Victoria White, PhD Ann George, EdD

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• Victoria White, PhD
  Ann George, EdD
• Associate Professor
  Assistant Professor
• Director of KC Metro Center
  SSLS

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Strategies for improving the performance of
students with special needs
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How can school leaders make a difference in
improving the performance of students with
special needs?
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No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

• The goal is proficiency in reading and math for
  all students but what about the student who has
  been identified with a disability?

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Presentation will

• Review best practices for improving academic
  performance
• Explore solutions

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Improving Performance

• Letter from Alexa Posney,
• Kansas Commissioner of Education
• December 14, 2007
• It has been determined that education must be
  approached in an integrated and systematic manner
  to ensure all children, who are struggling to
  learn, receive the support and interventions they
  need as early as they are needed.
• http//www.kansasmtss.org/

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Multi-Tier System of Support Definition

• MTSS is a coherent continuum of evidence based,
  system-wide practices to support a rapid response
  to academic and behavioral needs, with frequent
  data-based monitoring for instructional
  decision-making to empower each Kansas student to
  achieve to high standards.

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MTSS Core Beliefs

• Every child learns and achieves to high standards
  
• Learning includes academic and social
  competencies 
• Every member of the education community continues
  to grow, learn and reflect
• Every leader at all levels is responsible for
  every student
• Change is intentional, coherent and dynamic

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How to Achieve the Core Beliefs

• Every child will be provided a rigorous and
  research-based curriculum
• Every child will be provided effective and
  relentless teaching
• Interventions will be provided at the earliest
  identification of need
• Policy will be based on evidence based practice
• Every leader will be responsible for planning,
  implementing and evaluating

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Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success
1-5
1-5
5-10
5-10
80-90
80-90
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MTSS Implementation

• Website http//www.kansasmtss.org/
• Overview
• Resources
• Training materials

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Innovation Configuration Matrix

• Leadership and Empowerment (LE 1-19)
• Assessment (A 1-10)
• Curriculum (C 1-7)
• Instruction (I 1-8)
• Data-Based Decision Making (DBDM 1-13)
• Integration and Sustainability (IS 1-7)

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Advocate for All Students

• MTSS Core Beliefs- Every leader at all levels is
  responsible for every student

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• LE1 The district has a leadership team that is
  known throughout the district and meets regularly
  to address student academic and behavioral
  success in an integrated manner.

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• LE4 The district leadership team clearly
  identifies multiple indicators of academic and
  behavioral success and formally communicates them
  to buildings as areas to be measured.

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• LE17 Student learning experiences are customized
  in ways that make content relevant and enable
  students to learn.

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• A8 Progress monitoring of students receiving
  supplemental instruction occurs as follows
• Every two weeks for academics
• For behavior, monitored by behavior team on a
  regular basis

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• A9 Progress monitoring of students receiving
  intensive instruction occurs as follows
• Weekly for academics
• Monitored by behavior team on a regular basis as
  determined by the needs of the

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• A10 The teams have clearly documented and
  consistently follow decision rules to ensure
  early identification and intervention for
  students in both academics and behavior . . .

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• C1 The staff has formally evaluated and
  documented the adequacy of all the academic and
  behavioral curricular materials used across tiers
  aligned to student needs, state standards and
  evidence base.

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• C5 The staff members select academic curricula,
  behavior and social skill instructional
  materials, and programs/processes for supporting
  student behavior that are an appropriate match
  for the needs of the students at all tiers based
  upon student data.

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• DBDM3 All staff members are actively involved and
  have been trained in the problem solving process
  and use it consistently to guide decisions
  related to academics and behavior. . .

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• C7 A process is in place to check the fidelity of
  academic and behavioral curriculum and program
  implementation at all tiers with feedback and
  coaching to teachers provided throughout the year.

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Innovation Configuration Matrix (ICM)

• DBDM8 A clearly identified team meets at
  regularly scheduled times to analyze student
  academic and behavioral data from groups
  receiving supplemental and intensive instruction,
  including students receiving support from
  entitlement programs for instructional decision
  making.

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Guiding Questions