START on Time! is more than a tardy reduction program—it’s a schoolwide system designed especially for middle and high schools to build staff ownership of hallway climate and student transitions. This session is designed for school teams or team representatives with access to leadership. Participants will leave with practical tools and a clear understanding of how to get started with their teams and leadership to build safer transitions, reduce lost learning time, and improve overall school climate.
Behavior is communication, but for many educators, making sense of why students do what they do can feel like guesswork. This session starts by demystifying function-based thinking with a simple, relatable scenario—why do babies cry? From there, participants will move beyond the analogy to apply practical tools for identifying the root causes of behavior in any setting. Whether your team is addressing bullying, absenteeism, or other chronic behavior challenges, you’ll leave with strategies to shift staff from frustration to function-based problem-solving, helping all students with clarity, compassion, and purpose.
Creating a positive, proactive approach to chronic absenteeism engages families as well as students, educators, and the community. School leaders can promote this approach in a MTSS and lead staff in consistently sending the message that attendance matters. Within each Tier, strategies can be implemented to strengthen attendance with varying communication models for families. This workshop will highlight these strategies to reinforce implementation in your school/district.
Project Coordinator, Kansas Parent Information Resource Center
All things equity, diversity, family engagement, and pre-service education in KansasDr. Tamara Huff is a Project Coordinator of the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) which promotes meaningful family engagement at all levels of education and provides information and... Read More →
Ex. Director of Kansas Parent Information Resource Center, KSDE/TASN
Dr. Jane Groff has served as the Director of the Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) for seventeen years. While supervising all KPIRC priorities, Dr. Groff provides professional development and technical assistance on family engagement in education to Kansas districts... Read More →
Thursday September 11, 2025 12:40pm - 1:50pm CDT Birch
Unifying staff around a schoolwide system of behavior supports is easier said than done—especially when schools are balancing competing initiatives like academics, behavior, SEL, and more. This session is designed for leaders who want to move beyond isolated efforts and build schoolwide consistency that works across all settings and all levels of support. Participants will explore practical leadership strategies to align staff, reduce fragmentation, and lead with a positive and proactive approach that strengthens behavior supports at both the classroom and schoolwide levels. Whether your team is fully implemented, just getting started, or stuck somewhere in between, you’ll leave with strategies you can apply tomorrow to build momentum and unify your staff.
