Eight county schools recognized prior to Carter County BOE meeting
Published 4:32 pm Friday, March 19, 2021
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Director of Schools Dr. Tracy McAbee recognizes Cloudland Elementary School's Assistant Principal Scott Tester for his school being named a Silver Level Model of Demonstration School. School Principal Becky Raulston is in front of Tester while Counselor Brandon Young is directly behind Tester.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Stephen Garland, Principal of Unaka Elementary School, is congratulated by Director of Schools Dr. Tracy McAbee as Unaka Elementary was recognized as a Bronze Level Model of Demonstration school.
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BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR STAFF
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
All was not just business during the March Carter County Board of Education meeting as prior to the business segment of the meeting, Director of Schools Dr. Tracy McAbee and Dr. Diana Bowers, Director of Special Education, presented eight Carter County schools with Certificates of Recognition for being selected as 2020-2021 RTI-B Model of Demonstration Schools and Schools of Recognition.
The awards were part of the Tennessee Behavior Supports Project (TBSP) at Vanderbilt University which is funded by the Tennessee Department of Education.
There are 1,800 schools across the state of Tennessee and each year a small percentage of schools meet the criteria to be selected as an RTI-Model of Demonstration School.
These schools have been participants in training and technical assistance provided by TBSP and have undergone the process of implementing a positive and proactive behavioral systems framework for all students.
Dr. McAbee said he was extremely proud of the excellent work that the schools have done especially in light of the COVID pandemic and addressing the mental stability of the students after being absent from schools for a long period of time due to the pandemic.
The framework of the RTI-B consists of identifying common behavior expectations across campus, teaching, re-teaching, reinforcing, and regularly acknowledging students, faculty, and families for exhibiting these expectations.
Awarded Model of Demonstration certification was Hunter Elementary – Gold Level, Cloudland Elementary and Keenburg Elementary – Silver Level, and Unaka Elementary – Bronze Level.
Schools of Recognition included Cloudland High School, Unaka High School, and Valley Forge Elementary.
As Model of Demonstration Schools — Hunter Elementary, Cloudland Elementary, Keenburg Elementary, and Unaka Elementary — can now serve as a mentor to other schools across East Tennessee as it is TBSP’s goal that no school in Tennessee should have to travel more than 45 minutes to see an exemplary school implementing RTI-B.
All of the schools were presented their awards at the Partners In Education Conference that was held in Nashville by the Department of Education.
