Below are upcoming opportunities to explore.

April

ISBE and Learning Technology Centers of Illinois Holding Data Symposium in April  Learning Technology Centers, in partnership with ISBE, are facilitating a free, one-day conference on April 19 (Springfield) and April 20 (Willowbrook). Participants will be able to identify current legal requirements for data security, discuss K-12 privacy and data security concerns and best practices, and hear updates regarding ISBE’s Education Data Systems. Data systems include Ed360, SIS, MyIRC, and the Illinois Report Card. Administrators, teacher leaders, data experts, and technology staff in school districts who are responsible for collecting, maintaining, reporting, or certifying student data are invited to attend.

REL Webinar: Creating Caring and Culturally Responsive Classrooms for Students in Prekindergarten to Grade 3  Join Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest for a free webinar April 24, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. PT exploring strategies to create culturally responsive and emotionally supportive pre-K–3 classrooms for children from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.  The early elementary years lay the foundation for school and life outcomes. In this webinar, Dr. Sharon Ritchie, national researcher and principal investigator for the FirstSchool initiative, will share practical advice for using data and evidence to improve early school experiences and set all students up for success. Dr. Ritchie will be joined by a panel of Oregon educators who will discuss how to help teachers incorporate these practices into their classrooms.  Teachers, administrators, equity directors, state and local education agency staff members, and anyone else interested in optimizing the pre-K–3 experiences of children—particularly Black students, Hispanic students, and students from low-income families—are encouraged to attend.

May

June

Illinois Birth-to-Third Grade (B-3) Continuity Conference  The Illinois Birth-to-Third Grade (B-3) Continuity Conference is set for June 13-14, 2018 at the Double Tree Hotel in Bloomington, Illinois. The B-3 Conference is open to school districts and community leaders working towards birth-to-third grade alignment strategies in their community. Communities are encouraged to come as teams with representatives from early childhood, K-12 schools, and the broader community.

October

2018 National Forum to Advance Rural Education and 110th NREA Convention and Research Symposium  October 11–13, 2018, in Denver, Colorado.  In the spirit of collaboration, Battelle for Kids and the National Rural Education Association (NREA) will host the 2018 National Forum to Advance Rural Education and 110th NREA Convention and Research Symposium.  This annual event is designed to create an environment for collaboration and innovation with a diverse community—national experts, K–12 and higher education practitioners, leading researchers, policymakers, and philanthropic leaders—to learn and share ideas around the topics at the forefront of rural education and to ensure 21st century learning is a reality for all rural students.