School Administrators of Montana Calendar RSS Feed

Mar 12, 2026: SAM Webinar - Rolling Out Competency-Based Education: A Purpose-to-Practices-to-Proof Approach with Bill Zima, Marzano Mastery Approaches

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:56 -0500

Connect via the SAM Zoom Meeting Room
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3923446729
Meeting ID: 392 344 6729

Rolling Out Competency-Based Education: A Purpose-to-Practices-to-Proof Approach

Why move toward competency-based education? Because ownership and agency are impossible without clarity. When students clearly understand what they are expected to learn and when educators use assessment evidence to guide next instructional steps, learning shifts from coverage to mastery. In this webinar, we will explore how to move from a clearly articulated purpose to aligned programs and practices to measurable proof of impact across schools and systems using the Marzano Mastery Approaches.

The session will outline how districts can:

· Clarify and communicate a compelling purpose for CBE

· Identify the guiding principles that drive decision-making

· Design aligned practices across instruction, assessment, grading, and reporting

· Distinguish between implementation evidence and impact evidence

· Engage boards, families, teachers, and community members in meaningful dialogue throughout the transition

Leaders will also be introduced to practical tools and resources that support the journey from domain-level planning structures to stakeholder communication strategies, ensuring implementation is thoughtful rather than reactive.

Bill Zima is the director of implementation for Marzano Academies, working with schools to help realize their unique vision of high reliability organizations that build agency in all learners. He is a former superintendent of Regional School Unit #2 in Hallowell, Maine, considered a leader in the creation of a learner-centered, proficiency-based approach to education.

Bill received his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology, electronics from Illinois State University and his master of education, science from the University of Central Florida. He has authored Marzano Mastery Approaches and Mindsets and Skillsets for Learning.

Mar 22, 2026 - Mar 24, 2026: Get into SYNC: The evolution of the Spring SAM METATechEd and MASS Conference

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:52 -0500

SYNC: The Education Leadership & Technology Conference
Where Strategy Meets Innovation

Leadership Alignment
Strategic sessions focused on bridging the gap between superintendent vision and tech implementation. Topics like data governance, cybersecurity frameworks, and sustainable infrastructure.
Innovation in Action
Showcases of districts that have turned technology plans into measurable student success. Think: real-world use cases, not theory.
Systems Thinking
Workshops on systems design, interoperability, and managing complexity at scale — the architecture behind innovation.
Culture of Connection
Peer-to-peer dialogues, superintendent roundtables, and cross-functional leadership meetups. SYNC’s networking isn’t accidental — it’s engineered.

Mar 24, 2026: The 60‑Minute Setup That Makes AI Actually Useful for School Leaders

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:56 -0500

SAM members are invited to join the Monthly AI Lab for School Leaders, a free 60‑minute online session hosted by Gruvy Education. Each Lab highlights several specific ways school leaders are using AI right now to save time and make better decisions, with ready‑to‑use prompt templates and clear guardrails for responsible use in schools.

In one hour, this will change the way you use AI permanently. The session covers the right way to configure your settings so ChatGPT/Gemini already knows your context, how to get it to write in your voice, and how to prompt it so it stops giving you generic answers.

Apr 9, 2026: SAM Webinar - Topic TBD

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:00 -0500

Connect via the SAM Zoom Meeting Room
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3923446729
Meeting ID: 392 344 6729

Apr 21, 2026: Using AI to De‑load Communication, HR, and Operations Work

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:58 -0500

SAM members are invited to join the Monthly AI Lab for School Leaders, a free 60‑minute online session hosted by Gruvy Education. Each Lab highlights several specific ways school leaders are using AI right now to save time and make better decisions, with ready‑to‑use prompt templates and clear guardrails for responsible use in schools.

This session is about streamlining the work that eats your week: staff documentation, difficult parent emails, SOPs, policy questions, etc. You'll see exactly how school leaders are using AI to streamline these tasks. At the end, we will go over how to build a CustomGPT trained on your school's policies so you and your team can get answers fast

May 12, 2026: Using AI for Data Analysis

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:59 -0500

SAM members are invited to join the Monthly AI Lab for School Leaders, a free 60‑minute online session hosted by Gruvy Education. Each Lab highlights several specific ways school leaders are using AI right now to save time and make better decisions, with ready‑to‑use prompt templates and clear guardrails for responsible use in schools.

This session shows you how to use AI for data analysis while following student data privacy laws. You will walk away with a library of prompts that you can use at your school to make more data-driven decisions. We will then go over how to take your data and turn it into a ready-made slide deck for your school board. You’ll leave with workflows to move from drowning in data to clarity.

Jun 10, 2026: 21st Annual SAM DaRud Cup Golf Outing

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:28 -0500

A long-standing favorite and a great way to connect with colleagues on the course.

Sponsor registration is now Open!

Golfer Registration opens April 1.

Jun 11, 2026: SAM Evening of Excellence

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:10 -0500

Join us as we celebrate the outstanding leadership and accomplishments of educators across the state.

Jun 11, 2026 - Jun 12, 2026: SAM Delegate Assembly

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:10 -0500

Jul 27, 2026 - Jul 29, 2026: Elevate MT: The New SAM Summer Leadership Summit

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:08 -0500

Our brand-new summer experience designed to inspire, equip, and energize school leaders for the year ahead.

Registration opens May 1