2026 Early College Summit: Full Schedule

RTI International will host the 2026 Early College Summit on June 9–10, 2026 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, NC. This two-day event for early college leaders and program teams will focus on research-based early college and dual enrollment strategies to improve practice and support student success in rigorous learning environments. The Summit is designed so that veteran and new early college practitioners and college partners can collaborate to learn and share expertise to improve learning and student outcomes. Join us as we strengthen our capabilities to empower learners for future ready success!

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10:45am EDT

Building a College-Going Culture by Making College the Expectation, Not the Exception

Tuesday June 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Salem 1A

This session highlights the impact of early college exposure and how one Massachusetts school fostered a college-going culture for students, staff, and families. New Heights Charter School of Brockton has expanded early college access, with over 50% of graduates earning an associate degree while in high school and nearly all earning at least 12 college credits. Serving a culturally diverse community, the school created an accessible and equitable early college model that instills in ALL students the belief that they are college-bound from day one. Join this session to explore best practices for building a supportive college-going culture.

Presenters

Maria Fernandes

Assistant Executive Director, New Heights Charter School of Brockton

Maria Fernandes is a dedicated and mission-driven educational leader committed to creating equitable pathways to college and career success for all students. As Assistant Executive Director at New Heights Charter School of Brockton, Massachusetts’ first wall-to-wall Early College... Read More →

Tuesday June 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT
Salem 1A

Leadership

global Y

10:45am EDT

Pour Over and Problem-Solving

Tuesday June 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Salem 2 Ballroom

This "Pour Over and Problem-Solving" coffee chat combines hands-on coffee brewing demonstrations with critical dialogue to explore how to thoughtfully integrate technology while prioritizing timeless human values. Attendees will engage in conversation on topics from mindful tech usage to human-centered design, gaining ideas to leverage technology ethically and foster more enriching interpersonal experiences.

Presenters

Dee Lanier

Lead Learning Experience Designer, Lanier Learning, LLC

Tuesday June 9, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT
Salem 2 Ballroom

Leadership

1:00pm EDT

From Overload to Coherence: Driving Continuous Improvement with a Common Instructional Framework

Tuesday June 9, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Winston 3B

Early college leaders are inundated with expectations—state standards, district initiatives, evaluation tools, PLC structures, and professional development mandates. How do we bring clarity to the complexity? This session equips principals and system leaders to design a coherent instructional framework that aligns Essential Practices, professional learning, PLC processes, NCEES, and school/district expectations into one clear, usable document. Participants will leave with a plan to crosswalk key resources with expectations and evaluation criteria, drive targeted professional development, and deploy a framework that sustains continuous improvement.

Presenters

Vance Fishback

Principal, Cabarrus Early College of Technology

Vance Fishback is a veteran educational leader with more than 30 years of experience in public education with a strong background in Early College High School design, launch, and leadership. He has served the last 10 years as the Founding Principal of the Cabarrus Early College o... Read More →

Tuesday June 9, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Winston 3B

Leadership

global Y

1:00pm EDT

Mission in Motion: Aligning Vision, Goals, and Student Opportunities through the Next Generation Early Colleges Framework

Tuesday June 9, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Winston 3C

In this session, Kassie Mount, founding principal of Dare Early College, will highlight the intentional steps that her team has taken to create a cohesive, mission-driven culture. Participants will learn how the school established a clear mission and vision, used the Next Generation Early Colleges framework to develop School Improvement Team (SIT) goals and professional development priorities, and aligned staff-learning with these objectives. Kassie will also showcase how student opportunities were intentionally designed to reflect the mission and vision, creating a unified experience that shapes both academic outcomes and school culture. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to connect goals, professional learning, and student experiences in a meaningful, cohesive way.

Presenters

Kassie Mount

Principal, Dare Early College

Tuesday June 9, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Winston 3C

Leadership

global Y

1:00pm EDT

Prompt Engineering for Productivity: Automating Administrative Responsibilities for School and Program Leaders.

Tuesday June 9, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT

Winston 1A

This session is dedicated to making you a more efficient leader by automatingyour office tasks with precision AI. Discover the framework for writing effective prompts andbuild your own policy-aware AI 'clones' for consistent, rapid administrative output, with ethicsand leadership in mind.

Presenters