The Tennessee Behavior Supports Project (TBSP) at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (funded by the Tennessee Department of Education) is proud to announce that Fairmount Elementary has been selected as a 2020-2021 gold 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 the criteria to be selected as an RTI2-B Model of Demonstration School.

Fairmount Elementary 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. Fairmount Elementary has applied this framework to improve the climate, culture, and proactive disciplinary practices which directly impact student engagement and school connectedness. In meeting this award criteria Fairmount 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 gold-level RTI2-B Model of Demonstration School, Fairmount Elementary can now serve as a mentor to other schools across East Tennessee. This award will be presented during the Partners In Education Conference hosted by the Department of Education.