MTSS: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN MIDDLE

SCHOOLS?

Shelly DickinsonJanet Stephenson

The Goal of Having a Multi-Tiered System of Support in Middle School is to…

A. Identify kids who are at risk.B. Make sure students are on track for graduation – college and career ready.C.Use data to find out our school’s weaknesses and how to best use resources. D.Help students who struggle in math and reading.E.All of the above

Developing a District-Wide Early Warning System

• The best predictor of future failure is current failure and disengagement

• Assessing risk across multiple variables allows teams to provide early intervention and prevent disengagement from school and course failures– At-risk and off-track students are identified through

analyzing a combination of engagement and academic data.

• Many students experience course failures as a result of disengagement (e.g., excessive absenteeism, lack of productivity, inattention)

• Systematically assessing student engagement allows schools to identify students in need of support before they have failed courses or acquired skill deficits related to missed instruction

Middle School Early Warning Systems

• Identify all students who miss more than 20% of the available instructional time

and/or• Identify students through engagement scales or

behavior indicators

• Identify all students who fail their math course

• Identify all students who fail their English course

• Flag students who display both engagement and academic failure as high risk

High Off Track3 or more risk factors

Extreme Off Track 2-3 Years BehindNo chance for graduation in a traditional school settingDisengagement

At Risk for Off Track1 of 4 risk factors indicated

On TrackNo risk factors indicated

Off Track 2 of 4 risk factors indicatedStudents entering with 20% absenteeism and/or 2 or more F’s in 8th Grade

Risk Factors:

1. Disengagement•20% absenteeism2. Behind in Credits•Particularly Core Course Failures3. GPA less than 2.04. Failed FCAT

Hendry County Schools

At-Risk Eighth Graders

• Those who attend school less than 80% of the time (78% became drop outs)

• Those who receive a failing grade in math and/or English (77% became drop outs)

• Did not have strong predictive power:– Gender, race, age, test scores

Attendance: The Canary in the Coal Mine

Of these 79 students 78 %

could potentially

become high school drop

outs. 61 drop outs.

School More than 9 Absences – students not in school 80% of the time

Central 9

Clearlake 4

Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr 2

DeLaura 2

Edgewood 2

Hoover 7

Jackson 7

Jefferson 4

Johnson 12

Kennedy 5

Madison 9

McNair 3

Southwest 5

Spacecoast 1

Stone 7

Westshore 0

Total 79

The bottom line…• Disengaged students are likely to be

disengaged at the next grade/school level in the absence of prevention and intervention support

• Students with a history of academic underachievement or failure are likely to continue to fail without prevention and intervention support

• Addressing academic and engagement issues earlier rather than later is more successful and more cost effective

• Preventing disengagement and/or academic failure is more effective than reacting to them once they occur

Let’s Take A Look at Russell Middle School Implementation

• Video

Integrated, Multi-Tiered Prevention/Intervention Supports

• It is not enough to simply identify at-risk students, leadership teams must follow identification with effective and appropriate intervention

• Schools need to provide prevention supports which act to prevent students from becoming disengaged or developing skill deficits

• Schools need to develop a continuum of intervention supports which are readily accessible as soon as a student is indicated as at-risk or off-track

• Creating a comprehensive prevention/intervention program which addresses academic, behavioral, and social-psychological disengagement and academic skill deficits as indicated by data is critical

Supports for ALL (Core, Universal Instruction-

Tier 1)Academics• All students• Evidence‐based core

curriculum & instruction

• Assessment system and data‐based decision making

Behavior• All students, All settings• Positive behavioral

expectations explicitly taught and reinforced

• Consistent approach to discipline

• Assessment system and data‐based decision making

First Steps• The most important first step in successfully

implementing MTSS/RTI and increasing learning is ensuring the quality of full class instruction.

 • The least expensive way to increase learning at

your school is to improve full class instruction.

• The change that will affect the most number of students at your school is to improve full class instruction.

 

Improving Tier 1

• Syllabus• Pre test – prerequisite assessment• Common Assessments – analyzing and using

the data• Differentiation of content, process, product• Proactively seeking out data of incoming

students• Vertical alignment between 6th & 7th grade• Vertical alignment between 8th & 9th grade

Supports for SOME (Supplemental Instruction –

Tier 2)Academics•Supplemental targeted skill interventions•Small groups•Frequent progress monitoring to guide intervention design

Behavior•Supplemental targeted skill interventions•Small groups•Frequent progress monitoring to guide intervention design

Helping Students who Are Off Track

• Tier 2– Credit Retrieval– Reading Intervention Class– Math Intervention Class– Learning strategies– AVID – Academic Tutoring– No Zero Zone

Support for FEW (Intensive, Individualized Instruction –

Tier 3)

Academics

• More intense targeted skill interventions• Customized interventions• Frequent progress monitoring to guide intervention design

Behavior

• Student centered planning• Customized function

based interventions• Frequent progress monitoring to guide intervention design

Infrastructure of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports

Think about…could we…•Direct a significant amount of resources to critical transition years (6th and 9th) to prevent academic and behavioral problems

•Provide opportunities for mentoring, advisement, and academic support within the master schedule for all students

•Include classes which provide instruction in organization, study skills, note-taking, problem solving, and communication in the school’s master schedule

•Intensify instruction by providing additional time and personnel or smaller class sizes for classes which typically result in high rates of course failures

Scheduling of Multi-Tiered Supports

Suggestions – Are we already doing these?•Build time into the school’s master schedule to allow for weekly common planning/PLC time for content teams and for cross content teams at least monthly

•Intervention teachers plan with core content teachers and align intervention strategies with core instruction

•Develop school leadership team members who can monitor and participate in the work of all other school teams

Great Behavior Resource

How to Find Behavior Site…

• MTSS Web Site – Resource Links – Polk County Behavior

Or

• Google: : Polk Elementary PBS