IMPLEMENTING MTSS
Before discussing implementation of MTSS, it would probably be a good idea to at least have a definition of MTSS. The acronym stands for Multi-Tiered System of Support. In order to make this relevant to Nebraska, I found this link, https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.guidebook.com/upload/31660/extra/RDAMTSS.pdf, which is an AQuESTT for Nebraska pdf presentation. In this presentation it defines NeMTSS (Nebraska Multi-tiered System of Support) as the following:
"A school improvement process focused on using data (instructional
and student data) to guide decision making at all levels within districts
and schools."
The presentation goes on to talk about the components of MTSS which include the following:
1. Instruction & Intervention: Core supports for ALL students and interventions for those that need them.
2. Assessment System: This involves a screening system for all students to determine who needs interventions, and a progress monitoring system that helps identify if the interventions put in place are working.
3. Fidelity & Support System: Interventions need to be implemented with fidelity so that the student team can determine whether or not they are effective or not. Faculty and staff need strong support to help them implement interventions with fidelity and continuous training about interventions that are successful when implemented with fidelity.
4. Continuous Improvement Process: This is important because no matter the profession, analyzing and identifying ways to get better is vital for continued success.
5. Teaming: MTSS is implemented involving teams. There is not one person solely responsible for the entire thing. Teams help distribute the workload to help with the stress (real or imagined) that some faculty members might feel.
I have yet to work in a school that has full implementation of MTSS. At a former district, we had attempted to implement PBS (Positive Behavioral Supports), which is a tiered system of the behavioral side of MTSS. I would imagine that implementing either of these would have positives and negatives.
The largest and most difficult hurdle to jump in implementation is the fact that it is change. CHANGE! A scary, no, terrifying word to many, many, many teachers. "But I have been doing it this way for years!" "I have lots of successful students, why do I have to start doing all of this?" "Not every student needs a pat on the back for every little thing that they should just do on their own."
Yikes! Believe it or not, these are all things that I have heard from teachers scared of that 6-letter word, change.
I personally find it ridiculous the amount of hoops an administrator has to jump through to try to get everyone on board. I am from the old school of thought that if your boss tells you to do something, you do it (obviously within moral/legal boundaries and for the betterment of students). However, what a lot of teachers don't realize is that just like teachers have to CHANGE for the times for their students, administrators have had to CHANGE their approach in order to get teachers, the same teachers that complain they have to change, to do what is asked of them! So in essence, they are just like the students they are complaining about having to change for, right? Maybe with my old school of thought, I'm being hypocritical of those that don't like change, because I'm annoyed that administrators have had to change...hmmmm....See change is a diabolical idea that, if not handled carefully, can destroy the implementation process before it ever really gets started.
When this crazy idea of change is handled and people are ready to move forward, great things for students start to occur once implementation begins. Is it hard work to get started? Absolutely! Is it going to take maybe 2 or possibly more years of hard work? Maybe! But with everyone working together and supporting each other, it is definitely worth the outcome. Teachers are happier, students are happier and better served, and once implemented, the "work" that everyone complained about having to becomes second nature and is more rewarding than whatever was being done prior to implementation.
I would highly suggest looking at the link that I shared at the beginning, and I will put it here again. It does a great job of getting into the nuts and bolts of MTSS as far as exactly what it is and the implementation process. Once again, that link was https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.guidebook.com/upload/31660/extra/RDAMTSS.pdf.
PROGRESS MONITORING
DATA, DATA, DATA! MTSS is a systematic educational approach that is based on data. Once implementation has started, a form of progress monitoring has to be determined in order to track and keep data on interventions and student progress.
Aimsweb is one way that is familiar to me, it is what the district I am currently working in uses for progress monitoring. There are several youtube videos showing how to use Aimsweb, but you must be careful, because this year, Aimsweb changed its look and how it uses the data. So the following video is short, but gives screenshots of what the new Aimsweb looks like and how you can use the data. A lot of other videos will be showing you what it used to look like and how to use it, prior to this year.
MobyMax is another form of progress monitoring/intervention that can be used and is encouraging for some students because of the game time they can earn while doing the best that they can. The following video walks you through how to get started on MobyMax and shows screenshots for what it looks like for placement tests, progress monitoring, and goal-setting. Please take a look to check out MobyMax and to compare it to AimsWeb.
In conclusion, full implementation of MTSS cannot be complete without an effective way to progress monitor students. AimsWeb and MobyMax are two effective ways to progress monitor students in several subject areas. There are many others, and many that are not necessarily web-based. Hopefully looking at these two gives you some idea of what is out there to help you in your classroom.
