Standards Institute™ Washington, DC – 2024

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

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

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.

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.

MLLs Grade-Bands: K-5

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

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, 9-1

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

• English Language Arts (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 (MLLs): K-5
• CORE Learning: Elementary Reading Academy: K-6
• CORE Learning: Leadership for Literacy: K-5

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 (MLLs): K-5
• 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, our recommendation is to take the UnboundEd Planning Process™ pathway or the new Science Pathway.  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.

Unfortunately, there was not enough interest in the past in the Level 2 pathways, so we were unable to continue them for 2024.

We do have pathways centered around “the how” of putting the learning into action. This is the UnboundEd Planning Process™ or UPP pathway and the Science Pathway.  We encourage returning participants or anyone interested in putting the work into action to attend these sessions.

Yes. Standards Institute will go deep into the learning of equitable instructional practices and examine bias focused on planning for grade-level engaging, affirming, and meaningful (GLEAM™) instruction. It will also provide more opportunities to collaborate with other educators. There are live keynotes and special events throughout the duration of the event as well. This is an experience unlike any other.

The price to attend the Standards Institute is $2,700 per person.

The Standards Institute price includes the pathway session for the event duration (four days), lunch for all four days, access to special events & keynotes, snacks, and materials. Breakfast and dinner are not included. Airfare and expenses are also not included in the price.

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

We do not offer group discounts at this time.

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

Refunds will be provided if cancellations are made by June 15, 2024.   Registration modifications or transfers to another person from your organization/school district may be made online until July 5th.  After that date, you must contact support at supportdesk@unbounded.org

The hotel for participants to stay at while attending the DC Standards Institute is the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, located at 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745. Please see the Location and Hotel Options tab for more information, Participants are eligible to receive a discounted rate when booking through the available link.

We do not provide transportation from the DC area Airports to the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. Please make your own travel arrangements from the airport to the Gaylord Convention Center and back again. The learning starts promptly at 8:30 a.m. on Monday and ends at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Yes, parking will be available at the Gaylord Convention Center if you drive to the event. On-site parking is available. Guests may choose from valet or self-parking. Self-parking is $36 daily and $18 hourly. Valet parking is $59 daily.

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.

No, as the convention center is located across the street from the hotel where participants are lodging.

At the DC Standards Institute, you will experience our new, unique virtual professional learning community, the Digital Ecosystem. In the Ecosystem, you will find the daily agenda & session materials, join your learning group, and interact with all participants at the Standards Institute.

In addition, you will be able to:

• Connect with educators from across the country
• Extend interactions and learning during and after the Event
• Find curated, high-quality professional learning resources
• Engage with professional learning experiences from UnboundEd and select partners after Institute

Be on the lookout for an invitation to join the Digital Ecosystem in the coming months.