Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 505-3-.103 - Multi-Tiered System of Supports Facilitator Endorsement
(1)
Purpose. This rule states
field-specific content standards for approving endorsement programs that
prepare individuals to serve as the multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS)
facilitator for schools in Georgia that use a systematic process to address the
needs of the whole child (P-12). This rule supplements requirements in GaPSC
Rule 505-3-.01 REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS FOR APPROVING EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROVIDERS AND
EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS.
(2)
In-Field Statement. Completers of the Multi-Tiered System of
Supports Facilitator Endorsement Program are qualified to perform the duties
assigned to individuals in the MTSS Facilitator position.
(3)
Requirements.
(a) A valid, level 4 or higher Induction,
Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional teaching certificate,
leadership certificate, service certificate, or Life certificate is required
for program admission.
(b) To
receive approval, a GaPSC-approved educator preparation provider shall offer a
preparation program described in program planning forms, catalogs, and syllabi
addressing the following standards adapted from the essential components and
fidelity rubrics from the Center for Response to Intervention (2014).
1.
The Learner. The
program shall prepare facilitators of multi-tiered system of supports who:
(i) Are knowledgeable about the methodology
of teaching and learning and stages of child development, including the
importance of family, school, and peer contexts for understanding student
academic performance and behavior and for intervention selection to address
student difficulties;
(ii) Are
aware of individual differences in learning, including but not limited to the
influence of culture, language, and disability, in response to
instruction/intervention;
(iii)
Have knowledge of and communicate theories and practices of behavior and
classroom management;
(iv) Have
knowledge on the management of intervention and instruction, and differentiated
instructional practices;
(v) Have
knowledge of universal, targeted, and intensive levels of academic and
behavioral interventions; and
(vi)
Have knowledge of how to promote and assess treatment fidelity and integrity of
implementation.
2.
Leadership. The program shall prepare facilitators of
multi-tiered system of supports who:
(i)
Collaborate with leaders about the rights and/or needs of students, secure
additional resources within the building or district that support student
learning, and facilitate effective communication with targeted
audiences;
(ii) Foster a
collaborative culture of responsibility, respect, and trust to support educator
development and student learning;
(iii) Are knowledgeable about school
improvement and research proven best practice frameworks;
(iv) Lead changes by modeling effective
communication skills, building consensus, and utilizing data to generate
solutions to issues of mutual importance;
(v) Access, disaggregate, and analyze MTSS,
and other data sources to inform school and system improvement planning and
improve student learning;
(vi) Help
students to become self-advocates: understand their own learning and the need
for self-directed learning skills; actively participate in the learning
process; and know how to get assistance;
(vii) Facilitate discussion to compare
student needs with curriculum standards to determine intervention intensity;
and
(viii) Give and solicit
continuous objective feedback and acknowledge credit due to others.
3.
School-Family-Community Partnerships. The program
shall prepare facilitators of multi-tiered system of supports who:
(i) Communicate the MTSS Framework with
parents through invitation, encouragement, and education, including explanation
of their role and responsibilities;
(ii) Utilize knowledge and understanding of
the different backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and languages in the school
community to promote effective communication and collaboration among
colleagues, families, and the larger community;
(iii) Facilitate and encourage use of
culturally responsive strategies, assessments, and interventions to enrich the
educational experiences of students and enable high levels of learning for all
students; and
(iv) Collaborate with
all stakeholders to develop comprehensive supports to address the variety of
educational needs of families and the community.
4.
Professional
Learning. The program shall prepare facilitators of multi-tiered
system of supports who:
(i) Engage the
learning community (team, school, system, and community) to identify and
systematically address professional job-embedded learning needs related to the
effectiveness of MTSS;
(ii)
Demonstrate understanding of how adults learn and differentiate ongoing
education opportunities for an extensive variety of learning needs;
(iii) Collaborate with other professionals
within and outside the system to share and engage in research, best practices,
and pursue continuous improvement to achieve successful student
outcomes;
(iv) Partner with
school/system leadership to prioritize, monitor, and coordinate resources for
educator learning; and
(v)
Electronically manage documents, forms, data, and resources to effectively and
securely share student information.
5.
Legal and Regulatory
Requirements. The program shall prepare facilitators of
multi-tiered system of supports who:
(i)
Understand the judicial origin and legal intent of the MTSS
framework;
(ii) Know and apply the
laws, policies, and ethical principles regarding classroom
management;
(iii) Know the rights
and responsibilities of students, teachers, parents, and other professionals as
it relates to implementation of MTSS; and
(iv) Understand and communicate pertinent
aspects of applicable statutes and rules including but not limited to:
(I) State Board of Education SST Rule
160-4-2-.32;
(II) Section 504 of 1973 Rehabilitation Act,
P.L. 93-112;
(III) Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA/IDEIA);
(IV) Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and confidentiality
issues;
(V) Records retention
schedule for SST records (where required by LUA);
(VI) Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA);
(VII) System Improvement
Plan, School Improvement Plan;
(VIII) Georgia HB 605: The Improved Student
Learning Environment and Discipline Act;
(IX) Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators;
and
(X) State reporting
requirements, as applicable.
6.
Screening. The
program shall prepare facilitators of multi-tiered system of supports who:
(i) Assist in identifying screening tools for
all areas (i.e., academics and behavior);
(ii) Ensure that the screening tools are
brief, valid and reliable, and that correlations between the instruments and
valued outcomes are strong;
(iii)
Establish procedures to ensure universal screening for more than once a year
and for implementation fidelity (i.e., all students are tested, scores are
accurate, cut points/decisions are accurate);
(iv) Utilize screening results, with at least
two other data sources (e.g., classroom performance, curriculum-based
assessment, state assessments performance, diagnostic assessment data,
short-term progress monitoring) to determine the level of risk and to identify
students who need further assessments;
(v) Use results to identify the needs of all
students and to inform the data-based decision making process (i.e., tiered
supports); and
(vi) Utilize a data
system to store and access student data in a timely fashion.
7.
Progress
Monitoring. The program shall prepare facilitators of multi-tiered
system of supports who:
(i) Establish
procedures to ensure progress monitoring occurs at recommended intervals based
on tiered support;
(ii) Assist in
selecting progress monitoring tools that have sufficient forms for all areas
(i.e., academics and behavior);
(iii) Ensure that minimum acceptable growth
is specified and benchmarks for minimum acceptable end-of-year performance are
provided;
(iv) Make sure that
procedures are in place to ensure implementation fidelity (i.e., appropriate
students are tested, scores are accurate, decision-making rules are applied
consistently); and
(v) Utilize
results to inform the data-based decision making process.
8.
Data-based Decision
Making. The program shall prepare facilitators of multi-tiered
system of supports who can facilitate a data-driven, decision-making process
and who:
(i) Analyze data from universal
screeners and progress monitoring to determine the needs of all
students;
(ii) Disaggregate and
analyze data at different levels (school-wide, grade-level, classroom, student,
etc.);
(iii) Use data to plan and
support effective instruction, and to determine and support movement between
tiers;
(iv) Determine the
effectiveness of evidence-based practices and interventions based on frequent
progress monitoring data;
(v)
Utilize data to determine enrichment opportunities for students who need
acceleration and to determine which students (and educators) need extra
support;
(vi) Assist in
facilitating school-based data teams focused on student achievement;
(vii) Use a variety of formative and
summative data to drive instructional decisions;
(viii) Ensure there are consistent learning
experiences among students in the same grade and subject with different
teachers (effective collaborative planning);
(ix) Make data-driven professional learning
decisions;
(x) Ensure that
discussions about students are data-driven (academic and behavior);
(xi) Determine the fidelity of implementation
of professional learning based on data;
(xii) Assist in establishing clear decision
rules (e.g., movement between levels or tiers, determination of appropriate
instruction or interventions);
(xiii) Choose realistic measurable
instructional/behavioral goals for the student;
(xiv) Develop an educational plan that
specifies research/evidence-based interventions and practices, progress
monitoring and fidelity of measures, and implementation steps;
(xv) Implement a plan with fidelity, assess
student progress frequently, and provide ongoing feedback to parents/guardians,
students, and staff as appropriate; and
(xvi) Periodically evaluate an educational
plan, adjust the plan, transition to a different tier, or close the case, as
appropriate.
9.
Instruction. The program shall prepare facilitators of
multi-tiered system of supports who:
(i) Use
data and information about the student to access and identify research/evidence
based practices and interventions to appropriately address the learner's
instructional needs;
(ii)
Prioritize and evaluate instructional alternatives/solutions and plan
instruction;
(iii) Manage multiple
components of effective teams, including communicating and defining roles and
responsibilities of team members; developing procedures; identifying resources
(personnel, materials, time); organizing documentation; record keeping;
applying brainstorming strategies; utilizing conflict resolution techniques;
evaluating procedures; and setting goals;
(iv) Communicate clearly and effectively in
oral, written, and non-verbal forms; apply listening and responding skills
(e.g., acknowledging, paraphrasing, reflecting, clarifying; elaborating,
summarizing); and interview effectively to elicit/share information and explore
problems;
(v) Draw upon expertise
of staff, parents, and invited specialists for collaborative consultation,
information, and support, creating an supportive and welcoming culture where
ideas are welcomed in developing solutions;
(vi) Utilize the team process to communicate
with team members, school personnel, families, and others as appropriate
through various technological devices;
(vii) Advocate for specific student learning
needs and recognize trends to direct instructional planning in the classroom
and school wide; and
(viii) Access,
disaggregate, and analyze MTSS, and other data sources to inform school and
system improvement planning and improve student learning.
10.
Multi-level Prevention
System. The program shall prepare facilitators of
multi-tiered system of supports who:
(i)
Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of an effective multi-level
prevention system as an integral component of Georgia's Systems of Continuous
Improvement Framework focusing on the systems and structures (the "what") that
must be in place for sustained improvement in student outcomes;
(ii) Articulate the essential components of
Georgia's Tiered System of Supports for students: Screening, Progress
Monitoring, Multi-Level Prevention System, Data-Based Decision Making, and
Infrastructure;
(iii) Identify and
demonstrate knowledge of differentiated instruction, progress monitoring,
screening, and specialized instruction as it applies to multi-level prevention
systems to maximize student achievement and behavior outcomes;
(iv) Identify and support implementation of
the three tiers of instruction:
(I) Primary
level:
I. Demonstrate knowledge of cut scores
and target scores for identification using universal screeners and progress
monitoring tools;
II. Identify
targeted students through established criteria;
III. Articulate and support implementation of
the necessary dimensions of effective core curriculum instruction at the
primary level; and
IV. Demonstrate
knowledge of research-based curriculum, evidence-based practices, and
high-leverage practices.
(II) Secondary level:
I. Identify targeted students through
established criteria;
II.
Articulate and support implementation of the necessary dimensions of
instruction at the primary level;
III. Select, implement, and monitor fidelity
of interventions at the secondary level;
IV. Demonstrate knowledge of required levels
of evidence, content, frequency, and duration of instruction necessary at the
secondary level;
V. Demonstrate
knowledge of research-based curriculum, evidence-based practices, and
high-leverage practices at the secondary level;
VI. Demonstrate knowledge of cut scores and
target scores for identification using universal screeners and progress
monitoring tools; and
VII.
Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate settings, group size, and schedule
(frequency and duration) for selected interventions at the secondary
level.
(III) Tertiary
level:
I. Identify the targeted students
through established criteria;
II.
Articulate and support implementation of the necessary dimensions of
instruction at the primary level;
III. Select, implement, and monitor fidelity
of interventions at the tertiary level;
IV. Demonstrate knowledge of required levels
of evidence, content, frequency, and duration of instruction necessary at the
tertiary level;
V. Demonstrate
knowledge of research-based curriculum, evidence-based practices, and
high-leverage practices;
VI.
Demonstrate knowledge of cut scores and target scores for identification using
universal screeners and progress monitoring tools;
VII. Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate
settings, group size, and schedule (frequency and duration) for selected
interventions at the secondary level;
VIII. Design instructional interventions,
strategies, and practices based upon assessment, data analysis, and teacher
input;
IX. Redesign, maintain, or
discontinue instructional interventions, strategies, and practices based upon
ongoing assessment data from progress monitoring;
X. Develop and implement processes and
procedures for assessing the effectiveness of the MTSS framework; and
XI. Document individual student instructional
intervention plans, along with progress monitoring, redesign, maintenance, or
completion of plan.
11.
Technology. The
program shall prepare facilitators of multi-tiered system of supports who:
(i) Identify and use various technologies to
gather, monitor progress, and analyze data in order to use information to
improve student learning and align education practices with school improvement
goals.
Notes
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