Multiple Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

The Cape Cod Collaborative (CCC) offers consultation services to school districts seeking to implement Multiple Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). This initiative, made possible through a grant from the Tower Foundation, was created to provide administrators with continued professional consultation intended to guide and improve classroom instruction, as well as articulated systems within the schools/districts, to ensure that learning supports and interventions are more effective.

Over the past three years, school administrators/leaders have received consultation services on salient aspects associated with transitioning from a basic Response to Intervention (RtI) model to a systemic Multiple Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) model in order to ensure that learning supports and interventions are more effective. CCC seeks to utilize district and grant funding to further develop a regional structure that provides sustainable supports to schools as they all strive to effectively address common challenges.

HOW WE WORK

Consultants will be utilized in schools and districts in various ways:

• In some districts the consultants will meet with instructional leaders such as department heads and team leaders. In this model the instructional leaders will take information and strategies regarding differentiation to classroom teachers to affect the needed changes in instruction.
• In other locations consultants will work directly with teachers to modify their instruction and assessment to better meet the needs of all students. Consultants will make suggestions and provide models for planning and teaching lessons that meet the need of a wide range of student ability and interests in the regular classroom.
• Consultants will also assist district staff in tracking student progress and will check on these efforts throughout the school year.

Each district will determine the model of consultation that best suits their needs as expressed in their strategic plan. Topical consultants associated with this initiative will be called upon to support districts with specific challenges or with core issues. These consultants are expected to work on an eclectic schedule, when coordinated through Dr. Giffune, to address certain focus areas. These consultants will provide building-level support as well as to develop and present workshops associated with the focus areas. The current methods for classroom instruction in many buildings often do not effectively support students with disabilities to successfully meet the Massachusetts curriculum standards. There is often differentiation of expectation for achievement, with very little differentiation of instruction towards common expectations of achievement for all students.

The activities associated with this initiative provide guidance and support for the development and integration of strategies that are aimed to strengthen “core” (Tier I) classroom instruction and alternative “push-in” models for interventions (Tier II).

For more information about MTSS consultation services, please contact:

Dr. Magdalene P Giffune  •  (508) 989 5297  •  m.giffune@capecodcollaborative.org

Participating educational leaders can access support documentation below