Guide to Chapter 4: The ABCs of School (I&RS, RTI, MTSS, SEL)

Engaging in key vocabulary with reflections: 

I&RS

This team may be the first time that a student is brought up by the teacher as having a potential concern. This concern may be academic, behavioral, emotional, or anything really. Contacting this team is a way of communicating that a student may be in need of services outside the typical classroom. 

What professionals should be included in these teams? What is the role of the parents/guardians on these teams?

MTSS (Multi-tiered Systems of Support) and RTI (Response to Intervention)

As discussed in this chapter, these are support systems that engage other educational professionals to work as a team to meet diverse needs of students. While many teachers feel that the end goal of these systems is an IEP, often students may only need targeted interventions at specific times to build skills. Ideally, students may be able to scale back interventions following cycles in these programs—although it is not guaranteed. 

What types of data are important to keep as students are in these processes? How is work in these intervention models different from what happens in the classroom in Tier 2 instruction? Considering the developmental mindset of Chapter 3, how can you work with these teams through this lens?

SEL

Social-Emotional Learning is often pushed aside to one specific part of the day when it should be woven into all activities throughout the day (and in the school community). With this being said, it is crucial that you consider the different populations of students you have when planning integrations of SEL across the curriculum. Accessibility and representation are key when considering access for SEL initiatives.

• How do you integrate SEL lessons and values throughout your day and embed them in your classroom routine

• What types of topics may be needed at your target grade level? 

Table 4.1:

Important to note is that reflection on the effectiveness of the Tier 1 instruction must be happening if many students require Tier 2 or 3 interventions. Why? If the whole-group or in-class instruction isn’t meeting the instructional needs of many students, there is something that is amiss. 

Activities for engagement: 

• SEL strategy swap: Create a collective electronic SEL toolkit for collaborative use. These may include lesson ideas, activities to build community and belonging, and resources for professional learning. 

• Tiered support mapping: Design a visual map of activities and interventions that may fit at different levels of support. This can be a useful collaborative live resource and teachers can add to it as they learn from their colleagues. 

• Role-play an I&RS committee meeting with consideration of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports that may be discussed for a fictional student. How may this be different at various grade levels? Who should be present? 

• Student connection reflection: Reflect on the vignette from Veronica. Prompt: What strategies do you use to build relationships with students? How do these connections impact behavior and learning? Share stories and brainstorm new ways to foster trust and support. 

• Intervention effectiveness data tracker: Design a simple tracking tool for monitoring interventions. Include columns for strategy, duration, student response, and next steps. Discuss how data informs decisions and supports collaboration. 

• SOS signals discussion: Discuss how students may share subtle signs of needing support and the various school and community resources that may be available.