1.1 Vision of RMTSS

The Randolph Multi-Tiered System of Support Team (RMTSS) ensures that every student has access to the core curriculum and access to the use of research-based interventions that supplement, enhance, and support student learning.

1.2  Mission of RMTSS
Randolph Tiered System of Support teams provide schools with a venue wherein a collaborative, problem- solving model can be used efficiently and effectively to support the academic, and social- emotional and behavioral development of students. Through the use of evidence-based, quality instruction, all students can be productive learners.

The core of the data-driven, multidisciplinary and collaborative process is the Randolph Multi-Tiered System of Support Team. The goal of the RMTSS process is to provide support to both students and teachers with the outcome of improving student performance. This document sets forth data collection and intervention practices to be followed by all Randolph Multi-Tiered System of Support Teams in Randolph Public Schools.

1.3 Focus Areas

1. Academic Support (UDL)

The design of academic instruction should allow all students equitable access to grade-level standards, or entry points, in learning experiences that are engaging and personalized to meet their needs. Academic instruction integrates evidence-based practices in all content areas so students can make effective progress.

2. Behavioral Support (PBIS)

Tiered behavioral systems use primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of support to provide a proactive and preventative approach to behavior for all students. The use of a multi-tiered model provides students with supports built into daily routines where staff and students review expected behavior, and teach that behavior across the school building. In addition, consistent school-wide systems are in place to support frequent positive and corrective feedback to students. It is important that data is incorporated to both identify needs across these tiers, as well as provide feedback on the on-going effectiveness of various individual, classroom, and school-level efforts.

3. Social Emotional Development (SEL)

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines the key SEL competencies as:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Responsible decision making
• Relationship skills
• Social awareness

These social-emotional competencies allow students to understand and manage emotions, set goals, show empathy for others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. These competencies will be integrated in all aspects of the school community.

Multiple supports are in place to sustain this mission, including Randolph Multi-Tiered System of Support Teams (RMTSS) at every school in the Randolph Public School system (RPS). The RMTSS is a school-level, problem-solving team that matches interventions to individual student needs in order to supplement, enhance, support and provide access to the core curriculum of the school. At RMTSS meetings, after reviewing background data, potential supports are identified and the team then decides collaboratively which intervention(s) to implement and how the progress of that intervention will be monitored.

The work of the RMTSS is organized within a tiered system of supports, based on the Massachusetts Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and the federal Response to Intervention (RTI), with the goals of providing a systematic, research-based approach to teach all students and assess and monitor progress in learning and behavior. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has created the MTSS to support the academic, social-emotional and behavioral development of children, across early elementary through high school stages. The first tenet of the MTSS is the research-based recommendation that all students receive high quality, core general education curriculum (Tier 1), which can be supplemented with intervention strategies (Tier 2 and Tier 3) as needed. The Tier 2 and Tier 3 levels of intervention provide a continuum of multiple supports to meet the needs of students.

The tiers represent increasing intensity of support and interventions. The movement within the tiers (for both a more or less intensive type of support/intervention) is based on progress monitoring data; the data drives the decision-making throughout the process.

1.4 Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
The Massachusetts Tiered System of Support (MTSS) is a blueprint for school improvement that focuses on system structures and supports across the district, school, and classroom to meet the academic and non-academic needs of all students. It was developed to help guide the establishment of a system that provides high-quality core educational experiences in a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and targeted interventions/supports for students who experience academic and/or behavioral difficulties and students who have already demonstrated mastery of the concept and skills being taught.

Tier 1
Tier 1 supports are available to all students through a general education program. Inclusive practice, which is linguistically appropriate and culturally relevant, is a cornerstone of tier 1. Inclusive practice is defined as “instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social emotional outcomes for all students, with and without disabilities, in general education settings” (Educator Effectiveness Guidebook for Inclusive Practice, 2017). For example, providing students with options and choices for how they learn (i.e, access to books, videos, or direct-teacher instruction), what materials, scaffolds and supports they need to learn (i.e, visuals, exemplars, graphic organizers, rubrics, etc...), and how they can express what they know will allow more students to access rigorous, standards-based instruction.

Tier 2
Tier 2 supports occur in addition to the supports that happen in Tier 1 settings. These supports are generally done in small groups and include additional opportunities to practice skills necessary for core instruction or strategies for enrichment. 

Tier 3
Tier 3 provides more intensive support. These are often explicit, skills-based, focused interventions that occur individually or in very small groups. It is important to note that Tier 3 is not synonymous with special education. Students with disabilities may not need Tier 3 support and students not identified with a disability may in fact need Tier 3 supports.