Staff members from Brainerd High School told the Hamilton County Board of Education that a program involving behavioral coaches has helped improve scores and classroom morale.
The program is called PBIS, which stands for Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports. According to the organization's website, PBIS "is a framework or approach for assisting school personnel in adopting and organizing evidence-based behavioral interventions."
It was stated during the meeting, "The goal is to make sure that the antisocial behaviors are responded to in a way that does not take away from academic progress."
Brainerd High School Principal Uras Agee said, "The PBIS program has helped with our discipline.
Our scores have improved...Not every cookie cutter program works with every school."
School Board Member Karitsa Mosley said, "They are showing improvement...I do think this is a good program and I support it."
During the meeting, staff members from East Hamilton Middle School were also praised for their first aid actions that saved a student.
While in a physical education class, a young student started having a seizure. Shortly after, his breathing and heart stopped. One teacher immediately began performing CPR while another ran to get defibrillator panels.
Doctors later confirmed that these actions saved his life.
School Board Member Rhonda Thurman said, "It was amazing to watch these individuals work so hard and so diligently to save his life."
It was announced that in January, all of the East Hamilton staff will be trained in CPR.