DSAC Leadership Meeting 1/24/12 Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

1. DSAC Leadership Meeting1/24/12Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

2. Agenda • MTSS Overview • Universal Design for Learning • MTSS and Special Education • Q&A

3. The Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS) MTSS focuses on system level change across the classroom, school, and districtto meet the academicandnon-academicneeds of all students, includingstudents with disabilities,English language learners,andstudents who have already demonstrated mastery of the concepts and skills being taught. 

4. Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS) RTI MTSS • Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tiered approach to help struggling learners. Students' progress is closely monitored at each stage of intervention to determine the need for further research-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, in special education, or both. • From the RTI Action Network Creates successful and sustainable systems change and provides the most effective instruction for all students. Creates a single system that provides a continuum of multiple supports (academic and behavior) for all students.

5. Blueprint for the Massachusetts Tiered System of Support

6. Website http://www.doe.mass.edu/mtss/

7. Think/Pair/Share (5 minutes) • Discuss one component of the School and District System of Support and what it looks like in your district. • What are the policies, practices and procedures related to the component you discussed that positively impact students with disabilities in your district? Negatively? Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

8. Interrelated Non-academic and Academic Supports Academic Supports Academic Non-academic Flexible Tiers within the MTSS Non-academic Supports Non related Non-academic and Academic Supports

9. Cycle of Academic and Behavioral Failure: Aggressive Response(McIntosh, 2008) Teacher presents student with grade level academic task So, which is it… Academic problems lead to behavior problems? or Behavior problems lead to academic problems? Not sure… Probably a combination of both Student engages in problem behavior Student’s academic skills do not improve Student escapes academic task Teacher removes academic task or removes student

10. Tier 3 Intense & Core • 1-5% of total student population receive instruction through these intense interventions Increase progress monitoring and provide targeted instruction/supports in a more individualized way. Tier 2 Supplemental & Core 5-10% of total student population receive instruction through supplemental interventions Flexible Tiers 80-90% of total student population learn the key concepts through instruction in this tier. Robust and Responsive based on the principles of UDL Tier 1 Core Instruction/ Universal Behavior Supports

11. Flexible Tiers Tier 3 Intense & Core • Tiers describe the intensity of • instruction; not a placement or steps in a process. • The intensity of the • instruction is determined by the data. • Data from continuous • progress monitoring drives • instructional decisions • throughout the • tiered process Tier 2 Supplemental & Core Special Education Services Tier 1 Core Instruction/ Universal Behavior Supports

12. Math problem solving Reading Comprehension Math Calculations Scientific inquiry Reading Fluency Social skills 12 Label skills and behavior… not students in specific tiers

13. Collaborative School and FamilyProblem Solving Process Define the Problem What Do We Want Students to KNOW and Be Able to DO? Evaluate Did It WORK? Problem Analysis Why Can’t They DO It? Implement Plan What Are WE Going To DO About It?

14. Guiding Questions Step 1 – Problem ID What do we expect out students to know, understand, and do as a result of instruction? Do our students meet or exceed these expected levels? (How sufficient is the core?) Are there groups for whom core is not sufficient? Step 2 – Problem Analysis If the core is NOT sufficient for either a “content area” or group of students, what barriers have or could preclude students from reaching expected levels? Does behavior serve to escape/avoid academic task Does student’s behavior interfere with learning opportunities Step 3 – Plan Development and Implementation What strategies or interventions will be used? What resources are needed to support implementation of the plan? How will sufficiency and effectiveness of core be monitored overtime? How will fidelity be monitored over time? How will “good”, “questionable,” and “poor” responses to intervention be defined? Step 4 – Plan Evaluation of Effectiveness Have planned improvements been effective?

15. Think/Pair/Share (5 minutes) • How does your district engage in the Collaborative School and Family Problem Solving Process for all students? • Are there policies, practices and procedures that have already been developed in Special Education that would be helpful in this process for all students? Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

16. The Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS) MTSS focuses on system level change across the classroom, school, and districtto meet the academicandnon-academicneeds of all students, includingstudents with disabilities,English language learners,andstudents who have already demonstrated mastery of the concepts and skills being taught.  16

17. Looking at Julia’s data Problem solving from an individual student level to systems level Slide from Steven Goodman – Director, Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative

18. End of Year goal is to demonstrate this skill at 35 phonemes per minute (grey area) What does this information tell you about Julia’s needs? As an educator, do you have a concern about this child’s progress on the end of year goal/skill? (remember she is only in Kindergarten) Slide from Steven Goodman – Director, Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative

19. End of Year goal is to demonstrate this skill at 35 phonemes per minute (grey area) What does this information tell you about Julia’s needs and the needs of her classmates? And now… the rest of the class. Now that you see Julia in the context of the whole class, how does this information change supports for Julia? Her classmates? Slide from Steven Goodman – Director, Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative

20. Same building, same grade, different teacher Does this information change how you might support Julia? Her classmates? Slide from Steven Goodman – Director, Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative

21. Major discipline referrals per student per class Julia’s class Does this information change how you might support Julia? Her classmates? Same building, same grade, different teacher What does this information tell you about Julia’s needs and the needs of her classmates? Slide from Steven Goodman – Director, Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative

22. Special Education Procedural safeguards Procedural safeguards are the specific rules that make sure that the parent knows what the school district is proposing to do (“receive notice”), agree with the school district’s plan (“give parental consent”) and have a range of opportunities for resolving disagreements with the school district (“due process”). Districts are required to follow the procedural safeguards outlined in the Parent’s Notice while implementing a model of tiered instruction.

23. Blueprint for the Massachusetts Tiered System of Support

24. Universal Design for LearningGrace MeoCAST

25. Special Education Eligibility Specific Learning Disabilities Evaluation Method Districts MAY use a scientific, research-based intervention model as an eligibility determination process (Model of Tiered Instruction) Districts MAY use the IQ / achievement discrepancy model as an eligibility determination procedure Federal Regulations 34 CFR Parts 300 and 301300.307 Specific Learning Disabilities

26. Flexible Tiers Tier 3 Intense & Core • Tiers describe the intensity of • instruction; not a placement or steps in a process. • The intensity of the • instruction is determined by the data. • Data from continuous • progress monitoring drives • instructional decisions • throughout the • tiered process Tier 2 Supplemental & Core Special Education Services Tier 1 Core Instruction/ Universal Behavior Supports

27. Think/Pair/Share (20 minutes) • How do we ensure that students already eligible for special education are integrated into MTSS ? • How do we write IEPs to ensure that students with disabilities who are eligible for special education are fully integrated in MTSS? • What potential barriers do you see coming? • What possible solutions do you think will help overcome the barriers? Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

28. Next Steps for Teams • What additional information do you need as you move forward in developing and implementing your projects? Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

29. Madeline Levine – mlevine@doe.mass.edu • Lauren Viviani - lviviani@doe.mass.edu • Shawn Connelly – sconnelly@doe.mass.edu Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education