opens
5:35 – 6:35 PM
Plenary Presentation

Transforming School Culture 2.0: Why Culture is Important Today, Tomorrow, and Forever

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Anthony Muhammad, PhD

6:35 – 6:45 PM
Closing Remarks

Day 2 | Saturday, May 2, 2026

8:00 AM
Registration and Exhibit Hall Opens
8:30 – 9:00 AM
Welcome & Announcements | Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 AM
Plenary Presentation

The New Science of Vocabulary: How AI Can Support Language Learning

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert, PhD

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Break

10:30 – 11:30 AM
Breakout Sessions
Room 1
Kahtnu 1

Raising Readers Through Oral Language

READ DESCRIPTION →

• MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Room 2
Kahtnu 2

Writing Rocks! Using POW to create WOW-Worthy Writing

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Room 3
Tubughnenq’ 3

Bring the Science of Writing to Your School

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Leslie Laud, EdD

• Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Room 4
Tubughnenq’ 4

Starting with Sounds, Building to Words

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Room 5
Tubughnenq’ 5

The Power of Practice in Instructional Design

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Room 6
K’enakatnu Boardroom

Starting the Staircase (Grades K-2) – Text Sets That Build Automaticity from the First

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert, PhD

Room 7
Idlughet 1

The Missing Middle: Fluency as a Bridge Between Word Recognition and Making Meaning

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Kristie Clements, MA and C-SLCT

• Ashley Rebiskie, MA

Room 8
Idlughet 3

From Policy to Practice: Using IRIPs to Strengthen MTSS and Teacher-Led Decision-Making

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Caitlin Scott, PhD

• Kari Dendurent

• Noman Kahani, PhD

• Rachel Tripathy, MA

11:30 – 11:50 AM
Break
11:50 AM – 12:50 PM
Breakout Sessions
Room 1
Kahtnu 1

Raising Readers Through Oral Language

READ DESCRIPTION →

• MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Room 2
Kahtnu 2

Writing Rocks! Using POW to create WOW-Worthy Writing

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Room 3
Tubughnenq’ 3

Bring the Science of Writing to Your School

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Leslie Laud, EdD

• Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Room 4
Tubughnenq’ 4

Routines for Unlocking Long Words

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Room 5
Tubughnenq’ 5

The Power of Practice in Instructional Design

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Room 6
K’enakatnu Boardroom

Climbing the Staircase (Grades 3-5) – Building Automaticity with Complex Words and Knowledge-Rich Text Sets

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert, PhD

Room 7
Idlughet 1

The Missing Middle: Fluency as a Bridge Between Word Recognition and Making Meaning

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Kristie Clements, MA and C-SLCT

• Ashley Rebiskie, MA

Room 8
Idlughet 3

From Talking to Comprehension: A Process to Build Academic Language and Reading Comprehension

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Gina Biancarosa, EdD

• Sylvia Linan-Thompson, PhD

12:50 – 1:15 PM
Break
1:15 – 1:25 PM
Sponsor Remarks
1:25 – 2:25 PM
Plenary Presentation

7 Mighty Moves for Reading Success

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Lindsay Kemeny, MS

2:25 – 3:00 PM
Break
3:00 – 4:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
Room 1
Kahtnu 1

Raising Readers Through Oral Language

READ DESCRIPTION →

• MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Room 2
Kahtnu 2

Why Poetry Matters

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Elizabeth Bassford, MSEd

Room 3
Tubughnenq’ 3

Bring the Science of Writing to Your School

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Leslie Laud, EdD

• Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Room 4
Tubughnenq’ 4

Routines for Unlocking Long Words

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Room 5
Tubughnenq’ 5

The Power of Practice in Instructional Design

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Room 6
K’enakatnu Boardroom

Extending the Staircase (Grades 6-12)–Supporting Automaticity and Vocabulary Growth in Adolescent Readers

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert, PhD

Room 7
Idlughet 1

The Missing Middle: Fluency as a Bridge Between Word Recognition and Making Meaning

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Kristie Clements, MA and C-SLCT

• Ashley Rebiskie, MA

Room 8
Idlughet 3

From Talking to Comprehension: A Process to Build Academic Language and Reading Comprehension

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Gina Biancarosa, EdD

• Sylvia Linan-Thompson, PhD

Day 3 | Sunday, May 3, 2026

8:00 AM
Registration and Exhibit Hall Opens
8:15 – 8:20 AM
Welcome & Announcements | Breakfast
8:20 – 9:20 AM
Plenary Presentation

What Do We Mean When We Say It’s Too Hard?

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Elizabeth Bassford, MSEd

9:20 – 9:45 AM

Break

9:45 – 10:45 AM
Breakout Sessions
Room 1
Kahtnu 1

Dyslexia & DLD, A Connection Every Educator Should Know

READ DESCRIPTION →

• MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Room 2
Kahtnu 2

Cognitive Load Theory: Managing Working Memory to Maximize Learning

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Room 3
Tubughnenq’ 3

Beyond the Basics: Advancing Adolescent Literacy Through the Science of Reading

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Darren Schlepp, MEd

Room 4
Tubughnenq’ 4

Building Fluent Readers

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Room 5
Tubughnenq’ 5

Practice Makes Permanent: Aligning Practice to How Students Learn Using the Instructional Hierarchy

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Pam Kastner, EdD

Room 6
K’enakatnu Boardroom

SAILS: How Standards, Assessments, Instruction & Intervention, Leadership and Sustained Commitment Can Help ALL Students Achieve Success!

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jan Hasbrouck, PhD

Room 7
Idlughet 1

Come on In: Cultivating Authentic Partnerships with Families to Support Equitable Outcomes

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

• Heather Hennessey, EdD

Room 8
Idlughet 3

Partnering with Alaskan Families & Communities: Dads in the Lower Kuskokwim School District & Free Books in Fairbanks

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jon LaValle

• Kristen Alonzo-Taggart

• Karin Halpin, Masters in Reading, Type B certificate (Association of Alaska School Boards)

• Emily Ferry

10:45 – 11:00 AM
Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
Room 1
Kahtnu 1

Dyslexia & DLD, A Connection Every Educator Should Know

READ DESCRIPTION →

• MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Room 2
Kahtnu 2

Cognitive Load Theory: Managing Working Memory to Maximize Learning

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Room 3
Tubughnenq’ 3

Beyond the Basics: Advancing Adolescent Literacy Through the Science of Reading

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Darren Schlepp, MEd

Room 4
Tubughnenq’ 4

Learning to Write and Writing to Learn

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Room 5
Tubughnenq’ 5

Practice Makes Permanent: Aligning Practice to How Students Learn Using the Instructional Hierarchy

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Pam Kastner, EdD

Room 6
K’enakatnu Boardroom

SAILS: How Standards, Assessments, Instruction & Intervention, Leadership and Sustained Commitment Can Help ALL Students Achieve Success!

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jan Hasbrouck, PhD

Room 7
Idlughet 1

Come on In: Cultivating Authentic Partnerships with Families to Support Equitable Outcomes

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

• Heather Hennessey, EdD

Room 8
Idlughet 3

Partnering with Alaskan Families & Communities: Book Creator & Yup’ik Language in Lower Yukon School District

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Janet Johnson, MA in Educational Leadership

• Yurrliq Nita Reardon, MD in Cross Cultural Studies (Lower Yukon School District)

• Minard Abenojar, EdD (Lower Yukon School District)

• Karin Halpin, Masters in Reading (Association of Alaska School Boards)

• Emily Ferry

12:00 – 12:20 PM
Break | Lunch Buffet Opens
12:20 – 12:45 PM
AK Science of Reading Ambassador Awards
12:45 – 1:45 PM
Plenary Presentation

Climbing the Ladder of Reading & Writing: All Means ALL!

READ DESCRIPTION →

• Jan Hasbrouck, PhD

1:45 – 2:00 PM

Closing Remarks | Door Prizes
DESCRIPTION: Research indicates that teaching reading with complex text is better than teaching reading with text at students' reading levels. This presentation reviews that research and shows how to provide such teaching.

Timothy Shanahan, PhD

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

University of Illinois at Chicago

Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, and Visiting Research Professor at Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is author/editor of more than 300 publications including the book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives (Harvard Education Press, 2025). His research emphasizes the connections between learning to read and learning to write, literacy in the disciplines, and improvement of reading achievement. He was recently recognized as one of the top 2% of scientists in the world (Ioannidis, Boyack, & Baas, 2020). Professor Shanahan is past president of the International Literacy Association. He served on the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama. Shanahan took a leadership role on the National Reading Panel (NRP), convened by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the request of Congress to evaluate research on methods for teaching reading. He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007 and is a former first-grade teacher. For more information, visit his website: www.shanahanonliteracy.com
DESCRIPTION: This is in an interactive discussion on essential components of Science of Reading and how they can be supported through DAP in early learning classrooms. We will align the Alaska READS Act with the work educators do in early learning classrooms.

Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

Account Representative
Teaching Strategies
Cori Hughes is an Early Childhood Solutions Specialist serving the Northwest Region of the United States as a Direct Representative for Teaching Strategies. In this role, she partners with programs to deliver high-quality early childhood solutions that support positive outcomes for children. Cori is a former Early Learning educator with experience teaching Preschool, Kindergarten, and Early Literacy Intervention programs within Public School Districts in Lincoln, Nebraska and Houston, Texas. She was nominated for Teacher of the Year at Chancellor Elementary in Alief Independent School District in Houston, Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Cori is deeply committed to creating equitable Early Learning environments where language development and social-emotional learning are foundational. She believes academic rigor is most effective when embedded within play-based curriculum, fostering joyful, meaningful learning experiences for both children and educators.

Heather Hennessey, EdD

Education Consultant
Teaching Strategies
Dr. Heather Hennesey, is a Leadership Coach and Early Childhood Education Consultant. She currently works as a Subject Matter Expert at Teaching Strategies, where she supports Districts and Programs with data driven solutions to support high quality implementation and positive student outcomes. She is the former Director of Early Learning in Fort Worth ISD and served as a campus administrator for a Title 1, Dual Language elementary school in Plano, Texas. Dr. Hennesey began her career as an early childhood special education teacher; later she served as an Instructional Coach and Teacher Leader. Dr. Hennesey earned her Masters in Education Leadership from Arizona State University and her Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership from Southern Methodist University. Dr. Hennesey is a past-president and serves on the board of the Texas Association of Administrators and Supervisors of Programs for Young Children (TAASPYC), as well as on the Education Committee for the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. She is a highly sought-after national speaker on topics such as developmentally appropriate practices, family engagement, and change management. She is a life-long learner who believes joy is an essential part of every classroom.
DESCRIPTION: How do you fit it all in? Join teacher and author, Lindsay Kemeny, as she guides you through her literacy block, highlighting essential practices and offering actionable examples of how to teach literacy so you can rock your literacy block!

Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Teacher & Author
Davis School District
Lindsay Kemeny is an elementary school teacher, speaker, and author with a passion for literacy and applying research to practice. After her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression, she began her deep dive into effective literacy instruction for all children. She enjoys presenting locally and nationally, and co-hosting the Literacy Talks podcast. She is the author of the books, 7 Mighty Moves, 7 Mighty Moves Reading Resources, and Rock Your Literacy Block. She loves being in the classroom every day, teaching kids to read and write.
DESCRIPTION: Strong writing instruction improves literacy outcomes. Use The Writing Rope Framework to connect research-based recommendations to classroom practice and leave with practical, high-impact strategies to strengthen student writing.

Darren Schlepp, MEd

Professional Learning Specialist
Keys to Literacy
Darren is a Professional Development Implementation Specialist and national consultant with Keys to Literacy. He partners with state departments of education, districts, and schools across the country to design and deliver evidence-based literacy professional learning and coaching that drives meaningful instructional change.

With extensive experience as both an educator and school leader, Darren brings deep expertise in implementing the Science of Reading, strengthening MTSS frameworks, and building coherent systems that support sustainable literacy improvement. As a building leader, he led efforts that resulted in measurable gains in student literacy outcomes and was recognized as a National Distinguished Principal for Montana. He is known for helping leaders translate research into daily practice through strong implementation structures, including PLCs, coaching, and continuous improvement processes.

Darren is a sought-after presenter who has shared his work at local, state, and national levels, and he brings that same clarity and practicality to every engagement. In addition to his client-facing work, he serves as a mentor to Keys to Literacy’s national consultant team and leads the Certified Facilitator model, supporting scalable, high-quality professional learning for educators and leaders nationwide.

DESCRIPTION: This session will address the cornerstone of school improvement; collaboration. Learn how teachers, support staff, school administration, and central office all work together to improve school learning. We will address alignment and coherence at every level of the system. We will address two key areas; creating a culture of collaboration, and how to create an environment where people embrace collective responsibility.
Learning Outcomes (x3):
• Understand how to construct and protect productive collaborative relationships
• Understand how to create organizational coherence and ensure collaboration at every level of the school community
• Understand the importance of cooperation over power/authority

Anthony Muhammad, PhD

CEO
New Frontier 21, LLC
Dr. Anthony Muhammad is an author and international thought leader. He currently serves as the CEO of New Frontier 21 Consulting, a company dedicated to providing cutting-edge professional development to schools all over the world. He served as a practitioner for nearly twenty years. He served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He was named the Michigan Middle School Principal of the Year in 2005 while serving as the principal at Levey Middle School in Southfield, Michigan. Dr. Muhammad has also been honored by the Global Gurus organization as one of the 30 Most Influential Educators in the world for six consecutive years (2021-2026).

Dr. Muhammad is recognized as one of the field’s leading experts in the areas of school culture and Professional Learning Communities at Work (PLC). He also serves as an Associate Professor of School Leadership and Culture at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Dr. Muhammad is the author of 12 bestselling books. His most recent works include The Way Forward: PLC at Work and the Bright Future of Education (2024), Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 4th Edition (2024), Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2nd Edition (2021), Time for Change: The Four Essential Skills of a Transformational School Leader (2019) and Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division 2nd Edition (2018). He has published 26 peer reviewed articles in education journals and publications in seven different countries.

DESCRIPTION: This session reframes foundational writing instruction through the integration of the Science of Reading, the Science of Learning, and the Instructional Hierarchy. Participants will examine how transcription skills—specifically handwriting and spelling—serve as critical drivers of writing quality by reducing cognitive load and supporting efficient use of working memory.

Drawing on research from Berninger, Graham, Ehri, and Moats, the session connects the Simple View of Reading, the Not-So-Simple View of Writing, and orthographic mapping to demonstrate how reading and writing develop as reciprocal processes. Attendees will learn how accurate and automatic transcription supports idea generation, sentence construction, and overall written expression.

Using real student examples and structured literacy routines, participants will analyze how to align instruction to students’ stages of learning and apply evidence-based practices for teaching spelling and handwriting within an integrated language framework.

Pam Kastner, EdD

Contributing Faculty Member
Mount Saint Joseph University
Pam Kastner, Ed.D., is a literacy consultant and the former state lead for literacy in Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg. Currently, Dr. Kastner is honored to serve as a contributing faculty member at Mount Saint Joseph University in the Reading Science Program where she teaches in the Masters’ and Doctoral Program and was honored as the Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2023.

Dr. Kastner has presented widely across the United States and Internationally. She partners with State Departments of Education and school districts throughout the nation to provide on-site technical assistance, consultation, and coaching.

Dr. Kastner serves on the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition and has the honor of serving as the President of The Reading League Pennsylvania, The Reading League Journal’s Practitioner Editorial Board, and is a member of The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement coalition.

DESCRIPTION: Everyone seems to know some of the major reading frameworks (e.g., simple view, reading rope, active view). However, these frameworks are about what readers do cognitively during reading. What about instruction? What about increasing children’s reading achievement? This presentation presents a practical teaching framework that educators can use to guide their reading improvement efforts. If you want to know what it takes to raise reading achievement -- in your classroom, school, or state – you’ll find this framework, drawn from research and Professor Shanahan’s nearly 60 years of practice, to be a valuable guide.

Timothy Shanahan, PhD

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

University of Illinois at Chicago

Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, and Visiting Research Professor at Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is author/editor of more than 300 publications including the book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives (Harvard Education Press, 2025). His research emphasizes the connections between learning to read and learning to write, literacy in the disciplines, and improvement of reading achievement. He was recently recognized as one of the top 2% of scientists in the world (Ioannidis, Boyack, & Baas, 2020). Professor Shanahan is past president of the International Literacy Association. He served on the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama. Shanahan took a leadership role on the National Reading Panel (NRP), convened by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the request of Congress to evaluate research on methods for teaching reading. He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007 and is a former first-grade teacher. For more information, visit his website: www.shanahanonliteracy.com
DESCRIPTION: A practical model for scaling the Science of Writing across schools, districts or full states - moving beyond one-off PD to a sustainable train-the-trainer approach. Hear the latest research advances on the science of writing. Learn how to build internal capacity, align leadership, and sustain consistent classroom practice of this over time.

Leslie Laud, EdD

Director
Releasing Writers
Dr. Leslie Laud, director of Releasing Writers, supports districts and states nationally with strengthening writing instruction. She has taught in both general and special education, and worked as a principal. She now leads research studies. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University. She has served as co-PI and lead PI on federally-funded large research studies of writing instruction, publishes empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals, presents frequently at national conferences and is the author of Executive Skills and Writing Instruction.

Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Literacy Specialist & Researcher, New Hampshire Department of Education | EdTech Founder
My Path to Learning
Dr. Kathleen McCaffery is a literacy leader advancing research-aligned instruction across classrooms, systems, and policy. Her work centers on translating the Science of Reading into scalable practice, equipping educators with the tools, knowledge, and insight needed to elevate student achievement.
DESCRIPTION: When 60% of more of your students are not scoring benchmark or higher, it is time to rethink the curriculum. In this session, participants will explore science of reading aligned strategies that shift resources, instruction and decision making back to a strong tier 1, restoring balance to the triangle in MTSS.

Brittany Blackwell, M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning

Implementation and Literacy Consultant
Curriculum Associates
Brittany Blackwell supports educators in making literacy click with intentionality and joy. She’s passionate about strong instruction, meaningful learning, and cheering teachers on every step of the way.
DESCRIPTION: This is in an interactive discussion on essential components of Science of Reading and how they can be supported through DAP in early learning classrooms. We will align the Alaska READS Act with the work educators do in early learning classrooms.

Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

Account Representative
Teaching Strategies
Cori Hughes is an Early Childhood Solutions Specialist serving the Northwest Region of the United States as a Direct Representative for Teaching Strategies. In this role, she partners with programs to deliver high-quality early childhood solutions that support positive outcomes for children. Cori is a former Early Learning educator with experience teaching Preschool, Kindergarten, and Early Literacy Intervention programs within Public School Districts in Lincoln, Nebraska and Houston, Texas. She was nominated for Teacher of the Year at Chancellor Elementary in Alief Independent School District in Houston, Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Cori is deeply committed to creating equitable Early Learning environments where language development and social-emotional learning are foundational. She believes academic rigor is most effective when embedded within play-based curriculum, fostering joyful, meaningful learning experiences for both children and educators.

Heather Hennessey, EdD

Education Consultant
Teaching Strategies
Dr. Heather Hennesey, is a Leadership Coach and Early Childhood Education Consultant. She currently works as a Subject Matter Expert at Teaching Strategies, where she supports Districts and Programs with data driven solutions to support high quality implementation and positive student outcomes. She is the former Director of Early Learning in Fort Worth ISD and served as a campus administrator for a Title 1, Dual Language elementary school in Plano, Texas. Dr. Hennesey began her career as an early childhood special education teacher; later she served as an Instructional Coach and Teacher Leader. Dr. Hennesey earned her Masters in Education Leadership from Arizona State University and her Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership from Southern Methodist University. Dr. Hennesey is a past-president and serves on the board of the Texas Association of Administrators and Supervisors of Programs for Young Children (TAASPYC), as well as on the Education Committee for the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. She is a highly sought-after national speaker on topics such as developmentally appropriate practices, family engagement, and change management. She is a life-long learner who believes joy is an essential part of every classroom.
DESCRIPTION: How do you fit it all in? Join teacher and author, Lindsay Kemeny, as she guides you through her literacy block, highlighting essential practices and offering actionable examples of how to teach literacy so you can rock your literacy block!

Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Teacher & Author
Davis School District
Lindsay Kemeny is an elementary school teacher, speaker, and author with a passion for literacy and applying research to practice. After her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression, she began her deep dive into effective literacy instruction for all children. She enjoys presenting locally and nationally, and co-hosting the Literacy Talks podcast. She is the author of the books, 7 Mighty Moves, 7 Mighty Moves Reading Resources, and Rock Your Literacy Block. She loves being in the classroom every day, teaching kids to read and write.
DESCRIPTION: Strong writing instruction improves literacy outcomes. Use The Writing Rope Framework to connect research-based recommendations to classroom practice and leave with practical, high-impact strategies to strengthen student writing.

Darren Schlepp, MEd

Professional Learning Specialist
Keys to Literacy
Darren is a Professional Development Implementation Specialist and national consultant with Keys to Literacy. He partners with state departments of education, districts, and schools across the country to design and deliver evidence-based literacy professional learning and coaching that drives meaningful instructional change.

With extensive experience as both an educator and school leader, Darren brings deep expertise in implementing the Science of Reading, strengthening MTSS frameworks, and building coherent systems that support sustainable literacy improvement. As a building leader, he led efforts that resulted in measurable gains in student literacy outcomes and was recognized as a National Distinguished Principal for Montana. He is known for helping leaders translate research into daily practice through strong implementation structures, including PLCs, coaching, and continuous improvement processes.

Darren is a sought-after presenter who has shared his work at local, state, and national levels, and he brings that same clarity and practicality to every engagement. In addition to his client-facing work, he serves as a mentor to Keys to Literacy’s national consultant team and leads the Certified Facilitator model, supporting scalable, high-quality professional learning for educators and leaders nationwide.

DESCRIPTION: Professionals collaborate to improve student learning. How do we do that? We improve student learning by stimulating professional learning. Many schools do not consider the learning for professionals as sacred as student learning. The PLC process operates under the assumption that “adult” learning is the catalyst for “student learning.” This session will introduce a process will allow each school designing ongoing professional learning support for professionals, which will translate into greater performance for students.

Learning Outcomes (x3):
• Learn how to analyze a comprehensive set of data to identify areas for growth
• Learn how to produce an effective and efficient professional learning system for educators
• Learn how to produce a culture of intellectualism

Anthony Muhammad, PhD

CEO
New Frontier 21, LLC
Dr. Anthony Muhammad is an author and international thought leader. He currently serves as the CEO of New Frontier 21 Consulting, a company dedicated to providing cutting-edge professional development to schools all over the world. He served as a practitioner for nearly twenty years. He served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He was named the Michigan Middle School Principal of the Year in 2005 while serving as the principal at Levey Middle School in Southfield, Michigan. Dr. Muhammad has also been honored by the Global Gurus organization as one of the 30 Most Influential Educators in the world for six consecutive years (2021-2026).

Dr. Muhammad is recognized as one of the field’s leading experts in the areas of school culture and Professional Learning Communities at Work (PLC). He also serves as an Associate Professor of School Leadership and Culture at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Dr. Muhammad is the author of 12 bestselling books. His most recent works include The Way Forward: PLC at Work and the Bright Future of Education (2024), Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 4th Edition (2024), Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2nd Edition (2021), Time for Change: The Four Essential Skills of a Transformational School Leader (2019) and Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division 2nd Edition (2018). He has published 26 peer reviewed articles in education journals and publications in seven different countries.

DESCRIPTION: This session reframes foundational writing instruction through the integration of the Science of Reading, the Science of Learning, and the Instructional Hierarchy. Participants will examine how transcription skills—specifically handwriting and spelling—serve as critical drivers of writing quality by reducing cognitive load and supporting efficient use of working memory.

Drawing on research from Berninger, Graham, Ehri, and Moats, the session connects the Simple View of Reading, the Not-So-Simple View of Writing, and orthographic mapping to demonstrate how reading and writing develop as reciprocal processes. Attendees will learn how accurate and automatic transcription supports idea generation, sentence construction, and overall written expression.

Using real student examples and structured literacy routines, participants will analyze how to align instruction to students’ stages of learning and apply evidence-based practices for teaching spelling and handwriting within an integrated language framework.

Pam Kastner, EdD

Contributing Faculty Member
Mount Saint Joseph University
Pam Kastner, Ed.D., is a literacy consultant and the former state lead for literacy in Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg. Currently, Dr. Kastner is honored to serve as a contributing faculty member at Mount Saint Joseph University in the Reading Science Program where she teaches in the Masters’ and Doctoral Program and was honored as the Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2023.

Dr. Kastner has presented widely across the United States and Internationally. She partners with State Departments of Education and school districts throughout the nation to provide on-site technical assistance, consultation, and coaching.

Dr. Kastner serves on the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition and has the honor of serving as the President of The Reading League Pennsylvania, The Reading League Journal’s Practitioner Editorial Board, and is a member of The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement coalition.

DESCRIPTION: Everyone seems to know some of the major reading frameworks (e.g., simple view, reading rope, active view). However, these frameworks are about what readers do cognitively during reading. What about instruction? What about increasing children’s reading achievement? This presentation presents a practical teaching framework that educators can use to guide their reading improvement efforts. If you want to know what it takes to raise reading achievement -- in your classroom, school, or state – you’ll find this framework, drawn from research and Professor Shanahan’s nearly 60 years of practice, to be a valuable guide.

Timothy Shanahan, PhD

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

University of Illinois at Chicago

Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, and Visiting Research Professor at Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is author/editor of more than 300 publications including the book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives (Harvard Education Press, 2025). His research emphasizes the connections between learning to read and learning to write, literacy in the disciplines, and improvement of reading achievement. He was recently recognized as one of the top 2% of scientists in the world (Ioannidis, Boyack, & Baas, 2020). Professor Shanahan is past president of the International Literacy Association. He served on the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama. Shanahan took a leadership role on the National Reading Panel (NRP), convened by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the request of Congress to evaluate research on methods for teaching reading. He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007 and is a former first-grade teacher. For more information, visit his website: www.shanahanonliteracy.com
DESCRIPTION: A practical model for scaling the Science of Writing across schools, districts or full states - moving beyond one-off PD to a sustainable train-the-trainer approach. Hear the latest research advances on the science of writing. Learn how to build internal capacity, align leadership, and sustain consistent classroom practice of this over time.

Leslie Laud, EdD

Director
Releasing Writers
Dr. Leslie Laud, director of Releasing Writers, supports districts and states nationally with strengthening writing instruction. She has taught in both general and special education, and worked as a principal. She now leads research studies. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University. She has served as co-PI and lead PI on federally-funded large research studies of writing instruction, publishes empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals, presents frequently at national conferences and is the author of Executive Skills and Writing Instruction.

Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Literacy Specialist & Researcher, New Hampshire Department of Education | EdTech Founder
My Path to Learning
Dr. Kathleen McCaffery is a literacy leader advancing research-aligned instruction across classrooms, systems, and policy. Her work centers on translating the Science of Reading into scalable practice, equipping educators with the tools, knowledge, and insight needed to elevate student achievement.
DESCRIPTION: When 60% of more of your students are not scoring benchmark or higher, it is time to rethink the curriculum. In this session, participants will explore science of reading aligned strategies that shift resources, instruction and decision making back to a strong tier 1, restoring balance to the triangle in MTSS.

Brittany Blackwell, M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning

Implementation and Literacy Consultant
Curriculum Associates
Brittany Blackwell supports educators in making literacy click with intentionality and joy. She’s passionate about strong instruction, meaningful learning, and cheering teachers on every step of the way.
DESCRIPTION: This is in an interactive discussion on essential components of Science of Reading and how they can be supported through DAP in early learning classrooms. We will align the Alaska READS Act with the work educators do in early learning classrooms.

Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

Account Representative
Teaching Strategies
Cori Hughes is an Early Childhood Solutions Specialist serving the Northwest Region of the United States as a Direct Representative for Teaching Strategies. In this role, she partners with programs to deliver high-quality early childhood solutions that support positive outcomes for children. Cori is a former Early Learning educator with experience teaching Preschool, Kindergarten, and Early Literacy Intervention programs within Public School Districts in Lincoln, Nebraska and Houston, Texas. She was nominated for Teacher of the Year at Chancellor Elementary in Alief Independent School District in Houston, Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Cori is deeply committed to creating equitable Early Learning environments where language development and social-emotional learning are foundational. She believes academic rigor is most effective when embedded within play-based curriculum, fostering joyful, meaningful learning experiences for both children and educators.

Heather Hennessey, EdD

Education Consultant
Teaching Strategies
Dr. Heather Hennesey, is a Leadership Coach and Early Childhood Education Consultant. She currently works as a Subject Matter Expert at Teaching Strategies, where she supports Districts and Programs with data driven solutions to support high quality implementation and positive student outcomes. She is the former Director of Early Learning in Fort Worth ISD and served as a campus administrator for a Title 1, Dual Language elementary school in Plano, Texas. Dr. Hennesey began her career as an early childhood special education teacher; later she served as an Instructional Coach and Teacher Leader. Dr. Hennesey earned her Masters in Education Leadership from Arizona State University and her Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership from Southern Methodist University. Dr. Hennesey is a past-president and serves on the board of the Texas Association of Administrators and Supervisors of Programs for Young Children (TAASPYC), as well as on the Education Committee for the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. She is a highly sought-after national speaker on topics such as developmentally appropriate practices, family engagement, and change management. She is a life-long learner who believes joy is an essential part of every classroom.

DESCRIPTION: In this session, educators will explore how collaborative conversation and note-taking can help students apply knowledge and enhance writing skills. Participants will dive into strategies that use rich, content-based texts to deepen students’ understanding of a variety of topics, which in turn fuels their writing. We‘ll examine how note-taking and structured, collaborative discussion can help students organize their thoughts, develop vocabulary, and refine ideas before putting pencil to paper. Through practical examples and hands-on activities, educators will leave with methods to integrate reading, discussion, and writing across the curriculum.

Angie Gates, MEd

Manager, Literacy Curriculum & Instruction
Curriculum Associates
Angie Gates brings over 30 years of experience in education, including nearly two decades as a classroom teacher in both public and private schools. She has taught students from primary through intermediate grades and is deeply committed to responsive, student-centered instruction. Her background includes gifted education, multi-grade classrooms, and early childhood education from birth to age eight. Angie is known for designing instruction that meets the needs of diverse learners through differentiated strategies, integrated literacy practices, and purposeful use of assessment and data to support student growth.

Currently, Angie serves as Manager of Literacy Curriculum and Instruction, where she leads a team of Literacy Impact Specialists supporting districts in implementing high-quality core literacy programs. She brings expertise in evidence-based literacy instruction, curriculum design, and professional learning. Angie partners with district leaders and educators to strengthen instructional practices, build capacity, and ensure successful implementation. She is recognized for her collaborative leadership and strategic approach, helping schools translate curriculum into effective classroom practice and improved outcomes for students.

DESCRIPTION: Strong writing instruction improves literacy outcomes. Use The Writing Rope Framework to connect research-based recommendations to classroom practice and leave with practical, high-impact strategies to strengthen student writing.

Darren Schlepp, MEd

Professional Learning Specialist
Keys to Literacy
Darren is a Professional Development Implementation Specialist and national consultant with Keys to Literacy. He partners with state departments of education, districts, and schools across the country to design and deliver evidence-based literacy professional learning and coaching that drives meaningful instructional change.

With extensive experience as both an educator and school leader, Darren brings deep expertise in implementing the Science of Reading, strengthening MTSS frameworks, and building coherent systems that support sustainable literacy improvement. As a building leader, he led efforts that resulted in measurable gains in student literacy outcomes and was recognized as a National Distinguished Principal for Montana. He is known for helping leaders translate research into daily practice through strong implementation structures, including PLCs, coaching, and continuous improvement processes.

Darren is a sought-after presenter who has shared his work at local, state, and national levels, and he brings that same clarity and practicality to every engagement. In addition to his client-facing work, he serves as a mentor to Keys to Literacy’s national consultant team and leads the Certified Facilitator model, supporting scalable, high-quality professional learning for educators and leaders nationwide.

DESCRIPTION: In my three decades as an educational leader, the question that I’ve heard most often is “How do we get buy-in?” This session will provide research guidance on responding to resistance and strategically building consensus. This session will lean on the change management framework presented in the book Time for Change: Four Essential Skills for Transformational School and District Leaders (2019) written by Anthony Muhammad and Luis Cruz. This framework leverages four critical leadership skills proven to build consensus; 1) Communication, 2) Trust Building, 3) Building Capacity, and 4) Accountability
Learning Outcomes (x3):
• Learn how to organize and sustain a functional guiding coalition
• Learn how to apply the Time for Change framework to real-world problems
• Learn how to properly assess your culture and strategically plan to overcome resistance to change

Anthony Muhammad, PhD

CEO
New Frontier 21, LLC
Dr. Anthony Muhammad is an author and international thought leader. He currently serves as the CEO of New Frontier 21 Consulting, a company dedicated to providing cutting-edge professional development to schools all over the world. He served as a practitioner for nearly twenty years. He served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He was named the Michigan Middle School Principal of the Year in 2005 while serving as the principal at Levey Middle School in Southfield, Michigan. Dr. Muhammad has also been honored by the Global Gurus organization as one of the 30 Most Influential Educators in the world for six consecutive years (2021-2026).

Dr. Muhammad is recognized as one of the field’s leading experts in the areas of school culture and Professional Learning Communities at Work (PLC). He also serves as an Associate Professor of School Leadership and Culture at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Dr. Muhammad is the author of 12 bestselling books. His most recent works include The Way Forward: PLC at Work and the Bright Future of Education (2024), Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 4th Edition (2024), Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2nd Edition (2021), Time for Change: The Four Essential Skills of a Transformational School Leader (2019) and Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division 2nd Edition (2018). He has published 26 peer reviewed articles in education journals and publications in seven different countries.

DESCRIPTION: This session reframes foundational writing instruction through the integration of the Science of Reading, the Science of Learning, and the Instructional Hierarchy. Participants will examine how transcription skills—specifically handwriting and spelling—serve as critical drivers of writing quality by reducing cognitive load and supporting efficient use of working memory.

Drawing on research from Berninger, Graham, Ehri, and Moats, the session connects the Simple View of Reading, the Not-So-Simple View of Writing, and orthographic mapping to demonstrate how reading and writing develop as reciprocal processes. Attendees will learn how accurate and automatic transcription supports idea generation, sentence construction, and overall written expression.

Using real student examples and structured literacy routines, participants will analyze how to align instruction to students’ stages of learning and apply evidence-based practices for teaching spelling and handwriting within an integrated language framework.

Pam Kastner, EdD

Contributing Faculty Member
Mount Saint Joseph University
Pam Kastner, Ed.D., is a literacy consultant and the former state lead for literacy in Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg. Currently, Dr. Kastner is honored to serve as a contributing faculty member at Mount Saint Joseph University in the Reading Science Program where she teaches in the Masters’ and Doctoral Program and was honored as the Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2023.

Dr. Kastner has presented widely across the United States and Internationally. She partners with State Departments of Education and school districts throughout the nation to provide on-site technical assistance, consultation, and coaching.

Dr. Kastner serves on the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition and has the honor of serving as the President of The Reading League Pennsylvania, The Reading League Journal’s Practitioner Editorial Board, and is a member of The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement coalition.

DESCRIPTION: Everyone seems to know some of the major reading frameworks (e.g., simple view, reading rope, active view). However, these frameworks are about what readers do cognitively during reading. What about instruction? What about increasing children’s reading achievement? This presentation presents a practical teaching framework that educators can use to guide their reading improvement efforts. If you want to know what it takes to raise reading achievement -- in your classroom, school, or state – you’ll find this framework, drawn from research and Professor Shanahan’s nearly 60 years of practice, to be a valuable guide.

Timothy Shanahan, PhD

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

University of Illinois at Chicago

Timothy Shanahan is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, and Visiting Research Professor at Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is author/editor of more than 300 publications including the book, Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives (Harvard Education Press, 2025). His research emphasizes the connections between learning to read and learning to write, literacy in the disciplines, and improvement of reading achievement. He was recently recognized as one of the top 2% of scientists in the world (Ioannidis, Boyack, & Baas, 2020). Professor Shanahan is past president of the International Literacy Association. He served on the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy under Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama. Shanahan took a leadership role on the National Reading Panel (NRP), convened by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the request of Congress to evaluate research on methods for teaching reading. He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007 and is a former first-grade teacher. For more information, visit his website: www.shanahanonliteracy.com
DESCRIPTION: A practical model for scaling the Science of Writing across schools, districts or full states - moving beyond one-off PD to a sustainable train-the-trainer approach. Hear the latest research advances on the science of writing. Learn how to build internal capacity, align leadership, and sustain consistent classroom practice of this over time.

Leslie Laud, EdD

Director
Releasing Writers
Dr. Leslie Laud, director of Releasing Writers, supports districts and states nationally with strengthening writing instruction. She has taught in both general and special education, and worked as a principal. She now leads research studies. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University. She has served as co-PI and lead PI on federally-funded large research studies of writing instruction, publishes empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals, presents frequently at national conferences and is the author of Executive Skills and Writing Instruction.

DESCRIPTION: How hard work, communication, creativity, drive, and some trial and error made a successful impact in a small district. Come see how we use data-informed and research-backed practices to make a significant impact on student learning with limited staffing and resources.

Laura Scott, BA in Elementary Teacher

First Grade Teacher
Copper River School District
Laura has been an educator with the Copper River School District for five years. For the first three of those years, she served as the District's reading interventionist, and this year she returned to the classroom to teach first grade.

Her time at CRSD has been a valuable and positive experience, largely because of the supportive and encouraging staff. They share a collective commitment to providing the best possible education for their students and families.

Shawna Goodwin, M.Ed.

Lead Teacher
Copper River School District
Shawna Goodwin is the Lead Teacher at Kenny Lake School in the Copper River School District, where she currently teaches an enthusiastic group of kindergartners. With 37 years of experience in education, she is deeply committed to helping students reach their full potential—especially in developing strong reading skills.

Throughout her career, Shawna searched for “the thing” that would ensure all students build a solid foundation in literacy. She found that solution in the Science of Reading. After completing LETRS training, she has consistently implemented research-based strategies that have led to measurable growth in her students’ literacy skills. Classroom data continues to affirm the effectiveness of these practices.

Shawna also values collaboration with fellow educators and is passionate about strengthening schoolwide systems. She is energized by the progress taking place across all grade levels and remains dedicated to continuous improvement in literacy instruction.

Jennifer Hodges, Teacher, Reading Specialist

Teacher-Grades 3-5
Copper River School District
Jennifer is a LETRS certified and a LETRS Local Certified Facilitator. She is endorsed as a Reading Specialist in the state of Alaska and was honored as an Alaska Reading Ambassador. She has been teaching elementary for 25 years; this is her 8th year teaching a multi-grade class in Kenny Lake School.

Benjamin Dolgner

Principal Glennallen K-12 Schools
Copper River School District
For more than two decades, Benjamin has dedicated his career to education in Alaska, serving students, families, and communities with a deep commitment to learning, growth, and opportunity. Over the past 21 years, he has worked as an elementary and middle school teacher and as a K–12 principal, experiences that have shaped his understanding of how to support students in diverse and remote settings.

As a K–12 principal, he has worked with students across all grade levels while mentoring teachers and collaborating with families and community partners. Benjamin has prioritized building a positive school culture where every student feels safe, supported, and inspired to succeed, while navigating the unique challenges of rural education. For over two decades, he has dedicated his career to Alaska's education system, serving students, families, and communities with a deep commitment to fostering learning, growth, and opportunity. His 21 years of experience include roles as an elementary and middle school teacher, and as a K–12 principal, which have provided him with a comprehensive understanding of how to support students in diverse and remote settings.

As a K–12 principal, he has mentored teachers, collaborated with families and community partners, and worked with students across all grade levels. He has focused on building a positive school culture where every student feels safe, supported, and inspired to succeed, while effectively navigating the unique challenges inherent in rural education.

Jodi Carty, Masters of Art in Teaching with endorsement in Reading and Writing, National Board Certified Teacher- Middle Childhood Generalist

General Education Teacher
Copper River School District
Jodi Carty has taught K-5 for 17 years. She is a National Board Certified Teacher- Middle Childhood Generalist and has a Master's Degree in Teaching with an endorsement in Reading and Writing. She was the point person in her district for the Reads Act during its inception.

Jason Roslansky

Assistant Superintendent
Copper River School District
Jason L. Roslansky is an experienced educational leader with nearly 25 years in education, serving in both private and public school settings throughout his career. A graduate of South Dakota State University and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he brings a hard-nosed, mission-focused approach to getting things done for kids. His career has spanned South Dakota, Minnesota, and Alaska, where he has served as a teacher, coach, principal, and Assistant Superintendent.

Alyson Geldersma

Kindergarten Teacher
Glennallen Elementary School, Copper River School District
Alyson Geldersma has dedicated 16 years to the Copper River School District. She began her career in special education before transitioning to elementary school instruction, where she has spent the last three years teaching kindergarten. Completing the LETRS course and gaining a deeper understanding of the science of reading has significantly boosted her confidence, enabling her to teach reading and build a strong foundational literacy for her kindergarten students.

Jeremy Clark, MS in Elementary Education

Professional Learning Specialist
Curriculum Associates
Jeremy Clark is a professional learning specialist and leadership coach at Curriculum Associates. He has partnered with schools and districts across the Western United States supporting educators and instructional leaders with professional learning and coaching partnerships that connect evidence-based, data-informed instructional practices to real classroom outcomes.

DESCRIPTION: This decade has proven that there is only one constant, and that constant is change. Despite all this change, children still need to be educated and the best way to educate them, regardless of external dynamics, is to operate as a Professional Learning Community (PLC). Schools that create healthy, strong cultures produce an environment where teachers and students can thrive. We will explore why a focus on healthy school culture is timeless and why it is our responsibility to create a learning focused environment today, tomorrow, and forever.
Learning Outcomes:
• Understand the contemporary factors that impact school culture and why these challenges need to be addressed effectively
• Understand the interdependent relationship between professional habits and behaviors and student learning
• Learn practical ways to improve your school culture immediately in your pursuit of improvement

Anthony Muhammad, PhD

CEO
New Frontier 21, LLC
Dr. Anthony Muhammad is an author and international thought leader. He currently serves as the CEO of New Frontier 21 Consulting, a company dedicated to providing cutting-edge professional development to schools all over the world. He served as a practitioner for nearly twenty years. He served as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He was named the Michigan Middle School Principal of the Year in 2005 while serving as the principal at Levey Middle School in Southfield, Michigan. Dr. Muhammad has also been honored by the Global Gurus organization as one of the 30 Most Influential Educators in the world for six consecutive years (2021-2026).

Dr. Muhammad is recognized as one of the field’s leading experts in the areas of school culture and Professional Learning Communities at Work (PLC). He also serves as an Associate Professor of School Leadership and Culture at Academica University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Dr. Muhammad is the author of 12 bestselling books. His most recent works include The Way Forward: PLC at Work and the Bright Future of Education (2024), Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, 4th Edition (2024), Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work, 2nd Edition (2021), Time for Change: The Four Essential Skills of a Transformational School Leader (2019) and Transforming School Culture: How to Overcome Staff Division 2nd Edition (2018). He has published 26 peer reviewed articles in education journals and publications in seven different countries.

DESCRIPTION: Students’ vocabulary drives comprehension and engagement with complex texts. This session shows how AI helps teachers choose high-leverage vocabulary, build coherent text sets, and design meaningful assessments to deepen word knowledge and access.

Elfrieda Hiebert, PhD

President/CEO
TextProject
Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert is President and CEO of TextProject, a nonprofit that provides open-access resources for beginning and struggling readers. She has served as a primary-grade teacher in California as well as a teacher educator and researcher at the University of Kentucky, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Michigan, and University of California, Berkeley. Her research on fostering fluency, vocabulary, and knowledge through appropriate texts has been widely published and recognized with honors including the Oscar Causey Award (Literacy Research Association) and the William S. Gray Citation of Merit Award (International Literacy Association).
DESCRIPTION: This presentation focuses on the importance of oral language development in relation to literacy development. We know that all students bring their own wealth of knowledge and culture into the classroom. Research also shows the importance of building schema through content, but educators often still wonder about the best way to do this. This workshop will use and outline the latest research to show participants the what and how of evidence-based practice in language. Participants will walk away with tools for explicitly teaching oral language, strategies for multilingual learners, and ways to integrate language across content areas.

MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Educator & Researcher
Left Side Strong LLC
MaryKate DeSantis is the founder of Left Side Strong LLC, an educational organization that supports districts, schools, and families by using evolving science to promote inclusive practices for all children. Her experiences working in a large urban school district as a special educator, reading specialist, and district-wide literacy coach have fueled her passion for translational research to ensure that all children receive evidence-based instruction. MaryKate believes that teachers are agents of change in literacy and are essential to transforming children's lives. Her background in teaching reading sparked an interest in researching language, literacy, and developmental trajectories. This curiosity led her to a full-time faculty position at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in the Speech-Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab under Dr. Tiffany Hogan, and to an ongoing research collaboration with Harvard University's BRIDGES lab, led by Dr. Phil Capin, focused on developing literacy interventions for at-risk students. MaryKate has also served as a clinician in the Neurology Department at Boston Children’s Hospital, is an adjunct professor at the Boston College Lynch School of Human Development, and is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at UCONN under the mentorship of Michael Coyne.
DESCRIPTION: Are you ready to see a dramatic shift in your students’ writing? Join teacher and author, Lindsay Kemeny, for a practical session focused on evidence-based writing strategies that deliver results. We’ll explore evidence-based strategies for teaching the composition process, empowering students to plan, organize, and write (think POW!) their ideas with confidence. Through real-world examples from a first-grade classroom, you'll see daily and weekly lesson structures in action. Walk away with concrete, actionable steps to help your students use POW to create WOW-worthy writing!

Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Teacher & Author
Davis School District
Lindsay Kemeny is an elementary school teacher, speaker, and author with a passion for literacy and applying research to practice. After her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression, she began her deep dive into effective literacy instruction for all children. She enjoys presenting locally and nationally, and co-hosting the Literacy Talks podcast. She is the author of the books, 7 Mighty Moves, 7 Mighty Moves Reading Resources, and Rock Your Literacy Block. She loves being in the classroom every day, teaching kids to read and write.
DESCRIPTION: Discover easy-to-implement, enjoyable and evidence-based ways to teach writing. Help your students become more strategic, empowered, independent and goal-oriented writers, and thinkers.

Leslie Laud, EdD

Director
Releasing Writers
Dr. Leslie Laud, director of Releasing Writers, supports districts and states nationally with strengthening writing instruction. She has taught in both general and special education, and worked as a principal. She now leads research studies. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University. She has served as co-PI and lead PI on federally-funded large research studies of writing instruction, publishes empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals, presents frequently at national conferences and is the author of Executive Skills and Writing Instruction.

Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Literacy Specialist & Researcher, New Hampshire Department of Education | EdTech Founder
My Path to Learning
Dr. Kathleen McCaffery is a literacy leader advancing research-aligned instruction across classrooms, systems, and policy. Her work centers on translating the Science of Reading into scalable practice, equipping educators with the tools, knowledge, and insight needed to elevate student achievement.
DESCRIPTION: For early grades teachers, reading coaches, and leaders, this interactive session engages participants in activities that make reading science practical. Particpants will practice instructional routines and learn move students from sounds to words.

Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Segment Director
NWEA & The Center for Model Schools
Dr. Tiffany Peltier is a researcher and expert in early literacy, reading difficulties, and dyslexia, with multiple peer-reviewed publications on reading and math assessment, intervention, and teacher training. As Segment Director at NWEA and the Center for Model Schools, she translates research into actionable products aligned with the science of learning for leaders and educators. She has developed and facilitated professional learning nationwide, is the president of the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI), and serves on the National Advisory Board for Learning Ally. Dr. Peltier actively works to bridge research and practice, combat misconceptions through learning science, and support data-driven decisions at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.

DESCRIPTION: Across disciplines, researchers have sought to understand the optimal conditions for facilitating the retrieval process that learners must use to locate and apply information to perform tasks. In understanding this process, researchers question how many repetitions learners need. These tasks elicit stronger connections and more immediate information retrieval. It is also worth considering whether there is any way to ensure this information is retrievable and retained over time. Awareness of the type, timing, and level of support each form of practice provides helps instructors design effective instruction. Considering how to interleave old content with new, distributing practice over time, and gradually reducing our support from prompted and guided to independent practice is key to permanent knowledge. The content we teach is critical, but practice makes it powerful.

Objectives:
• Describe the different forms of practice and the benefits of each.
• Identify which forms of practice are most effective at each stage of learning.
• Identify where different forms of practice may enhance student learning outcomes within a structured literacy lesson.

Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Graduate Reading Science Program Director, Assistant Professor
Mount St. Joseph University
Jamey Peavler is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Graduate Reading Science Program at Mount St. Joseph University. Before joining The Mount, Jamey served as the Director of Training for the M.A. Rooney Foundation, providing Orton-Gillingham training for teachers across Indiana. She was an Instructional Coach and classroom teacher for Indianapolis Public Schools for 20 years. Jamey reviews higher education textbooks and teacher licensure exams for the National Council on Teacher Quality. She is a Certified Fellow-in-Training with the Orton-Gillingham Academy and an International Dyslexia Association Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist. Jamey serves on the Editorial Board for the International Dyslexia Association’s Perspectives in Language and Literacy journal and has over 18 combined years of service on the board of the Reading League’s Indiana and IDA Indiana Chapters.
DESCRIPTION: This session focuses on how carefully designed text sets support beginning readers in developing automaticity with high-frequency words and consistent spelling patterns while engaging with meaningful content. Participants will examine how early texts can balance readability and knowledge-building, avoiding the false choice between decodable and engaging materials. The role of repeated exposure across connected texts will be highlighted, along with ways to introduce simple morphological families and oral language supports. Teachers will leave with criteria for evaluating early reading materials and examples of text sets that foster both word recognition and conceptual understanding from the start of reading development.

Elfrieda Hiebert, PhD

President/CEO
TextProject
Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert is President and CEO of TextProject, a nonprofit that provides open-access resources for beginning and struggling readers. She has served as a primary-grade teacher in California as well as a teacher educator and researcher at the University of Kentucky, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Michigan, and University of California, Berkeley. Her research on fostering fluency, vocabulary, and knowledge through appropriate texts has been widely published and recognized with honors including the Oscar Causey Award (Literacy Research Association) and the William S. Gray Citation of Merit Award (International Literacy Association).

DESCRIPTION: Fluency is a critical link between word recognition and comprehension—yet it is often overlooked and underdeveloped in literacy instruction. In this session, educators will explore fluency as a multidimensional construct and examine how the different dimensions of fluency work together to support both efficient word recognition and deep meaning-making. Participants will consider how breakdowns in fluency impact students’ ability to lift meaning off the page and will learn to recognize common patterns of fluency difficulty. Through an if/then lens, educators will identify responsive instructional next steps—what to do when students struggle with accuracy/rate, prosody, and/or expression—so they can better support the connection between decoding and comprehension. This session centers on practical, flexible moves that help educators respond to student needs and strengthen fluency as the bridge that carries readers from words to understanding.

Kristie Clements, MA and C-SLCT

Head of Literacy Content
Greenfield Learning Inc.
Kristie Clements, M.A., C-SLCT was born and raised in Quesnel, British Columbia and attended Northwestern Polytechnic (Grande Prairie, Alberta), received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Augsburg University (Minneapolis, Minnesota), and earned her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from California State University (Long Beach, California). Kristie began her career in education in the Long Beach Unified School District. This sparked her deep passion and commitment to urban education and literacy for all students. For the last 27 years, she has worked with children and adults as a teacher, instructional coach, administrator, literacy consultant, author, keynote speaker, and professor at a California State University. Kristie is the Head of Literacy Content at Greenfield Learning and the Director of National Literacy Strategy at Eos Learning, where she focuses on building and providing professional learning grounded in a comprehensive reading process rooted in the science and research of the reading brain. In addition, she supports districts and boards in designing and actualizing multi-year literacy visions that prepare educators to deliver Science of Reading-aligned structured literacy instruction. At CSUDH, Kristie teaches coursework in early literacy, the Science of Reading, Structured Literacy, classroom management, effective instruction for struggling readers, and data-driven classroom instructional practices.

Ashley Rebiskie, MA

Director of Learning & Impact
Greenfield Learning Inc.
Ashley Rebiskie is a dedicated educator and leader committed to transforming student outcomes through meaningful professional learning. With over a decade of experience as a teacher and academic coach, along with 10 years as the Director of Learning & Impact, Ashley has a deep understanding of how strategic professional development empowers educators and drives student success.
DESCRIPTION: In this joint session, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and REL Northwest share practical lessons from their partnership examining how IRIPs are assigned and exited within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Reading.

Caitlin Scott, PhD

Director
Marzano Research
Dr. Caitlin Scott oversees a portfolio of literacy evaluations, technical assistance, and professional development at Marzano Research. She leads the evaluation of Alaska's 2024 Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) grant and Alaska's literacy partnership through the Regional Education Laboratory (REL) in the Northwest. Her experience in Alaska dates back to 2009, as an evaluation assistant for Alaska’s federal Reading First grant. She looks forward to supporting Alaska’s literacy work at the Alaska Science of Reading Symposium and beyond.

Kari Dendurent

Assistant Superintendent
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Kari Dendurent is the Assistant Superintendent for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) and a Presenter at the Alaska Science of Reading Symposium. Bringing over two decades of educational leadership experience across Alaska and Florida, she provides districtwide leadership focused on instruction, operations, strategic improvement, and equitable opportunities for all students.

Kari is deeply committed to advancing literacy and instructional excellence. She is a strong advocate for the Alaska Reads Act, leading grassroots implementation efforts and collaborating with other districts across the state to strengthen support systems for reading achievement. Her work also involves developing meaningful data partnerships with external entities to inform decision-making and enhance student outcomes.

Her background includes serving as principal of Homer Middle School, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. She has led schools and programs recognized for innovation, strong community partnerships, and student-centered success.

A certified Alaska superintendent, principal, and K–12 teacher with a reading endorsement, Kari holds a Superintendent Certificate from the University of Alaska Southeast and has completed doctoral work in Educational Leadership at the University of Central Florida.

As a 2024 Alaska Science of Reading Symposium District Reading Ambassador, Kari shares her passion for evidence-based reading instruction and her deep understanding of Alaska’s educational landscape to support schools statewide.

Noman Khanani, PhD

Senior Researcher
WestEd
Noman Khanani is an applied quantitative methodologist experienced in designing and leading rigorous evaluations of education programs, interventions, and policies. He specializes in experimental and quasi-experimental research, along with applied psychometrics, with a focus on early literacy, math education, and educator labor markets

Rachel Tripathy, MA

Senior Research Associate
REL Northwest
Rachel Tripathy is a senior researcher with REL Northwest focused on early literacy. Her research centers on equity in education, early literacy development, and reading policy, with particular expertise in iterative program development research using approaches from human-centered design and implementation science to generate evidence for program and policy improvement.
DESCRIPTION: This presentation focuses on the importance of oral language development in relation to literacy development. We know that all students bring their own wealth of knowledge and culture into the classroom. Research also shows the importance of building schema through content, but educators often still wonder about the best way to do this. This workshop will use and outline the latest research to show participants the what and how of evidence-based practice in language. Participants will walk away with tools for explicitly teaching oral language, strategies for multilingual learners, and ways to integrate language across content areas.

MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Educator & Researcher
Left Side Strong LLC
MaryKate DeSantis is the founder of Left Side Strong LLC, an educational organization that supports districts, schools, and families by using evolving science to promote inclusive practices for all children. Her experiences working in a large urban school district as a special educator, reading specialist, and district-wide literacy coach have fueled her passion for translational research to ensure that all children receive evidence-based instruction. MaryKate believes that teachers are agents of change in literacy and are essential to transforming children's lives. Her background in teaching reading sparked an interest in researching language, literacy, and developmental trajectories. This curiosity led her to a full-time faculty position at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in the Speech-Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab under Dr. Tiffany Hogan, and to an ongoing research collaboration with Harvard University's BRIDGES lab, led by Dr. Phil Capin, focused on developing literacy interventions for at-risk students. MaryKate has also served as a clinician in the Neurology Department at Boston Children’s Hospital, is an adjunct professor at the Boston College Lynch School of Human Development, and is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at UCONN under the mentorship of Michael Coyne.
DESCRIPTION: Are you ready to see a dramatic shift in your students’ writing? Join teacher and author, Lindsay Kemeny, for a practical session focused on evidence-based writing strategies that deliver results. We’ll explore evidence-based strategies for teaching the composition process, empowering students to plan, organize, and write (think POW!) their ideas with confidence. Through real-world examples from a first-grade classroom, you'll see daily and weekly lesson structures in action. Walk away with concrete, actionable steps to help your students use POW to create WOW-worthy writing!

Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Teacher & Author
Davis School District
Lindsay Kemeny is an elementary school teacher, speaker, and author with a passion for literacy and applying research to practice. After her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression, she began her deep dive into effective literacy instruction for all children. She enjoys presenting locally and nationally, and co-hosting the Literacy Talks podcast. She is the author of the books, 7 Mighty Moves, 7 Mighty Moves Reading Resources, and Rock Your Literacy Block. She loves being in the classroom every day, teaching kids to read and write.
DESCRIPTION: Discover easy-to-implement, enjoyable and evidence-based ways to teach writing. Help your students become more strategic, empowered, independent and goal-oriented writers, and thinkers.

Leslie Laud, EdD

Director
Releasing Writers
Dr. Leslie Laud, director of Releasing Writers, supports districts and states nationally with strengthening writing instruction. She has taught in both general and special education, and worked as a principal. She now leads research studies. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University. She has served as co-PI and lead PI on federally-funded large research studies of writing instruction, publishes empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals, presents frequently at national conferences and is the author of Executive Skills and Writing Instruction.

Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Literacy Specialist & Researcher, New Hampshire Department of Education | EdTech Founder
My Path to Learning
Dr. Kathleen McCaffery is a literacy leader advancing research-aligned instruction across classrooms, systems, and policy. Her work centers on translating the Science of Reading into scalable practice, equipping educators with the tools, knowledge, and insight needed to elevate student achievement.
DESCRIPTION: Designed for upper-grade teachers and instructional leaders, this interactive session clarifies how English orthography shapes reading and how flexible decoding supports accurate reading of longer, complex words.

Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Segment Director
NWEA & The Center for Model Schools
Dr. Tiffany Peltier is a researcher and expert in early literacy, reading difficulties, and dyslexia, with multiple peer-reviewed publications on reading and math assessment, intervention, and teacher training. As Segment Director at NWEA and the Center for Model Schools, she translates research into actionable products aligned with the science of learning for leaders and educators. She has developed and facilitated professional learning nationwide, is the president of the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI), and serves on the National Advisory Board for Learning Ally. Dr. Peltier actively works to bridge research and practice, combat misconceptions through learning science, and support data-driven decisions at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.

DESCRIPTION: Across disciplines, researchers have sought to understand the optimal conditions for facilitating the retrieval process that learners must use to locate and apply information to perform tasks. In understanding this process, researchers question how many repetitions learners need. These tasks elicit stronger connections and more immediate information retrieval. It is also worth considering whether there is any way to ensure this information is retrievable and retained over time. Awareness of the type, timing, and level of support each form of practice provides helps instructors design effective instruction. Considering how to interleave old content with new, distributing practice over time, and gradually reducing our support from prompted and guided to independent practice is key to permanent knowledge. The content we teach is critical, but practice makes it powerful.

Objectives:
• Describe the different forms of practice and the benefits of each.
• Identify which forms of practice are most effective at each stage of learning.
• Identify where different forms of practice may enhance student learning outcomes within a structured literacy lesson.

Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Graduate Reading Science Program Director, Assistant Professor
Mount St. Joseph University
Jamey Peavler is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Graduate Reading Science Program at Mount St. Joseph University. Before joining The Mount, Jamey served as the Director of Training for the M.A. Rooney Foundation, providing Orton-Gillingham training for teachers across Indiana. She was an Instructional Coach and classroom teacher for Indianapolis Public Schools for 20 years. Jamey reviews higher education textbooks and teacher licensure exams for the National Council on Teacher Quality. She is a Certified Fellow-in-Training with the Orton-Gillingham Academy and an International Dyslexia Association Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist. Jamey serves on the Editorial Board for the International Dyslexia Association’s Perspectives in Language and Literacy journal and has over 18 combined years of service on the board of the Reading League’s Indiana and IDA Indiana Chapters.
DESCRIPTION: As students move beyond the earliest stages of reading, automaticity must extend to multisyllabic and less frequent words. This session focuses on how text sets support this critical phase of climbing the staircase of automaticity, where readers encounter increasing linguistic and conceptual demands. Participants will examine how sequences of texts can build knowledge across a topic while providing repeated exposure to important vocabulary, including morphological families and academic language. The session also addresses the limitations of traditional leveling systems and the need for continued attention to fluency in the intermediate grades. Practical examples will illustrate how to maintain accessibility while steadily increasing complexity.

Elfrieda Hiebert, PhD

President/CEO
TextProject
Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert is President and CEO of TextProject, a nonprofit that provides open-access resources for beginning and struggling readers. She has served as a primary-grade teacher in California as well as a teacher educator and researcher at the University of Kentucky, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Michigan, and University of California, Berkeley. Her research on fostering fluency, vocabulary, and knowledge through appropriate texts has been widely published and recognized with honors including the Oscar Causey Award (Literacy Research Association) and the William S. Gray Citation of Merit Award (International Literacy Association).

DESCRIPTION: Fluency is a critical link between word recognition and comprehension—yet it is often overlooked and underdeveloped in literacy instruction. In this session, educators will explore fluency as a multidimensional construct and examine how the different dimensions of fluency work together to support both efficient word recognition and deep meaning-making. Participants will consider how breakdowns in fluency impact students’ ability to lift meaning off the page and will learn to recognize common patterns of fluency difficulty. Through an if/then lens, educators will identify responsive instructional next steps—what to do when students struggle with accuracy/rate, prosody, and/or expression—so they can better support the connection between decoding and comprehension. This session centers on practical, flexible moves that help educators respond to student needs and strengthen fluency as the bridge that carries readers from words to understanding.

Kristie Clements, MA and C-SLCT

Head of Literacy Content
Greenfield Learning Inc.
Kristie Clements, M.A., C-SLCT was born and raised in Quesnel, British Columbia and attended Northwestern Polytechnic (Grande Prairie, Alberta), received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Augsburg University (Minneapolis, Minnesota), and earned her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from California State University (Long Beach, California). Kristie began her career in education in the Long Beach Unified School District. This sparked her deep passion and commitment to urban education and literacy for all students. For the last 27 years, she has worked with children and adults as a teacher, instructional coach, administrator, literacy consultant, author, keynote speaker, and professor at a California State University. Kristie is the Head of Literacy Content at Greenfield Learning and the Director of National Literacy Strategy at Eos Learning, where she focuses on building and providing professional learning grounded in a comprehensive reading process rooted in the science and research of the reading brain. In addition, she supports districts and boards in designing and actualizing multi-year literacy visions that prepare educators to deliver Science of Reading-aligned structured literacy instruction. At CSUDH, Kristie teaches coursework in early literacy, the Science of Reading, Structured Literacy, classroom management, effective instruction for struggling readers, and data-driven classroom instructional practices.

Ashley Rebiskie, MA

Director of Learning & Impact
Greenfield Learning Inc.
Ashley Rebiskie is a dedicated educator and leader committed to transforming student outcomes through meaningful professional learning. With over a decade of experience as a teacher and academic coach, along with 10 years as the Director of Learning & Impact, Ashley has a deep understanding of how strategic professional development empowers educators and drives student success.
DESCRIPTION: Efficient reading comprehension requires well-developed language skills. This requires the implementation of specific language practices. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of reading comprehension and its implementation.

Gina Biancarosa, EdD

Associate Professor
University of Oregon
Gina Biancarosa is the Ann Swindells Chair in Education and a full professor in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences in the College of Education at the University of Oregon. She conducts her research at the Center on Teaching and Learning, where she also serves as Director. Biancarosa’s research centers on questions related to more precise and informative measurement of reading, especially of reading comprehension, and modeling of growth in reading over time. Her most recent measurement development research has centered on developing early literacy screeners in Alaska Native languages.

Sylvia Thompson, PhD

Professor
University of Oregon
Sylvia Linan-Thompson, Ph.D. is an associate professor at the University of Oregon in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences and is affiliated with the Center on Teaching and Learning. Her primary research interests are examining and developing appropriate literacy instructional and assessment practices for multilingual students Including co-directing the L-SAILL project in Alaska. She also works as a literacy specialist on international development projects in education in collaboration with the World Bank, UNESCO, and the U.S. Agency for International Development to develop reading curriculum and assessments worldwide, including extensive academic and field expertise in mother-tongue and second language literacy in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. She has authored articles, chapters, and books on these topics.
DESCRIPTION: Come learn about the seven moves Lindsay Kemeny made in her classroom to ensure reading success for all her students. She will share seven ways teachers can modify what they are currently doing to transform their reading instruction. Each “mighty move” focuses on a critical area of foundational reading-from the most efficient ways to teach phonemic awareness and phonics to how to boost comprehension. Lindsay will briefly discuss each move and offer up a specific strategy for each one that you can implement right away.

Lindsay Kemeny, MS

Teacher & Author
Davis School District
Lindsay Kemeny is an elementary school teacher, speaker, and author with a passion for literacy and applying research to practice. After her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression, she began her deep dive into effective literacy instruction for all children. She enjoys presenting locally and nationally, and co-hosting the Literacy Talks podcast. She is the author of the books, 7 Mighty Moves, 7 Mighty Moves Reading Resources, and Rock Your Literacy Block. She loves being in the classroom every day, teaching kids to read and write.
DESCRIPTION: This presentation focuses on the importance of oral language development in relation to literacy development. We know that all students bring their own wealth of knowledge and culture into the classroom. Research also shows the importance of building schema through content, but educators often still wonder about the best way to do this. This workshop will use and outline the latest research to show participants the what and how of evidence-based practice in language. Participants will walk away with tools for explicitly teaching oral language, strategies for multilingual learners, and ways to integrate language across content areas.

MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Educator & Researcher
Left Side Strong LLC
MaryKate DeSantis is the founder of Left Side Strong LLC, an educational organization that supports districts, schools, and families by using evolving science to promote inclusive practices for all children. Her experiences working in a large urban school district as a special educator, reading specialist, and district-wide literacy coach have fueled her passion for translational research to ensure that all children receive evidence-based instruction. MaryKate believes that teachers are agents of change in literacy and are essential to transforming children's lives. Her background in teaching reading sparked an interest in researching language, literacy, and developmental trajectories. This curiosity led her to a full-time faculty position at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in the Speech-Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab under Dr. Tiffany Hogan, and to an ongoing research collaboration with Harvard University's BRIDGES lab, led by Dr. Phil Capin, focused on developing literacy interventions for at-risk students. MaryKate has also served as a clinician in the Neurology Department at Boston Children’s Hospital, is an adjunct professor at the Boston College Lynch School of Human Development, and is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at UCONN under the mentorship of Michael Coyne.

DESCRIPTION: I know you: you read every piece of research and dutifully teach every standard through your best of all practices. You read blogs and teacher magazines, attend academic talks and education conferences, and debate vigorously with your fellow professionals to be the very best you can be. When’s the last time you were invited to pause, breathe and contemplate the infinite gifts and delights of language—that downplayed, misunderstood realm of being human that enriches and defines us? In this time together we will explore creating a language-alive classroom culture well beyond rhythm and rhyme and National Poetry Month. Join me as we review practical ways to compel your students to crave the satisfaction of authentic expression through poetry.

Elizabeth Bassford, MSEd

Vice President, Content and Implementation
Curriculum Associates
Elizabeth Bassford serves as vice president of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates and has dedicated her 44-year career to the art and science of literacy. With degrees from NYU and Fordham and a national reputation for guiding transformative initiatives, Elizabeth speaks on conditions most favorable to building a highly literate, thriving populace.
DESCRIPTION: Discover easy-to-implement, enjoyable and evidence-based ways to teach writing. Help your students become more strategic, empowered, independent and goal-oriented writers, and thinkers.

Leslie Laud, EdD

Director
Releasing Writers
Dr. Leslie Laud, director of Releasing Writers, supports districts and states nationally with strengthening writing instruction. She has taught in both general and special education, and worked as a principal. She now leads research studies. She holds a doctorate from Columbia University. She has served as co-PI and lead PI on federally-funded large research studies of writing instruction, publishes empirical studies in peer-reviewed journals, presents frequently at national conferences and is the author of Executive Skills and Writing Instruction.

Kathleen McCaffery, EdD

Literacy Specialist & Researcher, New Hampshire Department of Education | EdTech Founder
My Path to Learning
Dr. Kathleen McCaffery is a literacy leader advancing research-aligned instruction across classrooms, systems, and policy. Her work centers on translating the Science of Reading into scalable practice, equipping educators with the tools, knowledge, and insight needed to elevate student achievement.
DESCRIPTION: Designed for upper-grade teachers and instructional leaders, this interactive session clarifies how English orthography shapes reading and how flexible decoding supports accurate reading of longer, complex words.

Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Segment Director
NWEA & The Center for Model Schools
Dr. Tiffany Peltier is a researcher and expert in early literacy, reading difficulties, and dyslexia, with multiple peer-reviewed publications on reading and math assessment, intervention, and teacher training. As Segment Director at NWEA and the Center for Model Schools, she translates research into actionable products aligned with the science of learning for leaders and educators. She has developed and facilitated professional learning nationwide, is the president of the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI), and serves on the National Advisory Board for Learning Ally. Dr. Peltier actively works to bridge research and practice, combat misconceptions through learning science, and support data-driven decisions at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.

DESCRIPTION: Across disciplines, researchers have sought to understand the optimal conditions for facilitating the retrieval process that learners must use to locate and apply information to perform tasks. In understanding this process, researchers question how many repetitions learners need. These tasks elicit stronger connections and more immediate information retrieval. It is also worth considering whether there is any way to ensure this information is retrievable and retained over time. Awareness of the type, timing, and level of support each form of practice provides helps instructors design effective instruction. Considering how to interleave old content with new, distributing practice over time, and gradually reducing our support from prompted and guided to independent practice is key to permanent knowledge. The content we teach is critical, but practice makes it powerful.

Objectives:
• Describe the different forms of practice and the benefits of each.
• Identify which forms of practice are most effective at each stage of learning.
• Identify where different forms of practice may enhance student learning outcomes within a structured literacy lesson.

Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Graduate Reading Science Program Director, Assistant Professor
Mount St. Joseph University
Jamey Peavler is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Graduate Reading Science Program at Mount St. Joseph University. Before joining The Mount, Jamey served as the Director of Training for the M.A. Rooney Foundation, providing Orton-Gillingham training for teachers across Indiana. She was an Instructional Coach and classroom teacher for Indianapolis Public Schools for 20 years. Jamey reviews higher education textbooks and teacher licensure exams for the National Council on Teacher Quality. She is a Certified Fellow-in-Training with the Orton-Gillingham Academy and an International Dyslexia Association Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist. Jamey serves on the Editorial Board for the International Dyslexia Association’s Perspectives in Language and Literacy journal and has over 18 combined years of service on the board of the Reading League’s Indiana and IDA Indiana Chapters.
DESCRIPTION: Many adolescent readers can decode but lack the automaticity needed for efficient comprehension. This session focuses on how text sets extend the staircase of automaticity for older students by increasing exposure to high-utility vocabulary within meaningful, knowledge-building contexts. Participants will examine how volume of reading, combined with strategically sequenced texts, supports both fluency and background knowledge. The role of morphological families and discipline-specific vocabulary will be emphasized, along with approaches that avoid remedial framing. Attendees will leave with a model for designing or selecting text sets that accelerate reading development while engaging older students in substantive content.

Elfrieda Hiebert, PhD

President/CEO
TextProject
Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert is President and CEO of TextProject, a nonprofit that provides open-access resources for beginning and struggling readers. She has served as a primary-grade teacher in California as well as a teacher educator and researcher at the University of Kentucky, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Michigan, and University of California, Berkeley. Her research on fostering fluency, vocabulary, and knowledge through appropriate texts has been widely published and recognized with honors including the Oscar Causey Award (Literacy Research Association) and the William S. Gray Citation of Merit Award (International Literacy Association).

DESCRIPTION: Fluency is a critical link between word recognition and comprehension—yet it is often overlooked and underdeveloped in literacy instruction. In this session, educators will explore fluency as a multidimensional construct and examine how the different dimensions of fluency work together to support both efficient word recognition and deep meaning-making. Participants will consider how breakdowns in fluency impact students’ ability to lift meaning off the page and will learn to recognize common patterns of fluency difficulty. Through an if/then lens, educators will identify responsive instructional next steps—what to do when students struggle with accuracy/rate, prosody, and/or expression—so they can better support the connection between decoding and comprehension. This session centers on practical, flexible moves that help educators respond to student needs and strengthen fluency as the bridge that carries readers from words to understanding.

Kristie Clements, MA and C-SLCT

Head of Literacy Content
Greenfield Learning Inc.
Kristie Clements, M.A., C-SLCT was born and raised in Quesnel, British Columbia and attended Northwestern Polytechnic (Grande Prairie, Alberta), received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Augsburg University (Minneapolis, Minnesota), and earned her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from California State University (Long Beach, California). Kristie began her career in education in the Long Beach Unified School District. This sparked her deep passion and commitment to urban education and literacy for all students. For the last 27 years, she has worked with children and adults as a teacher, instructional coach, administrator, literacy consultant, author, keynote speaker, and professor at a California State University. Kristie is the Head of Literacy Content at Greenfield Learning and the Director of National Literacy Strategy at Eos Learning, where she focuses on building and providing professional learning grounded in a comprehensive reading process rooted in the science and research of the reading brain. In addition, she supports districts and boards in designing and actualizing multi-year literacy visions that prepare educators to deliver Science of Reading-aligned structured literacy instruction. At CSUDH, Kristie teaches coursework in early literacy, the Science of Reading, Structured Literacy, classroom management, effective instruction for struggling readers, and data-driven classroom instructional practices.

Ashley Rebiskie, MA

Director of Learning & Impact
Greenfield Learning Inc.
Ashley Rebiskie is a dedicated educator and leader committed to transforming student outcomes through meaningful professional learning. With over a decade of experience as a teacher and academic coach, along with 10 years as the Director of Learning & Impact, Ashley has a deep understanding of how strategic professional development empowers educators and drives student success.
DESCRIPTION: Efficient reading comprehension requires well-developed language skills. This requires the implementation of specific language practices. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of reading comprehension and its implementation.

Gina Biancarosa, EdD

Associate Professor
University of Oregon
Gina Biancarosa is the Ann Swindells Chair in Education and a full professor in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences in the College of Education at the University of Oregon. She conducts her research at the Center on Teaching and Learning, where she also serves as Director. Biancarosa’s research centers on questions related to more precise and informative measurement of reading, especially of reading comprehension, and modeling of growth in reading over time. Her most recent measurement development research has centered on developing early literacy screeners in Alaska Native languages.

Sylvia Thompson, PhD

Professor
University of Oregon
Sylvia Linan-Thompson, Ph.D. is an associate professor at the University of Oregon in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences and is affiliated with the Center on Teaching and Learning. Her primary research interests are examining and developing appropriate literacy instructional and assessment practices for multilingual students Including co-directing the L-SAILL project in Alaska. She also works as a literacy specialist on international development projects in education in collaboration with the World Bank, UNESCO, and the U.S. Agency for International Development to develop reading curriculum and assessments worldwide, including extensive academic and field expertise in mother-tongue and second language literacy in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. She has authored articles, chapters, and books on these topics.
DESCRIPTION: It is widely proven that all good things come when we engage each child in their birthright of grade level, or Tier 1, instruction. Although universally recognized as a lever for acceleration, in practice it remains inconsistent and elusive. But why? Why has this one tenet of high-integrity teaching evaded us for more than 2 decades? Together we will call out and demystify the conditions that deliver on the promise of equity and the power of RTI/MTSS rooted in an unwavering commitment to Tier 1 and grade level reading for all.

Elizabeth Bassford, MSEd

Vice President, Content and Implementation
Curriculum Associates
Elizabeth Bassford serves as vice president of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates and has dedicated her 44-year career to the art and science of literacy. With degrees from NYU and Fordham and a national reputation for guiding transformative initiatives, Elizabeth speaks on conditions most favorable to building a highly literate, thriving populace.
DESCRIPTION: This presentation aims to bring awareness of the prevalence and understanding of developmental language disorder (DLD) and dyslexia. Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that impairs the learning, expression, and comprehension of spoken and written language in people of all ages (Bishop et al., 2017). Whereas dyslexia manifests in the ability to decode words accurately and automatically. Participants will learn screening, risk factors, and identification, and walk away with instructional strategies to support students with neurodiverse profiles.

MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Educator & Researcher
Left Side Strong LLC
MaryKate DeSantis is the founder of Left Side Strong LLC, an educational organization that supports districts, schools, and families by using evolving science to promote inclusive practices for all children. Her experiences working in a large urban school district as a special educator, reading specialist, and district-wide literacy coach have fueled her passion for translational research to ensure that all children receive evidence-based instruction. MaryKate believes that teachers are agents of change in literacy and are essential to transforming children's lives. Her background in teaching reading sparked an interest in researching language, literacy, and developmental trajectories. This curiosity led her to a full-time faculty position at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in the Speech-Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab under Dr. Tiffany Hogan, and to an ongoing research collaboration with Harvard University's BRIDGES lab, led by Dr. Phil Capin, focused on developing literacy interventions for at-risk students. MaryKate has also served as a clinician in the Neurology Department at Boston Children’s Hospital, is an adjunct professor at the Boston College Lynch School of Human Development, and is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at UCONN under the mentorship of Michael Coyne.

DESCRIPTION: The Instructional Hierarchy (Haring et al., 1978) outlines the continuum of learning through which skills must progress to reach proficiency. When instruction exceeds students’ working memory capacity, they have difficulty progressing through these stages. By connecting this learning continuum with research on cognitive load and working memory capacity, we are better equipped to understand why some students struggle to acquire, retain, and later apply new information. Instructional design must consider how to manage cognitive load to maximize learning.

Objectives:
• Explain the characteristics and learning objectives for each of the four stages of learning.
• Summarize the role of working memory in the learning process.
• Identify common causes of cognitive overload and how to manage them to increase learning and improve student outcomes.
• Outline important instruction and assessment considerations for effectively managing cognitive load.

Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Graduate Reading Science Program Director, Assistant Professor
Mount St. Joseph University
Jamey Peavler is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Graduate Reading Science Program at Mount St. Joseph University. Before joining The Mount, Jamey served as the Director of Training for the M.A. Rooney Foundation, providing Orton-Gillingham training for teachers across Indiana. She was an Instructional Coach and classroom teacher for Indianapolis Public Schools for 20 years. Jamey reviews higher education textbooks and teacher licensure exams for the National Council on Teacher Quality. She is a Certified Fellow-in-Training with the Orton-Gillingham Academy and an International Dyslexia Association Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist. Jamey serves on the Editorial Board for the International Dyslexia Association’s Perspectives in Language and Literacy journal and has over 18 combined years of service on the board of the Reading League’s Indiana and IDA Indiana Chapters.
DESCRIPTION: This session highlights that the Science of Reading is essential for adolescents in grades 5–12, emphasizing the need for explicit literacy instruction and explaining key aspects of adolescent literacy, including content literacy, disciplinary literacy, and targeted intervention. It also offers practical strategies for integrating reading and writing across subjects while strengthening vocabulary, comprehension, text structure, writing, discussion, advanced word study, and fluency.

Darren Schlepp, MEd

Professional Learning Specialist
Keys to Literacy
Darren is a Professional Development Implementation Specialist and national consultant with Keys to Literacy. He partners with state departments of education, districts, and schools across the country to design and deliver evidence-based literacy professional learning and coaching that drives meaningful instructional change.

With extensive experience as both an educator and school leader, Darren brings deep expertise in implementing the Science of Reading, strengthening MTSS frameworks, and building coherent systems that support sustainable literacy improvement. As a building leader, he led efforts that resulted in measurable gains in student literacy outcomes and was recognized as a National Distinguished Principal for Montana. He is known for helping leaders translate research into daily practice through strong implementation structures, including PLCs, coaching, and continuous improvement processes.

Darren is a sought-after presenter who has shared his work at local, state, and national levels, and he brings that same clarity and practicality to every engagement. In addition to his client-facing work, he serves as a mentor to Keys to Literacy’s national consultant team and leads the Certified Facilitator model, supporting scalable, high-quality professional learning for educators and leaders nationwide.

DESCRIPTION: Designed for teachers and instructional leaders, this interactive session uses simulations and practical activities to clarify what matters in fluency instruction and introduces routines that intentionally build accurate, fluent readers.

Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Segment Director
NWEA & The Center for Model Schools
Dr. Tiffany Peltier is a researcher and expert in early literacy, reading difficulties, and dyslexia, with multiple peer-reviewed publications on reading and math assessment, intervention, and teacher training. As Segment Director at NWEA and the Center for Model Schools, she translates research into actionable products aligned with the science of learning for leaders and educators. She has developed and facilitated professional learning nationwide, is the president of the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI), and serves on the National Advisory Board for Learning Ally. Dr. Peltier actively works to bridge research and practice, combat misconceptions through learning science, and support data-driven decisions at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.
DESCRIPTION: Many classrooms rely on one-size-fits-all practice. This session shows how the Instructional Hierarchy helps teachers match intentional literacy practice to the stages of learning to accelerate literacy growth, and offers teacher resources to do so.

Pam Kastner, EdD

Contributing Faculty Member
Mount Saint Joseph University
Pam Kastner, Ed.D., is a literacy consultant and the former state lead for literacy in Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg. Currently, Dr. Kastner is honored to serve as a contributing faculty member at Mount Saint Joseph University in the Reading Science Program where she teaches in the Masters’ and Doctoral Program and was honored as the Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2023.

Dr. Kastner has presented widely across the United States and Internationally. She partners with State Departments of Education and school districts throughout the nation to provide on-site technical assistance, consultation, and coaching.

Dr. Kastner serves on the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition and has the honor of serving as the President of The Reading League Pennsylvania, The Reading League Journal’s Practitioner Editorial Board, and is a member of The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement coalition.

DESCRIPTION: To help all students achieve success in school, we must address more than just their instruction. Effective K-12 schools achieve success by paying close attention to five essential components: Standards, Assessments, Instruction, and Intervention, supported by Leadership and a Sustained Commitment (SAILS; Hasbrouck & Denton, 2005; Hasbrouck & Michel, 2022). This session presents strategies for using this evidence-based framework for success so every school can increase student academic achievement.

Jan Hasbrouck, PhD

Consultant/Researcher
JH Educational Services
Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D. is an award-winning researcher, educational consultant, and author who works with schools and agencies in the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Hasbrouck worked as a reading specialist and literacy coach for 15 years and later became a professor. Her research in reading fluency, academic assessment and interventions, and instructional coaching has been widely published. She is the author, coauthor, and co-editor of several books along with some assessment tools. She continues to collaborate with researchers and school colleagues on projects related to reading interventions, assessment, and instructional coaching. She enjoys volunteering at her grandson’s K-8 school in Seattle.
DESCRIPTION: Strong family partnerships are essential to successful early learning experiences and serve as a building block for early literacy. This interactive session will help you rethink how you engage with families by tapping into the rich knowledge, culture and experiences they bring.

Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

Account Representative
Teaching Strategies
Cori Hughes is an Early Childhood Solutions Specialist serving the Northwest Region of the United States as a Direct Representative for Teaching Strategies. In this role, she partners with programs to deliver high-quality early childhood solutions that support positive outcomes for children. Cori is a former Early Learning educator with experience teaching Preschool, Kindergarten, and Early Literacy Intervention programs within Public School Districts in Lincoln, Nebraska and Houston, Texas. She was nominated for Teacher of the Year at Chancellor Elementary in Alief Independent School District in Houston, Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Cori is deeply committed to creating equitable Early Learning environments where language development and social-emotional learning are foundational. She believes academic rigor is most effective when embedded within play-based curriculum, fostering joyful, meaningful learning experiences for both children and educators.

Heather Hennessey, EdD

Education Consultant
Teaching Strategies
Dr. Heather Hennesey, is a Leadership Coach and Early Childhood Education Consultant. She currently works as a Subject Matter Expert at Teaching Strategies, where she supports Districts and Programs with data driven solutions to support high quality implementation and positive student outcomes. She is the former Director of Early Learning in Fort Worth ISD and served as a campus administrator for a Title 1, Dual Language elementary school in Plano, Texas. Dr. Hennesey began her career as an early childhood special education teacher; later she served as an Instructional Coach and Teacher Leader. Dr. Hennesey earned her Masters in Education Leadership from Arizona State University and her Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership from Southern Methodist University. Dr. Hennesey is a past-president and serves on the board of the Texas Association of Administrators and Supervisors of Programs for Young Children (TAASPYC), as well as on the Education Committee for the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. She is a highly sought-after national speaker on topics such as developmentally appropriate practices, family engagement, and change management. She is a life-long learner who believes joy is an essential part of every classroom.
DESCRIPTION: Students thrive when schools and families partner together. In this interactive session, you’ll hear how the Lower Kuskokwim School District is engaging dads and how the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District has been getting free and low-cost books into their families’ homes. And you’ll get tips and tools to help communicate with families about reading from the Alaska Family Engagement Center.

Jon Lavelle

Migrant Ed Recruiter/Family Event Coordinator
Lower Kuskokwim School District
Jon LaValle has worked in the Lower Kuskokwim School District for 23 years, including 20 years as a junior high math teacher. In 2018, he was honored as the district’s Teacher of the Year. He also served as a high school Behavior Interventionist, which strengthened his work in student support and relationships. Currently, he is part of the Migrant Education Department, where he focuses on building strong connections between families and schools. He is especially passionate about increasing the involvement of dads and male role models in education and creating meaningful opportunities for them to engage in their children’s learning.

Kristin Alonzo-Taggart

Assistant Principal
FNSBSD
Kristen Alonzo-Taggart spent several years in the classroom before becoming an assistant principal. She has a strong focus on literacy development in elementary students. She is passionate about helping all students become confident readers and writers while supporting teachers in implementing effective, research-based literacy practices.

Karin Halpin, Masters in Reading, Type B certificate

Training & Coaching Coordinator
Association of Alaska School Boards / Alaska Family Engagement Center
Karin has worked in rural-remote Alaskan schools and an urban district as a teacher, a literacy specialist, a principal, and a district administrator. She is now part of the Alaska Family Engagement Center's training and coaching team.

Emily Ferry

Family Engagement Coordinator
Association of Alaska School Boards/Alaska Family Engagement Center
As coordinator of the Alaska Family Engagement Center, Emily works with schools across the state to foster strong family-school partnerships.
DESCRIPTION: This presentation aims to bring awareness of the prevalence and understanding of developmental language disorder (DLD) and dyslexia. Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that impairs the learning, expression, and comprehension of spoken and written language in people of all ages (Bishop et al., 2017). Whereas dyslexia manifests in the ability to decode words accurately and automatically. Participants will learn screening, risk factors, and identification, and walk away with instructional strategies to support students with neurodiverse profiles.

MaryKate DeSantis, EdM, CAS

Educator & Researcher
Left Side Strong LLC
MaryKate DeSantis is the founder of Left Side Strong LLC, an educational organization that supports districts, schools, and families by using evolving science to promote inclusive practices for all children. Her experiences working in a large urban school district as a special educator, reading specialist, and district-wide literacy coach have fueled her passion for translational research to ensure that all children receive evidence-based instruction. MaryKate believes that teachers are agents of change in literacy and are essential to transforming children's lives. Her background in teaching reading sparked an interest in researching language, literacy, and developmental trajectories. This curiosity led her to a full-time faculty position at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in the Speech-Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab under Dr. Tiffany Hogan, and to an ongoing research collaboration with Harvard University's BRIDGES lab, led by Dr. Phil Capin, focused on developing literacy interventions for at-risk students. MaryKate has also served as a clinician in the Neurology Department at Boston Children’s Hospital, is an adjunct professor at the Boston College Lynch School of Human Development, and is a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at UCONN under the mentorship of Michael Coyne.

DESCRIPTION: The Instructional Hierarchy (Haring et al., 1978) outlines the continuum of learning through which skills must progress to reach proficiency. When instruction exceeds students’ working memory capacity, they have difficulty progressing through these stages. By connecting this learning continuum with research on cognitive load and working memory capacity, we are better equipped to understand why some students struggle to acquire, retain, and later apply new information. Instructional design must consider how to manage cognitive load to maximize learning.

Objectives:
• Explain the characteristics and learning objectives for each of the four stages of learning.
• Summarize the role of working memory in the learning process.
• Identify common causes of cognitive overload and how to manage them to increase learning and improve student outcomes.
• Outline important instruction and assessment considerations for effectively managing cognitive load.

Jamey Peavler, EdD, OGA-FIT

Graduate Reading Science Program Director, Assistant Professor
Mount St. Joseph University
Jamey Peavler is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Graduate Reading Science Program at Mount St. Joseph University. Before joining The Mount, Jamey served as the Director of Training for the M.A. Rooney Foundation, providing Orton-Gillingham training for teachers across Indiana. She was an Instructional Coach and classroom teacher for Indianapolis Public Schools for 20 years. Jamey reviews higher education textbooks and teacher licensure exams for the National Council on Teacher Quality. She is a Certified Fellow-in-Training with the Orton-Gillingham Academy and an International Dyslexia Association Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist. Jamey serves on the Editorial Board for the International Dyslexia Association’s Perspectives in Language and Literacy journal and has over 18 combined years of service on the board of the Reading League’s Indiana and IDA Indiana Chapters.
DESCRIPTION: This session highlights that the Science of Reading is essential for adolescents in grades 5–12, emphasizing the need for explicit literacy instruction and explaining key aspects of adolescent literacy, including content literacy, disciplinary literacy, and targeted intervention. It also offers practical strategies for integrating reading and writing across subjects while strengthening vocabulary, comprehension, text structure, writing, discussion, advanced word study, and fluency.

Darren Schlepp, MEd

Professional Learning Specialist
Keys to Literacy
Darren is a Professional Development Implementation Specialist and national consultant with Keys to Literacy. He partners with state departments of education, districts, and schools across the country to design and deliver evidence-based literacy professional learning and coaching that drives meaningful instructional change.

With extensive experience as both an educator and school leader, Darren brings deep expertise in implementing the Science of Reading, strengthening MTSS frameworks, and building coherent systems that support sustainable literacy improvement. As a building leader, he led efforts that resulted in measurable gains in student literacy outcomes and was recognized as a National Distinguished Principal for Montana. He is known for helping leaders translate research into daily practice through strong implementation structures, including PLCs, coaching, and continuous improvement processes.

Darren is a sought-after presenter who has shared his work at local, state, and national levels, and he brings that same clarity and practicality to every engagement. In addition to his client-facing work, he serves as a mentor to Keys to Literacy’s national consultant team and leads the Certified Facilitator model, supporting scalable, high-quality professional learning for educators and leaders nationwide.

DESCRIPTION: Designed for teachers and instructional leaders, participants experience writing through an interactive simulation and how intentional writing routines help students build knowledge, strengthen language, and deepen understanding.

Tiffany Peltier, PhD

Segment Director
NWEA & The Center for Model Schools
Dr. Tiffany Peltier is a researcher and expert in early literacy, reading difficulties, and dyslexia, with multiple peer-reviewed publications on reading and math assessment, intervention, and teacher training. As Segment Director at NWEA and the Center for Model Schools, she translates research into actionable products aligned with the science of learning for leaders and educators. She has developed and facilitated professional learning nationwide, is the president of the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI), and serves on the National Advisory Board for Learning Ally. Dr. Peltier actively works to bridge research and practice, combat misconceptions through learning science, and support data-driven decisions at the state, district, school, and classroom levels.
DESCRIPTION: Many classrooms rely on one-size-fits-all practice. This session shows how the Instructional Hierarchy helps teachers match intentional literacy practice to the stages of learning to accelerate literacy growth, and offers teacher resources to do so.

Pam Kastner, EdD

Contributing Faculty Member
Mount Saint Joseph University
Pam Kastner, Ed.D., is a literacy consultant and the former state lead for literacy in Pennsylvania at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg. Currently, Dr. Kastner is honored to serve as a contributing faculty member at Mount Saint Joseph University in the Reading Science Program where she teaches in the Masters’ and Doctoral Program and was honored as the Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2023.

Dr. Kastner has presented widely across the United States and Internationally. She partners with State Departments of Education and school districts throughout the nation to provide on-site technical assistance, consultation, and coaching.

Dr. Kastner serves on the Pennsylvania Literacy Coalition and has the honor of serving as the President of The Reading League Pennsylvania, The Reading League Journal’s Practitioner Editorial Board, and is a member of The Science of Reading: A Defining Movement coalition.

DESCRIPTION: To help all students achieve success in school, we must address more than just their instruction. Effective K-12 schools achieve success by paying close attention to five essential components: Standards, Assessments, Instruction, and Intervention, supported by Leadership and a Sustained Commitment (SAILS; Hasbrouck & Denton, 2005; Hasbrouck & Michel, 2022). This session presents strategies for using this evidence-based framework for success so every school can increase student academic achievement.

Jan Hasbrouck, PhD

Consultant/Researcher
JH Educational Services
Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D. is an award-winning researcher, educational consultant, and author who works with schools and agencies in the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Hasbrouck worked as a reading specialist and literacy coach for 15 years and later became a professor. Her research in reading fluency, academic assessment and interventions, and instructional coaching has been widely published. She is the author, coauthor, and co-editor of several books along with some assessment tools. She continues to collaborate with researchers and school colleagues on projects related to reading interventions, assessment, and instructional coaching. She enjoys volunteering at her grandson’s K-8 school in Seattle.
DESCRIPTION: Strong family partnerships are essential to successful early learning experiences and serve as a building block for early literacy. This interactive session will help you rethink how you engage with families by tapping into the rich knowledge, culture and experiences they bring.

Cori Hughes, BA in ECE

Account Representative
Teaching Strategies
Cori Hughes is an Early Childhood Solutions Specialist serving the Northwest Region of the United States as a Direct Representative for Teaching Strategies. In this role, she partners with programs to deliver high-quality early childhood solutions that support positive outcomes for children. Cori is a former Early Learning educator with experience teaching Preschool, Kindergarten, and Early Literacy Intervention programs within Public School Districts in Lincoln, Nebraska and Houston, Texas. She was nominated for Teacher of the Year at Chancellor Elementary in Alief Independent School District in Houston, Texas. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Cori is deeply committed to creating equitable Early Learning environments where language development and social-emotional learning are foundational. She believes academic rigor is most effective when embedded within play-based curriculum, fostering joyful, meaningful learning experiences for both children and educators.

Heather Hennessey, EdD

Education Consultant
Teaching Strategies
Dr. Heather Hennesey, is a Leadership Coach and Early Childhood Education Consultant. She currently works as a Subject Matter Expert at Teaching Strategies, where she supports Districts and Programs with data driven solutions to support high quality implementation and positive student outcomes. She is the former Director of Early Learning in Fort Worth ISD and served as a campus administrator for a Title 1, Dual Language elementary school in Plano, Texas. Dr. Hennesey began her career as an early childhood special education teacher; later she served as an Instructional Coach and Teacher Leader. Dr. Hennesey earned her Masters in Education Leadership from Arizona State University and her Doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership from Southern Methodist University. Dr. Hennesey is a past-president and serves on the board of the Texas Association of Administrators and Supervisors of Programs for Young Children (TAASPYC), as well as on the Education Committee for the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. She is a highly sought-after national speaker on topics such as developmentally appropriate practices, family engagement, and change management. She is a life-long learner who believes joy is an essential part of every classroom.

DESCRIPTION: Partnering with families & communities is an easy way to boost your culturally responsive teaching practices and your students’ reading scores. In this interactive session, you’ll hear from the Alaska Family Engagement Center about why partnering with families matters and how the Lower Yukon School District is using Book Creator to foster reading skills and Yup’ik language development.

Janet Johnson, MA in Educational Leadership

Yup'ik Language and Culture Director
Lower Yukon School District

A lifelong educator, Assiingaq Janet Johnson developed a passion for reading as a young Yup’ik girl, inspired by watching her mother create books from everyday household items—using images from cereal boxes and catalogs—and then write short stories for her preschool students.

Assiingaq went on to become a teacher and administrator and now serves as the Yup’ik Language and Culture Director for the Lower Yukon School District. In this role, she encourages teachers to draw on traditional, oral storytelling and everyday experiences to create Yugtun stories that strengthen and sustain the Yup’ik language and culture.

Yurrliq Nita Rearden, MD in Cross Cultural Studies

MD in Cross Cultural Studies
Yup'ik Consultant/Arts
Yurrliq Nita is a life time educator, retired, grandmother, mother, auntie, sewer, and mentors. She is married to Mike Rearden and have 4 children and 7 grandchildren which she continues to do subsistence living and activities with them.

Minard Abenojar, EdD

3rd Grade Teacher
Lower Yukon School District - Pilot Station School
Dr. Minard Abenojar is an award-winning educator and literacy advocate transforming early reading through innovative, technology-driven practices. Recognized as one of the Top 20 Alaska Educators of the Year 2024, he leads impactful efforts that elevate student learning outcomes. In 2026, his 3rd grade class achieved the highest percentage of students reading at or above grade level in the Lower Yukon School District during the MOY mClass DIBELS Reading Assessment. As the pioneer and implementer of Book Creator in the Lower Yukon School District, he champions cultural preservation while advancing digital literacy and has designed K–6 mClass reading digital tools using Book Creator to support literacy development and intervention. He also presented at the ASTE 2025 and 2026 Conferences on “E-Story Alaska: Keeping Tradition Alive Through Digital Narratives,” highlighting how digital storytelling can preserve Indigenous culture and amplify student voice through meaningful, technology-integrated learning experiences.

Karin Halpin, Masters in Reading, Type B certificate

Training & Coaching Coordinator
Association of Alaska School Boards / Alaska Family Engagement Center
Karin has worked in rural-remote Alaskan schools and an urban district as a teacher, a literacy specialist, a principal, and a district administrator. She is now part of the Alaska Family Engagement Center's training and coaching team.

Emily Ferry

Family Engagement Coordinator
Association of Alaska School Boards/Alaska Family Engagement Center
As coordinator of the Alaska Family Engagement Center, Emily works with schools across the state to foster strong family-school partnerships.
DESCRIPTION: The journey of learning to read and write can be understood as similar to the process of climbing the rungs of a ladder. The journey to becoming literate is often thought of as reaching a series of milestones. We also know that the journey to becoming a skillful, fluent reader and writer varies in difficulty. Some students will leap up each “rung”, while others will take much longer and require intensive and extensive support to progress. Because this “range of ease in learning” is present in all classrooms, educators need to understand how to differentiate the most powerful, effective instruction for each student, and provide additional intervention as necessary. This closing keynote will summarize messages from the conference about our responsibility to meet the needs of every student and support successful literacy in every classroom.

Jan Hasbrouck, PhD

Consultant/Researcher
JH Educational Services
Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D. is an award-winning researcher, educational consultant, and author who works with schools and agencies in the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Hasbrouck worked as a reading specialist and literacy coach for 15 years and later became a professor. Her research in reading fluency, academic assessment and interventions, and instructional coaching has been widely published. She is the author, coauthor, and co-editor of several books along with some assessment tools. She continues to collaborate with researchers and school colleagues on projects related to reading interventions, assessment, and instructional coaching. She enjoys volunteering at her grandson’s K-8 school in Seattle.