Multi Tiered System of Supports
MTSS A Quick Guide_EN-Aug 26 2019.pdfWhat is a Multi Tiered System of Supports?
The commitment to ensuring a high quality, culturally and linguistically responsive and equitable education for all learners is reflected in the guiding principles of Nova Scotia’s Inclusive Education Policy and in the implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). MTSS is an integrated school-wide approach which provides a structure for effective instruction, assessment, and support for all learners with a focus on well-being and achievement. It requires the collaboration and coordinated efforts of learners, teachers, families, guardians, parents and community partners in providing the appropriate programs, settings, supports, and services.
A Multi-Tiered System of Supports recognizes the inherent worth of all learners and strengthens the importance of well-being and achievement, inclusive of all learners in our classrooms, schools, and communities.
To learn more about MTSS in Nova Scotia, check out these sessions from the 2020 Summer Learning academy:
Characteristics of Tier 1, 2 & 3
Throughout Tiers 1, 2 and 3, instructional practices, supports, and interventions are flexible, responsive, and matched to students’ strengths, interests, and challenges relative to well-being and achievement. Universal–Tier 1 interventions and supports form the foundation for Tiers 2 and 3 and continue to be critical components as Tier 2 and 3 interventions and supports are being developed and implemented.
Tiers in MTSS refer to services and supports provided to students. It is inappropriate to refer to students as Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3 students.
The intentional focus on teaching and learning is not new to educators in Nova Scotia as effective Tier 1 practices are already in action across the Province. There are many great examples of Professional Learning opportunities, regional plans, and school-based plans that support Tier 1 environments.
Universal - Tier 1
Culture of high expectations.
Principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) exemplified in classroom teaching practices.
Inclusive of all students in the common learning environment.
Focus on student well-being and achievement.
Culturally and linguistically responsive practices.
Relational approaches that build, maintain, and restore relationships.
Evidence informed instruction and assessment practices for all students.
Research based curricula that is responsive to student needs.
Preventative and early intervention supports.
Coordination and collaboration among classroom teachers, school staff, specialists, and families.
Teaching Support Teams for collaboration and strategies.
Internal and external partnerships to support students and families/ guardians/parents.
Focused - Tier 2
Small group, evidence informed intervention and supports with specific learning targets
Increased coordination and collaboration among classroom teachers, school staff, specialists, regional/board staff, students, and families.
Adjustments of interventions and supports for effectiveness, based on student progress.
Interventions and supports provided in a responsive way in flexible and fluid learning environments.
Intensive - Tier 3
Intensive, evidence informed, individualized interventions and supports.
Long-term interventions and supports based on student strengths and needs.
Interventions and supports provided in a responsive way in flexible and fluid learning environments.
Collaboration and cooperation among classroom teachers, school staff, specialists, families and interagency programs and supports.
For more information about Individual Program Planning check out the resources found on the eLearning Site and with Student Services Division.
What is the process for creating an effective system of supports?
Ongoing adjustments to planned interventions and supports relies on the evidence of student learning. Evidence is used to inform daily instruction and learning experiences in relation to the interventions and supports. Collaborative teams can provide teachers with the opportunity to develop, implement, monitor, and adjust interventions and supports.
For more information on what this can look like at your school, connect with your Teaching Support Team or other collaborative teams at your school
What does a collaborative model of inclusive schooling look like?
Many schools have Collaborative Learning Teams or Professional Learning Communities that provide time for all teachers to engage with colleagues. These groups can vary by grade level, subject area, or in response to an identified need. Other options to collaborate can be through the Teaching Support Team (TST) and/or Student Support team (SST).
What is Well-Being?
Well-being: students learn and adopt healthy lifestyles that support their physical and mental growth and development.
Check out these documents in support of Well-Being:
The First 10 Days (and beyond)
Back to school during COVID-19 - resources
IWK/EECD Wellness webinars Video playlist
What are Teaching Support Teams?
Teaching Support Teams Quick Guide_EN.pdfThe primary role of the Teaching Support Team is to strengthen the school’s capacity to support student well-being and achievement by assisting teachers in developing strategies to meet the needs of their students. The team will focus on proactively building capacity among teaching staff and supporting changes in teaching practice to meet students needs and on identifying other supports needed as required
Every school will establish a Teaching Support Team that will meet frequently to deal with immediate issues facing teachers and quickly identify resources, people or strategies that can help those teachers more effectively support their students. The team, in collaboration with the classroom teacher, will monitor and evaluate the success of these supports and interventions. The principal or vice-principal will lead the team, which will also include learning support teachers. Teachers will attend if discussions involve their classroom, students, or teaching practices.
Regional/board support staff, such as, but not limited to, School Psychologist, Speech Language Pathologist, African Nova Scotian and Mi’kmaq support staff, Culturally Responsive and SchoolsPlus teams, consultants, coordinators and directors will provide additional supports to Teaching Support Teams, teachers, students, and families. These professionals work with Teaching Support Teams to support teachers in improving their teaching practices and to provide individual supports to the students that need them.
TST Video Series
The videos below are provided as a starting point for professional learning and discussions about Teaching Support Teams in your school.
Note: You will need to be logged into your GNSPES or SEPNE account to access the videos.
Module 1 - TST defined
Module 2 - What is the purpose of the TST?
Module 3 - What is my contribution to the TST?
Teacher Perspective (5:25)
Administrator Perspective (5:32)
Module 4 - TST in Action
If there are additional elements about Teaching Support Teams that could be supported by future videos, we invite you to submit a suggestion by completing this form.
What is Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP)?
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) is inclusive, relational and learner-centered. It improves the well-being and achievement of all children and students by establishing a culture of high expectations. CRP deconstructs prejudice, racism, discrimination, and eliminates barriers. It enhances opportunities to learn and inspires the growth and development of students as independent and engaged learners. Culturally responsive pedagogy connects a learners’ identity; their cultural, social, family, and language background; and their ways of seeing and knowing to create a sense of belonging and a conduit to inspire learning.
Teachers can access the CRP Connect series using the links below, or from the GNSPES launch page, under Professional Learning.
Volume 1 - Relationship building Documents Video playlist
Volume 2 - Understanding CRP Documents Video playlist
Volume 3 - Practice, practice, practice Documents Video playlist
Volume 4 - Learn from history Documents Video playlist
Volume 5 - Evolution Documents Video playlist
What are relational approaches?
Restorative practices or approaches in schools are relationally focused. They seek to create a structure that embeds just relations and processes in everyday practice. These practices highlight the relationships between issues, incidents, contexts, causes, and circumstances. Restorative practices value an integrative approach which enables authentic collaboration, empowerment of first voice, and responsive, flexible practices that respect individual and collective responsibility. Restorative approaches are forward focused, in that they are educative, preventative, and proactive.
Through restorative practices, students learn to develop healthy, respectful relationships, to value each other, and to work together to manage conflicts.
What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?
DEFINITION:
Universal Design is a mindset and practices that are inclusive of ALL users and environments.
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.
-CAST
Teachers are responsible for designing teaching, learning, and assessment experiences that provide multiple means of representation, engagement, and action and expression for ALL learners. The learning and assessment experiences also align with curricula.
By having multiple means of representation, engagement, and action and expression, learners’ well being and academic achievement is enhanced.
This may be as simple as digitizing materials and content, while also providing hard copy text, so that ALL learners have a choice to utilize technology and/or assistive technology, or not.
What is a culture of high expectations?
When teachers treat all students as high achievers—providing them with similar rigorous academic content, similar encouragement and recognition, similar feedback and similar demands for actual effort and products — all students will accelerate in their learning.
What are early intervention supports?
Teachers gather information from observation, interactions, and ongoing informal assessments to identify, try, and revise specific learning supports within the classroom context---available for all; essential for some.
This could also be interactions with other professionals to support teachers and students in the classroom. This is Tier 1 in action.
If teachers are curious about further strategies, or need further support they can refer to their Teaching Support Team or other collaborative teams in their school.
What are high leverage teaching practices?
The evidence-based practices that will lead to improvements in student achievement and well-being. They make up the fundamentals of effective teaching and learning.