Welcome to the iDCPS Conference 2025 registration site! Before registering for sessions, you will need to create an account by clicking on the "Sign Up" option on the menu bar at the top and selecting "Sign Up with Email" (use school email address). Once an account has been created, you will be able to sign up for sessions. If you attended iDCPS Conference 2024 then you already have an account created and should use that same account to register for sessions.
You will need to select a session for all time slots. Please be sure to review the conference website for sample schedules and sessions that are required for your position.
To view session descriptions, hover over the session title. To view additional information such as the intended audience and mandatory audience, either hover over or click on the session title. To sign up for a session, click on "Add to My Sched". ***You will NOT be prompted to submit and/or save after selecting sessions. A copy of your schedule for the day will be provided for you during registration on August 6, 2025 and August 7, 2025.
Sign up or log in to add sessions to your schedule and sync them to your phone or calendar.
This dynamic professional development session is designed specifically for early childhood exceptional education teachers who are navigating the complex demands of meeting diverse student needs. Participants will explore practical strategies for effective communication with families, writing clear and compliant IEPs, and managing challenging behaviors with empathy and structure. The session also emphasizes staying in compliance with IDEA requirements while creating inclusive, developmentally appropriate learning environments. Teachers will leave with ready-to-implement tools, renewed confidence, and a deeper understanding of how to support every young learner—academically, socially, and emotionally.
Your students are the historians—and now you have the tools to guide them! This session introduces you to our new history curriculum and textbook, with a focus on how to help students ask big questions, explore diverse perspectives, and make sense of the world around them. Learn how to structure lessons with inquiry, integrate local history, and build the foundational skills that prepare young learners to think critically about the past, present, and future.
Science Dept will get into their PLC's to discuss the curriculum and associated labs. They will plan required labs for the 2025-2026 school year. The teachers will organize their Safety sheets and complete a list of what supplies they will need for the school year.
CTE, Wolrd Language, and HPE Teachers will assist with updating the pacing and topics covered in their individual courses to ensure our community knows of all the opportunities at DHS and DMS!
Thursday August 7, 2025 8:00am - 9:00am EDT Room 128Dinwiddie High School 11501 Boisseau Road Dinwiddie, Virginia 23841
Curiosity leads the way! Join us as we dive into our newly adopted science curriculum designed to spark inquiry, hands-on discovery, and real-world connections. This session will guide you through the structure of the curriculum, highlight engaging investigations, and provide tools to build confident, curious scientists in every classroom. Leave ready to ignite wonder, deepen understanding, and bring science to life every day.
Creating important, informative and interesting curriculum is pivotal to a successful physical education program. As physical educators we are called to promote programs that encourage students to move, learn and become life long active people. Let’s move a bit and talk about some ideas/resources to support relevant curriculum!
Ready to transform your math block into a powerhouse of engagement and growth? In this energizing session, we’ll explore how to effectively use our new math textbook to build stronger number sense, deeper conceptual understanding, and confident problem solvers. You’ll discover time-saving tools, embedded supports, and ways to adapt lessons to meet your students' diverse needs. Walk away feeling equipped and excited to power up your instruction with purpose and precision!
Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It is comprised of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. (classroom structures, routines & procedures, active modeling, and academic expectations)
In this engaging and practical session, educators will dive into the essential role of progress monitoring in driving student success across reading and classroom management/behavior. Participants will explore user-friendly tools, strategies, and data collection methods that provide timely insights into student growth. Learn how to use progress monitoring not just as a compliance task, but as a powerful instructional compass that helps identify needs, adjust instruction, and celebrate progress. Walk away with ready-to-use resources and a clear roadmap to keep learning on track all year long!
This 2-hour professional learning session offers a focused introduction to the first three foundational practices of Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms framework. Designed to help educators shift from traditional, passive instruction to dynamic, student-centered learning environments, the presentation explores:
What Types of Tasks We Use – emphasizing the selection of rich, non-curricular problems that spark curiosity and promote deep thinking. How We Form Collaborative Groups – highlighting the use of visibly random groupings to enhance student engagement and reduce social barriers. Where Students Work – advocating for the use of vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS) to encourage active participation and visible thinking. Through practical insights and real-world examples, the presentation equips educators with actionable strategies to begin transforming their classrooms into vibrant spaces where students are actively engaged in problem-solving and collaborative learning.
In this 2-hour session, we will design lessons to “chunk” the 5E phases into blocks that match your schedule. You’ll start by crafting a two-minute Engage prompt that hooks students into the lesson. Next, you’ll set up an Explore activity to give every student a common experience. You’ll practice a short Explain so students can make sense of the science to surface student thinking, then design an Elaborate extension that’s simple enough for a single class or rich enough to stretch across days. To wrap up, you’ll use a short Evaluate check to assess understanding and plan next steps. By the end, you’ll have a set of straightforward 5E routines to design student-centered units and lessons.
We will take a deep dive into the power of classroom discussion as a catalyst for student engagement and learning. Participants will explore strategies that elevate the quality of student talk, promote authentic dialogue, and encourage deeper thinking. The session will highlight practical techniques to structure meaningful classroom conversations and increase student participation. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use tools that enhance instructional delivery and support students in making relevant, content-rich contributions.
Kickstart Literacy is a literacy curriculum for the year before kindergarten that engages children in exciting play- and science of reading-based lessons focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary –building skills children need to build early literacy skills for reading. Skills are spiraled throughout the year in large-group activities and independent discovery.
As literacy expectations evolve, so must our instructional tools and practices. This session is designed specifically for literacy staff to deepen their impact by harnessing the full power of HMH resources. Explore how to align HMH components with current literacy shifts—including foundational skills, knowledge-building, vocabulary, and complex text engagement. Discover strategies to personalize instruction, close learning gaps, and promote equitable access to high-quality reading experiences. Leave empowered with fresh ideas and actionable takeaways to support teachers and accelerate student growth.
During this session, participants will learn to use the Unique Learning System effectively. Participants will set up their classes and create lesson plans for the first month of school. Participants will also learn to use the features in Unique to assess students, collect data, and monitor progress. This event is mandatory for all teachers who teach at least one self-contained course.
Discover how the engaging, multi-sensory world of Letterland can support early childhood exceptional education students in developing foundational literacy skills. In this hands-on professional development session, educators will explore strategies to introduce alphabet letter shapes and sounds, expand vocabulary, and build phonemic awareness using songs, stories, and actions. With its visual, auditory, and kinesthetic components, Letterland provides a developmentally appropriate and inclusive approach that brings letters to life for all learners. Participants will leave with practical tools and confidence to implement this approach in a way that meets the diverse needs of their Pre-K students.
Your students are the historians—and now you have the tools to guide them! This session introduces you to our new history curriculum and textbook, with a focus on how to help students ask big questions, explore diverse perspectives, and make sense of the world around them. Learn how to structure lessons with inquiry, integrate local history, and build the foundational skills that prepare young learners to think critically about the past, present, and future.
Your students are the historians—and now you have the tools to guide them! This session introduces you to our new history curriculum and textbook, with a focus on how to help students ask big questions, explore diverse perspectives, and make sense of the world around them. Learn how to structure lessons with inquiry, integrate local history, and build the foundational skills that prepare young learners to think critically about the past, present, and future.
DHS Math teachers will continue the discussion from the previous day and take a deeper dive into specific course curriculum to review their new textbook resources specific to their course.
As a DMS ELA team, the curriculum team will highlight the impact of all grade levels have on overall student achievement and growth! An overview of changes and curriculum enhancments will be shared to prepare for the new year!
In this interactive session, teachers will explore the purpose and components of workplace readiness testing and learn how to effectively integrate these essential skills into their daily instruction.
DMS History teachers will explore all the VDOE approved resources and the selected textbook for the coming school year and how to navigate the digital resource.
Curiosity leads the way! Join us as we dive into our newly adopted science curriculum designed to spark inquiry, hands-on discovery, and real-world connections. This session will guide you through the structure of the curriculum, highlight engaging investigations, and provide tools to build confident, curious scientists in every classroom. Leave ready to ignite wonder, deepen understanding, and bring science to life every day.
Ready to transform your math block into a powerhouse of engagement and growth? In this energizing session, we’ll explore how to effectively use our new math textbook to build stronger number sense, deeper conceptual understanding, and confident problem solvers. You’ll discover time-saving tools, embedded supports, and ways to adapt lessons to meet your students' diverse needs. Walk away feeling equipped and excited to power up your instruction with purpose and precision!
When we think of students with executive function challenges, we often associate them with ADHD. However, these difficulties can affect all students. This session will explore the core components of executive functioning, its impact on academic achievement, and evidence-based strategies to support and strengthen these skills in the classroom.
In this interactive PD session, educators will explore research-based strategies to support elementary EL students in developing academic language and content understanding. We will dive into practical approaches such as QSSSA (Question, Signal, Stem, Share, Assess) to foster structured verbal and written student interactions, modeling techniques such as Teacher Think Aloud to give 'velcro' to your teaching, and explicit vocabulary instruction to enhance language acquisition. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and view real classroom examples to see how these strategies can be integrated seamlessly into any lesson. Additionally, attendees will experience working through WIDA writing samples and rubrics for grading expectations. By the end of the session, teachers will leave with ready-to-use tools to increase student engagement, boost language confidence, and support EL learners in achieving academic success. Whether you are new to working with EL students or you want to refine your strategies, this session will provide insights and strategies for immediate implementation.
A coaches education session for our coaches that are in the school system. The session will allow our staff to complete mandatory coaches training before our seasons start.
The Virginia IEP System (VAIEP) is designed to support educators in creating and managing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This session will explore the key features of VAIEP, including its IEP writing capabilities, compliance tracking, progress monitoring, and data collection for state reporting. Participants will receive log-in and learn how to efficiently navigate the system to facilitate IEP meetings, track student progress, and ensure timely, accurate reporting in compliance with Virginia state requirements.
This interactive session is the first in a three-part professional learning series focused on high-yield instructional practices that drive student achievement. In Part 1, we will take a deep dive into the power of classroom discussion as a catalyst for student engagement and learning. Participants will explore strategies that elevate the quality of student talk, promote authentic dialogue, and encourage deeper thinking. The session will highlight practical techniques to structure meaningful classroom conversations and increase student participation. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use tools that enhance instructional delivery and support students in making relevant, content-rich contributions.
Tired of the same old concert routine? Looking to breathe new life into your music performances? This dynamic professional development session will inspire music educators with fresh, creative, and practical ideas for student concerts and school performances that go beyond the traditional format.
Explore innovative approaches such as themed concerts, interdisciplinary showcases, interactive audience elements, student-created compositions, movement integration, and virtual or hybrid performance options. Discover how to make performances more inclusive, culturally responsive, and engaging for all students—regardless of experience level.
Participants will leave with a toolkit of adaptable performance ideas, planning templates, and strategies to strengthen collaboration with classroom teachers and the wider school community. Whether you're looking to energize your winter concert, plan an end-of-year celebration, or incorporate student voice into your performances, this session offers inspiration and support for reimagining what’s possible on the stage.
Join us for an informative session on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and how it affects student privacy. This training will help you understand the importance of protecting student information, key guidelines for handling educational records, and best practices to ensure compliance. Through real-world scenarios and discussions, you’ll learn how to balance confidentiality with appropriate information-sharing, ensuring that student privacy remains a top priority. This session will provide valuable insights to keep student data secure!
This 2-hour professional learning session will focus on collaboratively planning the first nine weeks of instruction with an emphasis on student-centered learning. Participants will engage in backward design to align content standards with meaningful, engaging activities that foster critical thinking, collaboration, and active participation. The session will provide practical strategies and planning tools to help educators develop lessons that are both rigorous and responsive to student needs, ensuring a strong, student-focused start to the school year.
In this 2-hour professional learning session, high school science educators will design their first nine weeks through the lens of the 5E instructional model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate using authentic phenomena or engineering challenges. Working collaboratively, participants will map out 5E sequences that weave in key science and engineering practices (e.g., developing models, planning investigations, constructing explanations), build in formative “practice checks” at each phase, and scaffold for diverse learners. Teachers will leave with 5E lesson plan frameworks that incorporate student-centered strategies.
Kickstart Literacy is a literacy curriculum for the year before kindergarten that engages children in exciting play- and science of reading-based lessons focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary –building skills children need to build early literacy skills for reading. Skills are spiraled throughout the year in large-group activities and independent discovery.
Your students are the historians—and now you have the tools to guide them! This session introduces you to our new history curriculum and textbook, with a focus on how to help students ask big questions, explore diverse perspectives, and make sense of the world around them. Learn how to structure lessons with inquiry, integrate local history, and build the foundational skills that prepare young learners to think critically about the past, present, and future.
In this session, we will review the updated textbook options for the 2024 Standards of Learning to start our official textbook adoption process. Learn about updated features and literature selections.
As a DHS History team, the curriculum team will highlight an overview of changes and curriculum enhancments will be shared and provide time to review the opportunities outside of the classroom through field trips and history partners.
This session will provide teachers with a clear overview of work-based learning (WBL) experiences and the essential components students must complete for successful participation. Educators will learn about the different types of WBL opportunities such as internships, job shadowing, service learning, and school based enterprise.
As a DHS History team, the curriculum team will highlight the impact of all grade levels have on overall student achievement and growth! An overview of changes and curriculum enhancments will be shared to prepare for the new school year!
Curiosity leads the way! Join us as we dive into our newly adopted science curriculum designed to spark inquiry, hands-on discovery, and real-world connections. This session will guide you through the structure of the curriculum, highlight engaging investigations, and provide tools to build confident, curious scientists in every classroom. Leave ready to ignite wonder, deepen understanding, and bring science to life every day.
Thursday August 7, 2025 12:40pm - 1:40pm EDT Room 16/18Dinwiddie High School 11501 Boisseau Road Dinwiddie, Virginia 23841
Helping every student graduate on time takes planning and personalized support. We’ll use this time to focus on seniors who need extra help to get back on track.
Ready to transform your math block into a powerhouse of engagement and growth? In this energizing session, we’ll explore how to effectively use our new math textbook to build stronger number sense, deeper conceptual understanding, and confident problem solvers. You’ll discover time-saving tools, embedded supports, and ways to adapt lessons to meet your students' diverse needs. Walk away feeling equipped and excited to power up your instruction with purpose and precision!
Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social and emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It is comprised of a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers. (classroom structures, routines & procedures, active modeling, and academic expectations)
Now that your reading team has laid the foundation with student reading plans, data-driven small groups, and targeted literacy strategies—what’s next? This forward-focused session is all about identifying actionable next steps to sustain and deepen your impact. Together, we’ll analyze progress, refine our instructional practices, and set meaningful goals for continued student growth. You’ll collaborate on elevating team roles, streamlining supports, and aligning efforts with school-wide literacy priorities. Leave with clarity, confidence, and a customized action plan to take your reading work to the next level!
In today’s classrooms, technology can be a powerful ally in delivering engaging, creative, and differentiated music instruction. This interactive professional development session will introduce educators to a variety of user-friendly digital tools that enhance music learning, creativity, and assessment. Participants will explore tech platforms and apps that support rhythm and melody practice, composition, interactive music games, virtual instruments, and student voice and choice.
Through hands-on demonstrations and collaborative exploration, teachers will leave with practical strategies for integrating digital tools into daily instruction—whether in whole group, small group, or independent learning settings. The session will also highlight how these tools can help meet state music standards, foster 21st-century skills, and promote inclusive, student-centered learning experiences.
Now that you’ve explored the foundations of Letterland, it’s time to reflect, collaborate, and plan what’s next. In this follow-up session, educators will revisit key components of the program with a focus on aligning strategies to the specific needs of their exceptional Pre-K learners. Whether you're refining routines or expanding your use of Letterland, this session will help ensure the program is used with intention and impact.
