Webinar Resources from "Relationships that Build Belonging, Boost Outcomes"

The start of a new school year brings opportunities to strengthen culture, establish supportive practices, and forge a path toward success. Yet one critical question underlies all these efforts: Do students feel like they belong in their school community?

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The research is clear: students who feel a strong sense of belonging are more engaged, attend school more regularly, and achieve at higher levels. In fact, studies show that these connections can lead to up to 19% better attendance, a 35% reduction in course failures, and a 48% increase in college attendance and completion.

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This data and the dedication to achieving these outcomes helped inspire our Aug. 27 webinar, “Relationships that Build Belonging, Boost Outcomes.” Well-timed for back-to-school season, the event explored Sown To Grow’s ESSA-aligned research behind belonging, its measurable impact on student success, and practical strategies for strengthening connections at the start of the year.

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Whether or not you were able to attend live, we’re pleased to offer ✅ the slides, ✅ the recording, and the following brief recap of the discussion 👇:

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Why Belonging is Foundational to Student Success

Kicking off the session was Kate Coulouras, Director of Training & Implementation, who opened with a simple but revealing question that united attendees from the start.

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Coulouras also drew from her own experience as a former school administrator to set the tone for the event.

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“When we know students on a truly deep level,” Coulouras explained, “when we understand them, when they feel connected to us as adults, when they feel connected to their community, when they feel connected to their peers, we begin to uncover a wealth of knowledge, and we're able to not just react to what's happening in terms of their actions, but we're able to provide proactive support for them. We're able to address root causes rather than simply just address symptoms.”

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This concept of proactively addressing student needs was consistent throughout, and pairs well with Sown To Grow’s strong MTSS alignment.

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Moving away from the reactive approach, Coulouras added, the goal is to be “watering seeds rather than putting out fires.”

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New Research on Reflections and Teacher Responses

One highlight of the session was brand-new research validating the impact of weekly student reflections and teacher responses. As presented by Will Bielinski, Senior Director of Product, Research & Analytics, data from more than 26,000 students across 299 schools showed that the more often students reflected, the greater their growth in sense of belonging and SEL competencies. 

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Zeroing in on the main highlights of the findings, Bielinski helped break down the especially strong effects from the student reflection process.

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“What this is essentially showing is that there's positive impacts for students just having the space to share," he explained. "But then when you layer in a teacher responding and making sure the students know and they're feeling seen and heard, that positive impact is amplified.”

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Measuring and Supporting Student-Teacher Relationships

To make these connections visible and actionable, Sown To Grow introduced new tools “deeply, deeply rooted in research pedagogy” and developed through support from the National Science Foundation, explained Disha Gupta, Director of Data Science & Machine Learning.

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Gupta described in detail the three-part approach for analyzing both student reflection depth and teacher response quality, and how this now helps educators measure the strength of student-teacher relationships over time. She also dug into the more finite details of each of the rubrics developed for these purposes. 

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“The idea is," Gupta said, "are we seeing the whole spectrum, and what and how can we support to be able to see the whole spectrum, and each student teacher connection?"

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Looking Ahead: Post-Webinar Theories Into Action

The session closed with the affirmation that YOU—the teachers, the administrators, all of the school’s trusted staff members—deeply matter to the students. 

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Whether through a simple acknowledgment or a deep, empathetic exchange, every interaction has the power to shape belonging. Sown To Grow is excited to continue to refine tools that measure and strengthen these connections, and ensure that educators can foster belonging at scale.

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As schools launch into the new year, one message is clear: investing in relationships isn’t an isolated initiative. It’s the foundation for every student’s growth, resilience, and success.