Nuts & Bolts: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support A Basic Guide to Implementing Preventative Practice in Our Schools & Community

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ISBN: 978-1-4835918-1-0

To Dr. Lisa Kilanowski, Dr. Andrew Shanock, and the NYASP Board for your endless support and efforts. Thanks also to Mary Beth Pandolfino for her diligence as an assistant to the author and editors.

Special thank you to my parents for raising me to believe that anything is possible.

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1. Author Note

2. Table of Contents

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Schaffer, G. E. (2017). Nuts and bolts: Multi-tiered systems of support: A basic guide to implementing preventative practice in our schools and community. Albany, NY: New York Association of School Psychologists

Author Note

It’s no surprise, systematic change from a reactionary refer-test-place model to that of a preventative three-tiered service delivery model is difficult! For those with much experience with Response to Intervention (RtI) to those with little experience, there are daunting challenges, alterations in educational roles, and a sense of urgency. Despite all the aforementioned factors, RtI has garnered considerable support across the nation for allocating resources more effectively, keeping educational funds replete, reducing special education rates, and providing a better opportunity than ever for students to succeed academically. For all these reasons and many more, RtI became law in NYS in 2012 and provided districts with set guidelines to follow. Unfortunately, RtI models implemented incorrectly or with little planning leads to seemingly insurmountable challenges, a sense of defeat, and confusion for even the most resilient of schools and organizations.

As a result, this manual has been developed to provide brief guidance, support, and proper implementation for not only RtI but for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Under the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support model, the familiar three-tiered RtI triangle has been utilized to simply, unify, and delineate best evidence-based practices for attendance, academics (RtI), behavior (SWPBIS) social-emotional concerns (SWPBIS), and suicide prevention. Additionally, descriptions and set protocols for implementing intervention efforts have been suggested across the aforementioned areas. Together, we can all support one another in welcoming Multi-Tiered Systems of Support into our schools and make alterations to procedures as we learn and grow together.

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Gary Schaffer

School Psychologist

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Table of Contents:

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What are Multi-Tiered Systems of Support?

Attendance

•Why Does Attendance Matter?

•Attendance Resources

Response to Intervention

•What is RtI?

•What do the RtI Tiers Look Like?

•NYS Elements to RtI

Data Collection in RtI

•What are Curriculum-Based Measures?

•What are Computer Adaptive Tests?

•Are Computer Adaptive Tests CBMs?

•Can CATs be used for Universal Screening & Progress Monitoring?

•What Data is Needed in RtI?.

•How Much Data is Needed?

•How Long Should Data Collection Occur?

•Why So Much Data and Why So Long?

•Steps to Data Collection & RtI

•RtI Interventions/Resources

School-Wide-Positive Behavior Support

•What is School-Wide Positive Behavior Support?

•What Can Districts Use for Screening or Progress Monitoring in SWPBS?

•SWPBIS Interventions/Resources

Social-Emotional Multi-Tiered Support

•How Many Children Are in Need of Mental Health Services?

•What is Emotional Disturbance?

•What is Emotional Disturbance vs Social Maladjustment?

•What is the Prevalence of Emotional Disturbance?

•Has an Alternative Definition Been Proposed for Emotional Disturbance?

•What is Social-Emotional Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)?

•What Can Districts Use to Screen or Progress Monitor Mental Health?

•Overview of Social-Emotional Programs

Suicide Prevention Multi-Tiered Support

•What is the Prevalence of Suicide in Youth Nationally and in NYS?

•Do Schools Have a Legal and Ethical Responsibility to Assist in Suicide Prevention and Intervention Efforts?

•Why are Schools Considered Obvious Places to Deliver Suicide?

•Why are Schools Ideal for Providing Mental Health/Suicide Prevention?

•Are Schools Prepared to Provide Suicide Prevention/Intervention?

•What Does Suicide Prevention and Intervention in MTSS Look Like?

•Social-Emotional Interventions/Resources

•How Can Schools Best Implement MTSS?

•Final Thoughts

**Contacts of Video Presenters and Biographies

**References

**Appendix

**Book Reviews

**Additional Resources

To learn more about preventative practice, provide a book review, or report broken links, please visit:

http://geschaffer.wixsite.com/nutsandbolts

Introduction to MTSS

What are Multi-Tiered Systems of Support?

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is an umbrella term utilized to describe triangular, multi-tiered intervention service delivery models. Central to MTSS models is that academic, behavioral, and social-emotional intervention efforts increase in intensity and duration for students who fail to respond to remediation (Averill & Rinaldi, 2011; Canter, Klotz, & Cowan, 2008). MTSS models are preventative in nature by providing struggling students immediate remediation in their areas of difficulty and offering educational staff set procedures and guidelines to assist students with learning, behavioral, and social-emotional difficulties (Averill & Rinaldi, 2011).

MTSS models diverge from traditional reactionary models of practice, such as refer-test-place special education procedures, in that they seek to remediate maladaptive learning, behavior, or social-emotional deficits before they lead to disability placement, school suspensions, or even criminal conduct (Averill & Rinaldi, 2011; Canter, 2008).

Arguably, the most well-known MTSS model is Response to Intervention (RtI). However, School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) has garnered considerable attention over the past decade for reducing office referral rates, school suspensions, and school expulsions. Although RtI and SWPBIS are the most common models that fall under the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework, deviations of these models have been developed by districts to promote uniformity across schools, abide by state guidelines, and provide early intervention to students with academic, social, emotional, and behavioral concerns.

In this book, five areas have been identified to promote academic achievement, pro-social behaviors, and emotional stability in the school environment. These five areas are: attendance, academics (RtI), behavior (SWPBIS), social-emotional well-being, and suicide prevention. Figure 2 provides a brief overview of the areas covered under MTSS and intervention service delivery models that accompany such models. Figure 3 on the following page provides a more detailed overview of MTSS and the frameworks that fall under the model.

The Three-Tiered Triangle: A Brief Overview

The traditional orientation of MTSS tiered triangles have been arranged with students needing the least support at the base of the triangle and needing the most support at the narrowest part of the triangle. At the base of the triangle, it is anticipated that approximately 80 to 85% of