The Tennessee Department of Education’s (TDOE) Preschool Access for All Learning Network (Preschool AALN) is focused on increasing inclusive, least restrictive environment opportunities for children ages 3 to 5 (not in kindergarten), increasing access to developmentally appropriate environments, and ensuring high-quality instruction for all students. 

Systems Innovation & Improvement: CLEE partners with the TDOE to drive systems innovation and improvement within the Preschool AALN. Since the inception of Preschool AALN, CLEE has managed this network by collaborating closely with TDOE to craft strategic plans, implement support, and oversee evaluation to ensure impactful outcomes for students with disabilities. 

Professional Development: A cornerstone of our approach involves recruiting, hiring, coaching, and supervising Regional Access Coaches for Preschool AALN. These coaches play a pivotal role in coaching educators and district leaders, facilitating quarterly leadership walkthroughs to evaluate preschool programs, developing and facilitating ongoing professional development opportunities, and fostering professional learning communities within the districts we serve. 

Event Planning and Management: Continuous professional development serves as a catalyst for improvement within Preschool AALN. CLEE provides all event planning and management within the network to ensure a seamless experience for all participants. 

CLEE has worked with 60 Tennessee school districts throughout Preschool AALN Cohorts 3.0-5.0. Our goal is to increase inclusive environments within preschool programs and ensure high-quality instruction for all students, specifically students with disabilities. We believe that the work we do will show an increase in the educational environment (APR Indicator 6) and early childhood outcomes (APR Indicator 7).

• Kristina Ferrell
• Amanda Mason
• Amanda Hunley
• Anita Still
• Kerri Munsey
• Megan Bennett
• Sandy Conatser
• Carolyn Roca 
• Abby Spraggins
• Ashley Bilbrey

K-8 Access for All Learning Network (K8 AALN) is focused on empowering districts with the tools they need to ensure access to high-quality core literacy and mathematics instruction (in the general education setting with non-disabled peers). This entails utilizing high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and increasingly intensive interventions for students with disabilities in kindergarten through eighth grade. K8 AALN offers support and resources that complement TDOE’s efforts within the Early Literacy Network (ELN) and Literacy Implementation Network (LIN), offering a lens for students with disabilities.  

Systems Innovation & Improvement: CLEE partners with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) to drive systems innovation and improvement within the K8 AALN. Since the inception of K8 AALN, CLEE has managed this network by collaborating closely with TDOE to craft strategic plans, implement support, and oversees evaluation to ensure impactful outcomes for students with disabilities. 

Professional Development: A cornerstone of our approach involves recruiting, hiring, coaching, and supervising Regional Access Coaches for K-8 AALN. These coaches play a pivotal role in coaching district leaders, facilitating quarterly leadership walkthroughs, facilitating state-wide professional development, and leading professional learning communities within the districts we serve. 

Event Planning and Management: Continuous professional development serves as a catalyst for improvement within K-8 AALN. CLEE provides all event planning and management within the network to ensure a seamless experience for all participants. 

CLEE has worked with 37 Tennessee school districts throughout K-8 AALN Cohorts 1-3.  Our goal is to increase access to high-quality tier one instruction for students with disabilities in the general education setting. We believe that the work we do will show an increase in state assessment scores, universal screeners and APR indicator 5 (least restrictive environment).

• Kristina Ferrell
• Angela Long
• Andrea Reyes
• Shea Hennessee
• Talia Childress
• Tishona Lowe
• Carolyn Roca
• Natalie Alexander
• Emily Blevins

Our highly accomplished team of reliable observers are equipped to support continuous quality improvement in early childhood programs through observations and coaching with the Classroom Assessment Scoring System which defines teaching quality through the lens of interactions. 

Request Observations and/or Coaching with CLEE by calling 865-974-4109 or emailing us at cleeinfo@utk.edu.

Systems Innovation & Improvement and Professional Development: We have a highly accomplished team of early childhood special education experts, known for collaboratively crafting high-quality inclusion systems for preschool children with disabilities. Skilled in data driven strategic planning, evidenced based practices, instructional coaching, CLASS, and Pyramid Model, we are well equipped to support systems through collaboration with both district leaders and educators. We are dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of support for the development of every child, fostering an inclusive and effective learning environment 

Primary Areas of Focus: 

• Enhance development and implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPS) 
• Increase the percentage of children with IEPS in the regular preschool program as indicated by APR Indicator 6 data 
• Improve preschool outcomes as indicated by APR Indicator 7 data.  

CLEE partners with school districts throughout Tennessee to foster inclusive and effective preschool learning environments for students with disabilities. We believe that the work we do will show an increase in educational environment (APR Indicator 6) and early childhood outcomes (APR Indicator 7). 

• Amanda Mason

Project Rural Access to Interventions in School Environments (RAISE) grew as a response to the critical need for mental health professionals in rural Tennessee school districts. Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) developed a proposal to the School Based Mental Health Services Grant program at the U.S. Department of Education. The Tennessee proposal was funded in 2023.  This grant is dedicated to the recruitment and retention of professionals in school psychology, school counseling, and school social work within our rural Tennessee school districts. Project RAISE is aiding in rural communities being equipped with mental health professionals to provide services for all students. 

Project Management: CLEE provides project management for Project RAISE by providing programmatic oversight, implementing supports, paying stipends, coordinating experts, providing fiscal accountability for the grant, and providing ongoing collaboration around priorities.  

Event Planning: CLEE organizes a variety of events, including orientations for interns and their supervisors, as well as continuous professional development sessions. CLEE provides all event planning and management within this project to ensure a seamless experience for all participants. 

Over the five-year grant, Project RAISE aims to recruit and retain 350 mental health providers across rural Tennessee school districts.

• Lisa Crawford
• Dr. Connie White
• Erica Garza

TAS (Teaching All Students) is an initiative that is focused on ensuring the rights of students with complex needs, specifically: 

1. The right to be heard  

2. The right to be valued 

3. The right to be taught, challenged, and engaged 

Additionally, students with complex needs should be given meaningful, rigorous, grade-level, standards-aligned instruction to achieve their postsecondary goals.  

Therefore, the two goals of the TAS initiative are: 

Goal 1: Increase inclusive opportunities for students with complex needs to reduce the achievement gap, resulting in more students participating in the general assessment, thus reducing the statewide alternate assessment participation rate to 1%. 

Goal 2: Increase the graduation rate and enrollment in postsecondary education for students with complex needs (e.g., inclusive higher education, technical colleges, and community colleges) and competitive integrated employment, thereby reducing the gap in employment of individuals with complex needs as compared to all other individuals by 5%. 

High schools that participate in TAS can engage in highly requested technical assistance, training, and coaching to support the vision and mission of the school to increase learning for all students with complex needs. In addition, mini-grants will be available to support implementation of the work within their school. Each school team will consist of a school administrator, general education teacher, special education teacher, and the district’s special education supervisor. 

Project Management: CLEE provides project management for TAS by providing programmatic oversight, implementing supports, paying stipends, facilitating ongoing TAS partner meetings, overseeing evaluation subcontractor, providing fiscal accountability for the grant, and providing ongoing collaboration around priorities.  

Event Planning: Summer weeklong professional development for all TAS cohorts serves as a catalyst for learning and change within TAS. CLEE provides all event planning and management within this project to ensure a seamless experience for all participants. Our comprehensive event planning services include securing training sites, negotiating contracts with hosting venues, managing registration platforms, handling printing and material procurement, coordinating lodging arrangements, and ensuring participant accommodations for participants are in place. 

To create a more inclusive community throughout high schools in Tennessee, by focusing on the communication barriers and how to overcome them, student communication opportunities, and high academic goals matching the student’s skill levels.  TAS benefits include, but are not limited to, the building of a community of understanding, diversity, and inclusion resulting in students with complex needs spending their educational career outside of the typical Self-Contained Classroom and with their peers without significant needs.

• David Fields
• Crystal Bishop
• Pat Watson
• Aaron Kohring
• Kelsey Marcengill
• Sam Bishop

Apply to become a TAS cohort school at this link: (Summary – Application for Teaching All Students (TAS) Cohort 3 (cvent.com)).

The Tennessee Technical Assistance Network (TN-TAN) provides school districts, administrators, educators, and families access to high-quality training, resources, and supports designed to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, ages 3-22.  

Systems Innovation and Improvement: CLEE collaborates with TDOE to provide coordination for the TN-TAN. This involves developing and managing network processes, facilitating collaboration among all TN-TAN partners, oversight of website content, supporting all referrals received by the network, and promoting the network to increase awareness and support statewide 

The TN-TAN provides support across the state to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, ages 3-22.

• Lisa Crawford
• Lisa Taylor
• Sydney Gilreath
• Max Mical
• Sharon Potts 

The Vocational Rehabilitation Program partners with CLEE to provide ongoing training to those working within the VR Programs serving individuals with disabilities enabling them to maximize their opportunities for employment, including career advancement.

Professional Development: CLEE has assembled a team of experts dedicated to delivering professional development services for the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program. These services aim to bolster skills and instill best practices among professionals striving to enhance employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Professional Development: CLEE has assembled a team of experts dedicated to delivering professional development services for the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program. These services aim to bolster skills and instill best practices among professionals striving to enhance employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

• Stephanie Cowherd
• Teresa Smith
• Paula Jones
• Tammy LaPoint
• Catherine Orem
• Tashara Tolbert
• Felecia Robinson