MTSS is Connecticut’s response to the federal requirement to develop a model of intervention that emphasizes the central role of general education in the intervention process prior to referral to special education that provides educational practices that are scientific research-based. The important elements of MTSS include:
- Core general education curriculums that are comprehensive in addressing a range of important competencies in each academic domain. culturally relevant and research-based to the extent that research exists to inform their selection or development.
- A Schoolwide/districtwide comprehensive system of social-emotional learning and behavioral supports.
- Strategies for assuring that educators are modeling respectful and ethical behaviors, fostering student engagement/connectedness to school and assessing the quality of the overall school climate so that students experience physical, emotional and intellectual safety.
- The use of research-based , effective instructional strategies both within and across a variety of academic domains.
- Differentiation of instruction for all learners, including students performing above and below grade level expectations and English langauge learners (ELLs).
- Common assessments of all students that enable teachers to monitor academic and social progress, and identify those who are experiencing difficulty early.
- Early intervention for students experiencing academic and/or behavioral difficulties to prevent the development of more serious educational issues later on.
- Educational decision-making driven by data involving students’ growth and performance relative to peers; data are carefully and collaboratively analyzed by teams of educators (e.g., data teams, early intervention teams), with the results applied not only to inform instruction for individual students, but also to evaluate and improve core general education practices and the overall efficacy of interventions.
- A continuum of support that is part of the general education system, with increasing intensity and/or individualization across multiple tiers
- A systematic approach to core educational practices in which teachers within a grade use the same sets of common assessments for all students, address the same curricular competencies, and share the same behavioral expectations; assessments, curricular competencies and behavioral expectations also are well-coordinated across grades.
If you have questions about this process feel free to reach out to Shawn Dimmock(sdimmock@ashfordct.org)or David Eichorn(deichorn@ashfordct.org).