School Climate in Action: Leveraging Student Voice for PBIS Alignment and LCAP Accountability

Join the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) and Protect Connect Educate Solutions (PCE) for an exclusive pre-conference session dedicated to the PLUS (Peer Leaders Uniting Students) Program. This session isn't just about listening to students; it’s about integrating their insights directly into your PBIS and MTSS frameworks to create safer, more connected campuses.

Elevating Student Voice Through Evidence-Based Practice

This targeted pre-conference session is designed for districts and school sites currently implementing — or exploring Student Voice — the PLUS (Peer Leaders Uniting Students) Program as a structured student voice initiative aligned to PBIS and MTSS frameworks. Participants will hear directly from school teams implementing PLUS — including their measurable successes, implementation challenges, and strategies to overcome common hurdles.

Meeting the Mandate: Why PLUS is Your SB 997 Solution

Although this session is applicable for all schools attending from across the country, this workshop will highlight California Senate Bill 997.  With the passage of Senate Bill 997, California law now requires school districts and county offices of education serving middle and high school students to include student voices in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) process. Whether by adding students to your Parent Advisory Committee or establishing a standalone Student Advisory Committee, the mandate is clear: student input is no longer optional. 

The PLUS Program provides the turnkey framework you need to not only meet the legal requirements of SB 997 but to do so with meaningful, evidence-based engagement rather than just "checking a box."

Event Details

• Event: Student Voice/PLUS Program Pre-Conference
• Date: April 22, 2026
• Time: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM
• Location: Summit A Ballroom

The Session Experience

Traditional school climate assessments often rely on "research on students." The PLUS Program flips the script, utilizing Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) to let students lead.

"Stop doing the research on the students and let the students do the research on themselves!"

In this session, you will learn how to bridge the gap between student-led data collection and administrative intervention. We will dive deep into:

• LCAP Alignment: How to use PLUS forum data to inform your district’s LCAP goals and priorities.
• Structured Student Led Forums: Facilitating qualitative data collection that identifies the "why" behind student behavior.
• Systemic Integration: Strategies to align PLUS activities with Tier 1, 2, and 3 supports.
• Measurable Impact: Reviewing evidence-based research that links PLUS to improved student engagement and decreased behavioral incidents.

Meet Your Facilitators

Gain insights from the experts leading the charge in California school climate:

• Dr. Ed Resnick & Tate Burns: LACOE PBIS Unit specialists.
• John Vandenburgh: Founder of PCE and author of the PLUS Program.

Why This Matters Now

With schools facing unprecedented challenges in mental health and campus safety—and new legislative requirements for student involvement—the "Missing Strategy" is often the students themselves. This pre-conference provides the Implementation Roadmap you need to empower your youth as partners in safety, climate improvement, and district accountability.

What You’ll Leave With

A framework to align PLUS with PBIS/MTSS
Implementation roadmap examples
Data collection strategies (quantitative + qualitative)
Insight from real-world school applications
Tools to elevate student engagement into measurable action

Registration Information

Don't miss this opportunity to see how Student Voice informs PBIS and LCAP. - No Registration is required.  First come first serve for seating.