I vividly remember standing in front of a 12-year-old who refused to sit in his assigned seat or start the daily assignment. The tension in the room was high, and I was already at my wits’ end after a tough day. His defiance felt like the final straw. Overwhelmed, I called the front office for an administrator. It took 15 minutes out of my 45-minute class, while the rest of the students watched instead of focusing on their work.
The culture of a school isn’t just set by policies, staff, or curriculum. At its core, it’s built through the daily interactions and experiences shared by those who spend the most time there: the students. When students are given the opportunity to take an active role in shaping their environment, the results can be far-reaching.
Do some groups of students in your district remain at higher risk for academic failure or harsh discipline, despite the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) you’ve worked so hard to put in place? If so, screening and tiering practices may be part of the problem . . . and part of the solution!
According to data from the American Enterprise Institute and EdWeek Research Center, school districts across the country are reporting sharp and consistent increases in chronic absenteeism and behavior problems, both of which are negatively impacting academic achievement. While many districts believe these problems are a result of the pandemic, the fact remains these are serious problems that require real-time interventions to get students back on track.
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Resource shortages have long been at the forefront of the educational paradox of how to maximize student achievement and well-being while staying within the boundaries of school budgets. With the current context of teacher shortages and a need for holistic student support, it is a pertinent issue needing resolution for many of you, our educational leaders. So, what if there was a strategy to identify student needs, assess curriculum and resources transparently, and boost student achievement? There is, and it is called MTSS!
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Supporting English Learners Within MTSS
“[MTSS] offers a way to look at the whole child. MTSS says we're looking at the social emotional learning of the students, how their language and cultural considerations are impacting accessing the curriculum. We're looking at math and literacy and looking how all these things kind of integrate together to create the most effective and more high quality instruction or experience for the student.”
– Dr. Claudia Rinaldi in the webinar "Supporting Engish Language Learners Within MTSS"
Equity often seems like a lofty idea, and complicated to achieve. How do we make sure that schools are set up to meet every student where they are and provide the support they need to succeed? When it comes to actually addressing equity, the application is the hardest part. This is where a Multi-Tiered System of Supports comes in. The MTSS framework makes it possible to meet the needs of students and practically, intentionally close those learning gaps.
Special Education (SPED) and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) are not the same things. However, they both exist to support all students in achieving success in education and in life. MTSS helps structure support for all students in a holistic framework, including students with disabilities. For those students with a qualified disability, SPED provides specialized services through an individualized education program, or IEP.
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights estimates that six percent of public school students are enrolled in gifted and talented programs (source).