Join KASA's general counsel for an important session on state and federal law changes and other issues that impact Kentucky schools and the administrators who lead them.

Come join Andrew in this early morning session to Master Your Mornings. What are the routines, structures, and habits you can put into place to jumpstart your day? Want to wake up earlier? Want to be more focused on your personal & professional life? Want to get that morning workout in? In this proactive, self-care session, Andrew dives into the following:

• Mastering the first 60-75 minutes of each day
• Making time to do the things you want to do
• Build a shut-down evening routine
• SAVERS: how to start your day by using SAVERS
• Books, distractions, zoning in, and more

It is challenging to lead if you are not filling your cup first. Make the important thing the important thing and get it done daily, and early. Keep Surviving & Thriving!

This session examines how Lancaster Elementary in Garrard County moved from low-performing status to a Blue-rated school by redefining accountability as a tool for trust and instructional coherence.

Participants will:

Every principal works to create a school where students feel welcomed, supported, and ready to learn each day. This session invites principals to rethink school nutrition as a powerful strategy that shapes attendance, behavior, and school culture. Through real-world examples, participants will learn how intentional partnerships with school nutrition leaders can increase participation and reinforce a sense of care and belonging—helping students arrive ready to learn and stay engaged.

Reading, Math, Behavior, Oh My! This session features educators from Robert B Turner Elementary in Anderson County, a blue school in the top 9% of KY elementary schools, who built a robust MTSS system from the ground up. Participants will leave with practical suggestions for managing, implementing and maintaining a system of excellence that is data driven and child focused in the three areas of reading, math and behavior. Free resources will be provided.

A progress update showcasing how Kentucky school districts are transitioning toward locally developed indicators of quality and empowering students to become true producers of learning evidence. In addition to outlining an actionable framework centered around KDE’s Local Accountability Design Guide and Toolkit, the session highlights statewide progress snapshots and explores examples of how districts are building local ownership and value across two main areas: the learner journey (focusing on defining student success via Portraits of a Learner, designing vibrant learning experiences, and demonstrating growth through performance assessments and defenses) and the district system (showcasing how districts define local quality indicators, design public-facing dashboards, and demonstrate institutional success).

This interactive session will provide K–5 educational leaders with a practical and scalable framework for expanding literacy beyond the traditional reading block and creating a school-wide culture where reading happens throughout the entire day. Participants will explore the power of the 20/20/20 approach: 20 minutes of purposeful reading during the literacy block, 20 minutes embedded across content areas such as science, social studies, and math, and 20 minutes of reading at home. Grounded in research on reading volume, knowledge-building, and literacy development, educators will examine how intentional access to authentic, engaging texts can accelerate reading achievement and strengthen student outcomes. Participants will leave with actionable strategies and leadership tools to build systems that support reading across classrooms, content areas, and home environments—creating the conditions for students to develop the habits, skills, and confidence of lifelong readers.

Bring the challenging questions you and your team are facing. In this collaborative session, we will work together to identify effective strategies for addressing complex situations involving parents and staff. Drawing on the experience of Teresa Combs and fellow directors, participants will gain practical insights and guidance from leaders who have navigated similar challenges.

A summary of the most impactful education bills from the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly and a forecast of trends impacting public education as we prepare for the 2027 General Assembly.

Conquering Confrontation gives school leaders a practical, high impact framework for handling tough conversations with confidence and precision. Grounded in self awareness, emotional regulation, active listening, and intentional planning. This fast paced session helps participants de-escalate conflict, build trust, and move people toward clear solutions. Leaders will leave with actionable tools and a ready to use conversation planner for their next high-stakes interaction.

In this session, a middle school principal shares how re-imagining the daily schedule can create space for what matters most: student connection, social-emotional learning, and targeted interventions. Learn how one school made strategic shifts to include daily advisory, intervention blocks, and community-building time without adding minutes to the school day. 

Want to have better, stronger relationships with your stakeholders? Tired of getting/feeling “beat-up?” Want to improve your public speaking and communication skills? Have people coming at you way too hard and unsure how to best handle it? Need some effective strategies? Feel like you are being too reactive instead of more proactive in your relationships? In this energy-filled workshop, Andrew will lead you through a variety of strategies, techniques, tips, and hacks that will help improve your overall communication and interactions with your stakeholders: staff, students, and parents. A few examples include difficult one-on-one conversations, body language, the ladder of active listening, how to own the large assembly setting, E + R = O, and your school and office energy, successful vs. significant, and more. The goal of this workshop is to become more confident, comfortable, and prepared to handle the many complex and challenging social situations that are rapidly coming at school leaders in today’s world.

In an era when complex challenges and divisive topics often dominate the conversation, leaders must find ways to bring their communities together - especially when stakes and emotions run high. In this interactive and practical session, Dr. Jill Siler - former superintendent and author of Thrive Through the Five - shares a framework for building trust, fostering open dialogue, and navigating difficult conversations with clarity and respect. Participants will explore how to design meaningful engagement experiences, communicate facts and context transparently, frame discussions in ways that invite collaboration, and keep the focus on what matters most: the success and well-being of students. You'll leave with strategies to facilitate productive conversations, acknowledge differing perspectives, and guide your community toward shared solutions - even when the topic is challenging and the room is divided.

Human trafficking is not a distant issue-it's happening in our communities, and our schools are on the front lines. This powerful session equips school administrators with the knowledge and tools to recognize, prevent, and respond to human trafficking affecting students. Participants will explore how traffickers target vulnerable youth, the warning signs that often go unnoticed, and the critical role schools play in early identification and intervention. Learn how to build staff awareness, strengthen reporting protocols, and collaborate effectively with law enforcement and community partners.

Simplify teaching and learning while enhancing instruction and accelerating academic achievement for Kentucky school districts. Custom-built for Kentucky Academic Standards and the KSA, IXL's skill plans unpack every standard into targeted skills, so teachers know exactly what students should work on in order to meet key benchmarks. Join us to learn how you can assign skills to students, check for understanding, and track progress directly through your skill plan, making IXL a one-stop solution for meeting your instructional goals.

Learn the four essential steps to reduce chronic stress, prevent burnout, and balance the demands of life and work. By addressing stress at its root, you can live each day from a place of calm and confidence—more easily than you might think!

Stay informed on the latest developments in Kentucky’s assessment system, including the college admissions exam. Participants will learn about upcoming changes to the accountability system set to take effect in the 2026–2027 school year and what these shifts may mean for educators and leaders. Representatives from the Kentucky Department of Education will be on hand to address your questions and engage in discussion.

Learn the 4 key elements of a healthy foundation: de-stress, eat, move, and sleep your way to a healthier, happier you. Learn simple, practical ways to nourish your mind and body—without the overwhelm.

Learn how the Kentucky Purple Star Program helps schools strengthen resilience and support for military-connected students. This session will review national and state evaluation data, explain the Purple Star Award application process, and highlight the program’s four core components. Participants will discover how easily the program can be implemented, how schools can adapt it to local needs, and evidence-based strategies for promoting student resilience. Attendees will also learn about the free resources available to Purple Star Schools, including guides, toolkits, educational materials, prescription drug lock boxes, and more.

Participants will collaborate to explore MTSS system design, including how data review, Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports, enrichment, and staffing align within an intervention-focused master schedule. Attendees will examine how AI-supported tools and high-quality instructional resources (HQIR) strengthen MTSS decision-making and instructional planning. Through shared reflection, leaders will identify practical, replicable strategies to build equitable, sustainable MTSS systems.

As Kentucky expands access to high-quality prekindergarten, leaders are looking for practical, cost-effective ways to strengthen school readiness and build the foundation for later reading success. One of the most powerful places to start is also one of the most accessible: children’s oral language. In this interactive session, participants will explore how big conversations with little learners help build vocabulary, comprehension, background knowledge, and confidence as young children prepare to become readers. Leaders will examine practical classroom “look-fors” connected to rich read-aloud, responsive teacher-child interactions, intentional questioning, and language-building routines that can be used throughout the Pre-K day. Participants will also explore ways to extend oral language beyond the classroom through family engagement, home reading routines, and community-connected activities that support school readiness. The session will include hands-on examples, practical takeaways, and partner insights from districts using Scholastic early learning resources to support children, teachers, and families

Every district has a story to tell. The question is: who do you want telling it? This session provides the firsthand perspective of a new superintendent leading a district through financial crisis, organizational instability, and community uncertainty while intentionally rebuilding trust, culture, and fiscal health. Participants will explore practical strategies for shaping public perception through transparent communication, intentional climate and culture leadership, and proactive community engagement. A major focus will be on leveraging social media, particularly Facebook, as a leadership tool to celebrate successes, communicate difficult realities, and reclaim the district narrative before others define it for you. This session is designed for leaders seeking actionable ideas for strengthening trust, managing community relations, and using storytelling as a strategic leadership practice.

Part 1 explores the research and warning patterns behind grooming and its connection to trauma, student mental health, and school safety. Grooming begins with trust, access, manipulation, and secrecy. This session examines child sexual abuse as one of the most damaging Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and shows why grooming is directly tied to school safety, student mental health, and long-term harm. Participants will explore how these patterns develop, how they are often missed, and why earlier recognition is essential to student safety and well-being. Part 2 provides practical guidance from law enforcement and mental health professionals, walking administrators step-by-step through how to recognize, document, and respond to grooming concerns with structured, defensible processes aligned with HB4. Awareness is not enough—schools need a plan. In the second installment, experts in law enforcement and mental health will walk attendees step by step through how to respond to grooming cases. Participants will leave with concrete, actionable, and defensible plans, hear the latest research, and learn next steps aligned with the language and intent of HB4. This session is built to help schools move from uncertainty and questions to confident action.

Join fellow administrators for an engaging, interactive session focused on the transformational power of the Capturing Kids’ Hearts process. Building a remarkable culture isn’t just about theory, it's about the intentional actions of leaders. In this workshop, you will hear from experienced leaders who’ve seen dramatic changes in their schools and districts. You will leave with a refreshed commitment to your vision and actionable tools to create and maintain a relationship driven culture.

This session provides school and district leaders with a practical overview of Title IX and best practices for fostering safe, equitable learning environments. Participants will explore roles and responsibilities, reporting and response protocols, including how to appropriately react and respond to allegations, and strategies for addressing concerns with professionalism, consistency, and care. Emphasis is placed on prevention, compliance, and building trust with students, staff, and families.

Too often, trauma-informed professional learning stops at the “why”—explaining trauma responses without giving leaders a clear path to build a whole-school culture that consistently supports students and staff. Hallways That Heal moves beyond theory to deliver a practical toolkit for creating a unified, trauma-informed school climate. Participants will leave with concrete strategies and real-life guidance grounded in the presenter’s dual perspectives as both an administrator and an adoptive mother.

Long before terms like vibrancy and local accountability became common, Robert J. Marzano’s research emphasized designing systems that shape the learner experience—not just measure outcomes. This session builds on that foundation and challenges participants to rethink how learning, assessment, and accountability work together as a coherent system. Through the lens of the learner experience, participants will explore how to align what students are expected to know, do, and demonstrate with the systems designed to support them. Using real-world examples, this session highlights how Fleming County Schools is moving away from isolated initiatives and compliance-driven practices toward intentional systems that strengthen clarity, coherence, depth of learning, and the quality of evidence across classrooms. Participants will learn about Fleming County’s Five Areas of Focus and see vibrant learning, assessment, and accountability in action. Come ready to capture ideas you can put into practice—attendees will leave with practical strategies and clear next steps to help their school or district move from reporting results to creating the conditions that produce them.

What if the culture of your school is shaped less by your strategic plan and more by your daily actions? In this interactive session, Dr. Brian Lile explores how leaders build culture through the moments that matter most. Using the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, participants will reflect on their leadership habits, examine real-world scenarios, and leave with practical strategies to strengthen trust, inspire commitment, and positively influence school culture—starting on Day 1.

Grooming and sexual misconduct are critical risks that demand vigilant, informed leadership. This session equips school administrators with a clear understanding of relevant laws, policies, and reporting obligations that govern prevention and response. Participants will learn how grooming behaviors develop, the warning signs often missed, and how to distinguish appropriate from inappropriate adult-student interactions. The session also addresses boundaries, supervision practices, and staff conduct expectations. Walk away with practical strategies to strengthen prevention, improve reporting and documentation, and build a culture of accountability—ensuring schools remain safe, professional environments for every student.

Many educators plan for retirement by simply relying on their Teacher Retirement System benefit and do not realize that there is more they can and should do to prepare. It is critical for educators to understand the rules dictating their pension and how it interacts with Social Security and supplemental retirement plans, such as 457(b), 401(k), and 403(b) plans. Understanding these items provides people with a foundation of financial wellness that can help them plan and take the necessary steps to be financially secure.

Prepare your students for agricultural literacy in 2026-2027. Learn how to implement agriculture education across your schools using the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's curriculum for fall and spring All in for Ag Education Weeks, along with the launch of a brand-new Global Game Changers assembly featuring Miss Kentucky. Discover how to connect with your district coordinator, access ready-to-use lessons and implementation supports, and schedule Miss Kentucky to visit your school this fall.