Date & Time: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 2 p.m. ET
Research and practical experience show that moving from reactive crisis management to proactive, relationship-driven student support can improve attendance rates and boost academic performance—while building the connected school communities that prepare students with the skills they need to thrive in and beyond the classroom.
In this panel discussion moderated by the non-profit Digital Promise, practitioners from Los Angeles USD (CA) and Madison Metropolitan School District (WI) will reveal how they’re embedding relationship-building and future-ready life skills throughout the school day and in tiered support—not just during intervention moments.
Bonus: Attendees who join the live event will be able to participate in a ThoughtExchange workshop to share and rank either the best practices or challenges from their peers on adopting proactive, relationship-driven student support.***
Key Takeaways
- Shifting from reactive response to preventative support: The MTSS structures, policies, and practices that improve attendance, belonging, engagement, and academic outcomes
- Embedding relationship-building and life skills into daily practice: How to move beyond isolated SEL lessons to integrating life skill development and meaningful connections throughout the entire school day—from classroom routines to school-wide systems
- Using student well-being data to drive proactive support decisions: How to use Tier 1 to identify needs before they escalate and target MTSS interventions where they’ll have the greatest impact
- ***Live 5-minute Workshop: Audience participation will generate reports showing the common ground and differences among district leaders, the summary of highest and lowest rated best practices, the top themes, SWOT analysis, and potential next steps
Speakers
Dr. Justin Lauer, Director Middle School Instruction, Los Angeles Unified School District
Emily Peterson, District Culture & Climate Coach, Metropolitan Madison School District
Cynthia Moore, District Lead for Culture & Climate, Metropolitan Madison School District
Moderator: Andrew Vollavanh, Edtech and Emerging Technologies, Digital Promise (non-profit)
Sponsored by
