CONTRIBUTED BY NICOLE MOORE

ELIZABETHTON CITY SCHOOLS

The Tennessee Behavior Supports Project (TBSP) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (funded by the Tennessee Department of Education) is proud to announce that West Side Elementary has been selected as a 2019-2020 Bronze–level RTI²-B Model of Demonstration School.

There are over 1,800 schools across the state of Tennessee and each year a small percentage of schools meet criteria to be selected as an RTI²-B Model of Demonstration School.

West Side Elementary School has been a participant in training and technical assistance provided by TBSP and has undergone the process of implementing a positive and proactive behavioral systems framework for all students.

The RTI²-B framework consists of identifying common behavioral expectations across campus, teaching, re-teaching, reinforcing, and regularly acknowledging students, faculty, and families for exhibiting these expectations.

West Side Elementary School has applied this framework to improve the climate, culture, and proactive disciplinary practices which directly impacts student engagement and school connectedness.

In meeting this award criteria, West Side Elementary School demonstrated the use of school-wide behavioral data to inform teaching practices and levels of support provided to students based on need.

Twice a year, they also reflected on overall fidelity to guide their implementation of the RTI²-B framework.

It is TBSP’s goal that no school in Tennessee should have to travel more than 45 minutes to see an exemplary school implementing RTI²-B.

As a Bronze–level RTI²-B Model of Demonstration School, West Side Elementary School can now serve as a mentor to other schools across East Tennessee.

They will have the opportunity to receive this award and network with other schools across the state at the Partners In Education Conference held in Nashville by the Tennessee Department of Education.