The vision of the Woodland Public Schools is:
Woodland Public Schools, in partnership with families and the community, will create a PreK-12 system that serves and supports ALL children-and ensures that EACH child has FULL access to, is engaged in, and obtains an excellent education that prepares them for responsible citizenship and a future of adaptability and success in life and their chosen endeavors.
Over the course of the next three meetings, we will focus conversation and presentation on a core element of this vision "...serves and supports ALL children-and ensures that EACH child has FULL access to..."
We serve a great diversity of students in the Woodland Public Schools. We have students who are extremely intellectually, physically, or artistically gifted and students who have significant cognitive, behavioral, and physical disabilities. We serve children who come from homes of relative affluence, and we serve children who are living with homelessness. We serve children whose first language is English, and we serve children who enter school speaking no English. Our goal is to serve and support them all.
The needs of children are diverse and complex. Woodland Public Schools, like many school districts across our nation, has developed a number of different programs that are intentioned to serve and support the complex needs of each child with the ultimate goal of preparing them for career, life, and college. We use an organizing framework called Multi-Tiered System of Support, or MTSS.
This is a huge topic because it literally includes every element of our educational program.
Part 1: A high-level introduction to and overview of the MTSS model:
a) History of Education for All Students
b) Overview of the MTSS model.
c) A brief high-level overview of the variety of programs with which we serve students.
d) An overview of the processes and tools we use: SIPS, MDT, RTI, Assessments.
Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a comprehensive framework used to provide targeted support for all learners. It is rooted in supporting the “whole child,” whether an advanced or struggling learner, through academic, behavioral, social, and emotional services.
Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a comprehensive framework used to provide targeted support for all learners. It is rooted in supporting the “whole child,” whether an advanced or struggling learner, through academic, behavioral, social, and emotional services. The supports also extend to services such as improving chronic absenteeism and developing rigorous learning plans for high achievers.
MTSS includes researched-based principles and practices that increase the effectiveness of instruction for all students. The MTSS framework uses universal screening data to develop appropriate student interventions. Additionally, data is analyzed at the school, network, and district level to clarify system-wide shifts that will sustain student growth over time.
Multi-Tiered System of Support is a schoolwide approach to student support. Teachers, counselors, psychologists, and other specialists work as a team to assess and address student needs.
MTSS has a few components that ensure its success. Districts may prioritize them differently, but these are the essential elements that characterize the approach.
MTSS is a multi-tiered system of instruction and support in which teachers provide quality instruction across three tiers. Tier 1 is core instruction aligned to content standards appropriate for all students, including Bilingual and English Language Learners. This is essentially “great teaching.” The majority of learners should make sufficient growth in this tier.
Tier 2 is more strategic support that includes specialized services for 10-15% of the population. These students are in need of supplemental resources that extend beyond the range of Tier 1 services. Tier 3 includes the most intense support and is appropriate for about 1-5% of the student population. Here, students received more individualized support suited for their unique needs.
MTSS focuses on collecting universal screening data, reviewing state test scores, administering diagnostics, progress monitoring, and using teacher observations to inform decisions about tiered support placement.
MTSS improves student educational outcomes by ensuring the highest level of instructional expertise for teachers and service providers. Ongoing professional development is emphasized to ensure that educators are prepared to address a wide range of student needs.
Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) are integrated into MTSS practices. Because MTSS sees the needs of the “whole student,” its supports extend to addressing behavioral challenges to improve student outcomes.
It can be easy to confuse Multi-Tiered System of Support and Response to Intervention since both approaches are rooted in maximizing student learning in schools. Some schools use the terms interchangeably. Both include a multiple-step approach to addressing student needs, but MTSS is a more comprehensive approach that has been further developed in recent years.
Schools began using RTI as an alternative to overpopulation in special education. The process gave schools a multi-tiered approach to identifying student learning and behavioral needs early, thus giving schools an opportunity to intervene. Like MTSS, RTI includes universal screening, data analysis, intervention, assessment of progress, and revised practice. It may result in a student either continuing intervention to prevent a learning need from worsening or a referral to special education services to get more intensive support.
MTSS emphasizes multiple levels of instruction. However, it focuses on all learners, including higher performing students and students that don’t qualify for special education. MTSS may include a wider range of services within its tiers, focusing not only on academics but also behavioral, social, and emotional supports.
MTSS is also not solely student focused. It ensures that practices, policies, and programs are aligned on the classroom, school, and district levels. Additionally, MTSS emphasizes professional development and instructional support for general education and support staff to maximize effectiveness.