Standards Institute™ Chicago 2026

The Instructional 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. Educators will:

• Consider key components of planning, instructional delivery, and coaching that lead to GLEAM Instruction
• Assess their roles as leaders in advancing effective instruction and operationalizing GLEAM within a school system
• Leave with a personal action plan to lead GLEAM Instruction in their schools

Explore the Instructional Leadership Pathways’ Agenda

Pathway Role Bands: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 district or school leaders, deans and directors of curriculum and instruction, instructional coaches, and academic department heads responsible for instructional leadership

In the Organizational Leadership Pathway, leaders grow their organizational leadership prowess and learn to create the conditions for effective instruction by reshaping the policies and systems they lead. Educators will:

• Explore their own leadership identities and approaches
• Examine barriers to effective instruction and develop a plan to better align time, people, and resources for educational impact
• Learn how to grow the collective efficacy and impact of educational leadership teams
• Leave with an instructional vision, an Action and Communications plan, and tools to help you drive sustainable, org-wide improvements that lead to effective instruction in every classroom

The iterative use of the tools will enable you to:

• Continuously assess and adjust your systems, structures, policies, and practices
• Make strategic decisions about time, people, and resources

Pathway Role Bands: Principals and Assistant Principals; District Leaders

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 GLEAM Instruction
• Leave with a personal action plan for bringing GLEAM Instruction to life in their ELA classrooms

Explore the ELA K-5 Pathway Agenda

Explore the ELA 6-12 Pathway Agenda

Standards Institute Math sessions offer participants an interactive, hands-on experience planning and implementing 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
• Adapt a task to align with the “meaningful” element of GLEAM math instruction
• Plan for and practice Math Language Routines (MLRs) to support GLEAM math instruction

Explore the Math Pathways’ Agenda

UnboundEd Planning Process™ (UPP) sessions introduce participants to a set of powerful practices for bringing 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

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.  Although the example lessons for Standards Institute are math and ELA, this process for embedding GLEAM instruction is transferable across any grade level or content area.

Explore the UPP Pathway

The Elementary Reading Academy offers educators fundamental knowledge in effective standards-aligned and evidence-based reading practices for all learners. The Academy also applies these practices to evidence-based textbook series. By taking both the word recognition and language comprehension strands, participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the critical components for effective reading instruction based on the science of reading.

Levels

• K–6

Audience

• Classroom teachers
• Content-area teachers
• District and site administrators
• Interventionists
• Specialists and coaches

Without a firm foundation in basic reading skills, many middle and high schools will struggle to meet the rigorous expectations of the state standards. This series equips educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to accelerate students’ learning pace. CORE’s Adolescent Vocabulary and Comprehension Strategies and Text Structure courses address the needs of all learners to access and excel in high-quality tier 1 instruction effectively. Our Multisyllabic Word Reading and Fluency Development courses provide an intensive intervention-focused solution for your teachers of adolescent readers who are still approaching proficiency.

Levels

• 6–12

Audience

• ELA, Reading, & content  teachers
• Multilingual Learner teachers
• Special education teachers
• Intervention teachers
• Literacy coaches

The Standards Institute will be held at Loyola University Chicago (1032 W. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL, 60660).

The Standards Institute Chicago 2026 will last four full days, starting Monday, June 22nd, and ending Thursday, June 25th.  Participants are expected to arrive on Monday, June 22nd, at 7:30 a.m. to check in for the event.

Please contact us at supportdesk@unbounded.org with questions about this event.

Please see the agenda tab for the Standards Institute Chicago 2026 schedule.

Yes. Participation certificates are sent to the email address provided during registration within three weeks of attending the Standards Institute. They include the pathway, session attended, and total number of hours completed. Please note that participation certificates are only provided to 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 check-in at the registration area to get your badge and pick up your UnboundEd swag.

Monday, June 22nd – 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

We will host a GLEAM Meet & Greet on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.  More details will follow.

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.

• Instructional Leadership:  K–5, 6–8, 9–12
• Organizational Leadership for School-Based Leaders: K–12
• Organizational Leadership for District Leaders: K–12
• ELA:  K–5, 6–12
• Math:  K–5, 6–12
• UnboundEd Planning Process™ (UPP): K–5, 6–12
• CORE Learning: Leadership for Literacy
• CORE Learning: Adolescent Literacy Solutions

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 upon arrival on-site.

Our pathways focus on effective instructional practices and 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.

Unfortunately, there was not enough interest in the Level 2 pathways in the past, so we were unable to continue them for 2026.

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 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.

Announcing a New Reduced Price — 28% Lower!

Registration for Standards Institute is $1,950.00 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, lodging and other expenses.

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

There are group discounts for large groups of 25+. Talk to your Regional Director.

Refunds will be provided if cancellations are made by June 12th, 2026.   Modifications may be made online until June 15th, 2026. Registrations can be transferred to another person at your organization until June 15th, 2026. After June 16th, 2026, please contact support at SupportDesk@UnboundEd.org

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

The Standards Institute will be held at Loyola University Chicago (1032 W. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL, 60660).  Please refer to the Location tab for accommodation recommendations during the Chicago Standards Institute. A selection of nearby hotels will be available for individual booking at specially negotiated rates.

We do not provide transportation from the Chicago area airport to Loyola University. Please make your own travel arrangements from the airport to Loyola University. The learning starts promptly at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and ends at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Yes, parking will be available at Loyola University if you drive to the event. On-site parking is available at an additional cost.

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.

You can register for the Standards Institute™ Chicago 2026 via the link provided on the Event Registration Site until June 16th, 2026.

Register

You can modify your registration until June 15th, 2026, by emailing supportdesk@unbounded.org. We cannot accommodate changes when you arrive at the event location. If you experience any issues with updating your registration, please contact supportdesk@unbounded.org.

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.