Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, ESDs across Washington State initiated support to school districts to ensure every student has equitable access to the instruction and supports they need to thrive. In coordination with OSPI, the Multi-Tiered System of Supports Cohort through ESD 101 leads districts through implementation of an evidence-based framework focused on organizing the efforts of adults within systems to be more efficient and effective.
MTSS consists of 5 essential components which enable teams to work together to adapt instruction and supports to varied student needs.
Component 1: Team-Driven Shared Leadership
One of the main barriers to creating an MTSS framework is informal meeting structures. When teams do not have common expectations (norms), or consistency (standing meetings) the work continues to be person-dependent rather than system-dependent. Take the time to create this cultural expectation of behavior during meetings, and an expected cadence (weekly, monthly, etc). Breakdowns in communication are a common occurrence, filling out this Terms or Reference (adapted from NIRN) can help quell those speed bumps.
Component 2: Data-Based Decision Making
Who knew there were so many types of data? Who knew different levels of an organization should be looking at different sets of data? So...what all is out there exactly? Most people are familiar with the usual suspects...summative (Smarter Balanced, SATs), formative (Exit Tickets), benchmarking, progress monitoring, diagnostics, and screeners. Most people also aren't entirely sure of the differences between those. Additionally, some of the key district data gets left out when we are questioning the success of our students. These include fidelity data, perception data, capacity data, and scale-up data. As a district leader, some focal areas will be around asking if staff members are implementing a program the way it's intended, do staff have the capacity to take on learning another program, and are all staff members ready to benefit from this program?
Finally....last but probably the most important: culture. How has data been presented in the past? Has it been used punitively? Has it been used for growth and learning? Be sure to create a psychologically safe environment for staff to be honest about their student data.
Component 3: Family, Student, and Community Engagement
MTSS. RTI. PBIS. SPED. IPP. CCS. ECE. ESSA. OSPI. SIP. IEP. FBA.
All of these are common acronyms to those of us in the education system. However, for a parent who doesn't live inside the school system, navigating this education lingo is daunting. Sometimes, it's downright scary to walk into a meeting we know we won't be able to understand. So can we be mad if they don't want to call us back or come in for that conference? One idea for including parents it to ask your curriculum or program publisher if they have easy-to-read reports, that parents will actually understand. Something that doesn't throw a bunch of numbers that mean nothing to someone outside of that assessment. Check out the levels of engagement below, and ask: what are we really trying to do?
Component 4: Continuum of Supports
The inevitable has come: the TRIANGLE. Nowadays, you can't look at any educational material without seeing somebody's version of a triangle. Some have supports listed on them. Some have percentages. Some are upside down. Some are technically pyramids rather than triangles. Some have a foundation base at the bottom. Regardless...whatever you like, whatever your district might be doing, the question is the same: are you trying to intervene your way out of a problem?
P.S. This applies to staff too. Not every staff members understands and learns after attending a training just because they are adults. Check in - try a pre/post assessment and see what your staff actually understood. Oh...and just how we expect staff to provide multiple supports to students, it's important staff receive them as well.
Component 5: Evidence-Based Practices
Did you know there is a difference between research-based and evidence-based? Yep! Us either! Regardless of the type, it's important to have a process for choosing your program/materials/curriculum/database, etc. Whatever you're thinking about reviewing, or implementing, using a process such as the Hexagon Tool is a great option to ensure your spending those hard-earned taxpayer dollars in the right way at the right time.
Resources
OSPI MTSS webpage
5 Components
MTSS State Implementation Team Contact Information
Future Calendar of Events
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Future Application Timeline:
- March 2024: iGrant Cycle opens for Cohort 4
- April 2024: Deadline for Cohort 4 iGrant Cycle
- May 2024: Cohort 4 finalized
- Calendar of Events:
- Washington State Integrated Educational Conference (formerly MTSSfest): August 2025 TBD
- Regional ESD MTSS Network
- Offered 4 times a year, 2024 network is closed
- 2025 Network TBD
Contact:
Stephanie Detrick
MTSS Regional Implementation Coordinator
[email protected]
509-378-1172