MTSS | Beyond the Textbook

MTSS | Beyond the Textbook

Feb 12, 2020 | Behavior, Data, Instruction, Leadership, Mindset, MTSS & RtI, PLCs

What is MTSS? – The implantation of raising student achievement in the classroom. How teachers, schools and educators can use leadership, data, communication and collaboration to improve student performance.

By: Janna Sells

Are you sick of feeling the MTSS implementation burnout?  Has MTSS become a four letter word where you serve? Tired of the theory not matching practice?  We were too.  Welcome to our roadshow.  A group of educators who were charged with the job of making MTSS work to close gaps and raise student achievement.  In our journey we’ve uncovered the tools needed to build an effective 3 Tiered Model. Let us start off by first saying, it was not easy.  We made tons of mistakes, but we eventually got it right. We continued and will continue to lean into our own learning and improve what we know to be faithful and true about implementing this highly effective total school improvement model.  

5 Critical Components of MTSS 

There are 5 critical components, or pillars, that have to be carefully and thoughtfully crafted prior to implementation of MTSS.  Without these 5 essential inputs, an MTSS model is simply impossible.

1) It all begins with LEADERSHIP |
Leadership knowledge and reinforcement are the driving force behind a strong implementation model.  What does that mean?  

  • Leaders equip themselves with the knowledge they need to lead teachers through implementation  
  • Leaders LEAD MTSS PLCs – know the data, lead the discussion, and equip teachers 
  • Leaders help align the arrows between the work teachers are doing in PLCs to their School Improvement Plan  
  • Leaders are active problem-solvers and strong advocates who support teachers so they may best serve students

2) Clear and consistent COMMUNICATION & COLLABORATION |
More times than we are excited to admit, we’ve coached and supported sites with the best implementation intentions, but they failed because of the lack of clear communication.  The same factor for the leading cause of divorce in the United States is killing MTSS implementation across our country. Why do we continue to ignore the impact of good communication? Likely, because it is an art.  Knowing when and how to say the right things can make or break the culture around implementation. It’s equally important that you bring teacher leaders in with you as you build your MTSS model. Their boots on the ground feedback is immeasurable and will help you stay ahead of potential threats.

3) Capacity and Infrastructure build sustainability | 
Invest in your people.  Not programs. Work to build capacity in ALL of your staff to create a model that lasts.

  • Invest and equip all the people in your building to help them see the strong role they play in the MTSS model.  
  • It’s an all hands on deck approach.  Every person in your building should see how their role impacts and aligns the arrows towards total school improvement.

4) Data-based problem-solving | 
We would never expect a doctor to begin writing a treatment plan for an ill patient without data based indicators suggesting the treatment is exactly what the patient needs.  We would also expect that the doctor has a strong line of research to support the treatment plan he or she chooses to help the patient recover. The same is true for educators.  To teach without using a data-based, problem solving protocol is malpractice. 

5) Data Evaluation drives continuous improvement | 
Life is a constant cycle of continuous improvement.  We evaluate success in many different measurements, but nonetheless, we drive towards improvement.  MTSS implementation is no different. 

  • There are many tactical tools to measure whether or not your implementation model is having a positive, negative, or neutral impact on students’ growth and achievement.  
  • It’s important that you triangulate your implementation data to get a true measure of impact.  
  • You must listen to your current indicators and humbly reflect and improve on them until your desired implementation is achieved.  
  • Remember, this a marathon, not a sprint.  Be present. Be strategic. Be consistent. 

A Three-Tiered Approach to Academics, Behavior, and Social Emotional Supports

i-LEADR, Inc. coaches a three-part, three-tiered model (see image above).  We believe in order to truly serve the whole child, educators must systematically measure the effectiveness of tier 1 core supports in all three areas: academics, behavior, and social emotional.  There should be strategic core plans in place that identify grade or school-wide deficits in these major areas with a strategic improvement plan. 

Once the school begins acting on core areas of concern, they should start to identify students outside and perhaps within those areas who need strategic tier 2 and/or intensive tier 3 supports.  Intervention plans should be written to address the needs of these students and document support services provided. Educators should measure the impact of students’ response to instruction by using frequent progress monitoring. 

The life blood of this model – Professional Learning Communities.  None of this work should be done in isolation by a single teacher. These conversations, data-analyses, and service planning should be done inside a strong professional learning community model.  These PLCs should be facilitated by a strong leadership team and should be communicated through School Improvement Team work. A comprehensive model, but not impossible.

Just remember, tradition does not make best practice when it stops being best for kids.  Change is hard. Failure is unavoidable. How you rise from your failed attempts will determine the impact and effectiveness of your leadership.  It’s ok to ask for help when help is needed.

To learn more about how i-LEADR coaches and supports MTSS implementation visit us at: https://ileadr.com/service/

Global Leadership

Global Leadership

Jan 16, 2020 | Leadership

By: Rob Lively
Global Leader. Speaker. Soldier

On the US holiday when we celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. I
challenge you to seize this opportunity and ponder the extraordinary leadership of
Dr. King. As educators we must learn it before we can gift it and these teachings
are of great value but often missed. John Maxwell states that Leadership is
“influence, nothing more and nothing less”. Dr. King’s influence is unparalleled.
He was not elected or appointed. He had no rank or grade. He had no positional
power or authority. He had no pedigree. He had no money. He could not directly
offer a benefit or reward for following him or accepting his influence. Although he
held none of the previously stated variables, he did hold one extremely critical
element. He was right. He was simply just right. He was legal, moral, ethical,
peaceful, and simply just right. There was nothing about what he said or how he
said it that you could disagree with, that is if you had even the slightest bit of
conscious or sense of right and wrong. He believed in and invested in the fabric
and the future of not only the United States of America but mankind around the
globe. He was a man who tried his earthly best to be true to his beliefs. His intent
was simply to free all people from oppression and to liberate a union from hate.
He found common thread by supporting the founding documents of America
created by the founders of the nation. Dr. King had unbelievable discipline and
focus to the non violent strategy that he learned from his study of Mahatma
Ghandi.

Through Dr. King’s leadership he was able to take the aftermath of Bloody Sunday
on the Edward Pettus Bridge and turn it into a non violent march of four days to
Montgomery. He changed laws, policy, and won the Nobel Peace Prize among
many other accomplishments. Most importantly he changed a nation and a world.
He changed mankind. I will not speak further on the topic other than to encourage
you not to study normally focused on advancement of civil rights of Dr. King, but
rather how he accomplished such things through the greatest display of leadership
the world has ever seen. Those are teachings of great value for any Student,
Parent, Teacher, Coach or Administrator. Those lessons are of great value to all of
us.

Read more here: https://roblivelyspeaking.com/

We Show Up

We Show Up

Dec 12, 2019 | Leadership

Teachers and Educators – We Do It for the Students

Being in education is hard.  It’s physically, emotionally, and yes even spiritually draining.  Being an educator is more than just showing up at work to do a job. Every one of us knows that.  We work hours well past what our contracts say. We put in more of our own money than probably any other career.  And we cry, laugh, get upset, have our hearts broken, smile, and pray over these kids on a daily basis.

 

And that can wear on you.  It can make getting out of bed some days really tough.  It can cause you to doubt your impact. It can take a toll.

So why do we stay in a field that drains us? Why do we continue showing up day after day when it often feels like we’re doing nothing except for spinning our wheels and getting more added to our already overflowing plates?

We do it because of those tiny bodies. Those children who show up every day with no other expectation than, “I hope my teacher is here today”.

We show up for that little girl who comes to school smiling because she knows it’s the only place she’s going to get a hug.

 

We show up for that child whose only 2 meals a day are the ones they get for breakfast and lunch (and the extra food someone may send home with them).

 

We show up for the little boy who knows he has to get an education so he can earn a living to help support those he loves.

 

We show up for that 4th grader who is told how worthless and stupid she is, at home every day.  How she shows up knowing that teacher will tell her how worthy and loved she is.

 

We show up to see the lightbulb moment when a child finally gets a concept they’ve been struggling with for weeks.

 

We show up because we know we have that little one who runs into school with yet another story to share from the magical book they’re reading.

 

We show up because we have colleagues who are fighting what feels like insurmountable battles, and we’re the only person they have in their life they can confide in and count on.

 

We show up because we’re educators.  That’s just who we are. And that’s what makes us different.

 

As I sit here knowing this month is National Principal Month, I’m reminded of the work that all educators do.  That titles are just that, a “title” and nothing more. So today I say thank you. Thank you each and every member of our educational family for showing up..

Read more here: toddnesloney.com/blog

Tips for Using a Systematic Data and Documentation Platform to Accurately Analyze Student Data

Tips for Using a Systematic Data and Documentation Platform to Accurately Analyze Student Data

Jun 25, 2019 | Leadership, MTSS & RtI

Analyzing Student Data – Tips for Teachers, Educators and Schools

At i-LEADR, Inc., our online data and documentation platform, RtI: Stored! streamlines the process of collecting, analyzing, and storing student data as part of an MTSS & RtI framework. However, the effectiveness of our platform is only as effective as its use, so we recommend the following tips for using it strategically and successfully:

Tips for Using a Systematic Data and Documentation Platform to Accurately Analyze Student Data

  • Check the adequacy of the data—While using documentation software, educators should ask whether appropriate screening measures were used to determine a student’s level of success with reading and mathematics. They should also determine if the screening measure aligns with the learning expectations for that year, and if any scoring was verified.
  • Plan adjustments—If large numbers of students are performing in the risk range, educators should analyze the adequacy of the core instruction. After certain adjustments have been made, the screening should be repeated to identify the effect of the adjustments.
  • Manage individual interventions—Before using individual data to make decisions about a personalized intervention, educators should investigate the effectiveness of the intervention for the group. Educators should also ask whether the intervention was implemented to fidelity, and if the intervention was adjusted accordingly to match student progress.
  • Use data to allocate instructional resources—If implementation steps are well-defined for classrooms and the school as a whole, and the platform allows educators to track the effects of interventions, any data can be used as a basis for providing additional resources in the classroom, small groups, or to individual students.
MTSS: A Closer Look at the Universal Screening Process

MTSS: A Closer Look at the Universal Screening Process

May 24, 2019 | Leadership, MTSS & RtI

Student Performance – MTSS (Multi-tier System of Support) Universal Screening – Educators, Teachers, Schools

The screening process is a significant foundational element of any MTSS framework, and more specifically, universal screening is the process of consistently analyzing every student’s performance at certain points during the academic year. Universal screening helps identify students who are doing well with the core instruction and those who may require supplemental intervention and support.

MTSS experts recommend three screening periods

Most MTSS experts recommend three screening periods during the school year, in the fall, winter, and spring. These screening periods are recommended because many students can experience performance success or failure at a changing rate throughout the course of the year. For example, a student who needs additional support at the start of the year may no longer need additional resources come winter. Comparatively, a student who is on track at the beginning of the year may fall behind towards the end.

Any screening process should utilize tools that provide evidence-based information surrounding mathematics, reading, and behavior. The strategies used should provide data that predicts future outcomes, so teachers can maximize their resources and instructional time.

As part of the MTSS screening process, educators should also use normed benchmarks for the screening results by which they can determine students’ risk. These normed references can help educators quickly and easily determine if a student is staying on track or is at risk.

The MTSS Framework and the Role of Problem Solving

The MTSS Framework and the Role of Problem Solving

Apr 25, 2019 | Leadership, MTSS & RtI

MTSS Framework – How Schools Support Students Through Problem Solving – Educators, Teachers, Schools

The MTSS framework is a series of evidence-based practices implemented across a system of learning to meet the varying needs of all students. Broader than a problem-solving process alone, it establishes a foundation of support focused on professional development, leadership, and empowering teachers to effectively assess and instruct. The MTSS process also consists of four essential problem-solving steps, which include:

MTSS framework is a series of evidence-based practices

1.  Defining the problem—The first step of MTSS involves determining the areas in which core instruction needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of at least 80% of the population. After core is analyzed and strengthened, PLCs (professional learning communities) should identify which students have gaps beyond what is being addressed in core instruction.  PLCs involved should determine what gaps exist and the services in which they have resources to provide.  It’s important early on to address any issues involving poor attendance, behavior, or other health barriers.

2.  Analyzing the data—MTSS is driven by data, so after defining the problem, data should be reviewed to solidify the cause. This cause could be a gap in certain domains of learning or a specific skill deficit. All relevant information and data should be gathered to determine any barriers that could inhibit progress towards the goal.

3.  Implementing an intervention plan—After identifying the issue and analyzing all relevant data, an intervention plan appropriate for the student’s unique needs should be designed and implemented. These interventions should be evidence-based and implemented to fidelity.

4.  Evaluating the intervention—It is critical that educators spend time with the intervention effectiveness evaluation. Educators should consider whether the intervention was successful and if the student responded effectively to the strategic or intensive instruction. If data showcases adequate progress of the group (tier 2) or individual (tier 3), the intervention can continue, but if the data does not indicate success, the PLC should carefully problem solve why desired results were not achieved.

This is a cyclical process that continues over a period of time until educators have created a system of support that positively impacts the students’ level of needs.

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