1. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in Secondary Schools
College Career Readiness and Success Center
Jenny Scala
Senior Researcher, American Institutes for Research
October 2016
Copyright © 2016 American Institutes for Research. All rights reserved.

2. Session Overview Agenda:
Provide overview of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS)
Discuss core components of MTSS in secondary schools
Gather feedback on potential topics to explore in series
Designed session for active participation

3. Introductions Please share with the group: Your name
Work role and location
Most creative Halloween costume you saw this year

4. Overview of MTSS

5. What is MTSS? Prevention framework that
Organizes building-level resources to address individual students’ academic or behavioral needs
Integrates assessment and a continuum of instruction and interventions
Incorporates multiple intervention tiers that vary in intensity
Provides timely intervention for students who are at risk for poor learning outcomes or may need enrichment opportunities
Response to intervention (RTI) and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) are examples of MTSS.

6. MTSS True or False MTSS is… MTSS is not…
For ALL students, including those needing enrichment
Flexible for schools and districts to customize to meet their unique circumstances
Data informed and evidence based
Collaborative and incorporates a team-based approach of representative stakeholders
MTSS is not…
A single program or curriculum
Just for struggling students or students with disabilities
A one-size-fits-all prescriptive model
The responsibility of one teacher or one specialist
A pre-referral process

7. MTSS in Wyoming—Discussion
How is MTSS currently defined in Wyoming?
How is MTSS currently used in Wyoming?
What are your hopes for implementing MTSS in your schools?

8. Key Components of MTSS
Research-driven practices (academic, behavioral, attendance)
Screening
Progress monitoring
Interventions that increase in intensity across a continuum of tiers
Data used to inform decisions across the continuum of the framework

9. MTSS at the Secondary Level
Same key components as elementary level
BUT…
Different considerations for infrastructure and implementation
Less readily available research-based assessments and interventions
The focus may be different but should be driven by data

10. For Example
You may be focused on improving graduation rates or decreasing dropout rates.

11. Targeted Interventions Schoolwide Interventions
Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Dropout Prevention Practice Guide Recommendations
Diagnostic
Use data systems that identify individual students at high risk of dropping out
Targeted Interventions
Assign adult advocates to students at risk
Provide academic support and enrichment
Implement programs to improve students’ behavior
Schoolwide Interventions
Personalize the learning environment
Provide rigorous and relevant instruction
Source: Dynarski et al., 2008

12. Targeted Interventions Schoolwide Interventions
Connecting MTSS Components to Dropout Prevention Recommendations in IES Practice Guide
Screening: Identifying students as at risk for dropping out of high school
Diagnostic
Use data systems that identify individual students at high risk of dropping out
Targeted Interventions
Assign adult advocates to students at risk
Provide academic support and enrichment
Implement programs to improve students’ behavior
Schoolwide Interventions
Personalize the learning environment
Provide rigorous and relevant instruction
Tiered framework: Continuum of supports from schoolwide to more targeted and intensive supports
Source: Dynarski et al., 2008

13. Reflect and Share
In what ways do you see connections between MTSS and other current work at your secondary schools?
How are they:
Similar?
Different?
Synergistic?
Without reviewing your data, what may be a possible focus of MTSS in your school?

14. Core Components of MTSS

15. Screening
Identify students at risk for poor outcomes (e.g., learning, behavioral, graduation)
Identify students who need additional assessment (i.e., progress monitoring) and instruction or support (i.e., targeted or intensive)
Provide data on the effectiveness of the core instruction, curriculum, and schoolwide supports
Should be valid and reliable
The first component, screening aims to: Review slide
Traditionally in high schools we have lacked valid and reliable ways of identifying which students are at risk– that’s one reason that HS use MTSS broadly to support dropout prevention/grad rates.

16. Early Warning System as a Screener
An early warning system (EWS) uses early warning indicators to identify students at risk of dropping out of high school:
Typically includes attendance, behavior, and academic indicators
Indicators should be validated for local context
Reviewed at multiple times during the school year
In thinking about screening within the context of dropout prevention we can use an EWS as a screener with the focus on identifying whether a student is at risk of dropping out of high school. Research from the Consortium on Chicago School Research and Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins have identified key risk indicators at the middle and high school levels. These indicators or locally validated indicators typically focus on attendance, behavior, and academic indicators. These data are reviewed across multiple points of time within the year to monitor students and identify those that might be at risk.

17. Screeners in Secondary Schools
What are you currently using for screeners in secondary schools?
Are you aware of anyone using an EWS process? Or of anyone using attendance, behavior, and course performance (A, B, Cs)?

18. Tiered Interventions Interventions need to be aligned to focus area.
Secondary schools tend to skip ensuring strong Tier I and focus on Tier II and Tier III supports.
Establish exit and entry criteria for students.

19. Example of Interventions Aligned With EWS Indicators: Attendance
Tier III Intensive
Tier II
Targeted
Tier I
Universal
Example of Interventions Aligned With EWS Indicators: Attendance
Type of Intervention
Attendance
Universal (all students)
Every absence brings a response
A culture exists that says attending every day matters
Positive social incentives for good attendance
Data tracking by teacher teams
Targeted (15% to 20% of students)
Two or more unexcused absences in a month brings brief daily check by an adult
Attendance team (teacher, counselor, administrator, parent) investigates and problem solves (why isn’t student attending?)
Intensive (5% to 10% of students)
Sustained one-on-one atten­tion and problem solving
Appropriate social service community supports
Source: Mac Iver & Mac Iver, 2009

20. Example of Interventions Aligned With EWS Indicators: Behavior
Tier III Intensive
Tier II
Targeted
Tier I
Universal
Example of Interventions Aligned With EWS Indicators: Behavior
Type of Intervention
Behavior
Universal (all students)
Teach, model, and expect good behavior
Positive social incentives and recognition for good behavior
Advisory
Data tracking by teacher teams
Targeted (15% to 20% of students)
Two or more office referrals brings involvement of behav­ior team
Simple behavior checklist that students bring from class to class, checked each day by an adult
Mentor assigned
Intensive (5% to 10% of students)
In-depth behavioral assess­ment (why is student misbehaving?)
Behavior contracts with family involvement
Appropriate social service or community supports
Source: Mac Iver & Mac Iver, 2009

21. Tier III Intensive
Tier II
Targeted
Tier 1
Universal
Example of Interventions Aligned With EWS Indicators: Course Performance
Type of Intervention
Course Failures
Universal (all students)
Research-based instructional programs
In-classroom support to enable active and engaging pedagogies
Data tracking by teacher teams
Targeted (15% to 20% of students)
Elective extra-help courses tightly linked to core curricu­lum; preview upcoming lessons and fill in knowledge gaps
Targeted, reduced class size for students whose failure is rooted in social-emotional issues
Intensive (5% to 10% of students)
One-on-one tutoring
Source: Mac Iver & Mac Iver, 2009

22. Scheduling Interventions in Secondary Schools
Interventions should not be a “parking lot” for students
Think creatively about schedule
Ensure staff understand process and changes
Examples in traditional six- to eight-period days, block schedules
Need to ensure staff also have time for collaborative data-based decisions

23. Tiered Interventions Discussion
What data are you using (or could you use) to select appropriate interventions?
Are staff familiar with tiered interventions and their role in supporting them?
Are your schools set up to facilitate tiered intervention delivery?
Master schedule allows for interventions
Students allowed to move out of interventions before end of grading period
Appropriate staff teach interventions

24. Progress Monitoring Information about students:
Meeting short- and long-term performance goals
Making progress at an acceptable rate
Information about interventions:
Should the instruction be adjusted or changed?
Are some interventions more effective than others?
When we intervene with students, we want to know if the intervention or support we are providing is helping. Progress monitoring allows us to do that. Progress monitoring data allow us to determine whether students are meeting their short- and long-term goals and if they are making progress at an acceptable rate, determine whether we need to adjust or change our supports and interventions, and determine if some of the interventions we are using are more or less effective than others.

25. Examples of Progress Monitoring at the Secondary Level
Ongoing formal and informal formative assessment:
Benchmark assessments
Quizzes, end-of-unit tests
Common writing prompts
Grades
Attendance
Teacher-developed curriculum-based measures (e.g., algebra)
Maze passage
Time-sampling for behavior (e.g., direct behavior rating)
Office referrals
At the secondary level, we don’t have as many evidence-based progress monitoring measures as we do at the elementary level. The type of progress monitoring tool that we select may vary based on the area that we are targeting with our intervention, and the frequency of data collection also will depend on data sources and the intensity of the support we are providing.
This slide provides some examples of progress monitoring measures that might be used at the secondary level, including both formal and informal measures. In addition, the link provided shares a webinar that was developed by the High School Tiered Interventions Initiative focused on progress monitoring at the secondary level.
More information on academic tools: The High School Tiered Interventions Initiative: Progress Monitoring. Retrieved from

26. Progress Monitoring Discussion
How common is it for staff to review formal and informal progress monitoring data?
When does this occur?
What decisions are made?
Who does this?
How do staff communicate student progress to others?
For exiting intervention support?
For flagging as needing targeted support?
Do staff look at individual students or groups of students?

27. MTSS Data Use
Make data part of an ongoing cycle of instructional improvement
Ensure data collected align to your focus
Analyze data at all levels (i.e., state, school, Tier I, Tier II, Tier III)
Use multiple data sources when needed to dig deeper into the root cause
The glue that holds both an MTSS framework and implementation of an EWS system such as EWIMS together is data-based decision making. We have talked about how we can use screening data to identify students who may be at risk for dropping out of school, to identify how to intervene with students to meet their needs, and how to monitor their progress within interventions. Some key things to consider regarding data-based decision making are to: review slide.

28. MTSS Data Use Involve students in collecting and monitoring data
Establish routines and procedures for making decisions
Set explicit decision rules for assessing student progress (e.g., benchmarks)

29. Think and Share
How would you describe the data culture at your school?
How are students involved in data process?
What questions do you have about data use?

30. Other Important Considerations

31. Successful Implementation Reflect and Share
Think of a strategy or initiative that was successfully implemented in a secondary school.
What factors contributed to its success?
Share 1-3 factors that contributed to its success.

32. Successful Implementation
Strong leadership
Clear vision
Staff and stakeholder buy-in
Collaborative teams with clear roles and responsibilities and regular meeting schedules
Schedules and resources in place to support framework
Although infrastructure is a broad concept, there are some necessary elements, including knowledge, resources, and organizational structures, that should be in place to support the effective implementation of a successful RTI model.

33. Successful Implementation
Ongoing professional development to ensure staff knowledge
Process for communicating with staff, teachers, families, partners, and the community
Decisions grounded in data use and ongoing evaluation for continuous improvement

34. Rural Context Discussion
How does Wyoming’s rural context support and challenge MTSS implementation?

35. Implementing MTSS Within a Rural Context: Challenges and Opportunities
Resource challenges, including access to evidence-based interventions and assessments
Lack of ongoing professional development or coaching to help new knowledge become regular practice
May have fewer instructional support staff (counselor, psychologist, specialists)
Challenges recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers with knowledge and experience related to evidence-based practice and data use
When we think about MTSS within a rural context, we know that there are some unique challenges faced by rural communities and that the challenges faced are as unique as the rural communities themselves. In a review of MTSS implementation within two rural schools, Robinson and colleagues identified the following challenges: fiscal, professional development and coaching, retention/recruitment of highly qualified teachers, lack of instructional support staff.
Source: Jimerson, 2006; Robinson, Bursuck, & Sinclair, 2013

36. Implementing MTSS Within a Rural Context: Challenges and Opportunities
Schools may have fewer community resources to provide wraparound support, but they also may have stronger relationships with the community, which provide unique opportunities for partnerships and supports.
Smaller school sizes may provide additional opportunities for personalization and individualization, knowledge of students to supplement data, and an improved school climate.
Source: Jimerson, 2006; Robinson et al., 2013

37. Overcoming Challenges in Rural Communities
Interventions:
Determine associated costs of interventions and strategies
Partner with local community organizations
Use the best research-based interventions when available
Collect data to determine student progress
Access to tools:
Some states provide access to screening and progress monitoring assessments.
Some tools are available free of charge.

38. Potential Resources

39. Resources on Secondary Schools
A Systematic Approach to Implementing RTI in Three Colorado High Schools
High School Tiered Intervention Initiative
preliminary-lessons-learned-guide-ongoing
Center on Response to Intervention
Middle school resources

40. Potential Topics for Future Webinars
Scheduling for interventions
Schedules for staff to discuss data
Implementing EWS
Selecting appropriate interventions
Designing tiered interventions
Determining what interventions already are in use at your school
Progress monitoring
Other topics?

41. Questions?

42. References
Dynarski, M., Clarke, L., Cobb, B., Finn, J., Rumberger, R., & Smink, J. (2008). Dropout Prevention: A Practice Guide (NCEE 2008–4025). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from
Jimerson, L. (2006). The hobbit effect: Why small works in public schools (Rural Trust Policy Brief Series on Rural Education: The Rural School and Community Trust). Retrieved from
Mac Iver, M.A., & Mac Iver, D.J. (2009). Beyond the indicators: An integrated school-level approach to dropout prevention. Retrieved from George Washington University, Center for Equity and Excellence in Education, Mid-Atlantic Equity Center website:
Robinson, G. G., Bursuck, W. D., & Sinclair, K. D. (2013). Implementing response to intervention in two rural elementary schools: Encouraging beginnings and challenges for the future. The Rural Educator, 34, 1–9.

43. Jenny Scala
1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington, DC 20007 |