What happens when a school district stops treating MTSS, community schools, and student support initiatives as separate efforts?
Parlier Unified School District found that aligning these systems helped teams move from fragmented MTSS meetings to a coordinated approach to student support, with clear action plans, targeted interventions, and stronger support for the whole child.
In this episode, Veronica Caulfield and Lydia Martinez from Parlier Unified School District join Brittany Blackwell to share how the district uses Panorama’s tools to bring academic, attendance, behavior, and life skills data into one place. The conversation explores data-driven MTSS meetings, family and community engagement, support for students with disabilities, and the district’s 56% reduction in out-of-school suspensions. You’ll also hear how Parlier Unified uses student groups to evaluate math academies, tutoring, mentoring, and community partnerships in order to better meet the needs of all students.
Topics Covered
- What it means to implement a strong MTSS framework
- How Parlier Unified aligns MTSS, community schools, ELOP (Expanded Learning Opportunities Program), community engagement, and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)
- How districts can use student data to develop action plans and targeted interventions
- How strong Tier 1 supports in academics, behavior, and life skills benefit students
- The importance of making parents partners in their child’s education
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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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