Multi-tiered Systems Research Articles

Modeling and Regulation of Dynamic Temperature for Layer Houses Under Combined Positive- and Negative-Pressure Ventilation

The environmental control of layer houses with multi-tiered cage systems is influenced by factors such as the structure of the henhouses and the heat dissipation of the flock, leading to low precision and large fluctuations in temperature control. Based on a new combined positive- and negative-pressure ventilation (CPNPV) mode, a dynamic temperature model is constructed. Additionally, a temperature control method for a layer house is designed using a variable universe fuzzy PID control algorithm (VFPID). First, based on the principles of energy and mass balance, and by decoupling the relationship between positive- and negative-pressure ventilation volumes, a dynamic temperature model for layer houses under CPNPV was established. Then, the PID parameters and the proportional relationship between positive- and negative-pressure ventilation were optimized through fuzzy rules, and a proportional exponential function was introduced to adjust the scaling of the universe, enabling fine-tuned control. Finally, a temperature control model for the layer house was built using Simulink. The results show that the coefficients of determination (R2) of the constructed dynamic temperature models are between 0.79 and 0.88, respectively, indicating high accuracy. The designed VFPID method outperformed traditional on–off control and improved control precision by 20–23.53% and 10.34–22.22% compared with PID control and fuzzy PID(FPID) control methods, respectively. This study provides new insights for the development of environmental control equipment and precise environmental regulation of layer houses.

Agency, Structure, and Organization: School-Wide Approaches to Dismantling Injustice

Schools and districts have long grappled with race- and disability-based exclusionary discipline inequities. Research on the topic has uncovered a variety of systems that maintain such disparities, including school policies and practices that exacerbate the problem. Researchers and practitioners have increasingly considered school context and practices as mediators of both special education and exclusionary discipline risk. Although educational leaders are often required to review policies, practices, and procedures that contribute to inequities, few tools exist for practical translation toward school-wide solutions. This case is designed to help school and district leaders translate theory and research into practical actions for transformational change. The case provides considerations for designing and implementing culturally responsive Multi-Tiered Systems and Supports within a given school context, including climate and programming.

An Effective Interprofessional Collaboration to Support African Refugee Students' Oral and Written Language and Social Integration

Purpose: Two faculty members collaborated to advance educational equity by providing a summer camp experience to prevent summer learning loss for African refugee students in preschool through high school. Both faculty members educate university students in graduate programs, one for students aiming to become educators of English to Speakers of Other Languages and the other for speech-language pathology students. Method: Speech-language pathology graduate students provided supports for oral and written language within Tier 1 of a multitiered systems of support framework during camp. Interventions were provided within the context of the camp activities, rooted in the constructs of contextualized intervention, implicit learning, and feedback-free learning. The speech-language pathology students collaborated with the faculty members, camp director, community members, and the campers. Results: The speech-language pathology students learned to provide language support in natural environments, analyze writing, recognize strengths and areas for growth in multilingual learners, establish rapport with individuals from cultural and linguistic backgrounds that differ from their own, collaborate with other professionals, and build campers' confidence and self-esteem. The campers expanded their vocabulary, syntactic, and narrative production and developed teamwork, collaboration, and leadership. Conclusions: This program can be a model for others aiming to collaborate to advance educational equity. Speech-language pathologists have an important role in collaborating with colleagues from other disciplines to provide programs for language and literacy support, even when the students do not have underlying language disorder.

Measuring Elementary Student Reading Gain in the Context of School-Implemented Multitiered Systems of Support

There is limited research with mixed results about student reading gains in Grades 1 to 5 within typical school-implemented Response to Intervention (RTI). As part of a larger study, we used school-administered screening data on a widely used computer-adaptive test (Measures of Academic Progress) to describe reading gains across one academic year. We observed relatively faster growth in the first grade than in the later grades. We found stronger growth for students not identified with a disability relative to students with low or high-incidence disabilities or a 504 plan. We explored moderation of gains for students receiving tiered interventions based on administrators’ interviews about RTI implementation. We observed that better ratings of administrators’ articulation about using the evidence-aligned RTI components of progress monitoring, data-based decision-making, and Tier 2 interventions were related to greater gains for students receiving Tier 2 or 3 intervention. We discuss implications, limitations, and directions for future research.

Perception of School Social Bonding (PSSB) Instrument: Structural and Concurrent Validity

AbstractSchool bonding refers to the connections that students have with their schools and with various aspects of their academic environments, with an emphasis on close affective relationships and investment in doing well at school. The Perception of School Social Bonding (PSSB) instrument is a 10-item, self-report instrument with 3 subscales measuring different aspects of student school bonding: attachment; involvement; and belief. The instrument is grounded in Hirschi’s theory of social control and was evaluated for structural and concurrent validity in a sample of 3,507 students from mixed ethnicity, gender, and age groups. The 3-factor structure of the scale was supported; differences across gender and ethnic groups were identified; and some subscale scores related inversely to chronic school absenteeism. The brevity and sensitivity of the PSSB may make it particularly useful as a universal screening measure in multi-tiered systems of support models.

Teaching Students to Read: A Call to Action for Social Justice in School Psychology

Although the accurate diagnosis and effective instruction for reading disorders through multi-tiered systems of support is one of the most foundational components of school psychology training and practice, there are significant opportunities for innovation, renewed excitement, and social justice. In this article, we identify reading assessments, interventions, and systems-level policies shown to be effective through rigorous, empirical research. These effective practices are not well known by school psychologists or commonly implemented in schools. We propose four areas to better align school psychology training and practice with the most cutting-edge reading research to improve student outcomes in the future: (a) building knowledge of reading development, (b) increasing the commitment to school-based careers, (c) implementing more instructionally-useful reading screening and special education assessment practices (including using the hybrid model of identification), and (d) promoting evidence-based reading instruction and intervention. Throughout each of these four areas, we highlight the need for multi-disciplinary collaboration.

Adolescents’ School-Based Universal Well-Being Screening: A Validation of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire in Portugal

AbstractSchool-based universal well-being screening is proposed within the Multi-tiered Systems of Support approach to collect data on school and individual well-being. Universal screening allows for data-based informed decision, allocating each pupil or set of pupils in universal, selective and/or indicated structured interventions and supports. However, schools require adequate and validated measures of both positive well-being and indicators of psychological health problems. This study focused on the adaptation and validation of the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ) in Portugal, a tool directed to positive well-being screening. After a translation process, data was collected in 10 schools. A sample of 942 school pupils in the 3rd cycle was randomly split into two subsamples. First was conducted on one subsample, and then, CFA was conducted in the other. Gender and school year invariance were also conducted with the CFA subsample. Internal consistency was likewise analysed. The analysis finished with convergent and discriminant validity. Overall, results supported a second-order factor model (subjective well-being), including four first-order factors, with the elimination of one item and changing one item to another subscale. Results showed good reliability of each factor (all above 0.70). Full measurement invariance was reached for gender (male and female) and school year (7th, 8th and 9th grades). Convergent validity was found with measures of satisfaction with school, group identification with peers and school social support, and divergent validity was found with BPM-Y. Altogether, results support that SSWQ-PG can be used to screen for subjective well-being in schools, helping schools in identifying and addressing pupils’ mental health needs more effectively.

Advocating for Disciplinary Reform Through a Systematic Review of School Discipline Laws and State Guidance Across the United States

We conducted a systematic documentary content analysis of state laws and state education agency (SEA) disciplinary guidance from all 50 states in the United States. We focused on zero tolerance policies, mandates for review of disproportionality in discipline data, the utilization of school resource officers in discipline, corporal punishment, and prevention. Knowledge of practices throughout the United States is critical for school psychologists to advocate for socially just disciplinary practices and reform. Most state laws require zero tolerance practices for weapons and drug related offenses, yet very few mandate zero tolerance for minor offenses such as insubordination or disrespect. Only nine states require SEAs to review data for disproportionality or require school districts to remedy disproportionality when it is present. Eleven states allow for school resource officers to be involved in discipline outside of high-level safety concerns. Additionally, 23 states still allow corporal punishment in schools. Many states offer guidance to districts on the implementation of multitiered systems of support (MTSS), positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), restorative practices, progressive discipline, and classroom-based interventions. Implications for school psychologists advocating for disciplinary reform at the local, state, and national level will be discussed. Impact Statement The researchers conducted a systematic national content analysis of school discipline laws and SEA guidance documents. We hope that the findings about school disciplinary laws and SEA guidance in each state will assist school psychologists in targeting their advocacy and reform efforts for more equitable and proactive disciplinary practices at the local, state, and national level.

Considerations for improving racial equity in schools: Applying a cultural historical framework

ABSTRACT Educational agencies with inequities in special education or exclusionary discipline are required to review local policies, practices, and procedures as potential drivers of disproportionality. Indeed, disparities manifest in both locally and through broad, historical narratives; solutions must thus address both local context and histories of power and privilege. However — despite racial and ethnic disparities defining inequities, school-wide approaches enacted for addressing drivers (e.g. multi-tiered systems of support) rarely center culturally sustaining, anti-racist, and anti-ableist lenses that consider the sociohistorical contexts of an educational space. Further, there is little practical guidance regarding how to implement these frameworks through such a lens, leaving school stakeholders with scant guidance for understanding and addressing inequities via school-level, institutional practices. We outline practical implementation ideas that practitioners might use when selecting school-wide programs meant to shift inequitable systems and provide meaningful access to learning for all students.

Integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in Elementary Schools: Practical Applications

An integrated multi-tiered system of support (I-MTSS) framework facilitates the implementation of practices across academic, social, emotional, and behavioral wellness (SEB) areas. Integrated multi-tiered systems of support allow schools to support all students efficiently and effectively in a manner that best meets their comprehensive needs. This approach is especially critical for students with multiple or complex learning and SEB needs. Although there is great promise in improving the effectiveness and efficiency of supporting students through an I-MTSS model, there is a need to help educators understand how an integrated approach can be practically implemented. In this article, we share information on practical applications of I-MTSS that can be implemented in elementary school settings.

Data-Informed Professional Learning and Instruction in Integrated Tiered Systems

There are many integrated Multi-tiered Systems of Support (iMTSS), which we refer to as integrated-tiered systems. These systems hold benefits for students with disabilities, as such systems have the potential to facilitate inclusion and focus the collective expertise of educators committed to meeting students’ multiple needs. The Comprehensive, Integrated Three-Tiered (Ci3T) prevention model was designed to meet student’s academic, behavioral, and social and emotional well-being needs within one integrated system. Using lessons learned over decades of research, we present a step-by-step approach to building educators’ capacity to implement integrated tiered systems through data-informed professional learning. We illustrate how school leaders can use this approach to onboard new faculty, plan coordinated ongoing professional learning for all educators, and facilitate the use of data to inform instruction—all of which are intertwined through the design, implementation, and evaluation of Ci3T models.

A statewide multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) and mental health

Amidst growing concerns about the prolonged youth mental health crisis, many schools across the United States provide social and emotional supports for students through both universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programs and practices and through more targeted and intensive mental health supports. However, all too often, these supports are implemented in a way that is not coordinated to ensure that students benefit in a systematic and equitable manner. This article provides a case study example from a statewide initiative to address this issue: the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Academy (SEB Academy) operated by Education Development Center (EDC) as part of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Academies funded by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The SEB Academy supports schools in assessing and improving their MTSS for SEL and mental health. Schools improve their systems for identifying students needing SEL and mental health support at each tier, providing appropriate support, monitoring student progress, and adjusting supports as appropriate while ensuring cultural responsiveness and equity. Key strategies, tools, and approaches in implementing this MTSS approach to SEL and mental health in schools and districts are described. Implications for the field of SEL and mental health are discussed, including how states and other education stakeholders can support an MTSS approach to SEL and mental health at scale.

Large scale implementation of effective early literacy instruction

IntroductionLarge-scale implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to enhance children's early literacy success is critically important to address global literacy challenges. This paper describes one such initiative, the Better Start Literacy Approach (BSLA), which was specifically designed for large-scale implementation in New Zealand.MethodsBetween February 2020 and May 2023 over 3,000 teachers in 819 schools across New Zealand implemented BSLA, with baseline data available for 29,795 5-year-old children. Teachers implemented novel online assessments to monitor children's early literacy growth.ResultsIn comparison to an internal control group, accelerated progress in children's phonic, and phoneme awareness skills was evident after 10 weeks of BSLA Tier 1 (universal) teaching. After 30 weeks, there were significant gains in word reading, spelling, listening comprehension and oral narrative abilities; growth did not differ based on gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Children with greater learning needs who received BSLA Tier 2 (small group targeted teaching) caught up to their peers in word reading and spelling skills.ConclusionsWith appropriate resourcing, planning and engagement with communities, successful large-scale implementation of evidenced-based early literacy approaches is possible within a relatively short time. Culturally responsive implementation within MTSS frameworks holds much promise for raising literacy achievement for all children.

Efficient Scheduling of Data Transfers in Multi-tiered Storage

Multi-tiered persistent storage systems integrate many types of persistent storage devices, such as different types of NVMes, SSDs, and HDDs. This integration provides a multi-level view of persistent storage, where each tier has a different data transmission speed and capacity. Data transfer processes operating on multi-tiered persistent storage allow for the parallelisation of data transfers among the partitions of data at the same or different tiers. This work considers the problem of efficient scheduling of parallel data transfers between the tiers of persistent storage. We consider a data processing model where several data transfer processes move or copy data from one tier to another through the buffers in transient memory. We propose a new model for data processing over multi-tiered persistent storage and new algorithms to minimise both the overall time spent on parallel data transfers and the idle time of data transfer processes. We also describe how the scheduling algorithms dynamically apply different procedures to assign data transfers to the processes. Finally, we present the outcomes from the experiments that confirm the correctness and efficiency of the scheduling algorithms.

Healthy educators need healthy schools: Supporting educator work-related well-being through multitiered systems of support.

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified preexisting challenges for educators as manifested in high rates of work-related stress and burnout, and educators leaving the profession in higher numbers than ever before. In this article, we highlight the urgency for work-related well-being supports for educators, with a particular focus on system changes. Individual self-care is necessary, yet insufficient. To this end, we recommend the use of a multitiered system of support framework to promote a supportive and balanced work environment for all educators, tailored to local needs. We provide a rationale for the use of a tiered model and give specific recommendations for implementation and sustainability of a continuum of supports for school-wide educator well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of the School Nurse in Social-Emotional Assessment and Intervention Using the MTSS Framework.

Mental health needs in school are increasing and can affect every student. School nurses are in a perfect position to support social-emotional learning and implement coping strategies to aid in student success. This article features the implementation of social-emotional interventions in the school health office for all students using the multitiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. MTSS is an evidence-based framework that integrates prevention and tiered intervention with data-based problem-solving to meet the academic and behavioral needs of students. Through a tiered approach, all students receive the support they need to understand their emotions, recognize how strong emotions affect physical health, and how to cope. Because maladaptive coping can have an adverse effect on academics, social-emotional wellness is essential for students to be healthy, safe, and ready to learn.

What Do Teachers Do When Preschoolers “Misbehave”? Family Matters

AbstractThere are documented disparities in how preschool teachers perceive and respond to challenging behavior in the classroom. Teachers’ decision-making processes when handling challenging behavior and how they include families in the process is an area that is notably under-researched. Using an experimental design, preschool teachers (N = 131; 93% Female; 27.5% Black) read a standardized vignette describing a child’s challenging behavior. Teachers were randomly assigned to receive a vignette with the name and picture of a Black or White boy. Teachers listed the actions they would take in addressing the behavior and whether they would include families. Qualitative answers were coded using the validated Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool for Preschool Classrooms. Although the child’s behavior was identical, teachers’ responses greatly varied—some appropriate and others maladaptive according to published multi-tiered systems of support. Involving families in the process was often referenced as a separate step with teachers frequently placing the blame on families for the child’s behavior. Variations in results by child race are also reported and discussed. Findings indicate that supporting preschool teachers in successfully implementing full tiered systems of support and finding meaningful ways to engage families in the process is critical.

An Illustrative Case Example in a K-12 School District: Considering Sustainable Mental Health Practices within Systematic, Equitable, and Collaborative Approaches

With the increased social-emotional needs of students since the COVID-19 pandemic, schools offer an opportunity to support student wellness and address needs. This article describes one district’s efforts to develop a systematic, equitable, and collaborative continuum of supports. The district used Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding from the U.S. Department of Education to establish new initiatives and support for students experiencing mental health struggles. These initiatives and supports include hiring a school social worker, a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework, implementing universal screening tools for early identification and intervention, using data-driven decision-making, and incorporating progress monitoring efforts to document the impact of services and supports that have been provided to their students. As new initiatives with time limited funding often fail to make a lasting impact, using sustainability strategies is critical. This article describes the district’s systematic, equitable, and collaborative approaches with sustainability considerations. We also describe barriers and next steps to assist other districts in planning for change. We conclude with a discussion of implications for practice and research.

Implementation of Rtl as a Part of Multi-tiered Systems of Support: What Teachers, Administrators,Teacher Educators Need to Know

Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is an outgrowth of Response to Intervention (RtI). The various systems of support for students and school communities provided through these programs are integral to modern education and embedded in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004. While there are many benefits to the implementation of MTSS and RtI, there are various obstacles that can hinder successful intervention programs. The absence of consensus across districts and states with respect to program development and implementation creates confusion. This article addresses considerations and concerns related to MTSS and RtI. Discussed are underlying principles, challenges to effective implementation, expertise and training of teachers, and usage for classification for special education services. The roles of general and special education teachers, administrators, and university preparation programs are examined, and recommendation providec

Promoting Students’ Mental Wellness: Implementing Mindfulness-Based Interventions Within Multitiered Systems of Support

Promoting Students’ Mental Wellness: Implementing Mindfulness-Based Interventions Within Multitiered Systems of Support