Something new is going on at Giles this year that is being echoed in schools around the country.
RtI, or Response to Intervention, has now become (or really, evolved into) MTSS or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.
I realized I didn't fully understand what this transition meant, so I decided to do a little digging after receiving a very helpful introductory staff newsletter in my inbox last week. Here is a little clarity for those who may be confused as I was.
RtI was, by name, a response to something that was already actively occurring. We wait until a student needs support and then we offer it to then, once they have "proven" their need (via various forms of testing). MTSS, conversely, is a support system, meaning it is pro-active and not just reactive. Wouldn't it be great if we could get students engaged in school supports before they are falling through the cracks? Well that's just what MTSS aims to do!
By seeing support staff as a part of the broader school context (and not just for "those" kids), MTSS provides every student with the opportunity to get a little extra boost. Thus MTSS is far more extensive and inclusive than RtI. It includes positive behavior intervention systems, overall curriculum design and more. It's like the difference between a major city's office of transportation and their public rail service (eg. the CTA in Chicago versus the Department of Transportation). While the CTA is a crucial part of Chicago transit, we can all agree that it's not the only component one considers when needing to get around the city. Similarly, RtI is just one aspect of a broader MTSS program.
Here is an excellent blog post about this and below is a handy graphic from that post to help explain more thoroughly the shift in thinking.
Hope this helps!
-Ms. OJ
RtI, or Response to Intervention, has now become (or really, evolved into) MTSS or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.
I realized I didn't fully understand what this transition meant, so I decided to do a little digging after receiving a very helpful introductory staff newsletter in my inbox last week. Here is a little clarity for those who may be confused as I was.
RtI was, by name, a response to something that was already actively occurring. We wait until a student needs support and then we offer it to then, once they have "proven" their need (via various forms of testing). MTSS, conversely, is a support system, meaning it is pro-active and not just reactive. Wouldn't it be great if we could get students engaged in school supports before they are falling through the cracks? Well that's just what MTSS aims to do!
By seeing support staff as a part of the broader school context (and not just for "those" kids), MTSS provides every student with the opportunity to get a little extra boost. Thus MTSS is far more extensive and inclusive than RtI. It includes positive behavior intervention systems, overall curriculum design and more. It's like the difference between a major city's office of transportation and their public rail service (eg. the CTA in Chicago versus the Department of Transportation). While the CTA is a crucial part of Chicago transit, we can all agree that it's not the only component one considers when needing to get around the city. Similarly, RtI is just one aspect of a broader MTSS program.
Here is an excellent blog post about this and below is a handy graphic from that post to help explain more thoroughly the shift in thinking.
Hope this helps!
-Ms. OJ
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