TCS will provide research-based targeted behavior strategies to administrators and teachers to provide proactive measures related to student behaviors and coping skills.

Intended Outcome: Decrease student infractions 

Key Measure: Discipline reports from iNow, Cognos and SIR (Student Incident Report)

Activity 1: Research and develop proactive approaches to inform parents about resources related to non-academic strategies. 

Person responsible: Dr. Jessica Constant, Counselors, and Social Workers

Progress monitor: Principals and Assistant Principals, Tramene Maye, Audrey Ellis

Status: In progress

Required resources: $10,000, on-going professional development, student incentives, etc. 

Activity measure: Decrease the number of students referred by 10% by the end of each fiscal year for the next five years

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Office of Student Services

Activity 2: Implement Hope Institute or Schools of Character Education program in all schools with additional training for each team. 

Person responsible: Dr. Jessica Constant, Mrs. Kay Kay Criss (HOPE Institute), Tamar Nast (Schools of Character)

Progress monitor: School Leadership Teams & Dr. Jessica Constant

Status: In progress

Required resources: $15,000-Title II, HOPE Curriculum and Professional Development;$50,000 per year-Title II, applications, stipends, substitutes, in-state travel, out-of-state travel, purchased services (consultants, etc.) and Schools of Character Curriculum

Activity measure: Increase the number of schools participating in Schools of Character from 13 to 21 schools by the end of 2024.

Increase the number of schools that receive state certification annually by Schools of Character evaluators 

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Office of Student Services

TCS will provide training for students and staff to acquire and apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, and achieve personal and collective goals.

Intended Outcome: Increase social-emotional competencies of students and staff.

Key Measure: Agenda, Sign-In Sheets from trainings, suicide protocols, student health care plans, early warning referrals and discipline reports.

Research, develop, and implement SEL framework with best practices aligned with CASEL core competencies of self management, self awareness, responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social awareness.

Intended Outcome: 100% of faculty and staff will consistently demonstrate effective planning to ensure critical initiatives are implemented to fidelity. 

Key Measure: Agendas, sign-in sheets from training, evaluation sheets from trainings, SEL Assessment and Data Management Program, early warning referrals, discipline reports and SEL completed plan.

Activity 1: Implement Handle With Care program including training of all school personnel on the program.

Person responsible: Youth Services Institute and School Social Workers

Progress monitor: Social Workers and Tuscaloosa Police Department, Northport Police Department and Tuscaloosa Sheriff Department

Status: Not Started

Required resources: None

Activity measure: Training rosters and database of trained personnel. August 2021-December 2024.

Project Monitor: Tesney Davis and Audrey Ellis

Department: Office of Social Services

Activity 2: Research, develop, and conduct trauma training utilizing an evidence-based program for all personnel (i.e., Conscious Discipline’s Understanding Trauma 3-Part webinar).

Person responsible: Social Workers

Progress monitor: Audrey Ellis

Status: In progress

Required resources: $87,000-Title II, site license and substitutes

Activity measure: Training rosters and certificates- August 2021-December 2024

Project Monitor: Tesney Davis 

Department: Office of Social Services

Activity 3: Provide Social Emotional Learning training for all personnel.

Person responsible: School Social Workers/CAPS

Progress monitor: School Social Workers/CAPS

Status: Not Started

Required resources: ($113.00 per day)-Title II, substitutes for training

Activity measure: By the end of 2023-2024, all personnel will be trained utilizing Social and Emotional Learning Study Groups and Second Step Adult SEL Training Materials

Project Monitor: Tesney Davis and Audrey Ellis

Department: Office of Social Services

Activity 4: Development and implement a comprehensive plan to improve social and emotional support for McKinney-Vento students by providing training for their parents.

Person responsible: CAPS: Child Abuse Prevention Services

Progress monitor: Ingrid Edwards/CAPS: Child Abuse Prevention Services

Status: Not started

Required resources: $7,000-Homeless grant, training materials and consultants

Activity measure: Completed plan; agendas, sign in sheets from training; August 2021 

Project Monitor: Ingrid Edwards and Ms. Vertis Giles-Brown

Department: Federal Programs

Activity 5: Create a digital space for teachers to share artifacts of implementation of CASEL’s evidence-based practices that involve students in their social-emotional learning.

Person responsible: SEL Team

Progress monitor: Tesney Davis & Audrey Ellis

Status: Not started

Required resources: Time

Activity measure: Artifacts from teachers; 2021-2022 school year

Project Monitor: Dr. James Pope & Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Teaching and Learning

TCS will develop a comprehensive, coordinated mental health prevention and intervention plan for all students and staff.

Intended Outcome: Improve overall mental health awareness and knowledge base of students and staff.

Key Measure: Meeting agendas, sign in sheets, completed plan

Activity 1: Conduct research-backed surveys in order to support student and staff 

Mental health awareness and intervention. 

Person responsible: School Counselors and School Social Workers

Progress monitor: Principals and Assistant Principals 

Status: Not started

Required resources: Comprehensive social-emotional assessment and data management platform (this tool supports both mental health and SEL); ESSER II & III Funding- $150,000, $5,650- ALSDE Grant

Activity measure: By the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, a SEL measurement tool will be implemented and social-emotional data will be available by the end of the 2021-2022 school year. Data will drive 3-tiered support and referrals to support mental health needs. 

Project Monitor: Tesney Davis and Audrey Ellis

Department: Office of Social Services

Activity 2: Enhance the TCS district pyramid of interventions to address behavioral and mental health concerns. 

Person responsible: Response to Intervention Team

Progress monitor: Principals and Assistant Principals

Status: In progress

Required resources: Covered under Activity 1-data tool will include tiered intervention plans and activities. Additional $10,000-Title II, materials and supplies related to materials and professional development 

Activity measure: By the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, all schools across the district will implement emotional, behavioral, and mental health support strategies into their three-tiered response to intervention programs. 

Project Monitor: Tesney Davis and Audrey Ellis

Department: Office of Social Services

Activity 3: Provide awareness and support of mental health initiatives with parents, community organizations, and the judicial system.

Person responsible: School Counselors and School Social Workers

Progress monitor: Audrey Ellis and Jeff Beasley

Status: In progress

Required resources: Surveys and data covered under Activity 1 SEL data management tool. Additional $5000-Title II and At-risk funds, meeting supplies, training supplies, organization dues, registration fees

Activity measure: Meeting agendas, sign in sheets, certificates of attendance, data from community stakeholder surveys, and TCS website; 2021-December 2024

Project Monitor: Tesney Davis 

Department: Office of Social Services

Activity 4: Secure funding for additional guidance support for elementary schools to allow counselors more time for mental health support.

Person responsible: Jeff Beasley

Progress monitor: Jeff Beasley & Tesney Davis

Status: Not Started

Required resources: Funding additional personnel; funding dependent

Activity Measure: Evidence of funding secured 

Project Monitor: Dr. James Pope & Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Teaching & Learning and Learning Supports

Activity 5: Provide Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to all personnel.

Person responsible: Tesney Davis & Dr. Bruce Prescott

Progress monitor: Audrey Ellis

Status: In Progress

Required resources: $200,000-Title IV, substitutes, stipends and Youth Mental Health First Aid training materials                                                    

Activity measure: By the end of 2023-2024 school year, all personnel will be trained, and ongoing training will be provided as new personnel are hired/trained employees are up for recertification. Database of training certificates and recertification dates.

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod/Dr. James Pope 

Department: Learning Support and Teaching and Learning

TCS will research, enhance and provide training to effectively address the safety and security needs of students and staff. 

Intended Outcome: Provide staff with training on current emergency procedures that will prove useful in the event of a major catastrophic event

Key Measure: Rosters from trainings 

Activity 1: Collaborate with Tuscaloosa Police Department to provide training on the school safety platform for all SRO officers.

Person responsible: Maurice Heard, Tuscaloosa Police Department

Progress monitor: Henry McCaskil, SRO Supervisor

Status: In progress

Required resources: $3000-Title II, professional development

Activity measure: Train current SROs and provide training as new personnel is hired; December 2021

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Learning Supports

Activity 2: Enhance awareness, reporting options and threat and self-harm assessment process for students to reduce the risk of suicide or workplace violence by employees, volunteers, guardians or other adults.

Person responsible: Principals, Assistants Principals, CST Members

Progress monitor: Audrey Ellis

Status: In progress

Required resources: $100,000 for software platforms (i.e., Gaggle, Rapture, and Let’s Talk); Local Funds

Activity measure: Daily and monthly reports from Gaggle, Rapture and Let’s Talk

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Learning Supports

Activity 3: Establish a full time position to provide oversight for safety, security and emergency preparedness.

Person responsible: Dr. Deron Cameron 

Progress monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod

Status: Not started

Required resources: $100,000 for salary & benefits; ALSDE, General Funds

Activity measure: Safety Inspection Data; nSide Compliance; 2023-2024

Project Monitor: Dr. Deron Cameron & Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Learning Supports

Activity 4: Provide cybersecurity practices training for all staff.

Person responsible: Director of Technology

Progress monitor: Technology Team

Status: In progress

Required resources: $25,000 for outside contract support; Local Funds 

Activity measure: ThreatAdvice Education Training Rosters/Certificates of Completion;  May 2021

Project Monitor: Chris Jenks

Department: Technology and Human Resources

TCS will enhance the safety of students on school buses by acquiring and utilizing advanced technological resources. 

Intended Outcome: Ensure all of our students and employees are protected with up-to-date technology that has a direct impact on their safety.  Reduce parent complaints about missed stops or route deviations. Deliver real-time student ridership info to parents and administrators. Improve driver performance and accuracy with step-by-step route instructions. Streamline vehicle inspections and ensure adherence to safety policies. Assist with accident investigations and assist with insurance claims.

Key Measure: Improve the response times for finding lost children as well as provide better quality video to schools and law enforcement officials.  Improved arrival to school times per our GPS Dashboard data.

Activity 1: Install hardware/software on school buses that allow dispatchers to send route directions directly to each school bus as well as allow students to scan identification cards upon entry and exit of school buses. 

Person responsible: Rodney Jorges

Progress monitor: Bus drivers

Status: Not Started

Required resources: $225,000 for hardware/software; Local Funds

Activity measure: hardware/software installation on all buses; GPS data dashboard; August 2024

Project Monitor: Ron Schappacher

Department: Transportation

Activity 2: Install upgraded camera systems on school buses.

Person responsible: Rodney Jorges

Progress monitor: Bus drivers, Principals

Status: Not Started

Required resources: $200,000 for hardware/software; Local Funds

Activity measure: Completed hardware/software installation, August 2024.

Project Monitor: Ron Schappacher

Department: Transportation

TCS will research, develop, and implement a comprehensive plan with processes to create a model for best athletic practices.  

Intended Outcome:  Ensure all athletic teams consistently demonstrate and have opportunities to showcase their abilities and receive feedback through the development of an athletic task force, as the following are implemented and monitored: hire qualified coaches, equal athletic facilities, manual for operating procedures, improving transportation from school to extracurricular events,  work collaboratively to align programs within feeder patterns and promoting students to the next level.                

Key Measure:  Increase student participation in TCS sports and extracurricular activities and monitor effectiveness of plan as indicated by improvement of overall programs, reductions of violations, increase in scholarship opportunities for students and collaborate with PARA (Park and Recreations Association) to bridge the gap between community and district athletic programs.

Activity 1: Hire qualified coaches who are knowledgeable of the sport

Person responsible: Principals, Athletic Director

Progress monitor: Maurice Heard

Status: In progress

Required resources: $150,000 for incentives and supplements; Local Funds

Activity measure: Data from winnings, Increased number of athletic scholarships; July 2024 

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Learning Supports

Activity 2: Provide equitable athletic facilities 

Person responsible: Principals, Athletic Director, Edward Smith

Progress monitor: Maurice Heard and Edward Smith

Status: In progress

Required resources: $2,000,000 for facility upgrades and branding, Capital Funds 

Activity measure: Completion of equitable athletic projects outlined in the TCS capital plan; July 2024

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod and Mr. Edward Smith

Department: Learning Supports

Activity 3: Create manual for athletic operational procedures

Person responsible: Principals, Athletic Director, Coaches

Progress monitor: Maurice Heard

Status: Not started

Required resources: $5,000 for printing and substitutes for professional development, Local Funds

Activity measure: Athletic Operations Manual; August 2021.

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Learning Supports

Activity 4: Increase opportunities for athletes to compete at collegiate level

Person responsible: Principals, Athletic Director

Progress monitor: Maurice Heard

Status: In progress

Required resources: $1,500 annually for media day; Local Funds

Activity measure: Increased number in athletic scholarships, recruitment and signing data; May 2024

Project Monitor: Dr. Janet Sherrod

Department: Learning Supports