DON’T MISS THIS
OPPORTUNITY
Join us on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at the Hot Springs Convention Center for a day filled with professional learning, meaningful networking, and engaging sessions designed for every role in K-12 education. You can expect a wide range of topics and sessions tailored to the unique needs of education professionals across Arkansas. Whether you're a superintendent, teacher, finance staff member, or technology coordinator, you'll find practical strategies, valuable resources, and actionable takeaways to support your day-to-day work.
REGISTER ONSITE
Online registration has closed, but it's not too late to join us!
On-site registration will be available at the conference. We look forward to seeing you there!
Cancellation Policy
We understand that plans can change! If you need to cancel your ticket, please review our refund policy below
100% refund if you cancel by October 1st, 2026
50% refund if you cancel by October 15, 2026
0% refund if you cancel after October 15, 2026
Have extenuating circumstances? Reach out to us, and we’ll be happy to assess your situation and consider a refund if warranted.
FEATURED SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
DR.JOHN HODGE
Join us on October 27, 2026, at the Hot Springs Convention Center as we welcome nationally recognized educator, author, and speaker Dr. John Hodge as the keynote speaker for the APSRC Annual Fall Conference!
Dr. John W. Hodge is a nationally recognized educator, author, and keynote speaker who has delivered more than 800 presentations across the United States, Canada, and South America, inspiring over 1.5 million students and educators. A former U.S. Army veteran, Dr. Hodge has served in roles ranging from classroom teacher and school leader to researcher and educational consultant, helping schools nationwide improve student outcomes and build cultures of success. As the Chief Inspirational Officer of AADULLC, he continues to equip educators with practical strategies that turn research into results. Dr. Hodge is also the author of the best-selling books You Can Get in the Way and Resilience By Design, which have helped thousands of educators create environments where all students can thrive. Known for his engaging and impactful presentations, Dr. Hodge challenges, motivates, and inspires audiences to believe in the success of every child.
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Dr. John W. Hodge has delivered more than 800 keynote and professional learning sessions across the United States, Canada, and South America, reaching a conservative estimate of over 1.5 million students. His work has helped secure more than $22 million in federal grant funding in education and workforce development. Meetings and Conventions Magazine named him among the best speakers conference organizers have heard, in the same company as many of America's most well-known celebrity speakers.
Before he entered education, Dr. Hodge served with distinction in the 7th Infantry Division of the United States Army. That service instilled a discipline and leadership that still define his work today. He earned his Bachelor of Science from North Carolina A&T State University, graduating with honors, and his Master of Arts from Chapman University. He completed his Doctor of Education at Virginia Tech, where his research examined the factors that shape academic success for children facing economic hardship. That research became a key element of the SAME Framework, a school improvement model he co-developed that now shapes work in districts across the country.
Dr. Hodge has done the work himself, not just studied it. He has served in various capacities from the classroom to the district office. As Associate Director of AVID Center Eastern Division, he helped expand the program across 13 states. As Director of An Achievable Dream Academy, a high-performing school in an economically challenged community, he helped build a model that earned national recognition and proved what is possible in any zip code.
That experience led him to co-found Urban Learning and Leadership Center (ULLC), where he served as President and built an organization devoted to closing the achievement gap. Following a strategic merger between ULLC and An Achievable Dream, Dr. Hodge now serves as Chief Inspirational Officer of AADULLC, leading efforts that inform and inspire school districts nationwide.
Dr. Hodge is the author of the top-selling book You Can Get in the Way: How You Can Be a Roadblock to Risk Factors, which has guided thousands of educators in uniting the entire staff around student success. He recently published Resilience By Design: Build Unshakable Students Through Intentional Practice, a guide for schools that want to build a culture where resilience is the norm, not the exception. When Dr. Hodge takes the stage, audiences don't just hear a speech. They leave with a reason to believe in the success of all children, regardless of risk factors.
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Title: You Can Get In the Way
You can be the roadblock that stands between a child and the risk factors trying to claim them.
Every educator meets children who carry weight no child should carry. The question is not whether risk factors exist. The question is whether a caring adult steps into the path.
Drawn from Dr. Hodge's book of the same title, this keynote shows that academic excellence is possible for every child, regardless of background. The research is direct. Werner and Smith identified the caring, consistent adult as the single most powerful protective factor against adversity, a conclusion affirmed by Masten's more recent resilience research (Masten, 2014). Dr. Hodge uses authentic and inspiring stories to highlight the lifelong impact caring adults have on children.
The moves of a caring teacher are often small, repeatable, and effective. A greeting at the door. A second chance offered on purpose. A relationship built before it is needed. Staff leave motivated and equipped, with a clear picture of the adult they can choose to be. This keynote is designed to send every educator back to their building certain that they can be the one adult who changes a child's trajectory, and clear on exactly how.
Best for: Full staff, new teacher induction, mentoring programs.
LUNCHTIME SPEAKER
DEVIN SIEBOLD
Enjoy this year’s luncheon with a special presentation full of laughs and practical inspiration from comedian Devin Siebold!
This is the one your staff have been waiting for! It is long overdue to bring some laughter and infectious positivity to those traditionally dull and uninformed keynotes and professional developments in schools. Teachers will recognize Devin as the hilarious comedian from Tik Tok, Youtube, and Facebook, including headlining the popular Bored Teachers National Comedy Tour, and administrators have come to know him as the "best speaker we've had in all my 30 years." Devin delivers the non-stop laughs, and shows teachers how laughter can not only change their mindset, but also the mindset of those around them. He discusses building classroom community around humor, the science of healing and mental-wellness through laughter, and even gives a powerful lesson on conquering negativity. Over a decade of award winning, clean stand-up comedy experience along with 13 years as a highly effective teacher in Title I schools, combine to create a relatable, real, and ridiculously funny experience the faculty won't forget. THIS is the speaker the teachers need and deserve, delivering the enduring keynote that all the admin and conferences rave about.
FEATURED
BREAKOUT SESSION
Are you looking for ways to help your teachers improve student achievement and accountability outcomes? Do you have educators who are eager to strengthen their instructional practices and build upon their scaffolding knowledge?
Join the APSRC Director of Teaching & Learning, Jeana Williams, for a special breakout session focused on practical strategies to support effective instruction and student success from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. in Room 103.
CONFERENCE
SCHEDULE
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Spread across 3 different time blocks, this annual event offers 30 breakout sessions tailored to every role in education.
MORNING SESSIONS
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Two Roles, One Mission: Federal Programs & Finance
TRACK: Finance
Presenters: Cris Bolin, the CFO for Sheridan School District, Dr. Missy Walley, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Sheridan School District, and Dr. Leann Pinkerton, Director of Educational Technology at Sheridan School DistrictTopic: The importance of a strong partnership between the Federal Coordinator and Business Manager
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Arkansas Legislative Audit
TRACK: Finance
Presenters: Matt Fink & Kevin White, Arkansas Legislative AuditDescription: Join representatives from the Arkansas Legislative Audit (ALA) for an insightful, practical deep-dive into the most common financial and compliance findings surfacing across Arkansas K-12 school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools.
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AR State Data Systems Crash Course with Cycle Reporting Pro-Tips
TRACK: Technology
Presenter: Ben Janelle, APSRC Director of TechnologyDescription: Sites, resources, and decades of experience fighting seemingly random, nonsensical state data system errors collide for your benefit! Come learn the tricks of the trade and best practices for making sense of state accountability data systems, or at least have a laugh at our years of misfortune in learning what NOT to do!
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Expanding Opportunity Through the Charter Schools Program Grant
TRACK: Charter
Presenters: Luanne Baroni, APSRC Director of Charter Support, Kaci Coats, Assistant Director of Charter Support, & Jim Fowler, APSRC CSP Grant Finance SpecialistTopic: An overview of the CSP SE Grant and how your school may be able to apply for funding.
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Keynote Breakout Session: Following the SAME Pathway to Excellent Schools
TRACK: Other
Presenter: Dr.John W. Hodge, Chief Inspirational Officer at An Achievable DreamDescription: One framework that aligns culture, instruction, and mindset so improvement finally holds.
Schools do not fail for lack of programs. They stall because programs run in parallel and pull against each other. Improvement that lasts requires alignment, and in high-poverty settings there is no margin for wasted effort.
The SAME Framework (Social, Academic, Mindset Education) was influenced in part by Dr. Hodge's doctoral research at Virginia Tech on what shapes outcomes for children living in poverty. It has guided school improvement in districts across Ohio, Louisiana, Virginia, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. At An Achievable Dream, a school that was 98 percent minority and 97 percent economically disadvantaged, the framework helped earn full accreditation and recognition as a National School of Character. The model also reflects what Hattie's synthesis of thousands of studies identifies as among the most powerful influences on achievement, including collective teacher efficacy.
The framework gives a staff a common structure so that social, academic, and mindset work reinforce each other instead of competing. Leaders leave with a pathway, not a pep talk. This keynote is designed to give leaders a single pathway that pulls culture, instruction, and mindset in the same direction, so the improvement finally sticks.
Best for: District leadership, school improvement teams, principal cohorts.
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Panel on SPED Law
TRACK: Legal & Policy
Presenters: Tripp Walter, APSRC Staff Attorney & Additional Legal AttendeesTopic: Focused on Special Education law as it is applied and practiced in Arkansas.
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Raising the Ceiling: Acceleration, AP, and Cambridge AICE Pathways
TRACK: Teaching & Learning
Presenter: Dr. Charles Lee, Assistant Superintendent, Rogers School DistrictDescription: Advanced coursework access varies wildly by district, and building it takes more than adding a course to the catalog. This session focuses on Advanced Placement and Cambridge AICE as acceleration models, covering what each requires for a district to launch and sustain — teacher credentialing, vertical alignment starting well before high school, and identifying students who are ready but might not self-select into rigor.
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Scaling Growth After Success: Sustaining Momentum When It's Working
TRACK: Teaching & Learning
Presenters: Dr. Heather Williams, Director of School Support and Leadership, Sheridan School District and Dr. Brandy Howell, Principal, Jacksonville North Pulaski School DistrictDescription: Getting a school from struggling to improving is one challenge; keeping the growth going is another. This session is for schools that have already seen real gains and now face the harder question — how do we stay on the path to continued success? Attendees will look at how to protect the practices driving growth, extend them to new grade levels or subjects, and avoid the common plateau that follows an early win.
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CTE: Part of the Plan
TRACK: Teaching & Learning
Presenter: Shantele Raper, Superintendent, Rivercrest School DistrictDescription: CTE should not be a side note in a student’s high school experience. It should be part of the plan.
Join Shantele Raper, Superintendent of Rivercrest School District, to see how Rivercrest intentionally embeds career preparation into the student journey. Learn how the district introduces Tier I CTE in 8th grade, builds multiple pathways for high school, and keeps career readiness connected to the district’s overall academic vision.
Shantele will also share how Rivercrest “progress monitors” students beginning October 1 of 9th grade and continues tracking them through graduation to ensure they are on pace for Success Ready.
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Maximizing District Impact Through CFAM
TRACK: Leadership
Presenter: Gary Williams, White Hall School DistrictTopic: Learn how to use CFAM to evaluate district expenditures and revenues for the current fiscal year while tracking year-over-year and multi-year financial trends.
MIDDAY SESSIONS
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Sustaining Success: The Value of Aligned Goals and Progress Monitoring
TRACK: Teaching & Learning
Presenter: Bradley Webber, APSRC Director of School LeadershipTopic: Every year, schools and districts kick off new initiatives without a strategic way to sustain their efforts after the initial launch. This session will explore the value of aligned goals and a progress monitoring framework using Objectives and Key Results to engage stakeholders and maintain long-term momentum and success for student outcomes.
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Partnering for Success: Building Effective Teacher Residency Programs
TRACK: Teaching & Learning
Presenters: Dr. Deborah Daily, College of Education Dean & Professor, University of Central Arkansas & Sunny Styles, College of Education Professor, University of Central ArkansasTopic: This session explores how school districts and higher education institutions can partner to develop and implement a yearlong teacher residency program. Presenters will share UCA’s approach to structuring the residency experience, aligning clinical practice with teacher preparation and licensure requirements, and establishing meaningful mentorship and support for teacher candidates. Participants will learn about the roles and responsibilities of university and district partners, strategies for placing and supporting residents, and opportunities to strengthen the teacher pipeline through collaborative partnerships. The session will also address lessons learned during implementation and considerations for districts interested in developing or expanding teacher residency partnerships.
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APSRC Data Optimization Tools (DOTs)
TRACK: Technology
Presenters: Ben Janelle, APSRC Director of Technology & Jeana Williams, APSRC Director of Teaching & LearningTopic: eSchool, Triand, ATLAS, and LEA Insights all have great information, but are often difficult to bring together. View common Arkansas student testing data in new and innovative ways, making quick sense of interim tests, multi-year trends, and school accountability factors such as growth data.
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ACCess to Success: Connecting Schools with Support
TRACK: Teaching & Learning
Presenters: Julie Amstutz, State Special Education Development Coach, DESE, & Diane Hardin, APSRC Special Education Coordinator, ACC MembersDescription: Explore how the Arkansas Collaborative Consultants (ACC) can partner with your school to support students with IEPs and increase access to the general curriculum!
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Before the Books Arrive: Professional Learning for Core Curriculum Adoption with Imagine Learning
TRACK: Other
Presenter: Mandi Thines, Imagine LearningTopic: A successful core curriculum adoption starts with preparing teachers for the change ahead especially if you are moving to a more inquiry-based curriculum. This interactive session will help district and school leaders think strategically about professional learning before, during, and after implementation. Participants will explore when professional learning should begin, who should be involved, and what questions to ask curriculum providers to ensure teachers have the knowledge, resources, and ongoing support they need.
Participants will leave with a practical Core Adoption Professional Learning Planning Guide, including a suggested timeline, key stakeholders to involve, and questions to ask potential curriculum partners.
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Paycheck to Proof: Preparing for a Payroll Audit
TRACK: Finance
Presenters: Sarah Snider & Missy Smead, APSRC Finance SpecialistsTopic: How to Prepare
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Dollars and Direction with Your Federal Funds
TRACK: Finance
Presenter: Jayne Green, Education Professional Supervisor/Expert, DESE Federal Programs UnitDescription: Navigate the complexities of federal funding compliance, strategic budgeting, and corrections. This session equips school officials, regardless of what department you work in, with actionable strategies to align expenditures with allowable uses, optimize impact, and remediate past spending inefficiencies.
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Enroll Arkansas: Simplifying Public School Registration
TRACK: Other
Presenters: Monica Tucker, OneApp Grant Manager, Enroll Arkansas & Brian Lowerance, APSRC Technology SpecialistTopic: Online enrollment made easy - overview of platform
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Rewarding What Matters: Strategic Incentive Compensation for Staff
TRACK: Leadership
Presenter: Eric Foister, Superintendent, West Memphis School District and Harry Alvis, Superintendent, Twin Rivers School DistrictTopic: This session explores how schools can design and implement incentive compensation systems that attract, retain, and reward high-performing staff while aligning with organizational goals and student success.
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Legislative Panel
TRACK: Legal & Policy
Presenters: Scott Smith & LegislatorsTopic: Panel discussion with Arkansas Legislators as they share their insights and perspectives on the future of education.
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
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Leadership Lab Experience
TRACK: Teaching & Learning
Presenter: Jeana Williams, Director of Teaching & LearningTopic: Insight into APSRC’s new Leadership Lab and the professional learning pathways
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What High-Merit Schools Do Differently
TRACK: Teaching & Learning
Presenters: Letitia Walker, Principal, Rison High School, Priscilla Johnson, Counselor, Concord School District, Teddy Qualls, Principal, Centerpoint High SchoolDescription: Some schools produce graduating classes with high rates of merit and distinction honors — and it's rarely one program driving it. This session looks at the common threads across those schools: course-taking culture starting in middle grades, counseling structures that push rather than just inform, and how they track and intervene early enough to keep ambitious students on track through graduation.
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K12 Cyber Security – Not Just a Technology Problem
TRACK: Technology
Presenter: Ben Janelle, APSRC Director of Technology & TBADescription: Recent Arkansas cyber security incidents have targeted teachers, administrators and finance staff for fiscal gain. Come discuss how these attacks worked and what can be done on the administrative, process, training, and technical sides to mitigate.
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Expanding What’s Possible: A Digital Learning Partner for AR Schools with Lincoln Learning
TRACK: Other
Presenters: Dr. Rachel Book & Kathy Cerminara, Lincoln LearningTOPIC: Digital learning can be much more than a virtual school or an online curriculum option. The right digital learning partner can help Arkansas schools and districts keep students connected, expand opportunities, support teachers, and solve challenges that are difficult to address with traditional staffing and programming alone.
What do you do when a student is considering withdrawing to homeschool? How do you provide an elective that students want when you don’t have the staff to teach it? What options are available for expelled or alternative-education students? And what would it take to create or expand a virtual program within your own district?
In this session, we’ll explore four practical ways a flexible digital learning partner can support Arkansas schools and district leaders:
Retain and serve students who may otherwise leave for homeschool or other options
Expand course and elective offerings while supporting existing teachers and staffing models
Provide flexible learning pathways for expelled, alternative, credit-recovery, or hard-to-serve students
Build or expand district-operated virtual learning programs
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how the right digital learning partner can complement what Arkansas schools are already doing, not as a one-size-fits-all program, but as a flexible resource for addressing student needs, staffing challenges, instructional goals, and new program opportunities.
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Breaking Down the Latest Legislative Audit
TRACK: Leadership
Presenter: Nick Hill, APSRC Director of FinanceTopic: Provides an overview of recent Adequacy Recommendations and funding recommendations for the next biennium.
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Reconcile to Reality: Bank Recs
TRACK: Finance
Presenters: Tena Coleman, DESE Fiscal Services & Sarah Snider, APSRC Finance SpecialistTopic: Learn the importance of bank reconciliations, fiscal oversight, and financial best practices.
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Best Practices Roundtable
TRACK: Finance
Presenters: APSRC Finance SpecialistsTopic: Collaborative discussion on best practices for school finance departments.
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Substance Over Style: Taking Care of School Business
TRACK: Charter
Presenters: Charter Impact Team: Dr. John Bacon, Robyn Keene, & Jessica WrightDescription: In education, trends come and go, but a school's fiscal and operational health depends on timeless fundamentals. This session cuts through the noise to focus on substance over style, examining the core mechanics that separate thriving institutions from those that struggle.
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APSRC Membership Benefits and Data Projects
TRACK: Other
Presenters: Jim Robb, APSRC Director of School SupportTopic: Come see an overview of APSRC offerings that you might not be aware are available to member districts!
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Legal Panel
TRACK: Legal & Policy
Presenters: APSRC Legal Staff & Additional PresentersTopic: Will explore current legal issues in education
VENUE MAP
SPONSOR MAP
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Imagine Learning
Lincoln Learning
Clark Contractors, LLC
American Fidelity
Inspiroz
Edlio
Renaissance
WER Architects
Bailey Education Group LLC
IXL Learning
Harding University
HES Facilities Management
Henderson State University
Curriculum Associates
Arkansas State Teachers Association
APSRC
Enroll Arkansas
H.I.R.E.D
Economics Arkansas
National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
Eight Dollar Bling
UAMS Trauma Resource Initiative for Schools
Soybean Science Challenge
Magic Springs Theme and Water Park
John Brown University
EBI
SmartLab
Cognia
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Whole Phonics
Wahsega Labs, LLC
The Kirkland Group
K12itc
Sibme
Wired Technology Partners
Phoenix Contractors, LLC
Architecture Plus, Inc.
MEET OUR SPONSORS
Check out this year’s sponsors! Interested in becoming a sponsor? Click here to learn more.
HOT SPRINGS ARKANSAS
This year’s conference will be held at the Hot Springs Convention Center, conveniently connected to The Hotel Hot Springs, offering attendees easy access to sessions, networking events, and accommodations all under one roof.
PARKING MAP
THE LATEST UPDATES
Event Details
Tuesday, October 27th, 2026
Hot Springs Convention Center
REGISTER ONSITE