Instructional Support Team (IST)

Helping Every Student Find Success

Every child learns and develops differently. At times, a student may need additional academic, behavioral, social-emotional, or organizational support in order to be successful at school.

The Instructional Support Team (IST) is a collaborative, problem-solving team that works with teachers and families to identify student needs and develop strategies and interventions to support success.

The goal of IST is simple:

Identify concerns early, provide appropriate support, monitor progress, and adjust the plan based on the student's response.

IST is not a special education program. Rather, it is a way for the school to bring together a team of people to better understand a student's needs and determine what additional supports may be helpful.

Who Is Part of the IST Team?

The specific members of the team may vary depending on the needs of the student.

The team may include:

• Classroom teachers

• Instructional support staff

• School counselor

• Reading specialists

• Special education staff

• School psychologist

• Administrator

• Other school professionals

• Parents and caregivers

Families are an important part of the process. Parents know their children in ways that school staff cannot, and their observations, questions, and concerns can provide valuable information when developing a plan.

Why Might a Student Be Referred to IST?

A teacher, parent, counselor, or other school professional may notice that a student is having difficulty despite the supports already being provided.

Concerns might include:

Academic Concerns

• Reading

• Writing

• Mathematics

• Completing assignments

• Understanding or retaining new skills

• Academic progress

Learning & Executive Functioning

• Attention

• Organization

• Following directions

• Task completion

• Work habits

• Independence

Social-Emotional Concerns

• Managing emotions

• Anxiety or worry

• School adjustment

• Peer relationships

• Coping with frustration

Behavioral Concerns

• Following classroom expectations

• Remaining engaged in learning

• Self-regulation

• Behaviors that interfere with learning

A referral to IST does not mean that something is "wrong" with a student. It means that the school would like to better understand what is getting in the way of success and develop a plan to help.

What Happens During the IST Process?

While each student's situation is unique, the process generally follows a problem-solving approach.

1. Identify the Concern

The team gathers information to clearly understand the area of difficulty.

Rather than simply saying, "The student is struggling," the goal is to determine what specifically is difficult, when it occurs, and what the student needs to be successful.

2. Gather Information

The team may consider information such as:

• Classroom performance

• Assessment results

• Student work

• Attendance

• Teacher observations

• Previous interventions

• Behavioral or social-emotional information

• Parent input

• Student strengths

Looking at multiple sources of information helps the team understand the whole child.

3. Develop a Plan

The team identifies specific strategies or interventions designed to address the student's needs.

The plan should identify:

• What support will be provided?

• How often will it occur?

• Who will provide it?

• How will we know whether it is working?

4. Provide the Intervention

The student receives the identified support for an appropriate period of time.

5. Monitor Progress

The team collects information to determine how the student is responding.

6. Review & Adjust

The team reviews the student's progress and decides what should happen next.

The intervention may be:

• Continued

• Adjusted

• Increased

• Reduced

• Discontinued because the student has met the goal

The important idea is that decisions are based on the student's needs and response to support.

What is MTSS?

IST works within a broader framework often referred to as Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

MTSS is a school-wide approach designed to make sure students receive the right level of support at the right time.

Rather than waiting for a student to experience significant difficulty, MTSS emphasizes:

• High-quality instruction for all students

• Early identification of needs

• Prevention

• Evidence-based interventions

• Progress monitoring

• Data-informed decision-making

• Collaboration between educators and families

• Increasing or decreasing support based on student need

MTSS can address more than academics. A comprehensive MTSS framework can support academic achievement, behavior, attendance, and social-emotional development.

Understanding Tiers of Support

MTSS is often represented as a triangle with three levels, or tiers, of support.

Why Is Progress Monitoring Important?

One of the most important parts of MTSS and IST is determining whether an intervention is actually helping.

Progress monitoring allows the team to ask:

• Is the student improving?

• Is the intervention working?

• Is progress happening quickly enough?

• Should we continue the plan?

• Does something need to change?

Instead of relying only on impressions, the team uses information and data to make informed decisions.

Does IST Mean My Child Needs Special Education?

Not necessarily.

IST and MTSS are designed to provide students with support within general education and help schools respond early when concerns arise.

Many students participate in interventions, make progress, and no longer require additional support.

For some students, however, ongoing information may indicate that additional evaluation should be considered. If there is reason to suspect that a student may have a disability and need special education services, the school follows the appropriate evaluation procedures and communicates with the family.

MTSS or IST should not be used simply to delay an appropriate special education evaluation when one is warranted.

How Can Families Help?

Parents and caregivers are important partners throughout the process.

Families can help by:

• Sharing concerns with teachers early

• Providing information about what they observe at home

• Asking questions about interventions

• Maintaining consistent routines

• Supporting regular attendance

• Encouraging reading and learning at home

• Celebrating effort and growth

• Communicating changes that may be affecting the child

• Attending meetings when possible

We Are a Team

The purpose of IST and MTSS is not to place a label on a student.

It is to create a system in which students do not have to struggle for an extended period before receiving additional help.

Teachers, specialists, counselors, administrators, students, and families work together to identify needs, provide appropriate interventions, celebrate progress, and make adjustments when necessary.

Identify early.

Support intentionally.

Monitor progress.

Adjust when needed.

Help every student grow.

If you have any questions regarding the IST process in the Elementary School, please contact Mrs. Sandra Minnick by email at sminnick@ccsd.cc or by calling the Elementary School at 570-784-2850 ext. 1000 and asking for Mrs. Minnick.