Multi-tiered Systems Of Support Research Articles

Creating Safe and Supportive Schools: A Community Schools Model at Work

With the goal of creating a safe and supportive environment, a collaborative group of school districts in Wayne County, NY utilize a Community Schools model to gather and organize resources. Through experience, and collected data, administrators in this group have supported the development of culturally responsive trauma-informed community schools that integrate school and community resources to provide evidenced-based and restorative practices organized by a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). It appears that a significant correlation exists between the implementation of these practices and improvement in several key categories regarding the well-being of our young people.

Preventing challenging behavior: 10 behavior management strategies every teacher should know

In response to the call for inclusion, teachers are now managing challenging behavior in the general education classroom at increased rates. Co-teaching has been relied on by many teachers in order to create more inclusive classrooms, however, teachers continue to report feeling ill-prepared to manage student behavior effectively. Although many strategies exist on how to manage classroom behavior, the widely-adopted School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) framework strongly encourages the use of preventative approaches . The purpose of this article is to share 10 evidenced-based strategies that are easy to implement and applicable across all tiers with a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework with practitioners.

A Conceptual Replication Study of the Enhanced Core Reading Instruction MTSS-Reading Model

States are increasingly recommending that districts and schools use multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to improve reading outcomes for all students. States have also suggested MTSS is a viable service delivery model in response to new state legislation to screen, identify, and treat students with word-level reading disability (i.e., dyslexia). One model of MTSS that utilizes Enhanced Core Reading Instruction (ECRI MTSS), has demonstrated significant increases in students’ early acquisition of foundational reading skills (Smith et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to conduct a conceptual replication of the Smith’s (2016) original impact study. In a cluster-randomized controlled trial, 44 schools were randomly assigned to the ECRI MTSS treatment or a business-as-usual (BAU) MTSS control condition. Across conditions, 754 students were assigned to receive Tier 2 intervention in addition to Tier 1 instruction. Impact data indicate moderate to strong effects on student decoding, word reading, and fluency skills for students in the ECRI MTSS schools. Results suggest that schools can use ECRI MTSS to improve foundational reading skills for struggling early readers, including students with or at risk for word-level reading disabilities (i.e., dyslexia).

The Development of School Psychology in Taiwan: Status Quo and Future Directions

School psychology as a recent mental health service profession in Taiwan has drawn attention and interest, especially after the Student Guidance and Counseling Act (SGCA) was passed by the Taiwanese government in 2014. This article reviews school psychology’s developmental history in Taiwan, introduces governmental policies’ influences on its current service delivery framework, identifies contemporary challenges, and analyzes potential directions for its future development. To meet the needs of culturally diverse students and their families in Taiwan, the findings suggest adopting an ecological systems perspective for case conceptualization and strengthening cross-disciplinary collaboration in multi-tiered systems of support, which can result in shared work responsibilities and consistent responses to student needs. Also, more comprehensive training is recommended to expand the current scope of school psychological services and facilitate systemic collaboration within the educational system. It is hoped the knowledge presented in this article can contribute to continuous development and policy improvement for school psychological training and practice in Taiwan.

Intensifying Interventions for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties: A Conceptual Synthesis of Practice Elements and Adaptive Expertise

We consider an emerging challenge in special education that involves the interplay between an emphasis on evidence-based practices (EBPs) and the need to provide individualized intensive interventions for students with significant emotional and behavioral problems. With the use of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), teachers are expected to implement standardized EBPs with fidelity. Yet, students with significant difficulties tend to have problems that reflect a complex set of changing factors that require carefully tailored and coordinated interventions that are adapted to students’ ongoing dynamic needs. To address this issue, we discuss the concept of practice elements (PEs) as a foundation for identifying intervention strategies, and we consider how the concepts of adaptive expertise (AE) can help guide the selection of PEs and implementation and modification of multistrategy approaches to increase responsiveness to students with emotional and behavioral problems. Implications for service delivery and future research are considered.

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the School Counselor Knowledge and Skills Survey for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the School Counselor Knowledge and Skills Survey for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

Initial Development and Validation of the Social Skills Improvement System—Social and Emotional Learning Brief Scales-Teacher Form

Despite the need for assessments targeting social and emotional learning (SEL) skills within multitiered systems of support, there are few brief SEL measures available. To address this need, this article describes the development of the Social Skills Improvement System—Social and Emotional Learning Brief Scales-Teacher Form (SSIS SEL b-T), a significantly shorter version of the Social Skills Improvement System—Social and Emotional Learning Edition Rating Form-Teacher (SSIS SEL RF-T). Using the SSIS SEL standardization sample and item response theory, we identified efficient sets of items for each SSIS SEL RF-T scale and examined psychometric evidence for resulting scores. In general, SSIS SEL b-T scales functioned well and very similarly to scores from corresponding SSIS SEL RF-T scales. One exception was the Self-Awareness scale which, similar to its long-form counterpart, exhibited several content and psychometric limitations. Results provide initial psychometric evidence for a time-efficient teacher-informant measure of SEL competencies with promise for use within multitiered systems of support.

Using a Tiered Approach to Support Early Childhood Educators’ Use of Behavioral Strategies

School-wide, multi-tiered systems of support are increasingly incorporating effective, low-intensity strategies (e.g., behavior-specific praise, choice, precorrection) into their Tier 1 (universal) practices. For some teachers, additional coaching may be needed to promote the use of these strategies. This study applied a tiered approach to supporting early childhood education educators’ use of behavioral strategies by providing email coaching with targeted examples, praise for strategy use, goal setting and visual performance feedback (Tier 2), and if needed, vibratory prompting in addition to Tier 2 supports (Tier 3). Results suggest a functional relation between the intervention and educators’ use of BSP and choice. One teacher required Tier 3 supports to reach goal-level implementation of BSP. Treatment fidelity and social validity data suggest the utility of this tiered approach. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Process Evaluation of Literacy Practices within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports Framework

Extant coverage of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) in the research literature has tended to focus on student outcomes as opposed to the process of adult implementation. This conceptual article presents a model of process evaluation as a means to assess the fidelity of implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework to support instructional practices in reading in schools. The article begins by defining MTSS and its core components and overviewing the applicability of process evaluation in assessing MTSS implementation and outcomes. Novel process evaluation tools are presented, including examples of their application in evaluating MTSS implementation for tiered reading instruction. Implications are drawn regarding how MTSS process evaluations can be conducted by school psychologists or other evaluators in school settings, and why it can be valuable to do so.

Progress Toward an Early Social Indicator for Infants and Toddlers

Measures of young children’s social development are needed in the Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) approach to early childhood. In 2004, we reported initial development of an observational measure of infants’ and toddlers’ social skills designed for early educators, the Early Social Indicator (ESI). Here, we report preliminary findings on the ESI’s feasibility, sustainability, and sensitivity to growth in social engagement based on a large, multiyear sample of children in one early childhood program that agreed to pilot the measure. Results indicated that ESI use by program staff was sustained over a 5-year period. Program staff were reliable coding a range of children’s positive and negative nonverbal and verbal social skills. However, staff were not reliable when coding the target of a child’s social response when it was not the Adult play partner (i.e., the Peer, or Nondirected target). Results documented sensitivity to growth over time, dynamic patterns of change within and across key skills consistent with the typical course of social development, and moderation by children’s home language and Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) status. Implications are discussed.

The Role of the School Nurse in Increasing Instructional Time Using Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Behavior (MTSS-B): A Quality Improvement Project.

Frequent visits to the health office can lead to considerable time spent out of the classroom along with affecting relationships and health office resources and staffing. This article features the practice component of continuous quality improvement in the principal of quality improvement in the Framework for the 21st Century School Nursing Practice™ and is the third in a series focusing on the Framework. The article discusses how using multi-tiered systems of support for behavior (MTSS-B) to create expectations for the health office environment, along with intense, individualized plans for specific students, were successful in decreasing health office visits across the school district, with the ultimate goal of increasing instructional time. Outcome data revealed reductions in health office visits with a district-wide decrease of 4.1% one-year postimplementation of the project. More importantly, school nurses are providing better trauma-informed care with intentionality while still meeting the needs of students.

Technology to Guide Data-Driven Intervention Decisions: Effects on Language Growth of Young Children at Risk for Language Delay

Data-driven decision making (DDDM) helps educators identify children not responding to intervention, individualize instruction, and monitor response to intervention in multitiered systems of support (MTSS). More prevalent in K–12 special education, MTSS practices are emerging in early childhood. In previous reports, we described the Making Online Decisions (MOD) web application to guide DDDM for educators serving families with infants and toddlers in Early Head Start home-visiting programs. Findings from randomized control trials indicated that children at risk for language delay achieved significantly larger growth on the Early Communication Indicator formative language measure if their home visitors used the MOD to guide DDDM, compared to children whose home visitors were self-guided in their DDDM. Here, we describe findings from a randomized control trial indicating that these superior MOD effects extend to children’s language growth on standardized, norm-referenced language outcomes administered by assessors who were blind to condition and that parents’ use of language promotion strategies at home mediated these effects. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Morphological Knowledge: Opportunities for Collaboration Through Multitiered System of Supports.

Purpose The study of morphological knowledge and its role in literacy development for early elementary students is growing. The aim of this tutorial is to illustrate the role a school-based speech-language pathologist (SLP) has as a collaborative partner in multitiered system of supports (MTSS) in elementary for morphological knowledge. Method This tutorial presents the role of morphology in the English writing system and the documented benefit of morphological interventions to support students' oral and written language development. Next, the role of morphology in literacy development as it appears in curricular standards is highlighted. Lastly, strategies are provided for how SLPs can be part of a collaborative educational team to increase morphological knowledge in early elementary school within an MTSS framework. Conclusion Given school-based SLPs' language and literacy expertise, we are well suited for engaging in collaborative partnerships in the school setting to increase academic outcomes. The information presented in this tutorial provides a guide to establish collaborative partnerships within educational teams to support morphological knowledge development through all MTSS tiers. Additionally, the need for further evidence to support the role of morphological knowledge in literacy development is presented.

Preparing Teacher Educators for Statewide Scale-Up of Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), as a fully integrated set of practices and interventions directed to academics and behavior, with emerging applications to social and emotional learning in the teaching/learning process, is very much in its ascendency in schools across the United States and elsewhere. As a result, there is an emerging need to prepare teacher and administrator educators to enter the rapidly expanding number of implementing schools and districts. Requisite dispositions, skills, and knowledge germane to ensuring successful applications, sustainability, and resultant student outcomes from MTSS introduction into systems praxis are increasingly required. In this position paper, we discuss the origins of MTSS, its expansion into various areas of education in the United States, and its emerging contribution to the thorny issue of inclusion. We conclude with examination of Innovation Configuration, a heuristic to assist teacher and administrator educators in the development of course syllabi and other professional learning vehicles addressed to MTSS.

Incorporating oral language assessment into MTSS/RTI frameworks: The potential of personal narrative assessment

ABSTRACT In Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) and Response to Intervention (RTI) models, the reading achievement of English Learners (ELs) is assessed multiple times during the school year to monitor students’ progress toward meeting grade-level reading standards. Most MTSS/RTI frameworks do not include a comparable system for assessing oral language development. The English Learner Oral Narrative Scale (ELONS) was developed as an informal, criterion-referenced instrument to assess the personal narrative skills of ELs (i.e., skills in recounting personal experiences). The ELONS was piloted with 28 third grade ELs in a transitional bilingual education program to describe participants’ personal narrative skills and to explore relationships between narrative skills and reading achievement. Mean scores were at the Advanced level for English global narrative proficiency and vocabulary, grammar, and fluency; mean ratings for oral comprehension and pronunciation were at the Advanced High level. Twelve of 28 ELs produced Spanish narratives of sufficient length to score. Mean global and subskill scores were at the Advanced level except for fluency (Intermediate level). ELONS global proficiency scores showed moderate correlations to state assessments of English language proficiency and English reading. Implications for oral language assessment in MTSS/RTI frameworks and future research directions are discussed.

Preliminary development and validation of the Interconnected Systems Framework-Implementation Inventory (ISF-II).

As schools increasingly implement multitiered systems of support, there is a pressing need to develop psychometrically sound implementation fidelity measures. The interconnected systems framework (ISF) is a multitiered model blending systems of positive behavioral interventions and supports with promotion, prevention, and intervention strategies of school mental health. The ISF is being implemented in communities across the United States with ongoing evaluation in several randomized controlled trials. The ISF-Implementation Inventory (ISF-II) was developed to measure fidelity of the ISF within a school building. We conducted a national validation study including completion of the ISF-II by 398 educators in 49 schools, 16 school districts, and 9 states. Results indicate the ISF-II produces scores that are internally consistent and structurally valid when items are organized into a three-tiered model. Additionally, the ISF-II was rated as feasible, acceptable, and beneficial. Limitations of the study, including the need for additional psychometric testing, are discussed in light of these results that suggest educators and researchers, alike, should feel confident in using the ISF-II as a measure of ISF implementation quality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A Snapshot of RTI Implementation a Decade Later: New Picture, Same Story

Response to intervention (RTI) has evolved from its first decade of implementation. Because states guide and regulate policy and practice at the state and local education agency levels, it is important to understand their critical role in RTI implementation. A systematic review of all 50 state education agency websites was conducted to provide an updated “snapshot” of states’ interpretation of RTI a decade after IDEA regulations were finalized. Findings revealed substantive progress towards developing approaches to systematic supports to students, with a major trend in adoption of multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) models. Findings also documented continued variation in how states are communicating about tiered systems on such matters as the roles of tiered systems in schoolwide prevention frameworks, meeting special education requirements, and aligning multiple systems within schools. Implications for special education services for students with learning disabilities are discussed.

Culturally Responsive Approaches for Addressing ADHD Within Multi-tiered Systems of Support.

Limited work has emphasized cultural responsiveness when working with families and children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from diverse backgrounds. We present a primer for psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals on the implementation of culturally responsive practices within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) framework when collaborating with schools. Individuals with ADHD demonstrate unique behavioral challenges that affect school and home functioning. As a framework to address the needs of all children with academic and behavioral issues, many public schools have adopted MTSS. Emerging findings on cultural adaptations of evidence-based interventions for ADHD within MTSS are promising. Through a comprehensive tiered approach, this review focuses on (1) initial behavior screening and prevention, (2) implementation of evidence-based interventions tailored to the child's development and family culture, and (3) collaboration between psychiatrists, psychologists, school personnel, and families regarding evaluation of outcomes for children with ADHD, particularly when pharmacological treatment is considered. Engaging in these approaches can promote culturally responsive practices and improve the quality of services provided to children with ADHD.

A Systematic Review of Tier 1 PBIS Implementation in Alternative Education Settings

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a multitiered system of support for behavior used in many schools across the world. Researchers have begun adapting and evaluating Tier 1 of PBIS for students placed in alternative education (AE) settings. The purpose of this review is to synthesize these evaluations. We systematically searched two electronic databases to find potential studies of Tier 1 PBIS in AE settings. We screened 47 full texts, 19 of which met all inclusion criteria. Most studies (16 of 19, 84%) evaluated student behavioral outcomes, while seven studies (37%) evaluated academic outcomes alone or in addition to behavioral measures. Overall, restraints and seclusions generally decreased following Tier 1 implementation, but behavioral incident changes were variable and academic outcomes only improved for students enrolled continuously throughout the studies. The findings of this review support the need for continued evaluations of Tier 1 in AE settings using more rigorous methodologies and metrics that account for rolling admissions. The observed reductions in restraints and seclusions are promising for students and practitioners given the poor outcomes associated with these consequences.

Multitiered Systems of Support in Preschool Settings: A Review and Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Research

Multitiered systems of support provide a framework for matching the needs of a struggling student with an appropriate intervention. Experimental evaluations of tiered support systems in grade schools have been conducted for decades but have been less frequently examined in early childhood contexts. A recent meta-analysis of multitiered systems of support in preschool settings exclusively synthesized outcomes from group design studies. Our current review extends this review by synthesizing single-case research examining interventions implemented within tiered support system frameworks in preschool settings. Our data indicate that single-case evaluations of tiered support systems do not frequently meet contemporary standards for rigor or consistently identify functional relations. Recommendations and considerations for future research are discussed.