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!

10:45am EDT

Leveraging the Power of Student Leadership

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

Salem 1C

Are you ready to help your students become the leaders they were made to be?

We believe students are ready for more! More responsibility, more opportunity for impact, and more ownership of the school environment.

The key to leveraging the power of student leadership lies in inspiring our students to believe they can lead, equipping them with research based leadership skills, and empowering them to lead within their school community.

We will reflect on case studies of how 3 schools across 3 states have done that during the 2025-2026 school year.

You'll also get to experience 2 of our signature leadership development activities which you can use to cultivate leadership among your students!

Presenters

Stuart Gordon

Founder & CEO, Appointed to Lead

After 10 years in the classroom, Stuart founded Appointed to Lead motivated by a passion for providing high quality leadership development instruction to high school students. Appointed to Lead seeks to help every student become the leader they were made to be by inspiring, equipping... Read More →

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

Partnerships

global Y

1:00pm EDT

From Campus to Classroom: Building Replicable University–Early College Partnerships for Future-Ready Learning

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

Salem 1C

Early colleges located on or near college campuses can leverage higher education assets in ways that extend beyond dual enrollment credit. This interactive session highlights a replicable partnership model between Fayetteville State University’s Intelligent Systems Lab and Cumberland County Schools designed to strengthen instructional rigor and college readiness. Participants will explore how faculty expertise, undergraduate mentorship, and research lab resources were activated through structured collaboration. Attendees will map their own partnership ecosystems and leave with practical strategies to build sustainable, campus-embedded collaborations that enhance student engagement and future-ready learning.

Presenters

Sambit Bhattacharya

Ashlee Russell

Chief Learning Consultant, AI Learning Central

Ashlee Russell is the founder of AI Learning Central and a faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she teaches first-year seminar courses focused on information literacy and ethical AI use. With nearly two decades of experience in K–12 education and... Read More →

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

Partnerships

global Y

2:15pm EDT

Role-Alike Networking: Counselors

Tuesday June 9, 2026 2:15pm - 3:30pm EDT

Salem 1C

The power of any network lies in building strong connections among members. During this role-alike networking session, join peers and colleagues to connect around role-alike discussion of topics important to your work in the early college ecosystem through a facilitated networking conversation.

Tuesday June 9, 2026 2:15pm - 3:30pm EDT
Salem 1C

Role-Alike Networking

8:30am EDT

Building on What Works: Evolving Early College Instruction for an AI- Enabled Future

Wednesday June 10, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT

Salem 1C

Craven Early College integrated AI literacy into its existing visible thinking framework to strengthen, not replace, rigorous, student-centered instruction. Through a phased professional learning model, faculty examined research on AI and learning, aligned their work with the North Carolina Portrait of a Graduate, and adapted thinking routines to support evaluation of AI-generated content and metacognition. Ongoing PLC collaboration and targeted workshops introduced tools such as Napkin, NotebookLM, Miro, ChatGPT for Educators, and Claude within a “learning levers” framework. The result is a practical, replicable model for instructional evolution that preserves academic rigor, supports equity, and prepares students for an AI-shaped future.

Presenters

Marlow Artis

Principal, Craven Early College High School

Ashlee Russell

Chief Learning Consultant, AI Learning Central

Wednesday June 10, 2026 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
Salem 1C

Leadership

9:45am EDT

From Framework to Practice: Using Essential Practices Framework to Strengthen Teaching and Learning in Early Colleges

Wednesday June 10, 2026 9:45am - 11:15am EDT

Salem 1C

What does high-quality teaching and learning look like in an early college setting, and how do we move from vision to consistent practice? In this interactive session, participants will explore the Essential Practices Framework as a tool for clarifying and strengthening instruction that prepares students for postsecondary success. Through collaborative analysis and application, participants will engage with key components of the framework and examine how aligned tools—including a teacher self-assessment and classroom walkthrough tool—can support reflection, feedback, and continuous improvement. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for using these tools to build coherence across classrooms and support meaningful learning experiences for all students.

Presenters

Kristana Rogers

Education Consultant, RTI International

Kristana Rogers is an education consultant at RTI International with over 23 years of experience in K-12 education. She worked as a strategic and innovative school based and district level administrator to support large-scale, sustainable change and positive student outcomes. Rogers... Read More →

Wednesday June 10, 2026 9:45am - 11:15am EDT
Salem 1C

Innovative Instruction

12:40pm EDT

Beyond Dual Credit: Engaging Students Through Culture, Support and Rigor

Wednesday June 10, 2026 12:40pm - 1:40pm EDT

Salem 1C

This session will share several of the core principles of the Early College model that address instructional practices for dual credit instructors as well as examples of student support that allow for the critical thinking required in those dual credit courses. The supports in these dual credit courses encourage the higher level thinking of metacognition while giving them students agency in their own learning. The session will also reference the book The Disengaged Teen by Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, which addresses the crisis that “one of three students is highly engaged in school” (U.S. Census).

Presenters

Steve Combs

Director of Early College, CELL

Steve Combs serves as the Director of Early College at CELL, impacting Indiana schools through the Early College High School initiative. He came to CELL with 27 years of experience in secondary education. Steve began his career as a high school social studies teacher and varsity boys... Read More →