Meaningful Moments from the Innovative Schools Summit

‘Address Unfinished Learning. Transform School Climate. Support All Students.’

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This was the mission of the Innovative Schools Summit in Nashville, where the energy was high, the conversations were rich, and the inspirational speakers and sessions didn’t miss a beat.

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In the heart of Music City, thousands of passionate educators gathered to fine tune their practice and gain new insights on building holistic, sustainable, equitable support systems to ‘reach and teach’ every student. 

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Below, we’ve outlined five themes from the event that struck a chord, and actionable strategies to help schools amplify comprehensive and coordinated well-being for students, teachers, and the overall learning community.

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1. Whole-Child Support and Equity

Based on a number of sessions surrounding this topic, thought-leaders encouraged educators to embrace identity-affirming frameworks that go beyond accommodations and focus on student strengths to drive inclusive school-wide practices.

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• Example in Practice: A district implements strength-based student profiles for neurodiverse learners. Instead of listing deficits, each profile includes student interests, communication preferences, and ideal learning conditions. Teachers co-create these with families and integrate them into lesson planning and IEP meetings.

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2. Social-Emotional Learning and Self-Regulation

Several workshops on the conference agenda explored deeper uses of SEL programming, including evidence-based SEL interventions, emotional intelligence development, and self-management skill-building—all of which are keys for individual growth, as well as a positive learning environment.

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• Example in Practice: A middle school layers SEL skill-building in advisory periods. Students practice emotion regulation, time management, and coping skills using CASEL-aligned, trauma-informed curriculum, including prompts, journaling, and better yet, a quick, routine well-being check-in tool like Sown To Grow.

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3. Supportive Discipline and Behavior Management

The event offered insights into the wide landscape of strategies employed in this area, such as progressive discipline models, restorative practices, PBIS, and Responsibility-Centered Discipline. Despite the variety, the common need to treat behavior as a symptom of deeper issues rather than the problem itself remained at the core of many presentations.

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• Example in Practice: A high school adopts Responsibility-Centered Discipline (RCD) with staff training focused on de-escalation and student accountability. Teachers use a consistent script and response model, reducing suspensions by addressing root causes and building student ownership of behavior. When it comes to better understanding students, platforms like Sown To Grow can also help facilitate and support in this process.

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4. Counseling Innovators and Student Connection

This segment of the conference offered counselors the latest practices to help manage student challenges with social media pressures, self-harm, ethics, bullying, and more—and how cutting-edge technology can be part of the solution.

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• Example in Practice: A school counselor uses Virtual Reality (VR) empathy training simulations to help students understand peer conflict, anxiety triggers, or bullying dynamics. After the experience, students debrief and role-play solutions—deepening emotional literacy and real-world application. Not on the VR bandwagon quite yet? Learn how counselors and social workers are innovating their practice by using platforms like Sown To Grow.

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5. Integration and Collaboration Across Roles

Given how the Innovative Schools Summit in Nashville was actually five conferences in one, attendees’ job roles covered the full spectrum of K-12 education, which boosted the theme of collaboration for improvement across districts even further.

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• Example in Practice: A district hosts monthly MTSS leadership labs with interdisciplinary teams (teachers, administrators, counselors) using data dashboards to co-analyze Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports. Together, they design targeted interventions and align academic, behavioral, and wellness efforts schoolwide. Learn more about how Sown To Grow's ability to center student voice and experiences complements the MTSS framework.
  
  

From Summer Lessons to School Year Successes

These five ideas capture the essence of what made the Innovative Schools Summit so meaningful for those working tirelessly to improve student support. Whether or not you attended the event, hopefully this quick recap offered a practical lens to better leverage student-centered well-being strategies in your school.

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Looking for an ISS resource to reference for future research, PD, and/or new technology considerations? 👇

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