Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in WNESU

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (referred to as MTSS) is a systemic approach to decision-making for excellence and equity within a culture of continuous improvement that focuses on successful outcomes for all students. This systemic approach:

• Supports the collaboration of all adults to meet the academic, behavioral, social and emotional needs of all students,
• Provides a layered system of high-quality, evidence-based instruction, intervention, and assessment practices that are matched to student strengths and needs,
• Relies on the effective and timely use of meaningful data,
• Helps districts and their schools organize resources to accelerate the learning of every student, and
• Engages and develops the collective expertise of educators, students, family and community partnerships.

WNESU schools comply with 16 V.S.A. § 2902 by ensuring that each school in our district  maintains a tiered system of academic and behavioral supports for the purpose of providing all students with the opportunity to succeed or to be challenged in the general education environment.

Universal Supports

• High-quality core instruction.
• Embedding social-emotional learning into curriculum and assessment.
• Cultivating a positive and inclusive school climate.

Many school districts create Tier 1 school climate teams or embed Tier 1 supports into school improvement planning.

Targeted Supports

WNESU Schools convene MTSS School-level and CARES (Coordination, Assessment, Response, Education) teams to identify at-risk students who need more targeted support and use data from multiple domains to determine appropriate interventions.

Intensive Supports

Tier 3 supports refer to intensive services that 1 to 5% of students receive if they continue to struggle and require even more individualized intervention or +support. It is also for students who are undergoing more of an acute challenge. 

Educational Support Teams (EST Teams)

An EST is a collaborative team that has regularly scheduled meetings at the school level and is a statutory requirement under 16 V.S.A. §2902.  EST meetings are part of the WNESU MTSS continuum of student support and parent/guardian/family participation is a vital component of the process.  

EST meetings have shared agendas, identified roles for participants, and norms to ensure that they are safe, ordered, and productive. The EST has an effective process for documenting discussion and all decisions made in the meetings. School EST includes an administrator, teachers, a school psychologist, school counselor(s), parents/guardians, a social worker, and other staff with behavioral and/or academic expertise. 

The EST relies on student data. This data may refer to a student’s academic progress, school behavior, or both. Student referrals may be brought to the team through a referral process or the team may use screening assessments to identify students who might need additional support. Student data is also used to determine the effectiveness of interventions.

WNESU EST teams should consider the following when developing interventions: 

• An EST plan is typically intended to address a clearly defined concern – one that is measurable.
• The EST plan includes the current level of performance, the desired change, and a schedule for review. 
• The plan should clearly define what will be done, by whom, where, and when.
• The plan should address ways to enhance the capacity of the general classroom to support/accommodate the student.
• Review dates should be frequent, typically from 4 to 8 school weeks.
• If the student is not showing adequate progress when the plan is reviewed, consider changing the plan.