CCBOE Shane Barnette alongside representatives from the Alabama State Department of Education.

Cullman County Schools were one of 33 school systems from across the state selected to participate in the Alabama Department of Education’s Multi-Tier System of Support (AL-MTSS) program.

The program aims to create a comprehensive, prevention based framework to meet the academic, behavioral, and foundational wellness needs of students. Christa Dillard, with the ASDE, said that this is achieved by consulting with each individual school district, analyzing data, and developing a systemic approach to help schools reach their goals.

“We want to ensure that they [students] have the skills to be successful in life, to be successful in a career, successful in college, or successful in the workforce. Or in all three,” Dillard said.

Twelve regional coaches from the ASDE were hired to guide, facilitate and mentor the participating districts. This also creates an easier single point of contact for local administration. Carissa Blair will be coming out of her position as an instructional coach for Jefferson County to serve the CCBOE.

“We are excited about this opportunity, I think it’s going to help us to shore-up some of the areas that maybe we weren’t as confident about. I think it’s going to be great for the students, it’s going to be great for the families of Cullman County, and it’s going to help our schools be even greater than they are now,” said CCBOE Superintendent Shane Barnette.

Dillard said that AL-MTSS is not a separate program, but rather a method designed to more effectively organize instruction and intervention to help students. This includes developing strategies to strengthen the impact that not only instructors have on students, but support staff as well.

“A lot of the things with MTSS is stopping and thinking ‘Who are the first people to see our kids sometimes in the morning, other than their parents?’ and really looking at how do we engage bus drivers, how do we engage child nutrition workers, how do we engage all other support staff? Because they are just as influential in a child’s life,” Dillard said.