Abre Connect 2026 Sessions

11:00 – 11:15 am EST

James Stoffer & Zach Vander Veen

Welcome address with Abre’s CEO James Stoffer and Abre Co-Founder and CIO Zach Vander Veen.

11:15 – 11:35 am EST

Zach Vander Veen

In this session, we’ll introduce Abre’s Community Site. We’ll explain why we built it, how it fits into our customer experience, and how to get the most value from it today. We’ll walk through the key areas of the site (announcements, product updates, resources, and ways to engage), share practical tips for navigating and finding what you need fast, and highlight how the Community will continue to grow into a more supportive, self-serve hub for customers over time.

Also. Cool swag raffle.

11:40 am – 12:10 pm EST

Dan Neal

Great AI depends on great data. In this session, we’ll break down Abre’s approach to making data usable and trustworthy—integrating sources (SIS + assessments + attendance + more), organizing it into a consistent model, and running an ETL pipeline that cleans, validates, and refreshes it on a reliable schedule. We’ll share what this process looks like in practice, why it’s the most important step toward functional AI, and how a strong data foundation unlocks accurate insights, automation, and confidence in every AI-driven workflow.

12:10 – 12:40 pm EST

Ryan Baxter

See what’s possible when your data foundation meets practical AI. We’ll showcase how Abre turns connected, organized data into clear, actionable insights. We’ll surface patterns, highlighting students who need attention, and answer real questions educators ask every day. Expect a mix of demos, “how it works” context, and takeaways you can bring back to your team as you think about where AI can save time, sharpen decisions, and amplify impact.

1:00 – 1:30 pm EST

Amy Stacy

Attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success—but most districts get stuck at dashboards instead of action. In Attendance that Moves the Needle, we’ll break down how to turn attendance data into practical, repeatable routines that drive real improvement. We’ll cover how to segment and prioritize students (not all absenteeism is the same), identify root-cause patterns by school/team/time, and move from “who is absent” to “what do we do next” with clear ownership and follow-up workflows. You’ll leave with a simple playbook for building an early-warning approach that helps teams intervene sooner, coordinate supports, and track whether actions are actually changing outcomes.

1:30 – 2:00 pm EST

Jake Richards

In this presentation, we’ll explore how several district partners have leveraged Abre to promote student growth, streamline staff workflow, and truly implement their MTSS framework. This presentation will focus on the connection between the connecting diagnostic/progress monitoring data –> Abre Plans –> Insights/Class360 Dashboards, resulting in increased impact of interventions.

2:05 – 2:35 pm EST

Tricia Smith

Behavior is more than incidents—it’s patterns, supports, and relationships. In this session, we’ll walk through the full behavior framework Abre can provide to help schools move from reactive discipline to proactive, coordinated support. We’ll cover streamlined behavior recording and trend analysis, how to align events to PBIS expectations, and how teams can create and monitor behavior plans with clear goals, strategies, and ownership. We’ll also show how behavior connects to counseling interventions and wellness check-ins, so staff have one place to document supports, coordinate follow-up, and see what’s working over time. The goal: earlier identification, better alignment across teams, and more consistent support for students—without adding more tools or more meetings.

2:35 – 3:00 pm EST

James Stoffer

A daily reflection with Abre CEO, James Stoffer.

11:00 – 11:10 am EST

Zach Vander Veen

Day two opening address with Abre Co-Founder and CIO Zach Vander Veen.

11:10 – 11:40 am EST

Tyler Foraker & Sarah Singer

Strategic plans only matter when they show up in daily decisions—and in measurable outcomes. In this session, we’ll walk through how Abre helps districts operationalize strategic priorities by connecting the plan to the data, dashboards, and workflows teams actually use: setting clear metrics, tracking leading indicators, aligning initiatives across departments and schools, and creating consistent routines for review and action. You’ll leave with a practical blueprint for moving from “plan-on-paper” to a living strategy that drives focus, accountability, and progress throughout the year.

11:40 am – 12:10 pm EST

Shane Schutt & JC Miller

Showcases real-world, high-impact implementations of Abre in partner districts. Highlighting the projects, workflows, and practices that drove measurable outcomes. It focuses on how districts turned data into action (planning, execution, monitoring, and continuous improvement) and offers a replicable playbook other teams can adapt for their own rollout.

12:10 – 12:40 pm EST

JC Miller

This professional development session will highlight a comprehensive approach to implementing Graduation Plans beginning in 8th grade and continuing through high school. Participants will learn how students actively create and annually update their individualized plans in collaboration with guidance counselors, fostering ownership of their academic and career pathways.

The session will also showcase how Graduation Plan data is seamlessly integrated into a centralized dashboard, providing valuable insights into student interests, course selections, and postsecondary goals. Attendees will explore how this data can be used at the building and district levels to inform long-term planning, optimize scheduling, and ensure alignment with student needs. Practical examples, processes, and tools will be shared to support districts in developing or refining their own Graduation Plan systems.

1:00 – 1:45 pm EST

Keith Pomeroy

Why I Picked Abre Twice is a candid story from a district leader who chose Abre in two different roles—sharing what made the platform (and partnership) worth returning to. The session highlights the moments that mattered most: clearer visibility into student needs, stronger alignment across teams, and practical workflows that helped staff move from data to action. Attendees will leave with a real-world perspective on what adoption looks like when the tools, support, and outcomes all connect.

1:50 – 2:20 pm EST

Chris Rose

Join us for a forward-looking walk-through of Abre’s 2027 product roadmap—where we’re investing, what we’re building, and why it matters for the work happening in schools and central offices every day. We’ll connect upcoming capabilities to real district outcomes: stronger data interoperability, faster and clearer insights, more powerful workflow automation, and AI that’s increasingly useful because it’s grounded in trustworthy, well-modeled data. We’ll also share how we prioritize roadmap items, what’s already in motion vs. what’s emerging, and how customers can influence the direction through feedback and partnership—so you leave with a clear view of what’s coming and how to plan for it.

2:20 – 2:40 pm EST

Mike Bernat & Zach Vander Veen

AI is moving fast—and it’s changing more than just tools. In this session, we’ll zoom out to explore the biggest AI trends impacting education and society: what’s becoming possible, what’s becoming risky, and what’s becoming necessary for districts to understand. We’ll cover how AI is reshaping work, communication, and information trust; what that means for classrooms and student readiness; and how district leaders can think about policy, equity, privacy, and responsible use without getting paralyzed. Expect a practical, non-hype conversation that helps you leave with clearer mental models, better questions to ask, and a grounded view of where AI is headed next.