TFI 3.1 TEAMS: Team Composition
Tier 3 systems planning team (or combined Tier 2 & 3 team) includes a Tier 3 systems coordinator and individuals who can provide (a) applied behavioral expertise, (b) administrative authority, (c) multi-agency supports (e.g., person centered planning, wraparound, RENEW) expertise, (d) knowledge of students, and (e) knowledge about the operations of the school across grade levels and programs.
TFI 3.2 TEAMS: Team Operating Procedures
Tier 3 team meets at least monthly and has (a) regular meeting format/agenda, (b) minutes, (c) defined meeting roles, and (d) a current action plan.
Systems support the accurate and durable implementation of practices by staff, the efficient use of data for decision-making, and achievement of outcomes. Staff are trained to prevent many student behavior problems as well as to deal with disruptive behaviors in a proactive and positive manner. Systems provide the procedures and infrastructure to support and maintain new evidence-based practices.
TFI 3.1 and 3.2 Big Ideas
In element TFI 3.1, the site administrator will form a Tier 3 Systems Planning Team to oversee students receiving Tier 3 Supports.
When building a team, keep in mind that members should have specific areas of expertise - applied behavior, administrative authority, multi-agency supports, knowledge of students, and knowledge about the operations of the school across grade levels and programs
Action planning includes: gaining commitment, identifying areas of expertise, assigning roles, scheduling monthly meetings, and adopting a sign-in sheet.
In element TFI 3.2, Team norms and operating procedures will be formally adopted. This will position the Team to efficiently identify priorities, establish action plans, and work together to complete short and long-term goals.
Action planning includes: setting annual implementation goals, scheduling meetings, establishing norms, and adopting agenda/minutes templates.
Tier 3 Readiness
Prior to moving into Tier 3, Teams should take a moment to determine their readiness to implement systems and practices at this highest level.
While completing the checklist, Tier 3 Teams will review a variety of data sets:
Tiered Fidelity Inventory Tier 1 and 2 results
Self Assessment Survey (SAS) results
Aeries
Each data set is equally important, as they provide a different perspective of the site's ability to support students who need Tier 3 supports.
Tier 3 Systems Planning Team Members
The role of The Tier 3 Systems Planning Team is to:
1) identify students who require Tier 3 supports using decision rules and data (1-3% of the population),
2) oversee each unique Student Support Team,
3) monitor fidelity to plan implementation - Tier 3 Behavior Support Plan (T3BSP) or Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), and
4) progress monitor student response to the interventions written into their plan.
Therefore, members of the Tier 3 Systems Planning Team must have expertise in the following areas:
Understand Applied Behavior as it relates to how Environmental Factors can become antecedents to behavior and consequences can become the Function of the behavior. They should also be able to use this information to help staff make Environmental Modifications and determine Functionally Equivalent Replacement Behaviors (FERB) for individual students.
Have Administrative Authority to support team decisions, provide more opportunities to meet as a Tier 3 team, allow time for training on Tier 3 topics, and provide a budget to support staff member release time and student supports.
Identify Multi-Agency Supports to address mental health concerns offered within the district (i.e., HEART) and the community (i.e., VCSS and Coyote Counseling).
Have Knowledge of Students who have been receiving Tier 2 supports (i.e., What they have received? How they responded? etc.)
Have Knowledge about School Operations and what supports are available (i.e., additional staffing, additional interventions, flexible schedules, etc.).
Tier 3 Action Planning
An Action Plan is a way to identify what needs to be done to implement strategies and provides a system for the Team to hold themselves accountable for completing a series of steps. Action plans should indicate what needs to be done, who is responsible, and by when tasks will be completed.
Tully, 2008; McIntosh and Goodman, 2016Teams should develop action plans based on the results of their end of year TFI evaluation and Self Assessment Survey (SAS). Action plans will support the implementation of the systems and processes necessary to support staff and students at the Tier 3 level. At the Tier 3 level, Teams should consider writing action plans for supporting implementation of TFI 3.1-3.7 (Teams/Resources) and TFI 3.14-3.17 (Evaluation). See sample 3.1/3.2 action plan below. TFI features 3.8-3.13 will exclusively be built within behavior plans.Additionally, Teams may find the Tier 3 at a Glance as a helpful document to review when developing their action plans.
Scheduling Meeting Dates
The TFI recommends the Tier 3 Systems Planning Team meets, at least monthly. However, how often (1x/month, 2x/month, etc.) and how long (1 hour, 1.5 hrs., 2hrs., etc.) Teams meet can only be determined once the Team has developed their annual goals, established a scope/sequence of action steps, and estimates how many behavior plans/students will be reviewed each month.
Monthly Tier 3 Systems Planning Teams will:
Review current Action Plan
Review data: Number of students currently on a behavior plan, number of students with a positive response to their plan, number of students with a questionable or poor response to their plan
Discuss student response to their plan and adjust accordingly:
Questionable/poor - modify, intensify, consider referral for Special Education
Positive - continue goal writing, fade, graduate
Discuss possible new students: Review existing school data (ODRs, Suspensions, Attendance, etc.), Parent/Student/Staff Nominations, and referrals from the Tier 2 Team
Discuss plan fidelity data: Review fidelity data for each behavior plan, discuss implementation of plans with low scores, and brainstorm ways to support plan implementation
Review data with staff: Develop a presentation to share data with staff - number of behavior plans, number of students with a positive/questionable/poor response to plans, and fidelity of implementation to plans
Annually Tier 3 Systems Planning Teams will train all staff: Develop a presentation that includes - basic behavior theory, function of behavior, and function-based intervention
How to Score 2 Points on TFI 3.1 & 3.2
To receive a 2 Point Score Teams must be able to say yes to the following set of questions.
TFI 3.1
a) A designated member of our Team led our Tier 3 Team meetings - Coordinator (facilitator),
b) A Team member has Applied Behavioral Expertise and attended >80% of our meetings,
c) A Team member has Administrative Authority and attended >80% of our meetings,
d) A Team member has knowledge of Multi-Agency Supports and attended >80% of our meetings,
d) A Team member has Knowledge of Students and attended >80% of our meetings, and
e) A Team member has Knowledge About Operations and attended >80% of our meetings.
TFI 3.2
a) We met at minimum 1 time per month this year,
b) An agenda guided our Team discussions,
c) A designated member of our Team recorded the minutes of our meetings,
d) Members of our Team took on roles to help our meetings run smoothly - for example, Facilitator, Time Keeper, Recorder, Data Analyst, etc., and
e) Throughout the year we worked through the tasks of at least one action plan - Tier 3 Implementation and/or student outcomes.