Currently, the Truman Pierce Institute is directing a project entitled Sustaining School Success or S³.  This project is coordinated through the Institute with oversight from the College of Education, and it is funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission.  S³ services Hale, Fayette, Macon and Tallapoosa County School Systems.  This project encourages teachers, school administrators and students to become actively involved in action planning, and together seek appropriate strategies to ignite meaningful reform in their school systems.

On Sunday and Monday, April 29^th and 30^th, 2007 the final coalition for S³ will be held at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Tuscaloosa. The theme for this coalition is "Celebrate Success!"  Job embedded professional development sessions have been planned for S³ teacher leaders and administrators; and leadership sharing sessions have been planned for our S³student leaders.  Several outstanding presenters will lead these sessions. Those presenters include:  Dr. Julie Hannah, Director of Professional Development with the Jefferson County School System;  Mr. Kenneth Anderson, President of  Maximum Life Enhancement, Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama; Dr. Jeffery Schwartz, Education Program Appalachian Regional Commission in Washington, D.C.; Dr. J. Phillip Raley, recently retired superintendent of the Opelika City School System; and Mr. John Hannah, president of  John Hannah & Associates and former New England Patriots' team member. In addition to these sessions, focus groups and final evaluations of S³ will be conducted. Additionally, each school system will be asked to develop a written action plan on the last day of this coalition. This plan will symbolize an agreement among your students, teachers and administrators and will guide the work which will continue the goal and objectives of the S³ project.

Over one-hundred-seventy-five students, teachers and administrators have registered to attend this coalition.  It will be a time of reflection and celebration for all of us.