MTSS: What does it look like in SECONDARY SCHOOLS?

1. MTSS: What does it look like in SECONDARY SCHOOLS? Janet Stephenson

2. 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. • Use data to find out our school’s weaknesses and how to best use resources. • Help students who struggle in math and reading. • All of the above

3. Developing a District-Wide Early Warning System • The best predictor of future failure is current failure and disengagement • 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)

4. 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 bothengagement and academic failure as high risk

5. Extreme Off Track 2-3 Years Behind No chance for graduation in a traditional school setting Disengagement • Risk Factors: • 1. Disengagement • 20% absenteeism • 2. Behind in Credits • Particularly Core Course Failures • 3. GPA less than 2.0 • 4. Failed FCAT High Off Track 3 or more risk factors Off Track 2 of 4 risk factors indicated Students entering with 20% absenteeism and/or 2 or more F’s in 8th Grade • At Risk for Off Track • 1 of 4 risk factors indicated On Track No risk factors indicated Hendry County Schools

6. 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

7. Attendance: The Canary in the Coal Mine Of these 79 students 78 % could potentially become high school drop outs. 61 drop outs.

9. The bottom line… • 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

10. 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 deficitsas indicated by data is critical

11. Supports for ALL (Core, Universal Instruction- Tier 1) Academics Behavior All students, All settings Positive behavioral expectations explicitly taught and reinforced Consistent approach to discipline Assessment system and data‐based decision making • All students • Evidence‐based core curriculum & instruction • Assessment system and data‐based decision making

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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

15. Helping Students who Are Off Track • Tier 2 • Credit Retrieval • Reading Intervention Class • Math Intervention Class • Learning strategies • AVID • Academic Tutoring • No Zero Zone

16. Support for FEW (Intensive, Individualized Instruction – Tier 3) Academics Behavior • Student centered planning • Customized function based interventions • Frequent progress monitoring to guide intervention design • More intense targeted skill interventions • Customized interventions • Frequent progress monitoring to guide intervention design

17. 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

18. TTHANKS FOR LISTENING!