• Registration Table located near conference center entrance.

  • Vendor Room: Open to conference guests from 8AM-5PM. Water, Coffee and Snacks

2026 MACTE Fall Conference Agenda Day 1: October 15th

  • Presenters:

    Dr. Ken Boning (MACTE)

    Cassie Cordray

    Representatives of the Missouri community college teacher education programs will meet to discuss topics specific to their programs.

  • Presenters:

    Dr. Julie Bryant, Professor of Education and Division Head, Southwest Baptist University
    Mrs. Rebekah Crites, Certification Officer and Clinical Placement Coordinator, Southwest Baptist University

    The AAC&U identified 11 High-Impact Practices that make learning stick.

  • Presenters:

    Pallavi Aggarwal, University of Missouri- Saint Louis; Laura Myers, The Biome School

    This presentation examines the multi-year approach integrating instructional tools, structured coaching, teacher development, and data-driven practices to strengthen teaching, student engagement, and outcomes.

  • Presenters:

  • Presenters:

    Kevin Botkin, Certification Officer, University of Missouri
    Sarah Foster Walters, Adjunct Professor, University of Missouri & Education Leader Coordinator, Missouri School Board Association

    Feeling like a fraud? Imposter Phenomenon and Dunning-Kruger affect most emerging educators across preparation and early practice. This session names the experience, examines the framework, and offers practical strategies.

  • Presenters:

    Natalie Bolton, Associate Professor, University of Missouri - St. Louis
    Dawn Thieman, Graduate Research Fellow, University of Missouri - St. Louis

    This session highlights ways educator preparation programs can help teacher candidates use AI thoughtfully, emphasizing standards-aligned instructional decision-making, ethics, and professional judgement.

  • Presenters:

    Beth Kania-Gosche, Professor and Chair of Education, Missouri S&T
    Eric Avant, DESE

  • Presenters:

    Carol Billing, Ph.D. Director of Compliance, School of Education, WGU

    Turn your least favorite tasks into AI agents. This hands-on session guides participants to build practical agents using ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot.

  • Presenters:

    Lisa Nieuwenhuizen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, William Woods University

    Education professors collaboratively explore effective AI practices—assignment design, academic integrity, curriculum adaptation—sharing real classroom experiences to navigate higher education's unsettled AI landscape together.

  • Presenters:

    Dr. Beth Kania-Goche, Missouri S&T, MACTE President

    Dr. Daryl Fridley (DESE)

    Dr. Fridley will provide a DESE update and make himself available for Q&A. Please send your questions to: https://forms.gle/r4m3aYE8UqdAYLxW8

  • Presenters:

    Julie Smith Sodey, (MACTE)

    Please send your questions to: https://forms.gle/r4m3aYE8UqdAYLxW8

  • Presenters:

    Andi Dieckman

    As the teacher shortage persists, EPPs and school districts are forced to consider alternative staffing. This session shares the results of undergraduates as the teacher-of-record.

  • Presenters:

    Chris Cox, Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Computing and Digital Technology, Westminster College
    Tyler Sorg, Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Business Communications, Westminster College

    This interactive session introduces the Co-Creation Threshold, a practical framework helping educators distinguish when generative AI supports student learning from when it replaces student agency.

  • Presenters:

    Kim Nuetzmann, MACTE

    Field and Clinical Experiences representatives will discuss current topics impacting teacher education candidates. Key agenda topics will include evolving student teaching requirements, best practices and accountability measures in virtual supervision, and policies governing candidates’ paid work during clinical placements. Through collaborative dialogue, participants will explore strategies and share ideas to enhance placements and partnerships. Please send your questions to: https://forms.gle/r4m3aYE8UqdAYLxW8

  • Presenters:

    Beth Kania-Gosche, Kylee Copeland, Emma Friedman, Missouri S&T

    Two teacher candidates will describe their experiences advocating with state and federal legislators.

  • Presenters:

    Dr. Philip White
    Dr. Adriana Martinez Calvit
    Dr. Jamie Martin
    Dr. Pallavi Aggarwal
    Dr. Taylor Lawson-Smith - Post Doctoral Research Fellows: University of Missouri-St. Louis.
    Dr. Natalie Bolton - Associate Professor: University of Missouri-St. Louis

    Five Post-Doctoral Fellows working in St. Louis schools provide experience-based advice for developing, scaling, and sustaining school partnerships translating research into practice

  • Presenters:

  • Presenters:

    Matt Thomas, Professor of Reading, University of Central Missouri

    This presentation discusses a multi-year research study focused on teacher development as readers through an assignment, the “Reading Maturity Project,” using self-reflection for deeper engagement.

  • Presenters:

    Jamie B Martin, Dr., University of Missouri–St. Louis

    When “culture wars” engulf K-12 spaces, teachers face chaos and confusion. Learning Science could prepare educators to navigate these flashpoints of hostility with [Bold] Civility.

  • Presenters:

    Laurie Kingsley, MACTE

    Tim Wall, MACTE

    Join us for an opportunity for Deans and Unit Leaders to gather, provide feedback and support, and tackle common challenges and opportunities in Missouri educator preparation. Please send your questions to: https://forms.gle/r4m3aYE8UqdAYLxW8

  • Presenters:

    Dr. Marty Strange
    Melissa Chapman
    Lori Pinkston
    Benjamin Taylor
    Kelli Hunsicker
    Brandi Van Delft

    Truman State University with PK-12 Kirksville R-III School District are participating in the Missouri Partnerships for Quality Mentoring Community of Practice DESE initiative. Through critical work with Education First, this pilot project aims to increase mentor effectiveness for teacher candidate quality to retain educators in the profession.

  • Presenters:

    Metro, Rosalie, Associate Teaching Professor, University of Missouri-Columbia

    Explore ways to have students demonstrate their pedagogical knowledge and practical competency in online classes through video discussion boards, intentionally using AI or not.

  • Please join us in the hotel lobby bar for social hour and an opportunity to meet and network with your colleagues from across the State.

  • Keynote Speaker:

    Justin Pickens

    Justin's message comes down to one line he's known for: the extra-mile educator isn't always someone with extra time. They're someone with extra intentionality. In this keynote, he shares that belief with the professors and faculty who train Missouri's next generation of teachers, the people responsible, in a very real sense, for training the trainers. Drawing on frameworks from his book The Lottery Ticket Teacher, including the Pre-Decide Protocol, the Do For One principle, and the Content to Competence to Confidence arc, he makes the case that the intentionality modeled in a college classroom doesn't stay there. It travels. It shows up years later in a first-grade classroom, a middle school locker room, in a struggling teenager's life, carried by a teacher who learned it from someone who believed education could be a ticket out, because someone once believed that for them too.

2026 MACTE Fall Conference Agenda Day 2: March 16th

  • MACTE Business Meeting, Organizational updates and future plans, MACTE AWARDS & RISE Announcements

    And Bacon!

  • Vendor Room: Open from 8AM - Noon

    Please join us for Water, Coffee and Snacks!

  • Presenters:

  • Presenters:

    Ramona Stowe, Department Chair, SOE, Avila University
    Sue McCalley, Professor, SOE, Avila University
    Jessica Kamuru, Associate Professor, SOE, Avila University

    Due to instructional needs identified by end of year teacher and principal survey data, we will discuss changes that we have made to improve outcomes.

  • Presenters:

    Nora Peterman, Hilary McNeil, Jen Fergerson

    EPPs must demonstrate program effectiveness, whether for accreditation, fundraising or student recruitment. Best practices for gathering data and engaging stakeholders will be shared and discussed.

  • Presenters:

    Ken Boning, Teacher Education Program Coordinator, Jefferson College
    Laurie Kingsley, Assistant Dean of Teacher Education, University of Missouri-Columbia

    Missouri law requires a statewide 60-credit-hour associate-level pathway designed to transfer seamlessly from community colleges into public four-year elementary education programs. While there is strong interest in moving this work forward, questions remain regarding alignment with DESE Elementary Education competencies, field experiences, course scope, and the capacity of four-year programs to meet remaining state requirements. This facilitated working session will bring together representatives from community colleges and four-year institutions to establish a shared understanding of the proposed 60-hour framework, surface key questions and constraints, and identify areas of alignment and consensus. The session is intended to support transparent dialogue and collective problem-solving rather than to finalize program decisions (which will occur at the state level).

  • Presenters:

    Dr. Casey Echelmeier, Assistant Professor of Education

    Explore how MEES data can identify instructional priorities and drive hands-on strategies that strengthen student engagement, classroom management, literacy instruction, and faculty practice.

  • Presenters:

    Dr. Alex Tripamer (Interim Dean, Lindenwood University)
    Dr. Ronda Cypret-Mahach (Associate Dean, Lindenwood University)

    Learn about Lindenwood University’s recent on-campus summit that connected high school students participating in “Grow Your Own” programs with multiple EPPs across the region.

  • Vendor Room: Open from 8AM - Noon

    Please join us for Water, Coffee and Snacks!

  • Presenters:

    Stephanie Clark (MACTE)

    The Chair of the Advocacy Committee will provide legislative updates and MACTE's Day on the Hill activities. Please send your questions to:

  • Presenters:

    Corrie Canaday, Dean, Academic Operations, WGU and Benjamin Forsyth, Dean, Undergraduate Programs, WGU

    Explore how WGU's School of Education blends traditional and work-based pathways, including apprenticeships, Grow Your Owns, and flexible clinicals, to prepare a qualified, reflective educator workforce.

  • Presenters:

    Dr. Mike McBride, Associate Director of Accreditation and Assessment, Northwest Missouri State University
    Dr. Tim Wall, Dean, College and Education, Health and Human Services, Northwest Missouri State University
    Dr. Nissa Ingraham, Chair, School of Education, Northwest Missouri State University
    Dr. Joseph Haughey, Assistant Director of Teacher Ed Education, Northwest Missouri State University

    Northwest is preparing an AAQEP site visit after an academic restructuring, changes to assessments and reporting procedures, and offboarding/onboarding from Banner to Workday systems.

  • Please fill out the post conference survey.