Team Objective

Approximate Time to Complete: 3 Hours

As a team, watch these videos to build background knowledge on the five elements and learn how to score the MTSS-R Implementation Checklist. Use the videos' objectives and attachments to direct your meetings.

Element: Instruction and Intervention

Effective reading instruction is the nucleus of a school’s MTSS–R system and is critical to support reading outcomes for all students. In an effective school-wide system, five content areas of reading instruction—phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension—are carefully integrated to support students across and within Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III.

Objectives:

  • Understand what foundational reading skills should be taught across tiers of instruction
  • Understand how foundational reading skills should be taught across tiers of instruction
  • Score MTSS-R Checklist Element I: Instruction and Intervention

Element: Data Use

MTSS–R emphasizes how to use data effectively to make many important decisions, such as which tier of instruction or intervention is necessary for a student, whether Tier I instruction is working for the majority of students, and whether interventions in Tiers II and III are helping students improve their reading skills. Data are also used to monitor MTSS–R implementation, determine if the system is working as intended, develop training and coaching opportunities for teachers, and create opportunities for families to support the reading development of their child. MTSS–R uses two broad sources of data to make important decisions: student reading performance data and MTSS–R implementation data. Student reading performance data are used to determine how well students are learning to read and what changes need to be made to improve reading outcomes. MTSS–R implementation data are used to determine how all elements of MTSS–R are being implemented and what changes need to be made to improve implementation and student reading outcomes.

Objectives:

  • Understand key student performance data sources
  • Understand key implementation data sources
  • Score MTSS-R Checklist Element II: Data Use

Element: Professional Development and Coaching

Professional development (PD) and coaching are the primary ways high-quality implementation, and continuous improvement of implementation quality, are achieved in MTSS–R and its major elements. Two important MTSS–R principles guide high-quality PD and coaching. First, all staff involved in MTSS–R implementation (e.g., teachers, principals, interventionists, coaches, specialists) should be trained in how to provide high-quality implementation prior to implementation. Second, after MTSS–R implementation begins, all staff involved in MTSS–R should receive ongoing PD and coaching as needed during implementation. The focus of ongoing PD and coaching is improving implementation fidelity and quality.

Meeting Objectives:

  • Understand the three primary types of professional development and coaching
  • Score MTSS-R Checklist Element III: Professional Development and Coaching

Element: MTSS-R School Leadership

MTSS–R school leadership is essential in developing and supporting the effective implementation of MTSS–R. MTSS–R implementation expectations are clearly specified in the School MTSS–R Plan and school leadership ensures effective implementation is accomplished by the collective work of school teams and the leadership of key individuals who direct MTSS–R implementation efforts. Three teams (School MTSS-R Leadership Team, Classroom Reading Instruction and Intervention Team, and Special Education Eligibility Team) and four school personnel positions (School Principal, School Reading Coach, Individual Specialists, Parent Liaison) are critical to MTSS–R leadership.

Note: Video is in production.

Element: Mutual Support Involving Families and the School

Children learn to read in and out of school. Schools have the major responsibility for managing reading activities during school. Families have the major responsibility for managing reading activities outside of school. The key to a successful family–school partnership to support reading development is establishing an effective co-communication system. Co-communication implies that the family–school partnership is equal and bi-directional, where families and schools jointly share important information about reading and the child.

Objectives:

  • Understand how families play a major role, in partnership with schools, to support the reading development of students.
  • Score MTSS-R Checklist Element V: Mutual Support Involving Families and the School