WCASS 2026 Spring Conference 
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Schedule of Events

Wednesday, April 29th - Pre Conference

1:00pm - 4:00pm Pre Conference

Planning for Impact: Implementing High Leverage Practices Across School and District Systems

Michael Kennedy, Professor of Special Education, University of Virginia

The High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities (HLPs) have been a positive influence in the thinking and planning of educators at all levels since their introduction about ten years ago.  However, state, district, and school leaders still have questions about efficient and effective ways to help classroom-level educators (e.g., teachers, para-educators, therapists, specialists) implement the HLPs alongside other evidence-based practices and curricula spanning the grade levels and content areas.  

In this preconference workshop, Dr. Michael Kennedy from the University of Virginia will introduce and model practical tools and strategies for streamlining the message about HLPs and provide guidance to attendees around effective coaching, sustainability, and overall impact on student performance.  

Video samples pulled from elementary and secondary level language arts, mathematics, and science courses will be used for attendees to see model teachers implementing HLPs in various combinations and then provide analysis and sample coaching that can be replicated once back home.

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Networking Event Sponsored by Renning, Lewis, & Lacy. 

Thursday, April 30th

7:30am -4:30pm Registration Open

7:30am - 8:15am Breakfast and Welcome

8:15am-9:15am Opening Keynote

Leading Instructional Improvement Through High Leverage Practices

Michael Kennedy, Professor of Special Education, University of Virginia

High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities (HLPs) have reshaped how educators think about effective instruction for all students.  At the center of this work is a core driver of impact: explicit instruction. 

In this keynote, Dr. Michael Kennedy from the University of Virginia examines how explicit instruction operates not as a standalone strategy, but as the instructional engine that connects and strengthens HLPs across the domains of collaboration, data-driven planning, instruction for all learners, and intensification of academic and behavioral skills. 

Participants will explore how collaborative teams can align around clear instructional routines, how data-based decision making sharpens instructional precision, and how explicit teaching practices ensure access to grade-level content while supporting intensification for students requiring additional support. 

9:15am -9:45am Break with Vendors

9:45am -10:45am Concurrent Sessions

1. Under the Dome with Dee: End of Session Update

Dee Pettack, Executive Director, Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance

SAA Executive Director, Dee Pettack will provide an end-of-session update for school leaders with a clear analysis of the legislative landscape: special education funding, general aid discussions, policy trends, and bills that could resurface. Dee will outline immediate priorities, emerging issues, and where continued engagement from district leaders will matter most.

2. Explicit Instruction: Moving Specially Designed Instruction Forward

Kristy Erickson, Associate Director of Student Services, CESA 8. Kate Totch, Associate Director of Special Education Services, CESA 9. Deb Wall, Co-Director of Member Learning, WCASS

Participants will develop a shared understanding of explicit instruction as a means to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. This session will demonstrate how explicit instruction can align within existing district structures and routines, allowing for more impactful SDI.

3. Learn about WIPSEL:  The Wisconsin Induction Program for Special Education Leadership

Regional Special Education Network (RSN) Leaders

The Wisconsin Induction Program for Special Education Leaders (WIPSEL) is intended to increase retention and build capacity for novice special education leaders. WIPSEL provides a blended model of professional learning, coaching and support directly to special education leaders throughout the state who are in their first 3 years of the profession.

This session will introduce the content of the WIPSEL program, which will be rolled out in the fall of 2026. We are looking for your feedback to ensure that this program will meet the needs of new special education leaders. Whether you are a veteran or a potential participant, your feedback matters!

With a statewide increase in IDEA and due process complaints in Wisconsin, there has never been a more critical time for school districts to evaluate their systems of communication and collaboration as a lever to improve student outcomes. With Special Education High Leverage Practices (HLPs) as the foundation, this session offers a potential roadmap for building effective, collaborative partnerships with families to ensure students receive the support they need when they need it. 

Drawing on the CADRE continuum, participants will move beyond "managing events" to fostering sustainable processes that prioritize prevention and early conflict resolution. Attendees will explore practical strategies for building trust and shared goals, conducting inclusive IEP meetings, and utilizing data to promote collaboration and transparency. Join us to gain the tools and resources necessary to remove barriers and create equitable learning opportunities for students through sustainable systemic efforts.

1. Legislative Advocacy Bootcamp

Dee Pettack, Executive Director, Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance

Designed specifically for WCASS members, this session will equip school leaders with the knowledge and tools to effectively engage in Wisconsin’s legislative process. Participants will learn how bills originate, how to analyze policy language, when advocacy matters most, and how to communicate district impact with clarity and credibility. Whether you are new to legislative engagement or looking to sharpen your strategy, this session will strengthen your confidence and influence.

Erikke Nystrom-Grothaus, Director of Special Education, CESA 5. Jennifer Garceau, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Howard Suamico School District.

While a 1:1 paraprofessional is often viewed as the "gold standard" of support, overreliance on adult proximity can inadvertently lead to social isolation, learned helplessness, and a "wait-and-fail" cycle. This session challenges the mindset that more adults equal better outcomes. We will explore the strategic structures necessary to shift your district’s culture from one of constant adult support to one of intentional independence. Discover how to align your district's messaging and practices with the core purpose of IDEA: equipping students with the skills they need to navigate the world independently.

3. MTSS Implementation in the High School Setting

Kathy Ryder, Associate Director of MTSS - CAREI. Dan Knewitz, Research Associate and MTSS Specialist - CAREI. Chad Schmidt, Research Associate and MTSS Specialist - CAREI. Jill Dunn, Coordinator of Tiered Support, Rochester Public Schools.

This breakout session is designed to provide information and discussion around unique considerations for MTSS implementation in a high school setting. The session will address the process of design and delivery of instructional support across tiers. In addition, presenters will discuss the infrastructure, data-based decision making, and collaborative practices that serve as an essential foundation for instruction and intervention. 

12:00pm -1:15pm Lunch

12:30pm -1:15pm Membership Meeting

1:30pm -2:30pm Concurrent Sessions

1. At the Table: Education Policy Dialogue with State Decision Makers

Dee Pettack, Executive Director, Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance. State Legislator Panel.

Engage in a timely discussion with Wisconsin policy makers,  focused on the issues impacting Wisconsin schools. Learn how policymakers evaluate proposals, what drives compromise, and where school leader input matters most. The takeaway: actionable insight into how to strengthen relationships and position your district voice effectively.

2. It’s Not Just Minutes: What Administrators Need to Know About Effective Related Services

Erikke Nystrom-Grothaus, Director of Special Education, CESA 5. Lisa Misco, Executive Director of Student Services and Special Education, CESA 8. Carlynn Higbie, Professional Development Specialist, CESA 1.

For special education administrators, managing related services (OT, PT, and SLP) often feels like a numbers game focused strictly on the IEP service grid. However, high-quality support requires a move away from the traditional medical model toward a collaborative, educationally-based framework. We will discuss "Rightful Presence," debunk sensory-versus-regulation myths, and walk the "Yellow Brick Road" of collaborative IEP planning. Join us to discover the three easy things you can do right now to support your staff through systems change and improve the delivery of related services in your district.

3. Hidden Curriculum

Katie Berg, Supporting Neurodiverse Students Statewide Coordinator - Supporting Neurodiverse Students Professional Learning System (SNS)

We’ve all been there: feeling like an outsider or realizing our behavior doesn't quite match the environment. While most of us navigate these social nuances instinctively, many of our students do not. When social processing differs, it often leads to behavior that is challenging to us—and sometimes, our adult "reaction systems" only widen that divide. In an era of increasing social complexity and neurodiverse needs, how we support our teachers matters more than ever. This session dives into the mechanics of social processing and provides a roadmap for using HLPs 7, 8, and 9 to create a culture of belonging. Let’s move from "mismatch" to meaningful connection. 

2:30pm -3:00pm Break with Vendors

3:00pm -4:00pm Day 1 Closing Keynote

My Last Step Backward -  How Purpose, Attitude, Teamwork, and Hope (PATH) Can Strengthen Our Resilience

Tasha Schuh, Resilience Coach, Speaker, and Author

At the age of 16, Tasha Schuh’s life was, with one step backward, changed forever.  Falling 16 feet onto an unforgiving concrete floor, Tasha’s spinal cord was severely damaged, and her spirits diminished when it was determined she was quadriplegic and would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. 

Through dynamic storytelling, moments of humor, and tangible takeaways, this engaging and interactive keynote dives deeply into Tasha’s tragic story and the lessons of resilience she has learned through her journey.  Audience members will not only be inspired by Tasha’s courage to move forward but will also be given a PATH on how they too can choose resilience, empowering them with tools to improve their mental and emotional health.

4:00pm - 6:00pm Networking Event Sponsored by WCASS Legal Partners:

Renning, Lewis, and Lacy

Buelow Vetter

Attolles

Friday, May 1st

7:00am -8:00am Breakfast 

8:15am -9:15am Legal Breakout Sessions

1. Between Collaboration and Compliance: Knowing When to Give in or Stand Firm When Dealing with Parent Demands

Chrissy Hamiel & Kylie Owens, Attorneys, Attolles.

This session provides Directors with a practical framework for distinguishing between legal obligations, strategic compromise, and firm boundary-setting when navigating parent advocacy under the IDEA. The session will walk through the typical IDEA process, highlighting common parent demands that arise at each stage, from evaluations and IEP development to discipline and placement, and clarifying when the law requires compliance versus when discretion remains with the district. Attendees will leave with concrete dispute-resolution tools and risk-management strategies to foster productive collaboration while protecting the district’s legal and operational integrity.

2. So You Received a Complaint—Now What?

Emily Turzinski, Jim Carrol, Lauren Burand, Aleah Loll, Attorneys, Buelow Vetter

For special education administrators, managing related services (OT, PT, and SLP) often feels like a numbers game focused strictly on the IEP service grid. However, high-quality support requires a move away from the traditional medical model toward a collaborative, educationally-based framework. We will discuss "Rightful Presence," debunk sensory-versus-regulation myths, and walk the "Yellow Brick Road" of collaborative IEP planning. Join us to discover the three easy things you can do right now to support your staff through systems change and improve the delivery of related services in your district.

3. Open Enrollment & Special Education

Chad Wade, Tess O'Brien-Heinzen, Alanda Leffler, Attorneys, Renning, Lewis, & Lacy

This session will address the intersection between open enrollment and special education, including special education space determinations and students whose IEPs are developed or revised after they begin attending.

9:30am -10:30am Legal Breakout Sessions

1. Between Collaboration and Compliance: Knowing When to Give in or Stand Firm When Dealing with Parent Demands

Chrissy Hamiel, Attorney, Attolles. Kylie Owens, Attorney, Attolles.

This session provides Directors with a practical framework for distinguishing between legal obligations, strategic compromise, and firm boundary-setting when navigating parent advocacy under the IDEA. The session will walk through the typical IDEA process, highlighting common parent demands that arise at each stage, from evaluations and IEP development to discipline and placement, and clarifying when the law requires compliance versus when discretion remains with the district. Attendees will leave with concrete dispute-resolution tools and risk-management strategies to foster productive collaboration while protecting the district’s legal and operational integrity.

2. So You Received a Complaint—Now What?

Emily Turzinski, Jim Carrol, Lauren Burand, Aleah Loll, Attorneys, Buelow Vetter

For special education administrators, managing related services (OT, PT, and SLP) often feels like a numbers game focused strictly on the IEP service grid. However, high-quality support requires a move away from the traditional medical model toward a collaborative, educationally-based framework. We will discuss "Rightful Presence," debunk sensory-versus-regulation myths, and walk the "Yellow Brick Road" of collaborative IEP planning. Join us to discover the three easy things you can do right now to support your staff through systems change and improve the delivery of related services in your district.

3. Open Enrollment & Special Education

Chad Wade, Tess O'Brien-Heinzen, Alanda Leffler, Attorneys, Renning, Lewis, & Lacy

This session will address the intersection between open enrollment and special education, including special education space determinations and students whose IEPs are developed or revised after they begin attending.

10:45am -11:30am Community Conversations

1. Legal Discussion: When to Give in or Stand Firm When Dealing with Parent Demands
2. Legal Discussion: Interpreting and Addressing Legal Documents
   
3. Legal Discussion: Open Enrollment and Special Education
4. Legal Discussion: TBA
5. Surviving and Thriving in Dual Roles - Danica Lewis, WCASS Co-Director of Member Learning
6. PCSA - Creating a Professional Learning Experience for Your Teachers - Jen Savel, Director of Pupil Services & Special Education & Deb Wall, WCASS Co-Director of Member Learning
   
7. WCASS Caseload Calculator Discussion - Matt Collins, Director of Special Education, CESA 12. Laurie Schmidt, Director of Student Services, School District of Waupaca. Megan Vinney, District Special Education Coordinator, New Holstein School District.

Members must be logged in to receive Member Pricing. Team discount is available for members who wish to bring a team of three or more. See Registration for details on how to register a team! 

 Overnight Accommodations:

Accessibility: For questions about accessibility or to request special assistance during the event, please contact Jim Heiden at [email protected]. Three weeks advance notice is required to allow us to provide seamless access. If you need to cancel the special request this must be done at least 3 working days prior to the start of the event.

Questions? For questions on registration, payment, or general information please email WCASS Member Services at [email protected]