Standards Institute™ Denver

Standards Institute™  ELA sessions focus on the supports and scaffolds that work to address students’ unfinished ELA instruction while maintaining the rigor of grade-level standards and curriculum. Educators will:

• Explore the commitment, knowledge, and skills necessary to use ELA standards, texts, and tasks to provide all students access to grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM — instruction
• Leave with a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM  instruction to life in their ELA classrooms

ELA Grade-Bands: K–5, 6–8, 9–12

The Leadership Pathway gives school and district leaders a foundation in the key concepts of ELA and math instruction in order to develop a deeper understanding of both subject areas. Participants will:

• Consider key components of planning, instructional delivery, and coaching that lead to grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM — instruction.
• Assess their roles as leaders in advancing educational equity and operationalizing GLEAM within a school system
• Leave with a personal action plan to lead GLEAM instruction in their schools

Leadership Grade-Bands: K–5, 6–8, 9–12

Standards Institute™ Math sessions offer participants interactive, hands-on experience planning and implementing grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM — mathematics instruction. Educators will:

• Reflect on math identities and their impact on GLEAM  math instruction
• Deepen their understanding of math instructional shifts (focus, coherence, rigor) to support GLEAM math instruction
• Learn a new approach to address students’ unfinished instruction that supports GLEAM math instruction within their school contexts
• Leave with a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM instruction to life in their math classrooms

Math Grade-Bands: K–5, 6–8, 9–12

During Standards Institute Accelerating English Language for Multilingual Students sessions,  teachers and coaches receive research-based, high-leverage, immediately applicable resources, processes, and strategies to accelerate academic English development and build knowledge across content areas in the primary classroom. Participants adapt standards-aligned lessons to support multilingual students in instruction for reading foundational skills, ELA, and math to ensure all students have access to grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful (GLEAM) instruction. Participants leave Standards Institute with a repertoire of practical strategies and a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM instruction to life for multilingual students.

Multilingual Learners Grade-Bands: K–5

Standards Institute™  Science sessions offer participants a foundation in the principles and best practices in science instruction. The Science Pathway explores the Next Generation Science Standards and a vision for grade-level, engaging, affirming, meaningful — GLEAM — instruction for all students. Participants will:

• Explore new ideas through hands-on lessons and investigations in different scientific domains
• Develop a repertoire of practical strategies to ensure that instruction exemplifies GLEAM
• Leave with a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM instruction to life in their science classrooms

Science Grade-Bands: K–5, 6–8, 9–12

UnboundEd Planning Process™ (UPP) sessions introduce participants to a set of powerful practices for bringing grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM — instruction to life in ELA and math classrooms. Educators will:

• Explore the meaning and value of GLEAM instruction for all learners
• Learn a step-by-step strategy for applying GLEAM principles to any lesson and gain hands-on practice
• Leave with a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM instruction to life in their classrooms

UnboundEd Planning Process (UPP) Grade-Bands: K–5, 6–12

Note: K–5 participants will use both ELA and math lessons during the week; participants in grades 6-12 will use lessons in their preferred subject area — either ELA or math.

This pathway offers educators a strong foundation in standards-aligned and evidence-informed reading practices rooted in the science of reading. Educators will:

• Dive into the research on reading instruction and connect research to practice
• Develop high-leverage instructional practices (educational practices that can improve outcomes for every learner, like designing lessons in service of a goal, promoting active student engagement, collecting and assessing data, and more)
• Deliver standards-aligned and evidence-informed reading instruction

Elementary Reading Academy Grade-Bands: K–6

Participants in the Leadership for Literacy pathway will develop a foundational understanding of the science of reading and learn how to transform their instructional practices to accelerate student literacy. Leaders will:

• Learn practical knowledge about the science of reading and how to implement it across systems
• Develop tools, skills and processes for assessing school-wide literacy programs
• Identify leadership actions that help build professional capacity and introduce new opportunities for students to become successful readers and communicators

Leadership for Literacy Grade-Bands: K–5

Standards Institute will be held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, located at 6700 N Gaylord Rockies Blvd, Aurora, CO 80019.

Standards Institute will last four full days, starting Monday, June 23, and ending Thursday, June 26.  Participants are expected to arrive on Sunday, June 22.

Please contact us at the following email: SupportDesk@UnboundEd.org.

Please see the agenda tab for the Standards Institute Denver 2025 schedule.

Yes. Participation Certificates are sent to the email address provided during registration within three weeks after attending the Standards Institute. It will include the pathway and session attended as well as the total hours completed. Please note that Participation Certificates are only provided to those participants who attend all four days of the event. We do not provide CEUs or other credits.

We will have several keynote speakers. You can see who our Keynote Speakers will be on the About tab above.

Yes. Please stop by our Registration Check-in at the Gaylord Rockies Convention Center registration area to get your badge and pick up your UnboundEd Swag.

Sunday, June 22: 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Monday, June 23: 7:00 a.m. –  5:00 p.m.

Tuesday, June 24: 7:00a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

We will have several special events throughout the duration of the event. Please refer to the Special Events tab for more details.

Participants are required to attend all four days of the event in the same Pathway and grade band they registered for.  Those attending all four days will receive a participation certificate.

• ELA: K–5, 6–8, 9–12
• Leadership: K–5, 6–8, 9–12
• Math: K–5, 6–8, 9–12
• Science: K–5, 6–8, 9–12
• UnboundEd Planning Process (UPP): K–5, 6–12
• Multilingual Learners (MLs): K–5, 6–12
• CORE Learning: Elementary Reading Academy: K–6
• CORE Learning: Leadership for Literacy: K–5

For more information about the pathways, see the Pathways tab.

Yes, school districts/organizations attending Standards Institute will have ample opportunities to meet daily for Team Time (at the end of each day). Your team will be able to reflect on the overall learning from the event, discuss implications, and determine the priority actions to take when you return to your school district or network. You will find the assigned location where your team can meet in the UnboundEd app.

Our pathways content has been updated to focus on equitable instructional practices and examining bias focused on planning toward grade-level engaging, affirming, and meaningful (GLEAM™) instruction. If you are attending again, we recommend taking the UnboundEd Planning Process™ pathway, which introduces participants to a set of powerful practices for bringing GLEAM™ instruction to life in ELA and math classrooms. Please note: these pathways are geared toward teachers, so if you are a coach or leader, please come with your “teacher lens” during the learning. You can find more information about all pathways being offered by clicking the Pathways tab above.

Unfortunately, there was not enough interest in the past in the Level 2 pathways, so we were unable to continue them for 2025.

We do have pathways centered around “the how” of putting the learning into action. This is the UnboundEd Planning Process™ or UPP pathway. We encourage returning participants or anyone interested in putting the work into action to attend these sessions. You can find more information on the Pathways tab above.

Standards Institute is an immersive and transformative four-day in-person learning experience appropriate for teachers, coaches, and leaders. This highly interactive experience focuses on the mindsets, planning, and instructional actions required for implementing grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful (GLEAM™) instruction. They will identify specific mindsets and practices that embody GLEAM instruction for their chosen pathway. Throughout the sessions, participants will reflect on and commit to specific action steps aligned with GLEAM instruction in their chosen pathway. Participants leave Standards Institute with a repertoire of practical strategies and a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM instruction to life. You can find more information on the “Pathways” tab above.

Registration for Standards Institute is $2,700.00 per participant.

The Standards Institute price includes attendance to the pathway session for the duration of the event (four days), lunch for all four days, access to special events and keynotes, snacks, and materials. Breakfast and dinner are not included, nor are airfare and expenses.

We accept all major credit cards or purchase orders for payment.

Yes, there are. Please contact support at  supportdesk@unbounded.org for additional information.

Refunds will be provided if cancellations are made by May 30, 2025.   Modifications may be made online until June 13, 2025. Registrations can be transferred to another person at your organization until June 13, 2025. After June 13, 2025, please contact support at SupportDesk@UnboundEd.org.

We provide lunch and snacks to participants during the event. Breakfast and dinner are not included.

You can register for the Denver Standards Institute via the Register Now button until June 13, 2025

Register Now

Click on the Already Registered link at the top of the page or below. From there, you can modify your registration until June 13. We cannot accommodate changes when you arrive at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. If you experience any issues with updating your registration, please contact supportdesk@unbounded.org.

Already Registered

Standards Institute participants are placed in sessions randomly to learn from one another. Changing sessions at the Standards Institute will not be allowed.

The hotel for participants to stay at while attending the Denver Standards Institute is the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center, located at 6700 N Gaylord Rockies Blvd, Aurora, CO 80019. Please see the Location tab at the top of the page for more details.  Participants are eligible to receive a discounted rate when booking through the link available on the Location tab.

We do not provide transportation from the Denver International Airport to the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. The airport is a 15-minute drive from the hotel. Uber & Lyft rates from the terminal to the Gaylord Rockies range in price from $15 to $40.

Please make your own travel arrangements from the airport to the convention center and back again. The learning starts promptly at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and ends at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Yes parking is available on site for a fee

On-site parking fee: $33 daily, plus tax, per day
Valet parking fee: $48 daily, plus tax, per day

In and out privileges are for overnight guests only.

Day guests are charged per length of time:
0–4 hours: $13, plus tax
4–8 hours: $23, plus tax
8+ hours: $33, plus tax

Yes, we will have ADA accommodations available at the event. We will also have a Mother’s room, a prayer room, and wheelchair access.  Please make sure to include specific needs when you complete your registration.

Yes, gender-neutral bathrooms are available at the venue, which will be clearly labeled. If you have any questions regarding the location of the gender-neutral bathrooms, please stop by the Help desk upon arrival at the event.

Please indicate any dietary restrictions when you register. If you have additional questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at SupportDesk@unbounded.org.

Lunch will be served buffet style on Monday through Thursday.

We will provide lunch and snacks, including beverages. Breakfast and dinner are not provided.

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Event Hashtag: #StandardsInstitute