District Operations

AR THRIVE

Arkansas THRIVE is a collaborative project funded through American Rescue Plan to support districts in efforts in developing and sustaining a Multi-Tiered System of Support, so students have access to the personalized academic, behavior, and mental health supports needed to be successful.    

Project Goals

  • GOAL 1: To increase coordination of efforts that support behavior and mental health services and programs.
  • GOAL 2: Increase capacity in developing and sustain evidence based Multi-Tiered Systems of Support that address
    behaviors through a system of positive behavioral supports.
  • GOAL 3: Develop the infrastructure that will best support the needs of the whole child.

THRIVE training is a multi-day training geared toward the following topics:

  • Recognizing and understanding personal perceptions about student behavior,
  • Recognizing signs of trauma/distress that may be influencing a child’s behavior,
  • Establishing a Multi-Tiered System of Support to address the behavioral and mental health needs of ALL students,
  • Correcting undesirable behaviors by reinforcing desirable behaviors,
  • Understanding the behavioral and mental health supports located in their region of the state,
  • Learning how to coordinate an inclusive building behavioral team to glean the fullest picture of a child’s resources and needs,
  • Utilizing a Behavioral Support Plan,
  • Learning about non-punitive classroom management strategies and how to establish a system that addresses behavior from a positive lens,
  • Coaching teachers in the strategies learned,  
  • Establishing essential standards and curriculum for academic and social behaviors,
  • Recognizing best practice school based mental health programming.

Although all cohorts are currently full, additional training opportunities will again become available in 2025.


For more information, please contact:

Russ Sherrill, THRIVE Director
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
Office of District Support
Phone: 501-326-7797
Email: Russ.Sherrill@ade.arkansas.gov