As schools contend with higher chronic absenteeism, more misbehavior, and an apparent rise in student apathy, they may be overlooking the power of a surprisingly straightforward intervention: helping students feel connected. When students feel close to others at school—whether to a teacher they admire or a supportive peer group—research shows they’re more likely to attend and be engaged in class, and less likely to misbehave and suffer from poor mental health.
Join us as we learn how schools are creating the space for students to form strong bonds with each other and trusted adults, then harnessing the power of those connections to boost attendance and achievement, improve classroom management, and reduce the use of exclusionary discipline.
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Agenda
2:00pm ET
Welcome & Introduction
We’ll highlight key insights from recent reporting on the importance of strong student relationships at school.
Sarah D. Sparks covers the teaching profession and pedagogy for Education Week.
2:10pm ET
Interactive Session: The Importance of Relationships in Classroom Management
EdWeek recently surveyed educators to find out whether they’ve had explicit training in classroom management, and how often their schools are using suspensions, expulsions, and restorative justice for discipline. Assistant Editor Sarah Sparks will share the results and discusses how classroom management hinges on strong student-teacher relationships.
Sarah D. Sparks covers the teaching profession and pedagogy for Education Week.
2:20pm ET
Industry Perspective: Boosting Belonging in High School: Leveraging SEL to Build Connection
Sponsor content provided by Committee for Children
Explore actionable ways to support the development of a positive, inclusive school climate by leveraging schoolwide social emotional learning (SEL) principles and practices. Learn how to take SEL out of self-contained lessons and infuse it into your school environment by engaging educators and adolescents in co-creating a relationship-centered school climate that prioritizes their sense of connection and belonging.
Explore actionable ways to support the development of a positive, inclusive school climate by leveraging schoolwide social emotional learning (SEL) principles and practices. Learn how to take SEL out of self-contained lessons and infuse it into your school environment by engaging educators and adolescents in co-creating a relationship-centered school climate that prioritizes their sense of connection and belonging.
Cailin Currie
Senior Research Scientist,
Committee For Children
As a researcher, Cailin Currie has looked at everything from preschoolers’ school readiness and elementary students’ mindfulness to middle schoolers’ academic motivation and traditionally underrepresented undergraduate students’ sense of belonging in STEM majors.
2:30pm ET
Panel Discussion: Making Space for Strong Relationships
Belonging, connection, and relationships are simple concepts, but they’re powerful in a school setting and backed up by research as a tool for school improvement. Join a discussion with educators who have used these concepts to create a positive school climate and ensure high school students stay on track. Get insights on how schools can convert these ideas into school improvement strategies.
Robert Balfanz
Distinguished Professor, Center for Social Organization of Schools at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education; Director, Everyone Graduates Center
Robert Balfanz is a Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Center for Social Organization of Schools, and director of the Everyone Graduates Center. His work focuses on translating research findings into effective school improvement strategies and educational reforms. He conducts research and organizes improvement efforts on secondary school redesign, improving high school graduation and college readiness rates, student success systems, chronic absenteeism, and instructional improvements in high-poverty schools.
Griselda Esparza
Assistant Principal,
Kelly College Preparatory High School, Chicago
Griselda Esparza is an assistant principal at Kelly College Prep, in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Education from Saint Xavier University. She pursued a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University and a master’s degree in Leadership in Education from Concordia University. Griselda finds it rewarding to work with the Kelly community to create a positive atmosphere where students feel motivated, inspired, and appreciated. While handling various AP responsibilities, she is enthusiastic about Freshman Success Teamwork. The Freshman Success Team works towards helping incoming first-year students excel holistically through their high school experience at Kelly. Griselda enjoys spending quality time with her loved ones in her free time, trying out new restaurants, and exploring new places. She loves listening to students and learning from their high school experiences.
Carrie White
2nd Grade Teacher and PBIS Coach,
Yates Elementary School, Schenectady, N.Y
Mrs. White has taught first and second grades for 17 years in the Schenectady City School District. She has led the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports team for 16 years. After being named the Teacher of the Year in 2022, Mrs. White was named the National Second Step Educator of the Year in 2023. She has been a district grade level leader, teacher mentor, and has presented at multiple professional development sessions. Mrs. White is a professional educator who leads her class by creating a kind and risk-taking classroom culture. She is passionate about social emotional learning using all aspects of the Second Step program. Mrs. White has influenced a positive, safe, and child-centered culture at Yates Elementary School where SEL happens all day, everyday. It is not a lesson that gets checked off. Mrs. White has created a culture where social-emotional learning has been woven into everything so that students and staff can thrive in a supportive environment.
3:15pm ET
Industry Perspective: Strategies for Enhancing Student Achievement and Well-Being
Sponsor content provided by Boys Town
Explore innovative strategies for boosting student achievement and well-being using a comprehensive approach that focuses on creating a positive school culture, fostering meaningful relationships, and addressing the academic and emotional needs of students. Participants will gain insights into practical techniques for classroom management, social skills development, and individualized support, all aimed at helping students thrive.
Explore innovative strategies for boosting student achievement and well-being using a comprehensive approach that focuses on creating a positive school culture, fostering meaningful relationships, and addressing the academic and emotional needs of students. Participants will gain insights into practical techniques for classroom management, social skills development, and individualized support, all aimed at helping students thrive.
Scott Hartman
Senior Director of National Community Services,
Senior Director of National Community Services, Boys Town
Scott Hartman combines 29 years of practice in the fields of education and human services with research, practical strategies and humor to promote/support Boys Town Education and its positive impact on children, families and communities. He has held positions as a classroom teacher, an education consultant, and has provided leadership and direction in residential programs, Boys Town National Training and Evaluation programs, including Program Audit, to ensure quality and fidelity of Boys Town’s model of care.
3:25pm ET
Interview: Creating Schools That Don’t Single Out Students With Special Needs
Students with special needs perform better when they spend significantly more time learning in mainstream classrooms than receiving instruction apart from their peers. Students without disabilities benefit from the arrangement, too. But mere inclusion of students with special needs isn't the same as ensuring they feel a sense of belonging in an environment that’s optimized for their success. Hear from leaders at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Woodinville, Wash., which is set up so students with special needs rarely have to learn apart from their peers.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens is a reporter for Education Week who covers school district leadership and management.
Cathi Davis
Principal,
Ruby Bridges Elementary School, Woodinville, Wash.
Cathi Davis is the founding principal of Ruby Bridges Elementary, a fully inclusive school and demonstration site in Washington State. Mrs. Davis has been teaching and leading in public schools for almost 25 years, including the design and founding of Ruby Bridges Elementary. Her areas of expertise include inclusive school leadership practices, universal design and inclusive instructional practices, as well as systems of support for learners with complex needs. She is an advocate for inclusive education, fostering learning cultures of belonging and relentlessly dismantling barriers to belonging, opportunity and outcomes for each student.
3:55pm ET
Interactive Session: How Close Students Feel to School
Students who feel close to others at school are less likely to report poor mental health, missing school because they feel unsafe, and engaging in risky behaviors such as drug use. So, do students feel accepted in their school community? Do they think their teachers care about them as people? And are schools conducting climate surveys to find out? We’ll share findings from recent EdWeek Research Center surveys of students and educators.
Sarah D. Sparks covers the teaching profession and pedagogy for Education Week.
4:05pm ET
Closing Thoughts
Hear the big takeaways from this forum.
Sarah D. Sparks covers the teaching profession and pedagogy for Education Week.
