In this training, author and supportive discipline innovator, Joseph Cope, will share a transformative approach centered on teaching self-responsibility and strengthening students’ “self-control muscle.” Drawing on real-world success from schools across North America, Cope will demonstrate how this approach has reduced behavioral incidents by up to 80% while fostering stronger relationships and a more positive school culture. Return to school with practical strategies to empower students, improve academic outcomes, and build a school environment where both educators and learners thrive.

Designed to help students become confident, resilient, and leadership-ready, this Institute will equip participants with tools to prepare young people for the real-life journey ahead. Anchored in two powerful beliefs — that students must learn how to ground themselves in an ever-changing world, and that leaders must lead from hope rather than anxiety — this training provides an actionable framework for supporting student growth through care, conversation, and intentional skill-building.

Stay informed on the latest legal developments shaping education in Alabama and across the nation with attorney Julie Weatherly. This Leadership Institute will examine significant judicial decisions, legislative updates, and agency guidance issued in the last year, with a focus on the practical implications for Alabama educators. Participants will gain valuable insight into emerging legal trends and take away practical lessons that can be applied in schools and districts statewide. What’s Going on in the Area of Special Education Law? will provide educators and administrators with timely updates, expert analysis, and practical guidance to help navigate the challenges facing schools today.

This interactive four-hour leadership session focuses on the personal side of leadership and the intentional work required to lead people well. Participants will explore how personality, core values, leadership style, and communication habits impact relationships, decision-making, conflict, and school culture. Through reflection, discussion, structured collaboration, and practical leadership scenarios, attendees will examine how leaders serve as the “thermostat” that sets the emotional and professional climate of a building. This highly interactive session includes leadership and personality reflections, collaborative exercises, communication practice, and practical takeaways leaders can immediately apply to lead with greater clarity, consistency, authenticity, and purpose.

Many schools have PLC time built into the schedule. Teams are meeting, collaboration is happening, and data conversations are taking place. Yet despite the activity, student learning outcomes are not consistently improving. Meetings can become routine, conversations lose focus, and collaboration shifts from meaningful collective work to simple compliance. The question leaders must ask is: Are we doing PLCs… or are we doing PLC Lite?

Join Dr. Autumm Jeter, Assistant State Superintendent of Support Services, and the ALSDE School Safety Team for an informative session focused on strengthening school safety and preparedness. This Institute will offer an overview of current school safety initiatives, ALSDE Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Guidance, recent legal updates, and best practices for maintaining safe and secure learning environments. Practical “safety nuggets” and actionable recommendations will highlight tools and strategies that support prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery while fostering a culture of safety and resilience in schools and districts.

Effective leadership begins with self-awareness. This Institute introduces educators to the principles of Conscious Leadership, providing practical strategies for building emotionally intelligent, connected, and resilient schools and organizations. Participants will explore how mindset and intentional leadership behaviors influence culture, trust, and performance. Through reflection and application, learn how to respond with empathy, communicate with purpose, and navigate challenges with composure. Leading more consciously strengthens relationships, fosters collaboration, and creates environments where both adults and students thrive.

Based on the Pre-AP professional learning design, administrators are expected to:
* Lead instructional improvement by supporting the use of rigorous, grade-level teaching practices and aligning curriculum across classrooms and grade levels.
* Build teacher capacity by sharing training with staff, providing coaching, and helping teachers apply Pre-AP strategies in their daily instruction.
*Support continuous improvement by organizing collaboration across grade levels, especially between middle and high school, and creating clear plans for implementation.
*Monitor student outcomes by observing classrooms, giving feedback, and ensuring students are engaged in challenging, meaningful learning that prepares them for AP and beyond.

Participants registration on PowerSchool and Thinkific. Thinkific guides participants through the book and asks both knowledge-level questions and discussion questions that ensure participants are comprehending what is being taught and are applying it to their own lives.

Participants registration on PowerSchool and Thinkific. Thinkific guides participants through the book and asks both knowledge-level questions and discussion questions that ensure participants are comprehending what is being taught and are applying it to their own lives.