Russellville Independent Schools has announced its new Director of Special Programs/Exceptional Education, Dr. Kelly Davis. She holds a Bachelor's in Psychology, a Specialist degree in School Psychology, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, all from Western Kentucky University.
“I am honored and excited to join the Russellville Panthers team,” said Davis, “and I look forward to collaborating with district and school leaders to support high-quality learning experiences for all students.”
During her initial years as an educator, Dr. Davis served Hardin County and Warren County districts as a school psychologist and behavioral interventionist. She supported districts in the West Kentucky and GRREC regions for the next nine years to develop, implement, and sustain positive behavioral interventions and supports. For the past 10 years, Dr. Davis served as the Associate Director for Exceptional Education and Diverse Learners at GRREC, overseeing services to 47 member districts in special education, Section 504, early childhood, multilingual learners, and gifted and talented.
“I am excited to work alongside Dr. Kelly Davis to further our pursuit of meeting students' needs in a regular and special education setting.” said Superintendent Kyle Estes, “Great things lie before Russellville Independent Schools, and I cannot wait to celebrate those accomplishments together.”
Dr. Davis has authored several publications, including her doctoral dissertation titled “Program Evaluation of Universal Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in Kentucky,” co-authored a chapter in the Digital Citizenship Handbook for School Leaders, and co-authored an article titled “The Impact of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports on Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Conditions and Student Achievement,” which was featured in the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.
Dr. Davis is passionate about ensuring all students, including students with disabilities, have opportunity and access to reach their fullest potential. Her areas of interest include PBIS, co-teaching, structured literacy, and foundational numeracy. Dr. Davis serves on the Educator Leader Network for Unified Champion Schools and was recently named Special Education Administrator of the Year by the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children.