The Start to an Outstanding School Year: A NSI Session Sneak Peek

An outstanding school year starts with ‘Step 1’, and at NIET’s Summer Institute (NSI), that step happens before setting foot on campus. Each year, NSI brings together educators from different parts of the country who share a mission to foster strong instructional practices and advance student achievement. This year, NSI will take place on June 24-25 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona, and is designed to support school and district leaders in their preparation for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. 

NSI training and hands-on collaboration are specifically designed to transfer strategies from conference to classroom, using proven approaches and resources to elevate school planning. Each session is crafted to build off of one another so that no planning stone is left unturned for school teams during this conference. Learn more about the strategies each session will equip your team with below, and discover information about the NSI Deep Dive Session here.

Increasing Coaching Effectiveness Through Reflective Practice

This session highlights the importance of leader reflection and its impact on coaching practices. Participants will examine how reflection, by both leaders and teachers, can enhance coaching opportunities and better meet the individual needs of educators.

Leader Reflection as the Key to Maximizing Cluster Impact

This session helps the ILT enhance its impact through leader reflection. By focusing on reflective practice, this training will equip leaders with tools to segment learning and optimize cluster implementation. Participants will learn to reflect on field-testing practices to design and sequence new learning that is more relevant and impactful.

Strengthening the ILT Through Leader Reflection and Learning

This session equips teams to enhance reflective practice and continuous learning. Participants will gain insights into their roles, identify areas for growth, and explore best practices to enhance their leadership and support others, ultimately making a lasting impact on the school’s teaching and learning environment.

Planning and Application: Transferring Learning to Classrooms and Students 

NIET knows that a critical component of conference learning includes time and space to process and discuss how to transfer new strategies to teams. During the planning session, teams will debrief their collective learnings from the two days, develop plans to apply their new learnings, and put in place actions to support a successful 2023-24 school year.

Specifically, participants will:

• Debrief shared learnings from NSI.
• Review available data sources to identify school-level strengths and refinement areas.
• Come to a consensus as an instructional leadership team on essential priorities for the 2025-26 school year.

We look forward to seeing educators gather from across the country in Arizona on June 24-25. Look for takeaways on social media using the hashtag #NIET2025.

Want to learn more about what’s in store during this year’s NIET Summer Institute? Check out the program on our website, or learn more about effective support structures in NIET CEO Dr. Joshua Barnett’s latest book, Unleashing Teacher Leadership: A Toolkit for Ensuring Effective Instruction in Every Classroom.