"Every Student Known": Building Systems of Support Through Nashville's Navigator Initiative

“Every Student Known” has become the mantra of the Metro Nashville Public Schools (Metro Nashville), which pair students with a caring adult, called a Navigator, to ensure students feel known, cared for, respected, and supported. This commitment across the entire district originated as a response to Covid disruptions, but it has become a philosophy underpinning a personalized, relationship-based strategy—what EdRedesign calls Success Planning—for meeting students’ needs. This case study distills lessons from Metro Nashville’s experience in order to inform other school and community leaders interested in adopting personalized, relationship-based strategies to support children and youth.

View the full case, executive summary, accompanying video, and the Institute for Success Planning Virtual Learning session recording featuring Metro Nashville Public Schools leaders who participated in a lively panel conversation about the Navigator initiative.