MTSS – West Fargo Public Schools

1. MTSS – West Fargo Public Schools Multi-Tiered System of Support at the Secondary Level

2. Introductory Activity • Directions: • Open the contents of your bag • When given instruction to begin please sew your button onto the cloth

4. Year 1: Establishing a Culture

5. A Shift in Thinking • Discuss with your neighbor: What lessons about learning could this activity cause you to reflect on?

6. A Shift in Thinking The current research on learning is clear: all students can learn.....albeit not in the same way or in the same timeframe.

7. A Shift in Thinking This, however, is the complete antithesis of the old Bell-Curve explanation of intelligence which has guided and cemented our beliefs about learners young and old for decades.

8. A Shift in Thinking The Bell-Curve belief is that achievement is a function of ability. That is, some students have it and will get it; some don’t and won’t

9. A Shift in Thinking Since beliefs form the basis for our expectations, the Bell-Curve belief has had a great impact on sorting and selecting students for success or failure

10. A Shift in Thinking • Talk to your neighbor about your understanding of the bell-shaped curve. How you think it has impacted your view of student learning. • Do you think this is a widespread belief in America?

11. A Shift in Thinking Instead, we are shifting to a different paradigm for learning. All students can achieve high standards

12. A Shift in Thinking Success in learning is for all. This paradigm shift is difficult for those of us who grew up with the Bell-Curve model.....who have taught believing in the Bell-Curve......and had expectations for learners which reflected the Bell-Curve belief. 

13. A Shift in Thinking But maybe, it is as . . . Easy as riding a bike!

14. Questions So Far? • How would this look in your building? • Who would be major agents of change?

15. Year 1: Establishing the Need for Change

16. Establishing a Need for Change • Deep breath! Let’s look at the data!

17. Reading Assessment Data • Subgroups from AYP report grade 11 • 2011-2012 Reading Proficiency • Overall – 63.06% • Economically Disadvantaged – 45.1% • Students with Disabilities – 31.13% • Students with LEP – 16.67%

18. 2011 NDSA—Reading Scores

19. DATA Informed Us… • We were not closing any gaps!

20. There’s Hope • Existing programs at WFPS have “made the shift” • No RTI level English for Grade 9 • SEED • Language! • These students are passing coursework and improving their standardized scores • They were placed based on MAP scores • Early results are very promising!

21. What we have tried • We have tried our best! • We have worked our tails off! • We have chased kid after kid! • We are exhausted! • And yet . . . • Little to no improvement on scores

22. So , what went wrong? • Students reading percentiles range from 1to 99 and we largely treat them the same • Limited supports in place –especially for non-special edstudents • Co-teachers • Limited skill building in place • Ultimately . . . • NOT Broken Students! • NOT Broken Teachers! • BUT, A Broken System!

23. So, What’s the Plan? • A Multi-Tiered System of Support • Developed by MTSS Teams • Under the direct influence of Wayne Callendar and Mark Shinn • Work by a committee of teachers reviewing current RTI courses

24. So, What’s the Plan? • Know who the students are and… • Give them the intervention they need.

25. Year 1: Plan of Action

26. MTSS – Standard Protocol • Individualized problem solving is a difficult model to sustain, especially in large buildings. • In a standard protocol model a standard set of empirically supported instructional approaches are implemented to prevent and remediate academic problems. • Streamlined analysis of the deficit skill is needed, so the MTSS Reading Pathway was developed in order to identify students.

27. SHS/WFHS Reading Pathway

28. Year 2: Implementation of Reading Pathway

29. Student scores below the 40th percentile on MAP mathematics assessment Year 2: Implementation Action Plan for Reading Student takes EasyCBM Algebra 8th grade Assessment Student scores below the 20th percentile (7 or below) on EasyCBM Algebra Assessment Student scores between the 20th and 39th (8-10) percentile on EasyCBM Algebra Assessment Student scores above the 40th percentile (11 or higher) on EasyCBM Algebra Assessment No further assessment; student placed in core curriculum at grade level (Algebra I) Student takes the TransMath Placement exam and is placed in TransMath class according to level Student takes Algebra I as well as a support class to pre-teach/re-teach Algebra I math skills (21st Century Algebra I)

30. Action Plan for Reading • Intensive Reading Intervention • Alternate core for English and • Support for other classes • Strategic Reading Intervention • English core and • Reading skill building class and • Support for other classes

31. What about Social Studies and Science? • Grades 9-10 • NO RTI/Developmental Classes • All teachers will implement the “MTSS Agreement” • A standardized list of appropriate modifications and accommodations • Grades 11-12 • YES, RTI/Developmental Classes • Phase out over next 3 years • Teachers will systematically apply the “MTSS Agreement” as part of class

32. Who Received Intervention? • First year of implementation • Strategic Intervention for 9th and 10th grade • Rewards • Read to Achieve • Intensive Intervention for all who needed it (9-12) • Language! Level C/D and Level E/F • MTSS Study Hall for all those receiving an intervention

33. How many kids are we talking about? • STRATEGIC • Grades 9-10 only! • We could not support all grade levels the first year • 35 at WFHS (3 sections) • 13 at SHS (1 Section) • INTENSIVE • Grades 9-12 • 113 at WFHS (11 Sections) • 88 at SHS (6 Sections) • **All of these students will have a MTSS study hall to aid in other coursework**

34. Action Plan for Reading • Talk to your neighbor about your initial reactions to the action plan? • Questions?

35. Year 2: Reading Data

36. Data, Data, Data… • ALL staff was informed of how the students in the intervention were progressing via staff meetings. • Data was shared with the middle schools. • Data was shared at the district level.

37. Reading Data Fall to Winter WFHS Mean Percentile for Placement Assessment = 22.94 Mean Percentile for Winter Benchmark Assessment = 46.00

38. Reading Data Fall to Winter SHS Mean percentile for Placement Assessments = 20th Mean percentile for Winter Benchmark Assessment = 45th

39. Reading Data Fall to Winter WFHS • Intensive Intervention: Upon entrance into Language! Students were below the 10th percentile for reading comprehension regarding Fall Normative Data. • Language! C/D • Mean Percentile for Placement = 5.75 • Mean Percentile for Winter Benchmark = 18.45 • Language! E/F • Mean Percentile for Winter Benchmark = 22.81

40. Reading Data Fall to Winter WFHS

41. Reading Data Fall to Winter WFHS Grade 6

42. Reading Data Fall to Winter SHS Grade 5 Grade 4

43. Reading Data Fall to Winter SHS Grade 7

44. Intensive ELL C/D Writing Sample Benchmark 1 Benchmark 2

45. Any Questions about the Data?

46. Year 2: Planning for the Math Pathway

47. Planning • MAP scores and success in Algebra I and beyond informed the team that there was a systemic problem. • Deficits in fundamental skills create math struggles at and beyond Algebra I • Pre-Algebra and Readiness and Introduction and Conclusion Algebra Block – SHS • 21st Century math skills – WFHS • All staff informed of the need for a math pathway and the development of the pathway.

48. SHS/WFHS Math Pathway

49. Math Course Projection

50. Year 3: Math Implementation