CMCSS outlines tiered behavior supports after 772 fewer incidents this year

Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools (CMCSS) presented the district’s behavioral strategy to the school board on the evening agenda item labeled "behavioral resource presentation," highlighting a tiered system of supports, increased specialized staffing and improvements in several metrics.

The presentation, led by members of the district behavior team and introduced by Dr. Dowdy, said the district has adopted tier 1–3 supports: universal classroom practices and teacher coaching at tier 1; group and targeted interventions at tier 2; and individualized, intensive supports and functional behavior assessments at tier 3. "82 percent of teachers nationwide believe that COVID‑19 had a very negative or somewhat negative effect on student behavior," the presenters said, citing a national poll as context for the work. "We have 772 fewer behavior incidents at this point in the year compared to this point last year," the team added.

Why it matters: Board members pressed for details about parent involvement, long‑term plans and how the district documents support before disciplinary steps tied to special education. The presentation framed the behavioral work as essential to restoring classroom instructional time and supporting teacher retention.

The district described staffing and tools it has added. The behavior team includes two coordinators, three board‑certified behavior analysts (BCBAs), 11 behavior consultants and 13 itinerant registered behavior technicians or behavior technicians who provide direct interventions and model practices for school teams. The presenters said the district’s BCBA staff supervise RBTs per credential rules; the district has created a "behavior toolbox" (a shared database of research‑based interventions) and runs collaborative behavior team meetings at participating schools to identify students earlier.

Presenters gave several data points to illustrate outcomes and capacity: 83 percent of students had zero documented behavior incidents this year; among the 17 percent with incidents, 9 percent had more than one. Behavior consultants had received 104 referrals and BCBAs 46 student‑specific referrals so far this year. Itinerant staff were assigned to 22 students and provided about 4,165 hours of direct support, the district said. The team also said bus driver staffing had improved from a 60 percent fill rate to 83 percent and that resignations attributed to student behavior fell from 15 percent of resignations to one employee this year.

Board members asked for clarifying detail. Board member Nelson asked when parents are brought into plans; the presenters said parent trainings occurred last year, and that parents are often engaged through behavior intervention plan meetings, noting participation is higher when the school offers childcare or incentives. "We've found more participation whenever we do that through the behavior intervention plan process," a presenter said. Board member Bryant asked whether the tiered system replaced a prior point system; presenters said the district moved to a tiered system roughly three years ago and described it as more preventative.

Several board members and presenters discussed how collaborative behavior team meetings document supports ahead of manifestation determinations (the legal process that determines whether a behavior is a manifestation of a student’s disability). Presenters emphasized the collaborative meetings and functional behavior assessments as ways to show a documented history of supports if discipline reaches the legal threshold for manifestation review. A presenter noted the district follows legal parameters on manifestation determinations and cannot override those statutory limits.

What was not decided: The session included questions but no formal board action specific to changing or funding the program that night. Board members requested further data on total incidents (the presenters said they would provide that figure) and on the comparative effect of the district’s earlier point system versus the current tiered system.

The board received the presentation and then moved on to the next agenda item.

Ending: The behavioral team asked for continued access to building staff and data and said the district will continue layered training, collaborative meetings and targeted functional assessments as part of its long‑term approach.