2026 WCASS & DPI Special Education & Pupil Services Conference
October 14th to 16th, 2026
Wilderness Resort, Glacier Canyon Conference Center in the Wisconsin Dells

In partnership, the WI Department of Public Instruction and WCASS will collaborate to bring you a unified Fall Conference for Directors of Special Education and Pupil Services.  

The conference previously known as the “State Superintendent’s Conference on Special Education and Pupil Services Leadership” will now be known as the “DPI Special Education and Pupil Services Pre-Conference.” Registrants do not need to be a WCASS Member in order to register for the DPI Pre-Conference, nor for the WCASS Conference. 

The DPI Pre Conference day will be priced the same for Members and Non-Members of WCASS.


Schedule of Events

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

DPI Special Education and Pupil Services Pre-Conference

7:30-4:00 Full Schedule Coming Soon

Thursday, October 15, 2026

7:30 - 8:15 Breakfast

8:05 - 8:15 Welcome

8:15 - 9:15 Keynote - Better Together: Building Collective Efficacy to Ensure Every Student Learns

Dr. Jenni Donohoo - Instructional Coaching GroupKeynote Speaker: Dr. Jenni Donohoo

Dr. Jenni Donohoo is a professional learning facilitator, author, and researcher with more than 25 years of experience in leading school improvement. Jenni has multi-year partnerships with numerous organizations and government agencies where she works alongside system and school leaders supporting high-quality professional learning designed to improve outcomes for all students. She is a five-time best-selling author and her books have been translated in several languages. As the Director of the Jenni Donohoo Center for Collective Efficacy, Jenni has been recognized internationally as an educational thought leader.

Session Description: When educators believe that together their combined actions are the determining factor in student success, achievement follows. This keynote explores collective teacher efficacy, the most powerful school-level driver of student outcomes, and what it means for leaders of special education and student services. We’ll connect the research on shared belief to the everyday work of collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and high-leverage practices, and leave with practical ways to cultivate the conviction that all students can learn when adults own that outcome together.

9:15 - 9:45 Vendor Time & Break

9:45 - 10:45 Concurrent Sessions & Roundtable Sessions - Round 1

10:45 - 11:00 Transition

11:00 - 12:00 Concurrent Sessions & Roundtable Sessions - Round 2

12:00 - 1:15 Lunch

12:30 -1:15 Membership Meeting

1:30 - 2:30 Panel Discussions

2:30 - 3:00 Vendor Time & Break

3:00 - 4:00 World Cafe Conversations

4:00 -6:00 Networking Social

Friday, October 16, 2026

8:15 - 9:15 Legal Breakout Sessions Round 1

9:15 - 9:30 Transition

9:30 - 10:30 Legal Breakout Sessions Round 2

10:30 - 10:45 Transition

10:45 - 11:45 Concurrent Sessions