2026 Utah Rural Schools Conference: Full Schedule

Welcome to URSA 2026 at Southern Utah University! All sessions will be in buildings on the upper campus (east end). Here’s the Campus Map (PDF) if needed.

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1:30pm MDT

Creating a Connected Classroom: Strategies to decrease behaviors and increase academics.

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT

ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102

This presentation will provide attendees with the brain science behind how brains develop and why students have specific behaviors. The brain science will then lead to practical, real life application on how to actually use the science to increase academic output and decrease negative behaviors. Attendees will leave the session with skills they can apply the next day in the classroom.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: None

Speakers

Amie Huggins

TBRI Coach for Schools, Raise the Future

Amie Huggins is a 30 year classroom teacher. She is also a TBRI Practitioner and the co-author of the book, Creating a Connected Classroom. She works for a non-profit called Raise the Future and through them has developed the curriculum, Tools for Transformation. This curriculum... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT
ED 102 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 102 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | School-based Mental & Behavioral Health, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities
Grade Level All Grade Levels
Audience Everyone
Subject Area Instructional Coaching, Mental/Behavioral Health

1:30pm MDT

From PD to Practice: A Practical System for PD That Sticks

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT

CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level)

Professional development often leaves teachers inspired but not prepared to immediately implement new practices in their classrooms. This session introduces a practical, system-level approach to bridging the gap between professional learning and classroom application. Participants will explore the High Impact Instructional Practices (HIIP) MicroPD model: a teacher-driven system designed to support consistent use of high-impact instructional strategies across content areas.Built on more than 70 research-based, classroom-ready strategies and tools, this model emphasizes teacher choice, immediate application, and iterative practice. Participants will gain insight into how this system has been piloted across multiple schools and how it can improve instructional consistency while supporting teacher autonomy.Attendees will leave with a clear framework for designing professional learning that is practical, sustainable, and responsive to the needs of diverse classrooms—especially in schools where teachers must balance multiple roles and content areas.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Speakers

Camille Johnson

Instructional Coach, Bountiful High School

Camille Johnson is an instructional coach at Bountiful High School in Davis School District with nearly three decades of experience in education. Her work focuses on designing professional learning systems that support teachers in consistently applying high-impact instructional practices... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT
CC Yankee Meadows - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Yankee Meadows Room (100 Level) 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Leadership, Intermediate - basic core competency; some prerequisite skills required. | Instructional Coaching, Intermediate - basic core competency; some prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level All Grade Levels
Audience District / School Administrators, Instructional Coaches
Subject Area Leadership, Instructional Coaching

1:30pm MDT

The Dignity Index: How to disagree without being disagreeable

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT

ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204

Feedback Survey

The Dignity Index is an eight-point scale that can be used for both students and staff to learn how to disagree without being disagreeable. Classrooms are where students discuss ideas. And the discussions of ideas can and should lead to disagreement to create new ideas. For this process to work students must learn the skills of civil discussion, especially as the ideas in social studies or English classrooms become more complex and never have a single right answer. We will discuss the Dignity Index and how it meets both state and national standards while discussing the ideas of your content. During the discussion, we will both practice using the Index in the high school classroom as well as reflecting on its positive impacts for students and teachers outside your classroom.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Not Applicable

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Any web enabled device

Speakers

Stephan Seabury

Teacher and Community Engagement Lead, Teacher Fellows, Providence Hall High School

Mr. Seabury believes a civically engaged teacher creates civically engaged students. His students learn not only the content of how our government works but are given opportunities in and outside of the classroom to meet with policy makers and practice the skills of civic engagem... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT
ED 204 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 204 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Leadership, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level Elementary - grades K - 6, Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12
Audience Teachers, Counselors or School-based Mental/Behavioral Health Professionals, District / School Administrators
Subject Area Language Arts, Social Studies, Leadership

1:30pm MDT

Rising Above Low Expectation: How to Scaffold Learning for Students

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT

ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215

As educators in rural areas, we often find ourselves working with students who have significant challenges and barriers in their academic work. This can make meeting grade level expectations very difficult. Too often, out of the deep care we have for students, we end up lowering the expectations for these learners. But all students deserve to be held to high expectations. This session will emphasize the need for these high expectations and provide practical ideas for K-12 classroom teachers on how to maintain these high expectations for all students through supports and scaffolds. Participants will leave with a list of strategies that are research-based, but easy to apply and use in their classrooms.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: None

Speakers

Laureen Graves

Assistant Professor and Field Services Director, SUU - Southern Utah University

Laureen Graves is a passionate educator, married to Christopher Graves, with four children and six grandchildren who bring immense joy to their lives. The role of being GG is a most cherished role! As a committed advocate for the teaching profession, Laureen hopes to prepare students... Read More →

Heather Kennedy

Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, SUU - Southern Utah University

Dr. Heather Kennedy is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University, where she teaches classes in the areas of special education, math education, school leadership, and secondary education instructional strategies. Dr. Kennedy has almost 20 years of experience... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm MDT
ED 215 - Emma Eccles Jones Education Building, Room 215 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Utah Core Curriculum, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level All Grade Levels
Audience Teachers, Instructional Coaches
Subject Area Language Arts, Special Education

1:30pm MDT

Build the Ramp: AI Tools for Differentiation, Engagement, and Reporting in Rural Middle Level Classrooms

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 3:50pm MDT

GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106

💻 Format Alert: This is an extended, 2-hour hands-on session—please bring your own laptop or tablet to fully participate!

Rural middle level teachers are doing the impossible math every day: one classroom, five reading levels, thirty-two needs, and a planning period that disappeared somewhere around October. This session doesn't talk about AI — it puts it in your hands and lets you build something you'll actually use Monday morning.Bring your device (something with a keyboard and screen, make and model not important) and a real problem from your real classroom—the more specific, the better.The first 90 minutes: Choose your build based on your most urgent challenge.The Bridge Text — generate accessible, grade-level-rigorous versions of a complex text for every reader in your roomThe Narrative Hook — re-skin an existing assessment around your students' actual interests; same cognitive demand, different entry pointThe Lab Report Surgeon — isolate precisely where a student's scientific reasoning broke down and generate a targeted repair scaffoldThe Math Concept Bridge — reframe a word problem in a familiar context, then distinguish conceptual errors from procedural onesThe final 30 minutes: Everyone runs the Diagnostic Audit together — the highest-leverage practice in the room. Feed student work through a structured AI prompt and identify exactly where and why reasoning broke down. Surgical, same-day intervention for every student, regardless of subject.No new software. No budget required. No prior AI experience necessary. Skeptics especially welcome.You will leave with something you built, not something you were handed.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: Mac Laptop; Windows Laptop; iPad / iPhone; Windows Tablet / Smartphone; Chromebook

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Any of these

Speakers

Steve Capone

Jr

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:30pm - 3:50pm MDT
GC 106 - General Classroom Building, Room 106 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Educational Technology - including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Intermediate - basic core competency; some prerequisite skills required. | Instructional Coaching, Intermediate - basic core competency; some prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 2 hour BYOD (Bring Your Own Device): Hands-On-Activities
Grade Level Middle School / Jr. High - grades 6 - 8, High School - grades 9 - 12, 5-6
Audience Teachers, EdTech Coach / Digital Teaching & Learning Specialists
Subject Area Instructional Coaching, Special Education

2:50pm MDT

Teacher Reflection and Instruction Data Made Easy With AI

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT

CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level)

Micro teaching—where teachers reflect on recordings of their instruction to improve practice—has one of the highest effect sizes in education (0.88 per Hattie). But in reality, it’s rarely used. The traditional process is time-consuming, uncomfortable, and often impractical. What if teachers could get the benefits of micro teaching without the hassle?This session introduces an AI-powered solution that makes micro teaching simple, private, and powerful. With tools like TeachFX, educators can press “record” at the start of a lesson and, minutes after pressing “stop,” receive an automated analysis of their talk-time, questioning, student engagement, and more—no video reviews or manual data collection required.Attendees will explore how AI is transforming teacher reflection, review real-world examples, and learn how schools can use this technology to accelerate professional growth, improve instruction, and boost student outcomes—effortlessly.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: None

Speakers

Lance Hatch

Superintendent, Iron County School District

Dr. Lance Hatch is a former elementary teacher, principal, and district director. He currently serves as the superintendent of the Iron County School District. He earned a PhD in Teacher Education and Leadership with a dissertation focused on expert teacher planning for and delivery... Read More →

Yaerli Anderson

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT
CC Whiting Room - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room Room (200 Level) 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Educational Technology - including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level All Grade Levels
Audience Teachers, District / School Administrators, Instructional Coaches
Subject Area Instructional Coaching

2:50pm MDT

Group Contingencies and the Good Behavior Game for Classroom Management

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT

CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level)

Teachers are juggling more behavior needs than ever while still trying to keep students engaged and learning. This session will introduce group contingencies—Independent, Dependent, and Interdependent—as simple, realistic ways to support behavior without adding a lot to your plate. We’ll also look closely at the Good Behavior Game as a classroom-tested example that has been shown to reduce disruptive behavior and boost on-task time.You’ll see real classroom examples, watch short video clips, and have dedicated time to sketch out how these ideas could work with your own students. You’ll leave with a one-page cheat sheet on the three types of group contingencies, a planning template, printable Good Behavior Game materials, and links to free online resources. By the end of the session, you’ll have a clear, ready-to-try plan you can start using as soon as the following week.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: Any of these

Speakers

Rhea Rayomand Palkhiwala

Doctoral Student, USU - Utah State University

Rhea Rayomand Palkhiwala, MSE, LBA (UT), is a doctoral student in Disability Disciplines with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis at Utah State University. She works as a school-based behavior consultant, supporting rural school teams with conducting function-based assessments... Read More →

Dr. Audrey N. Hoffmann

Assistant Professor - Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling, USU - Utah State University

Dr. Audrey N. Hoffmann is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling at Utah State University. Dr. Hoffmann provides services to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities and/or challenging behavior. She specializes... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT
CC Charles Hunter - R. Haze Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room (100 Level) 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | Assessment & Data Management, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | School-based Mental & Behavioral Health, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.

Session Format 1 hour traditional lecture/audience participation
Grade Level All Grade Levels
Audience Everyone
Subject Area Other

2:50pm MDT

Bridging the Gap: Addressing Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Rural Utah Schools

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT

SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128

Program Description / Abstract: The recruitment and retention of highly qualified educators in rural Utah school districts has reached a critical juncture. Local administrators face persistent systemic challenges that threaten the long-term stability of rural educational systems. This presentation examines how geographic isolation and limited community amenities frequently cause prospective candidates to withdraw from the hiring process. These environmental factors are further exacerbated by lower salary scales compared to urban districts and a lack of access to essential technology and instructional resources (Hannover Research, 2019).Furthermore, rural educators often experience professional isolation due to limited opportunities for collaboration and specialized development, particularly in high-need areas such as STEM, special education, and early childhood education. Drawing on current research, this session highlights four primary drivers of rural teacher attrition:Challenges with school administration.Lack of community connection.Insufficient training and support.Limited access to professional mentoring.Participant Outcomes: By the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:Identify the four primary factors contributing to teacher attrition in rural settings.Evaluate how administrative support, community integration, and mentoring programs influence teacher longevity.Engage in collaborative discussions to brainstorm scalable solutions for these persistent rural challenges.Analyze specific policies and procedures that can be implemented to improve recruitment and retention in their own districts.

Participants MUST HAVE one of the following platforms/devices in order to participate in this session: None

Participants MAY FIND IT USEFUL to have one or more of the following platforms/devices during this session: None

Speakers

Celina Poppe

Educational Leadership and Policy Doctoral Candidate at the University of Utah, University of Utah

While a doctoral candidate in Education (EdD) specializing in Educational Leadership and Police at the University of Utah, I am working as a Regional Accreditation Evaluator for Cognia where I conducted comprehensive evaluations of educational institutions, ensuring adherence to accreditation... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm MDT
SC 128 - Science Center, Room 128 351 W. University Blvd., Cedar City, UT 84720

Leadership, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required. | Instructional Coaching, Beginner - limited to no experience; no prerequisite skills required.