Strengthening Student
Success Conference 2026
Program & Schedule
Select an option below:
- Wednesday, October 7, 2026
- Thursday, October 8, 2026
- Friday, October 9, 2026
| Time | Programming |
|---|---|
|
Breakfast on your own |
|
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9:00 - 10:55
|
Welcome and Opening Plenary
|
|
10:55 – 11:20
|
Coffee Break
|
|
11:25 – 12:25
|
Breakout Session 1
|
|
12:30 – 1:30
|
Lunch
|
|
1:40 – 2:40
|
Breakout Session 2
|
|
2:40 – 3:05
|
Coffee and Snack Break
|
|
3:10 – 4:25
|
Breakout Session 3
|
|
4:30 – 5:30
|
Role-Alike Discussions
|
|
5:30 – 6:30
|
Reception
|
| Time | Programming |
|---|---|
|
7:15 – 8:30
|
Breakfast
|
|
8:30 – 10:10
|
Morning Plenary and Keynote Address
|
|
10:10 – 10:35
|
Coffee Break
|
|
10:40 – 11:55
|
Breakout Session 4
|
|
12:00 – 1:30
|
Lunch and Keynote Address
|
|
1:45 – 3:00
|
Breakout Session 5
|
|
3:00 – 3:25
|
Coffee and Snack Break
|
|
3:30 – 4:30
|
Closing Plenary
|
| Time | Programming |
|---|---|
|
7:30 - 8:30
|
Breakfast
|
|
8:30 - 12:00
|
Post-Conference Workshops
|
Post-Conference Workshops
Friday, April 17, 2026 | 8:30 am–12 pm| $195 for RP Group Members and $225 for Non-members
Attending one of our post-conference workshops is an excellent way to cap your conference experience, or you can register for a workshop separately from the main conference. Workshops last three and a half hours and include breakfast.
-
Beyond the Dashboard: Using DataVista Return Files for Local Equity Analysis
This session will help college and district researchers with using DataVista return files to support local analyses. This hands-on session will focus on accessing data from Data on Demand, combining it with relevant reference files, and, optionally, integrating this information with local data to support more nuanced and relevant equity conversations for populations that may be of local import but are not publicly available.
In this workshop, attendees will learn about
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What Data on Demand is and how to access it;
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The structure of DataVista return files and supporting documents;
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How to link the return files to local SIS data systems; and
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How to use the DataVista Metric Data Definitions to support local analyses.
Presenters: WestEd (TBD)
-
-
Leading from Influence, Not Authority
When you don’t control the outcome, how do you still lead effectively? This interactive workshop, led by The RP Group’s Leading from the Middle team, is designed to support IRPE professionals in strengthening their influence, navigating institutional dynamics, and using evidence strategically to shape decisions and advance change.
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to
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Name the forms of influence they already hold in their IRPE roles;
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Analyze institutional dynamics that shape whether evidence is taken up or ignored;
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Make more intentional choices about when to push, pause, reframe, or let go; and
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Apply practical strategies for using data to invite learning and action.
IRPE practitioners are well-positioned to advance the systemic student-focused change that our educational communities so desperately need to ensure economic mobility for all. This workshop will lay the foundation for how IRPE offices can transition from data vending machines into hubs for institutional change leadership and management.
Presenters: Ireri Valenzuela, The RP Group; Additional presenters TBD
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Post-Conference Workshops
Friday, October 9, 2026 | 8:30 am–12:00 pm | $210 for RP Group members and $250 for non-members
Attending one of our post-conference workshops is an excellent way to cap your conference experience, or you can register for a workshop separately. Workshops last three and a half hours and include a continental breakfast.
-
Engaging Students Through Peer-Support Models
The research is clear: Students succeed when they feel supported, access resources, and have a sense of belonging. A key strategy for achieving these goals is through peer and near-peer relationships. This session will explore a model developed by the Los Angeles College Promise (LACP) program using both current and former LACP students as peer success coaches. The model includes training, strategies for integrating with existing support systems (such as counseling), identifying areas for targeted interventions, and a specific success coach curriculum that incorporates strategies from key research partners. Participants will explore the underlying research supporting structured peer relationships and will engage with activities to identify areas of replication on their campus.
Presenters: Joanna Zimring Towne, 3CSN/Los Angeles Community College District; Giselle Ramirez, Los Angeles Community College District/Antelope Valley College
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Keeping Learning Human in an AI Age: High-Impact Practices for Student Engagement
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping teaching, learning, and student expectations, raising important questions about engagement, integrity, and the role of human judgment in education. This session explores how human-centered, high-impact practices can sustain meaningful student engagement in an AI-enabled environment. Grounded in 3CSN principles of effective professional learning, the session models a practitioner-driven approach that builds community, centers student experience, and supports intentional instructional design. Participants will engage in a facilitated learning experience that reflects the conditions we seek to create for students and explore how to design learning that fosters connection, reflection, and purpose while helping educators reconnect with joy in teaching. Those interested in deeper application will be invited to continue this work in the post-conference workshop.
Presenters: Kimberly Rosenfeld, 3CSN/Cerritos College; Deborah Harrington and Joanna Zimring Towne, 3CSN/Los Angeles Community College District; Diana Bonilla, 3CSN/Los
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SEM Lab: Putting Strategic Enrollment Management Into Practice
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) provides a powerful framework for aligning enrollment goals with student success. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how SEM can help colleges move beyond siloed initiatives toward coordinated, institution-wide strategies that better support students and the communities we serve. Participants will examine how colleges are working to reinforce effective strategies while reimagining others to improve the student experience from enrollment through completion.
The workshop will begin with a brief overview of the Student-Centered Funding Formula (SCFF), highlighting its connection to SEM and its emphasis on access, equity, and student outcomes. Building on this foundation, facilitators will share promising practices from California community colleges designed to optimize enrollment, streamline onboarding, improve student-centered scheduling, and provide holistic support.
Through guided activities and small-group discussion, participants will apply SEM concepts to their own college context, with a focus on how instruction, student services, and institutional research can work together to drive meaningful change. This workshop is ideal for administrators, researchers, faculty, classified professionals, and campus teams interested in strengthening alignment between enrollment planning and student success.
Presenters: Michelle Barton, Palomar College; Michelle White, The RP Group
| Time | Programming |
|---|---|
|
7:30 - 8:30
|
Breakfast
|
|
8:30 - 9:45
|
Opening Plenary and Birds of a Feather
|
|
10:00 - 11:00
|
Breakout Session 4
|
|
11:00 – 11:25
|
Coffee Break
|
|
11:30 – 12:30
|
Breakout Session 5
|
|
12:30 – 1:45
|
Lunch
|
|
1:45 - 3:15
|
CCCCO Briefing |
|
3:00 – 3:15
|
Coffee and Snack Break
|
|
3:15 - 5:00 |
Facilitated Vision Aligned Reporting Working Session
|