What if improving academic performance starts with understanding how students experience school?
In this episode, Jodi Dodds Kinner, National Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Panorama Education, speaks with Eric Bethel, an instructional superintendent at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), about why student belonging, school safety, relationships, and behavioral data should inform academic leadership.
Together, Jodi and Eric explore how student survey data, attendance, behavior, and academic growth can guide school visits and identify “target students” whose experiences reveal critical support needs. The conversation covers positive conditions for learning, intentional classroom observations, MTSS success plans, progress monitoring, school culture, student engagement, and instructional leadership. Eric also explains how listening to students has helped DC Public Schools create more focused interventions, strengthen support for educators, and contribute to a significant reduction in suspensions.
Topics Covered
- How behavior and survey data provide insight before academic metrics are considered
- Why positive learning conditions, including belonging, trusting relationships, and emotional safety, matter for student success
- How schools identify target students through belonging, attendance, behavior, and academic growth
- How student experience data connects with classroom observations to provide a fuller picture of student needs
- The importance of using success plans, progress monitoring, and meaningful interventions to support student growth
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More about the Leading & Learning Podcast
This is the podcast where top K-12 education leaders and experts explore teaching, learning, and school leadership, one real story at a time. Brought to you by Panorama Education, each episode features candid conversations with district and school leaders who are tackling today’s biggest challenges and creating meaningful change for students, educators, and communities.
You’ll hear directly from leaders who are improving attendance, strengthening literacy, supporting educator wellbeing, and finding new ways to help every student succeed. Along the way, they’ll share lessons learned, practical strategies, and insights you can bring back to your own team.
Whether you’re leading a classroom, school, or district, this show offers real world examples, fresh perspectives, and actionable ideas from educators doing the work every day.
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Stay connected to the conversations shaping the future of teaching, learning, and school leadership.
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