Flipped MTSS Triangle? Effective Strategies for School Administrators.

    MTSS Practice, MTSS Assessment Data

     

    Before becoming a professional development consultant with Branching Minds, I spent 34 years in the roles of teacher, interventionist, and instructional specialist; and I’m currently supporting a school district as they continue to improve their MTSS system. My roles allow me to spend time with teachers and administrators from all over the country. And while fall has everyone drinking, eating, and smelling all things pumpkin...for those in education, this season also ushers in a time of data and stress.

    Universal Screening

    At the beginning, middle, and end of year, scores from universal screening come rolling in.  Universal Screeners are a standardized assessment tool to help educators evaluate whether core instruction is effective, and to identify students who need additional support. (Jenkins, Hudson, & Johnson, 2007). 

    After administering the universal screener to students, we want to see that at least 80% of students are achieving success with core instruction alone and do not need intervention support. This is the measure of an effective Tier 1 core instructional program!

    Tier 2 and Tier 3 Supports in MTSS

    Approximately 10% to 15% of students perform below their grade-level expectations and require additional Tier 2 instructional intervention beyond the universal classroom instruction all students receive. These students benefit from targeted small group sessions, allowing educators to address specific gaps in understanding and performance. Furthermore, about 5% of students exhibit performance well below their grade level, highlighting a need for Tier 3 individualized intervention. This involves intensive, often one-on-one, tailored instruction designed to meet unique learning needs and to bridge significant educational gaps.

    Progress Monitoring for MTSS at the Secondary Level

    MTSS Assessment Data, MTSS for Secondary

    As a professional development consultant for Branching Minds, I work with teachers and administrators from all over the country. I frequently get asked how progress monitoring should look at the middle school and high school levels.

    Finding Balance at the End of the School Year

    Reflective Teaching

    It’s that time of year when teachers (and students!) start counting down to the last day of school. A couple of weeks back, I was facilitating an MTSS support team session when one of the participants shared with the group that there were exactly 43 days of school left. She had the remaining time left in the school year down to the hour and minute! While some schools may have longer, we’re all in that phase of the “final countdown.”

    The Function of MTSS 'Layers' in an Elementary Setting

    MTSS Practice, MTSS Basics, MTSS for Elementary

    During the past couple of weeks, I have facilitated Branching Minds’ “Foundations of MTSS” for two elementary campuses. I asked one of the principals what I should write about in a blog dedicated to MTSS on an elementary campus. She pointed out that she wanted to hear more about the layers of support illustrated in the graphic below. “Okay”, I thought I could work on that. 

    How To Develop a List of MTSS Interventions for the 2022-2023 School Year

    MTSS Practice, Interventions and Learning Supports' Strategies

    Another new school year is back in swing, and along with that come new students, new school supplies, and new challenges. Along with grading, lesson plans, and lunch count comes that period of the day in which teachers are tasked with choosing appropriate, evidence-based interventions to support struggling students. This responsibility can be overwhelming for teachers who are already juggling so many tasks during the school day.