Academics
MTSS Teams
MTSS teams are at the heart of the multi-leveled (or multi-tiered) systems of supports process. Also known as Student Success Teams (SST), Pupil Services Teams (PST), or Risk Review Teams (BARR), these teams strive to identify student needs, design data-driven intervention plans when students are not responding to core curriculum and instruction, and work to ensure interventions are being implemented and delivered with high fidelity.
Collaboration forms the backbone to our teams, and teams are made up of many different disciplines. Team members can include (but is not limited to): building principals, school psychologists, school counselors, social workers, Title I or other academic interventionists, social-emotional-behavioral building coaches, and/or classroom teachers.
Solution-Oriented Process
CFAUSD schools use a problem solving approach within a team framework to best address student needs. The following process help keep MTSS team members focused on finding solutions for individual students and school-wide problems.
1) Screen: What's the Problem?
A universal screening process is used to determine whether each student is likely to meet, not meet, or exceed academic benchmarks by looking at data from different assessments. CFAUSD currently uses the FastBridge Learning System as their academic universal screening tool K-5th grade. STAR Reading and STAR Math assessments are utilized in grades 6-8.
The process begins by looking at all student data. If less than 80% of all students are meeting academic expectations, a change to the core curriculum or instruction may be necessary.
Next steps include identifying individual students in need of either intervention to support missing skills or enrichment to boost skills that are exceeding expectations.
2) Identify: Why is it occurring?
Teams first identify a student's area of need, and then decide which interventions and strategies are the best fit for that student.
An intervention plan may be created for each student with individualized goals set to determine rates of student progress.
3) Implement: What are we going to do about it?
At this stage, students receive their academic intervention on a regular basis. The amount of time a student participates is determined by fidelity recommendations provided for each intervention program. Interventions occur outside the core curriculum instruction time so that students are not being removed from their class lessons (e.g., a student is removed from reading instruction to receive a reading intervention).
All interventions are research-based and administered by certified school-based staff. Students take regular assessments to identify the level of progress they are making in the intervention.
4) Monitor: Is it working?
Teams look at individual students' data to see if they are making progress, and determine next steps of intervention intensity as needed. Many students engage in weekly progress monitoring so their progress can be evaluated frequently over time.
Data on all interventions is also collected so that teams can understand which interventions are most helpful to students and which interventions are less effective
5) Evaluate: What are the next steps?
Teams address individual student progress monitoring data to determine if the current intervention is a good match for the student or changes should be implemented to maximize each students' rate of improvement.
Teams identify how many students are receiving tiered interventions and whether the school is serving students equitably
Program Spotlight:
Chippewa Falls Senior High School BARR Program
Chippewa Falls Senior High School has been implementing a nationally recognized school improvement network called Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) for the past several years. BARR is a strengths-based model that provides schools with a comprehensive approach that uses relationships and data to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students. In turn, empowering all students to thrive within and outside the classroom.
Educators know that understanding students as a person and a learner is effective when teaching. Through weekly team meetings between instructors, student services personnel, and administrators, the BARR Model provides staff a way to understand and build on students’ strengths, while proactively addressing the non-academic reasons why a student may be falling behind in school. Understanding obstacles and providing relative resources helps a student use their strengths to reach their potential and empower them to thrive.
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