In 2023–24, South Doyle Middle School in Knox County Schools (Knoxville, TN) was facing familiar but urgent challenges: 2,945 discipline incidents, 182 students with one or more out-of-school suspensions, and 30% school-wide chronic absenteeism. Serving 800 students—80% of whom are identified as economically disadvantaged—school leaders knew they needed more than one-off initiatives. They were looking for a proven, high-impact, low-burden Tier 1 solution that could reach every student and realistically fit into the school day.
In 2024–25, South Doyle partnered with CharacterStrong to implement a Tier 1 curriculum and staff coaching across grades 6–8. Leaders built daily KEE (Kindness, Energy, Effort) time into the master schedule, trained staff, set clear goals, and used fidelity checks and an Action Team to support implementation. The result: a 5% point decrease in chronic absenteeism, an 8% decrease in behavior incidents, and a 20% decrease in out-of-school suspensions—along with a visible shift in hallway culture. As the principal shared, “You can see the difference in the hallways. The way they [students] treat each other; the way they talk to each other.”
Explore the full South Doyle Middle School case study to see the implementation plan, coaching structure, and data behind these results—and what a similar Tier 1 approach could look like in your district.