Curriculum

IES Student Support Services: Overview

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

 IES utilizes a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in order to best support students’ learning and social-emotional needs. MTSS is a framework to provide all students with the best opportunities to succeed academically and behaviorally in school. The principles and practices of an MTSS are based upon what research has shown to be effective in creating successful and sustainable system change and providing the most effective instruction to all students.  The MTSS framework includes a variety of programs and supports, including those listed later on this document.

What are the essential components of MTSS?

As defined by MDE, the essential components of MTSS are:

• Team-Based Leadership
• Tiered Delivery System
• Selection and Implementation of Instruction, Interventions and Supports
• Comprehensive Screening & Assessment System
• Continuous Data-Based Decision Making

Data Dig/Intervention Process

All students in grades K-8 are screened three times a year to monitor progress throughout the curriculum. District reading and math assessments, curriculum based measurement, and NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are used as assessment tools.  The Data Dig process uses the results of these assessments to determine which students may require additional support in reading and math. 

Who are the members of the Data Dig Team?

The Data Dig team may consist of the school lead, classroom teacher, speech and language pathologist, reading interventionist, school psychologist, and resource room teacher. 

What is the Purpose of the Data Dig?

The Data Dig is a collaborative process of instruction, assessment, and intervention. It is designed for the early identification of students who are struggling in reading and math. The Data Dig revolves around providing targeted instructional interventions with regular progress monitoring. The goal of the Data Dig process is to increase the likelihood of successfully mastering reading and math skills within the regular classroom.

How does the Data Dig/Intervention process work?

The Data Dig team collects data on students from the universal screening conducted three times a year for all K-8 students and analyzes the data to determine if there are any students showing a need for more support in the area of reading and math. The team then makes recommendations for how students will be grouped, what interventions will be provided at the Tier II and Tier III level, how students will be monitored for progress, and what staff member/s will be appointed to work with each student. Tier movement is happening all of the time. Students are able to move throughout the tiers during the entire school year depending on their current academic needs.

Child Study Team (CST)

The Child Study Team process was developed to ensure students are provided reasonable accommodations and modifications within the general education setting in order to best support academic, behavioral, and social-emotional growth.

What is the purpose of CST?

The purpose of the Child Study Team process is to work together to identify the student’s learning/behavioral strengths and needs, to put strategies into action, and  to take frequent progress monitoring data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions and to determine if any changes/modifications are needed

What is the CST process?

Any staff member that participates in a student’s academic process may recommend a student for the CST process. The team should consider specific areas of concern, including social-emotional concerns, behavioral concerns, and/or academic concerns. 

The CST follows these steps:  

• Review the student’s strengths, interests, and talents.
• Discuss reasons for referral, overall performance level, and behavior in the learning environment.  
• List interventions previously tried and their rate of success. (School  interventions may include accommodations, modifications, and behavior plans. Home interventions may include follow up with health/mental health  concerns, behavior plans, academic support, etc)   
• Brainstorm interventions that address concerns 
• Select interventions to try
• Develop a plan for carrying them out  
• Agree on a time to meet again to discuss progress.
• Put the intervention plan into action and evaluate it over time.  **Interventions should be implemented, tracked and documented over at least 2 six-week periods.  
• The CST meets every 4-6 weeks to discuss the success, or lack thereof, of the intervention. The CST will evaluate whether as a result of the  intervention, the student’s performance improves, remains the same, or regresses. 
• If the interventions are effective and the student seems to be back on  track, the team should continue with the plan and hold future meetings as  needed. This suggests the student will benefit from instruction in the  general education setting with continuing interventions.  
• If the interventions don’t bring about desired change, the team may decide  to:  
• try another round of interventions or alter the current ones
• refer the student for a special education evaluation to find out if  he/she is eligible for special education services as a student with a  disability. Proper documentation of the interventions attempted and outcome tracking must be provided upon referral to the special education staff.