Every year, Learning Forward collects extensive feedback from conference attendees on what makes a session strong and meaningful. We share the feedback with educators submitting proposals for our next conference and with proposal scorers during the session selection process. Reviewers give high marks to proposals that align with the themes attendees have identified as valuable and also to those that include district or division employees as co-presenters and are clear and explicit about the impact the work has had on intended recipients.

• Attendee recommendations that drive quality criteria include:Plan an authentic learning session that delivers on the session outcomes.
• Plan an authentic learning session that delivers on the session outcomes.
• Consider incorporating videos, impact statements, and supportive data from other practitioners in your network.
• Make sure you are intentional about providing professional learning that moves from:
• Sit-and-get to team-based, collaborative learning relevant to immediate school and district challenges.
• Compliance-driven to choices informed by student, educator and system data.
• One-time training to suggestions for sustained learning and application of learning.
• Focus on facilitation rather than presentation and embed multiple learning strategies.
• Give attendees the opportunity to collaborate with other attendees and presenters throughout their sessions.
• Provide opportunities during the session for individual reflection and next steps.
• Ask yourself, “What is the actionable information that participants will leave with?”

This guidance makes for engaging, meaningful, and standards-aligned sessions. Come experience them for yourself at the 2025 Learning Forward Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, Dec. 7-10. Learn more and register at conference.learningforward.org.