Tovah Shotland, EdD – Founder of Innovative Behavioral Consulting.
Dr. Tovah Shotland is a nationally recognized educational leader, behavioral expert, consultant, and systems strategist with over 15 years of experience advancing special education, equity, and trauma-informed transformation across K–12, higher education, and community systems. Her work sits at the intersection of behavioral science, systems change, and educational leadership. Throughout her career, she has focused on helping organizations move beyond reactive discipline models toward proactive, relationship-driven systems that support student regulation, belonging, and long-term success.
Her career has centered on the belief that meaningful systems change occurs when compliance and innovation are balanced by aligning policy, behavioral science, data, and human-centered design to create environments where every learner can thrive.
As the Founder and CEO of Innovative Behavioral Consulting (IBC), Dr. Shotland leads large-scale initiatives that integrate trauma-informed care, social-emotional learning, and inclusive behavioral practices into sustainable Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Her work supports districts and agencies in developing coherent behavioral frameworks that reduce exclusionary discipline, strengthen staff capacity, and create predictable, supportive learning environments for students with complex behavioral and emotional needs.
Dr. Shotland’s expertise includes designing tiered behavioral systems, strengthening functional behavior assessment practices, coaching educators on de-escalation and regulation strategies, and helping schools distinguish between skill deficits and perceived defiance. She has supported the development of specialized behavioral programs for students with significant emotional and behavioral needs, and regularly trains educators and leaders on neuroscience-informed behavior supports, restorative practices, and proactive classroom systems.
She has partnered with state education agencies, universities, healthcare systems, and community organizations to strengthen IDEA compliance, improve cross-sector collaboration, and drive better outcomes for students, particularly those with disabilities, trauma histories, or unmet mental health needs.
In addition to her consulting work, Dr. Shotland serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Washington, where she prepares future educators and leaders to navigate the complexities of data-informed and equity-centered systems change. Her work bridges research and practice, helping leaders move beyond compliance toward continuous improvement through reflection, empathy, and measurable impact.
Across every project, Dr. Shotland maintains a consistent focus on building capacity, strengthening system coherence, and ensuring that every student, especially those historically marginalized, has equitable access to high-quality learning, behavioral supports, mental health services, and meaningful opportunities to belong.