Strategies for Achieving Best Practice in Integrating Special Education within an MTSS

My district presently ensures that best practices are evident in the integration of special education within a multi-tiered system of supports. This is done by providing a constant flow of information on expectations. Opportunities for professional development are also offered to all district employees, including charter school employees. This is done through dissemination of information via the district’s e-conference application and direct e-mail notices to school principals. Special education school site personnel are called upon to ensure that all students are receiving the individualized support needed to minimize the educational deficiencies they may experience. Continuous, mandatory professional development sessions are provided on an ongoing basis. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are included as part of the professional duties of all instructional and administrative school personnel. This ensures that everyone works for common causes to meet student needs.

In order to improve the MTSS practices for all school settings including charter schools, the district could use strategies that ensure all schools develop a systems focus. Schools need to have a comprehensive outline of the tasks and requirements that are to take place during the school year toward the efforts to successfully maintain a strong MTSS. For example, Johnson, Carter & Pool (2013) stated that schools need to include in their MTSS plan, an outline of the team structure and functions. These outlines should include clear procedures and practices for all stages of the Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) plan. Another practice that strengthens the fidelity of efforts toward student support is a systematic documentation process. This strengthens the decision making process for each cycle of support. It ensures that no student falls through the cracks. When data is triangulated from multiple sources and documented to identify students who are most at risk of academic and behavior problems all involved personnel can collaborate to provide needed services for students (Coleman, Steinberg, Pereles, Miller & Jorgensen, 2012).  In order to further improve RTI within the district, teachers can receive additional training in the data collection process for RTI. As stated by Sandomierski, Kincaid & Algozzine (2013), teachers need to be trained in the use of various data collection tools. One tool that can be used to document the efforts of teachers toward positive behavior is the Teacher Rating Scale. It can be found on the Florida PBS website. Teachers should be required to familiarize themselves with websites such as this that carry supporting documents or they should be supplied the documents that can be resources in their daily efforts to support student behavior and academic success.

Sandomierski, T., Kincaid, D., & Algozzine, B. (2013). Response to Intervention and Positive Behavior Support: Brothers from Different Mothers or Sisters from Different Misters? Retrieved from http://www.esc14.net/users/0018/docs/ctl_bm_pbs_schoolwide_articles.pdf

Johnson E., Carter, D., & Pool, J. (2013). School-wide implementation of a combined RtI/PBIS model: Fidelity, student outcomes, social validity. Boise State University. Retrieved from works.bpress.com

Coleman, M., Steinberg, E., Pereles, D., MillerA., & Jorgensen, D., (2012). Creating the conditions for success: A case study of three Thompson schools’ RtI and PBIS frameworks. Colorado Department of Education. Retrieved from www.library.waldenu.edu