Virginia Tiered System of Supports

1. Virginia Tiered System of Supports Integrating Academics (RtI) and Behavior (PBIS) Virginia Department of Education Office of Student Services Dr. Cynthia A. Cave February 2014

2. The Virginia Tiered System of Supports (VTSS) is a multi-tiered framework for working with students that uses evidence-based practices and progress monitoring to improve academic and behavioral outcomes. • An educational reform and systems change initiative designed and implemented to improve instruction for all students • VTSS represents an integration of Response to Intervention and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

3. Highly Effective Practices: Research • High quality academic instruction (e.g., content matched to student success level, frequent opportunity to respond, frequent feedback) by itself can reduce problem behavior (Filter & Horner, 2009; Preciado, Horner, Scott, & Baker, 2009, Sanford, 2006) • Implementation of school-wide positive behavior support leads to increased academic engaged time and enhanced academic outcomes (Algozzine & Algozzine, 2007; Horner et al., 2009; Lassen, Steele, & Sailor, 2006) • Children who fall behind academically will be more likely to find academic work aversive and also find escape-maintained problem behaviors reinforcing (McIntosh, 2008; McIntosh, Sadler, & Brown, 2010)

4. The Virginia Tiered System of Supports (VTSS) is a framework and philosophy that provides resources and support to help every student to be successful in academics and behavior. • It promotes systemic change at the division, school and classroom level using evidence-based, system-wide practices to provide a quick response to academic and behavioral needs. • These practices include frequent progress-monitoring that enable educators to make sound, data-based instructional decisions for students.

5. What Does It Look Like? • Decisions made using a data-based, problem-solving process • All problem-solving considers academic and behavior (student engagement) together • Division and school-based teams responsible for monitoring student performance against goals, standards, and criteria • Parents are engaged in the problem-solving and instruction/intervention process

6. Indistar Indicators for School Improvement - Required Indicators: • TA01 REQUIRED - The school uses an identification process for all students at risk of failing or in need of targeted interventions. (2931) • TA02 REQUIRED - The school uses a tiered, differentiated intervention process to assign research- based interventions aligned with the individual needs of identified students (the process includes a description of how interventions are selected and assigned to students as well as the frequency and duration of interventions for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students). (2932) • TA03 REQUIRED - The school uses a monitoring process (including a multidisciplinary team that meets regularly to review student intervention outcome data and identifies “triggers” and next steps for unsuccessful interventions) for targeted intervention students to ensure fidelity and effectiveness. (2933)

7. Indistar Indicators for School Improvement - Required Indicators: • TA01 - The school uses an identification process for all students at risk of failing or in need of targeted interventions. (2931) • TA02 - The school uses a tiered, differentiated intervention process to assign research- based interventions aligned with the individual needs of identified students • TA03 - The school uses a monitoring process (including a multidisciplinary team) and identifies “triggers” and next steps for unsuccessful interventions) intervention students to ensure fidelity and effectiveness. (2933) VTSS - Identify, understand and clearly define needs VTSS - Careful matching of needs to a continuum of effective evidence-based interventions VTSS Progress Monitoring - informed decisions for increasing/fading supports to ensure that students respond to interventions in a timely manner

8. CONTINUUM OF INSTRUCTIONAL & POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT Some few ALL

9. Core and Tiered Intervention TA01 Decision Rules for Access to Supports TA02 – 3-tiered framework Preventative Match interventions to individual needs of identified students TA03- Multidisciplinary team Data-driven decisions Monitor outcome (effectiveness) and process (fidelity)

10. TIER I: Core, Universal Academic and Behavior GOAL: 100% of students achieve at high levels Tier I: Implementing well researched programs and practices demonstrated to produce good outcomes for the majority of students. Tier I: Begins with clear goals: 1. What exactly do we expect all students to learn? 2. How will we know if and when they’ve learned it? 3. How you we respond when some students don’t learn? 4. How will we respond when some students have already learned? George Batsche: Presentation December 2013

11. What Does Core Instruction Look Like for Behavior? •School-wide Positive Behavior Support •School-wide social skills/character skill education •School-Home collaboration and partnerships •Active student engagement in promoting a prosocial environment (e.g., bully prevention) •Active student engagement skill development—Academic Behaviors •School-wide discipline plan that can be explained by both staff and students George Batsche: Presentation December 2013

12. TIER II: Supplemental, Targeted • Tier II For approx. 20% of students Core + Supplemental …to achieve benchmarks . If Tier II is effective, if at least 70-80% of students improve performance (i.e., gap is closing towards benchmark and/or progress monitoring standards). • 1. Where are the students performing now? • 2. Where do we want them to be? • 3. How long do we have to get them there? • 4. How much do they have to grow per year/monthly to get there? • What resources will move them at that rate? • George Batsche: December 2013 Presentation

13. TIER III: • Intensive, Individualized • Tier III For Approx 5% of Students Core + Supplemental + Intensive Individual Instruction …to achieve benchmarks • 1. Where is the student performing now? • 2. Where do we want him to be? • 3. How long do we have to get him there? • 4. What supports has he received? • What resources will move him at that rate? • Tier III is effective if there is progress (i.e., gap closing) towards benchmark and/or progress monitoring goals. • George Batsche: Presentation December 2013

14. Integrating Academic Instruction and Student Behavior • • What are the evidence-based instructional strategies that will attain the academic skill set? • • What academic engagement behaviors will be necessary to translate the academic skill into academic performance? • • What social/emotional behaviors are resources and obstacles to the skill and performance goals? • • HOW WILL WE MATCH THE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES WITH ENGAGEMENT FACTORS? • How do we ensure that Tier 2 and Tier 3 instruction aligns with the Learning Goals/Standards that are the focus of instruction in Tier 1? • • How do we ensure that the instructional strategies and student engagement skills expected in Tier 1 are incorporated into Tier 2 and Tier 3 instructional planning? • George Batsche December 2013 Presentation

17. Figure 1: Cohorts 1-4 Combined Outcome Data Comparisons – General Education - 24% - 25% - 11% GE – General Education Students; ODR– Office Discipline Referral; ISS-In School Suspension; OSS—Out of School Suspension

18. Figure 2: Cohorts 1-4 Combined Outcome Data Comparisons – Special Education

19. Table 1: Cohort 1 Time Saved from EOY 2007 to EOY 2012

21. Remember … PBIS is a data-driven decision making frameworkfor establishing the social culture and behavioral supports needed for a school to be an effective learning environment for all students. Increase Effectiveness and Efficiency Process for Continuous Improvement (OSEP Center on PBIS, 2010)

22. Remember … RTI is a data-driven decision making frameworkfor establishing the academic supports needed for a school to be an effective learning environment for all students. Increase Effectiveness and Efficiency Process for Continuous Improvement (SEP Center on PBIS, 2010)

23. VTSS is a data-driven decision making approachfor establishing the academicand behavioral supports needed for a school to be an effective learning environment (academic and behavior) for all students. Increase Effectiveness and Efficiency Process for Continuous Improvement ,