Canyon Springs High School is a MTSS/PBIS school

 

What is Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS)?

 

Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS), formerly known as RTI grew from efforts to improve identification practices in special education. Simply put, it is a process of systematically documenting the performance of students as evidence of the need for additional services after making changes in classroom instruction. MTSS promises to change the way schools support students with learning and behavior problems by systematically delivering a range of interventions based on demonstrated levels of need.

 

MTSS is defined as "the practice of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction or goals, and applying child response data to important educational decisions" (Batsche et al., 2005). Based on a problem-solving model, the MTSS approach considers environmental factors as they might apply to an individual student's difficulty, and provides services/intervention as soon as the student demonstrates a need. Focused primarily on addressing academic problems, MTSS has emerged as the new way to think about both disability identification and early intervention assistance for the "most vulnerable, academically unresponsive children" in schools and school districts (Fuchs & Deshler, 2007, p. 131, emphasis added).

 

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is based on a problem-solving model and aims to prevent inappropriate behavior through teaching and reinforcing appropriate behaviors (OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports, 2007). Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a process that is consistent with the core principles of MTSS. PBIS offers a range of interventions that are systematically applied to students based on their demonstrated level of need, and addresses the role of the environment as it applies to development and improvement of behavior problems.

 

Both MTSS and PBIS are grounded in differentiated instruction. Each approach delimits critical factors and components to be in place at the universal (Tier 1), targeted group (Tier 2), and individual (Tier 3) levels. Our goal is to describe the shared (identified in bold) characteristics of these approaches as a basis for highlighting how best to meet the needs of children experiencing academic and social difficulties in school.

 

 

The combination of MTSS and PBIS provides effective instructional strategies for both academic and behavior systems

 

Implementation Features

 

Grounded in the same principles as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), the core features of MTSS include:

 

• Expectations for high quality, research-based instruction in general education classrooms.
• Universal, classroom-based screening to identify need for additional support.
• Collaborative, team-based approach to development, implementation, and evaluation of alternative interventions.
• Increasingly intense, multi-tiered application of an array of high-quality, evidence-based instruction matched to individual needs.
• Continuous monitoring of progress to determine impact of interventions.
• Expectations for parent involvement throughout the process.