Rockwood County ISD Hosts 2026 Action Based Learning Summit | St Louis, MO

Why Educators from Across America Came to One Missouri School District This Summer: 

Inside the Missouri School District Challenging How America Thinks Children Learn 

Hundreds of educators travel across the country each year searching for ideas that can improve student learning. This summer, many of them came to one place: Rockwood School District. 

Teachers, principals, instructional coaches, therapists, and district leaders gathered at Green Pines Elementary to explore a question that is increasingly shaping conversations in education: 

What if improving learning begins with preparing the brain—not simply delivering instruction? 

As schools nationwide work to improve academic achievement while addressing growing concerns about student attention, engagement, behavior, and well-being, Rockwood School District is helping lead a conversation that reaches far beyond Missouri. By hosting a national professional learning summit focused on the neuroscience of learning, the district positioned itself at the forefront of an emerging movement: designing classrooms around how the brain actually learns. 

For three days, Green Pines Elementary transformed from a neighborhood school into a learning laboratory where educators experienced research-based instructional strategies that integrate purposeful movement throughout the school day. 

The Summit, hosted by Principal Angie Schott, brought together educators eager to discover practical approaches they could immediately implement in their classrooms. 

"I've attended countless hours of professional development during my 30 years in education," Schott shared after the Summit. "This was some of the first learning I've experienced that I can walk directly into classrooms and staff meetings and use immediately. It will actually save teachers time while increasing engagement." 

That reaction echoed throughout the event. Rather than focusing on educational theory alone, participants experienced strategies they could begin using on the very first day of school. 

What the Science Says 

For generations, classrooms have largely been designed around one expectation: students sit still while they learn. 

Yet a growing body of neuroscience suggests that the developing brain benefits from something different.

Research increasingly shows that purposeful movement is not a distraction from learning—it can be an important part of the learning process itself. 

Among the findings:

Executive Function Improves with Physical Activity. A comprehensive systematic review published in Sports Medicine found that regular physical activity improves executive functioning—including attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-control—the very skills students rely on throughout the school day. 

Academic Achievement Increases. A large meta-analysis published in Pediatrics found that integrating physical activity into classroom instruction led to statistically significant improvements in academic achievement, including gains in mathematics, reading, spelling, and overall academic performance—even when instructional time included movement.

Movement Strengthens Learning. Neuroscientist Dr. John Ratey of Harvard Medical School has demonstrated that exercise stimulates the release of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), often described as "fertilizer for the brain," which strengthens neural pathways involved in learning, memory, and long-term retention.

Better Classroom Behavior. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that school-based physical activity is associated with improved concentration, classroom behavior, and academic performance.

Improved Emotional Regulation. Research supported by the National Institutes of Health shows that regular movement helps regulate stress hormones while supporting the brain chemicals associated with focus, motivation, and emotional well-being. 

Taken together, these findings point toward a simple but powerful conclusion: students learn more effectively when their brains are physiologically prepared to learn. Rather than replacing rigorous instruction, purposeful movement helps prepare students to fully engage with it. 

Rockwood's Commitment to Innovation 

With the support of Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain, Rockwood School District chose to bring this national conversation directly into its schools. By opening its doors to educators from across the country, the district demonstrated a commitment to exploring evidence-based practices that strengthen teaching and learning. 

Under the leadership of Wellness Director Sally Schulte, Rockwood has continued investing in approaches that support the whole child—recognizing that academic success depends not only on curriculum, but also on attention, confidence, emotional regulation, physical wellness, and student engagement. 

That philosophy reflects a growing understanding among educators that preparing students to learn is just as important as what they are asked to learn. 

Practical Strategies Teachers Can Use Tomorrow

One reason the Summit generated such enthusiasm was its immediate practicality. 

Participants experienced instructional strategies designed to integrate movement naturally into reading, mathematics, literacy intervention, social-emotional learning, and classroom transitions—without sacrificing academic rigor or valuable instructional time. 

Educators consistently described the professional learning as engaging, practical, and immediately applicable. 

Among the comments shared following the Summit: 

"This training exceeded my expectations." 

 "We can't wait to have you back in Rockwood." 

"I had so much fun, and it completely changed my mindset." 

"These are strategies I can implement immediately." 

“I decided to even do some research on my own when I went home. Couldn’t recommend this training enough”

"WOW WOW WOW! This training has created excitement among my staff. I am excited to see how we grow from here!"

For many attendees, the experience challenged long-held assumptions about what effective classrooms can look like. 

Why This Matters to Families 

Parents have always wanted strong academics for their children. Increasingly, they are also asking whether schools can create environments where students feel engaged, motivated, and excited to learn.

Rockwood's investment in innovative, research-informed instructional practices reflects a broader commitment to preparing students for success academically, socially, and emotionally. When classrooms intentionally support attention, self-regulation, collaboration, and active engagement, students are better positioned to participate confidently and achieve their full potential. 

For families considering where to live or where to enroll their children, those experiences matter.

Using Movement to Improve Learning 

Schools across America continue searching for ways to improve achievement while addressing rising concerns about attention, anxiety, engagement, and classroom behavior. 

There is no single solution to these challenges. 

But decades of neuroscience are making one idea increasingly difficult to ignore: the brain was designed to learn through movement as well as instruction. By hosting educators from across the nation and embracing research-informed innovation, Rockwood School District has positioned itself among the districts helping shape the future of teaching and learning.

If the next chapter of education includes classrooms where students move with purpose, engage more deeply, and learn more effectively, this summer's work at Green Pines Elementary may prove to be an early glimpse of what's possible.